(Photos by Dave Gershgorn: Volunteers Bob Maughan, Lilia Matual, Diana Spence, Gerry Coit, and Mark Sears took on a thicket of invasive beach grass)
By Judy Pickens
Special to West Seattle Blog
On Saturday, 10 volunteers convened in Cove Park to open a pathway for coho spawners to access Fauntleroy Creek this fall.
Using a permit from State Fish and Wildlife, lead volunteer Mark Sears led the crew in relocating a few drift logs jammed into the sand but the task this year was mostly to clear a path for spawners through invasive beach grass.
(Gerry Coit worked his way through tenacious beach grass so spawners won’t have to)
The Fauntleroy Watershed Council will kick off the 2026 salmon watch with the annual drumming to call in spawners on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 4 pm, near SW Director and upper Fauntleroy Way SW. Watchers will check the lower creek daily after high tide and, if and when they begin to see spawners, they will host a weekend open creek for the general public.
“Spawners will need at least 11-foot tides to boost them into the creek,” explained veteran watcher Dennis Hinton. “When tides are that high in late September, we will watch for spawners circling in the cove in anticipation of coming in, usually between Halloween and Thanksgiving.”
Last year, watchers documented nine fish and one spawning pair, a low count, but it has fluctuated, with the count well into triple digits some years.