Flowers and Fish of the Sycan River Canyon

Join us in celebrating World Fish Migration Day with a “Flowers and Fish” outing to the Sycan River.

On May 21, World Fish Migration Day, the Klamath Lake Land Trust, The Nature Conservancy, the river steward for the Sycan River, and other experts will team up for a free public outing to this remarkable river near Beatty, Oregon.

This outing will offer participants a unique opportunity to learn about the historical and current fish migration patterns in the Sycan River system, a tributary to the Sprague and Klamath rivers, as well as the chance to see an assortment of wildflowers along the river’s canyon.

The Sycan River begins in the Fremont National Forest south of Summer Lake and flows for about 75 miles before joining the Sprague River near Beatty, Oregon. As it leaves its headwaters, the river flows northwest into the Sycan Marsh, a preserve managed by The Nature Conservancy. The river then turns to the southwest, flowing through the National Forest before entering private land near Coyote Bucket. Several tributaries enter the river as it flows south, including Long Creek, which supports one of the nine remaining native bull trout populations in the Klamath Basin.

The Sycan River also supports genetically distinct populations of redband trout, endangered Lost River sucker, and Klamath largescale sucker. The upper Sycan watershed supports one of the few remaining Miller Lake lamprey populations in the Klamath Basin, and Chinook salmon and steelhead are expected to return after Klamath River dam removal in 2020.

Please join us in celebrating and bringing attention to our local migratory fish!

When and where:

Participants will meet at 9 a.m., on Saturday, May 21, in the village of Sprague River at the Squaw Flats Store and carpool or caravan to the river. To get to the store from Klamath Falls, take Hwy 140 east about 16.5 miles to Bliss Rd. Take a left on Bliss Rd and continue for another 16.5 miles. When you get to the “T” intersection with Sprague River Rd. turn left and the store will be on the left.

This outing will last approximately until 1 p.m. and will require hiking over the scab flats of the Tablelands.

Items to bring:

• Sturdy shoes
• Sunscreen
• Bug repellant
• Water
• Snack
• Camera

Sycan River fish species:

Native Salmonids:

• Redband trout
• Bull Trout (ESA Threatened)

Other Native Fish above Sycan Marsh:

• Tui chub (happy minnow)
• Miller Lake lamprey
• Pit-klamath brook lamprey
• Speckled dace

Other Native Fish below Sycan Marsh:

• All species listed above except bull trout
• Blue chub
• Marbled sculpin
• Lost River sucker (ESA Endangered)
• Klamath largescale sucker

Extirpated fish:

• Summer steelhead
• Chinook salmon