Salmon River Redd Surveys

This mesmerizing video, recorded by Tobyn N. Rhodes, is from USGS Western Fisheries Research Center’s field work on the lower Salmon River this past Fall 2025. Partnering with the Nez Perce Tribe, Rhodes and his team were counting the number of fall Chinook salmon nests, known as redds, with a drone piloted from a jet boat. This information is used to estimate the health and abundance of fall Chinook salmon that successfully return to spawn in the Snake River basin. Snake River Fall Chinook salmon are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.  

This specific video clip shows Rhodes recording WFRC scientist, Brad K. Bickford, driving the jet boat through China Rapid, a class III section of the Salmon River.