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Sep 18, 2007 7:15 pm US/Pacific
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Off The Beaten Path: Oroville Salmon Run
by John Iander
(CBS13)
You can see thousands of fall run chinook salmon frantically swimming just below the surface to get to their spawning grounds here on the feather river. From public over look areas, you can almost reach out and touch one. Ralph and Cindy Adams stopped by to watch the show.
"It's great, it's neat to see these big guys. Long trip home for the salmon. It's pretty amazing to watch them and it's free," said Adams.
Just below the Oroville Dam, you can watch this salmon ballet from both sides of the river. Trails parallel the water and meander into nature areas. There's a 1930 bath house where science lectures are often given, and every view is spectacular.
All along this river trail there are benches, lots of picnic areas where you can sit and watch the fish go by. If you are agile, adventurous and don't mind dodging a possible snake or two, you can hike right down to the river's edge.
Salmon are hatched inland in freshwater streams where they grow for up to 18 months before heading downriver to the ocean. They'll swim as many as 40 miles a day searching for food. Then after three to five years at sea, they'll return to the same stream, same gravel beds where they were born to spawn and start the life cycle again.
These first arriving salmon can't get over the dam, but as the migration progresses, pumps will lift the salmon around the obstructions so they can find their ancient spawning grounds.
So from now through about December, one of nature's great shows is on stage here on the feather river. That viewing area is open sunrise to sunset daily. There's no admission and plenty of free parking.
(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)