Unfortunately, the majority of people likely will never have the opportunity to view a large salmon run. If, however, they ever have the opportunity they should not pass it up. An estimated 240,000 people attended the 2014 salmon run to watch the salmon return to the Adams River.
B and K had the good fortune to have viewed two of the dominant runs at Adams River, the first in 2006 and the second in 2010. It turned out that the 2010 run was the largest in well over a century, with an estimated 3,866,000 salmon returning. Dominant runs occur every four years in even numbered years that are not leap years. The next will occur in 2018. Sub dominant, post-dominant and pre-dominant years do each have salmon runs, but the numbers are substantially smaller.
In a dominant year the Adams River is absolutely red with the millions of salmon making their way to the spawning beds. For many people this is a once-in-a-lifetime treat. The Adams River run is certainly not the only one to occur in British Columbia, but it is the largest and is relatively easily accessible.
As part of the salmon run the
Salute to the Sockeye Festival is staged each dominant year from about October 3 to 26 by the
Adams River Salmon Society.
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