The National Marine Fisheries Service says that the coho salmon population in Santa Cruz County could be saved from extinction, but only if local government and property owners are willing to make some major concessions. Conservationists estimate that there are only a few dozen coho salmon in the county today.
“It’s condor time now for the coho,” says John Ambrose, a Fisheries Service biologist. He says the county will have reduce the amount of drinking water diverted from its streams and maybe even remove the parking lot on San Lorenzo Avenue. The lot currently serves visitors to the Boardwalk. Nevertheless, Ambrose admits that “the likelihood of that happening is probably not high.” On the other hand, he does believe that more rigid enforcement of building codes along the San Lorenzo River could help the salmon population grow. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Southwest Regional Office.
