More sockeye are swimming up the lower Yakima River. That’s after heavy machinery removed an earthen land bridge in the Tri-Cities that blocked the river’s flow. It’s been about six months since excavators scooped out the dirt and rock that made up the Bateman Island Causeway. Now that the water is no longer blocked, biologists said they’ve seen an increase in sockeye salmon in the lower Yakima – nearly 400 sockeye according to Zac Zacavish, a research biologist with the Yakama Nation. He said it’s likely the highest percentage they’ve seen since the Yakama Nation first released sockeye for its reintroduction program in 2009. Biologists want sockeye to move quickly during the hot months of June and July. That’s when most of this sockeye run made it to the mouth of the Yakima River. In addition, he said, a cool spell a couple of weeks ago helped cool water temperatures. So did the smoke, which decreases solar radiation. The Lower Yakima River is a huge bottleneck for smolt survival and adults coming up with the thermal block that sets up. So, a lot of effort over the last few years and into the future is going to actually be on the lower river projects,” he said.