Kokanee salmon finding their way up Taylor Creek from Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - There are kokanee salmon heading upstream in Taylor Creek after water was released from the dam at Fallen Leaf Lake. Their entry up the creek to lay their eggs was delayed due to drought conditions at Lake Tahoe and the outlet was dried up and in its place was a sandbank.

Many kokanees have been seen all the way upstream at the dam.

The gate to the Taylor Creek Visitor Center is now closed for the season as is the center. The public is welcome to park along SR89 where allowed and walk in. Since there are no services, restrooms are closed and trash must be carried out. People must stay on the trails and not venture into the forested areas where wildlife live, eat and pass through.

After the driest three-year stretch on record, rivers, streams, and creeks in the whole state, not just the Lake Tahoe Basin, are experiencing significant low water flows and some have even dried up. In addition, most waterbodies in California including Lake Tahoe, are experiencing increased temperatures due to the changing climate and multiple years of drought, according to USFS-Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Aquatic Biologist, Sarah Muskopf.

On October 5 of this year, Muskopf said Taylor Creek was flowing at 2-3 cubic feet per second and would have likely been even lower if not for the Fallen Leaf Lake Dam. Under natural conditions, large portions of Taylor Creek would be dry under current drought conditions. In addition, many streams around the Lake Tahoe Basin are currently intermittently dry.

The current flow on November 1, 2022, is about 10 cubic feet per second (cfs) and will likely vary between 6-12 cfs over the next few weeks, according to USFS hydrologist Robert Gibson.

With a storm due this week and next at Lake Tahoe, more water should be flowing in the creek.