Safety concerns prompt cancellation of popular Lake Tahoe Kokanee salmon festival
The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, with the support of the Great Basin Institute, has canceled the popular Kokanee salmon Fall Fish Fest originally planned for Oct. 14.
The event has experienced challenges over the last few years with staffing, crowd and people taking selfies with bears.
The Forest Service said there are public safety concerns about holding the festival this year due to anticipated large crowds, limited staffing capacity and potential human-bear conflicts.
The Great Basin Institute manages the Taylor Creek Visitor Center, the normal home to the Fall Fish Fest. Taylor Creek paths like the Rainbow Trail are expected to remain open this fall. The repair project on the glass-enclosed stream profile chamber should be done by the first week in October.
There were closures of the Rainbow Trail 2014 through 2016 when bear activity was high, and crowds grew to capture those bear selfies. Wildlife will feed on the Kokanee as they swim upstream on Taylor Creek so all spectators must stay on designated trails.