Seven years after a catastrophic decline in the number of adult kokanee salmon returning from Lake Sammamish put the native species on the brink of extinction, a partnership coordinated by King County is reporting a potential breakthrough for a sustainable recovery.

Biologists reported that more than 8,300 adult kokanee salmon returned to their spawning grounds during the 2024-25 spawning run, a stunning improvement over the 2017-18 run when just 19 returned. It was the second-highest return since King County began monitoring in 1996.

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks has been working with the Lake Sammamish Kokanee Work Group to enact emergency and long-range actions to ensure the survival of the unique salmon population that is important to the region’s habitat and history. Read more.