Elwha River dam removal

Group (HSRG) that restoration of the lower Elwha River and recolonization of the pristine upper Elwha River above Elwha and Glines Canyon dams should prioritize recovery of wild fish.  The proposed reliance on large-scale hatchery releases undermines ecosystem recovery and violates the ESA.  Wild Fish Conservancy, The Conservation Angler, the Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee, and the Wild Steelhead Coalition have brought the suit against the Olympic National Park, NOAA Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and representatives of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.

The federal government is spending nearly $325 million for the dam removal project, opening nearly ninety miles of pristine riverine habitat in Olympic National Park, much of which is designated a wilderness area.  Rather than allowing wild salmonids to naturally colonize this pristine habitat, the agencies and the Tribe are going ahead with a plan that will release approximately four million juvenile hatchery salmonids annually throughout the recovery, including the continued release of non-native steelhead during a five-year fishing moratorium. The hatchery releases will be supported by a new fish hatchery on the Elwha River built with $16.4 million of Stimulus Act funds.  State and federal agency scientists pointed out that the current plan gives no measureable goals for wild fish recovery, provides no timetable for ceasing the hatchery production, and that ultimately, wild fish recovery is going to be hampered by the hatchery fish.  A review released this week by the independent Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG), which was organized and funded by Congress, has echoed these concerns.

“While the Tribe played an essential role in removing the dams,” said Kurt Beardslee, Executive Director of Wild Fish Conservancy, “their intent to now plant millions of hatchery fish in disregard of the scientific evidence undermines salmon recovery in the Northwest and the goals of the ESA.   However you look at it, it’s a horrible precedent if left to stand.”

Sunrise on the Elwha River

Will Atlas, chair of the FFF Steelhead Committee, stated “The science does not support planting of hatchery fish into this productive, pristine habitat.”

“This action is necessary,” said Rich Simms, president of the Wild Steelhead Coalition, “so that wild, not hatchery, steelhead will be restored to the Elwha and the Olympic Wilderness.”

“Their plan is vague and uncertain about how and when these hatchery interventions will end,” said Pete Soverel, president of The Conservation Angler. “The Elwha deserves far better but will end up compromised like most of our other rivers if this plan is implemented.”

The groups believe that spending $325 million to open a wilderness watershed but then stocking it with hatchery fish is poor public policy and will likely provoke taxpayer skepticism toward salmon recovery and future efforts at dam removal.  The groups support the right of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe to harvest salmon and steelhead, but argue that intensive hatchery production throughout the recovery will reduce the capacity of wild salmon and steelhead to recolonize the newly available habitat, harming ESA listed Puget Sound steelhead, Chinook salmon, and southern resident killer whales that depend on Chinook salmon for their survival.

The groups are represented by Smith and Lowney, PLLC, of Seattle.

• Elwha Fish Hatchery Filed Complaint – U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington – Tacoma
• The HSRG Review of the Elwha River Fish Restoration Plan and cover letter

]]> http://wildsteelheadcoalition.org/2012/02/suit-filed-to-block-elwha-hatchery-programs/feed/ 2 http://wildsteelheadcoalition.org/2012/02/dylan-tomine-speech-at-elwha-river-science-symposium/ http://wildsteelheadcoalition.org/2012/02/dylan-tomine-speech-at-elwha-river-science-symposium/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 07:10:55 +0000 Jonathan http://wildsteelheadcoalition.org/?p=2148 Fisherman, and Patagonia ambassador, Dylan Tomine shares his concerns about restocking the Elwha River with non-native, hatchery-raised fish at the Elwha River Science Symposium. The Symposium was held in conjunction with the historic Elwha River dam removal project.

There’s this guy in Spokane, Washington (Josh Mills) that runs this really cool blog (Chucking Line and Chasing Tail). Just like his father, he really, really likes to fish for steelhead and wants to ensure his son has the same opportunity when the time comes for him to pick up a rod. So Josh has decided to host, along with Silver Bow Fly Shop, a showing of Confluence Films’ latest movie Connect and donate all of the proceeds to the WSC.

Admission to the event is $5 at the door and you can RSVP on the Facebook event page.

Raffle items have been donated by:

• Silver Bow Fly Shop
• Allen Fly Fishing
• Evolution Anglers
• Montana Fly Co.
• No Sports Allowed
• Sage
• Redington
• Rio
• Elusive Trout
• Lateral Line Media
• Korkers
• Deneki Outdoors
• Kirk Werner
• Northwest Steelhead Fishing
• …and numerous individuals have stepped up and tied a pile of specialty steelhead flies.

• Read more about the outcome of the WDFW’s decision on terminating the Snider Creek wild broodstock program.
• Read the comments the WSC submitted to the WDFW on the Snider Creek hatchery program.

1) the need to eliminate a mixed stock fishery where additional fishing pressure is created by early hatchery fish that depletes the early wild run

Courtesy of Olympic Peninsula Guides Association

2) a review of the recent research showing major impacts form hatchery smolts and adults on the production of wild fish.

A second set of comments by Richard Burge and John McMillan modeled the actual impacts of the Snider Creek hatchery on the Sol Duc wild run size, showing it was reduced at approximately 20% by hatchery fish (Snider Creek, summer Skamania stocks and straying Bogachiel hatchery fish) spawning in that river with wild fish. Both sets of comments spoke strongly for making the Sol Duc a WSMZ.  The only other candidate, the Clearwater, was far inferior for this purpose due to it’s damaged habitat, smaller runs and lost diversity

The WDFW and the Olympic Peninsula Guides Association plan to move the hatchery to the Bogachiel River and are presently looking for a site to build rearing and acclimation ponds.  Where-as this at first looks like a simple trade of rivers, the impacts to the Bogachiel will be fewer and the value to the Sol Duc will be much larger.  The Bogachiel is already heavily planted with Chambers Creek hatchery fish which attracts a large crowd every December and January.  The new wild brood stock hatchery on the Bogachiel will add fish that return during the early run time but slighter later in January and February. The smolt release will be reduced from 100,000 annual smolts to 50,000.  The Bogachiel offers more effort and improved access to catch these fish, meaning fewer will escape and spawn.

This change was not a perfect win for wild steelhead but probably the best and only one we could achieve.  It frees up the Sol Duc from hatchery fish (a few Bogachiel hatchery and summer Skamania hatchery fish may still stray there) to recover from 25 years of hatchery impacts and inadequate management.  This change offers the following good points for wild steelhead:

1. The Wild Steelhead Management Zone on the Sol Duc River that will allow for normal fishing times, gear use and harvest limits unless altered
2. The Sol Duc River will become a wild steelhead gene bank to preserve all of the wild steelhead genetic values of a major wild run on the Washington Coast
3.  This change and the no harvest rule from December through February 15 will provide the first realistic chance for the early wild run to recover.  That run was originally about ½ of the total run, was depleted by the increased pressure for larger numbers of hatchery fish, and will add significantly to the total abundance when recovered
4. Other management changes such as further protection of the early run for rebuilding and protection of resident steelhead (normally called rainbow trout) which are major contributors to the spawning population
5. A management model that should be very successful and show others the values to sport fishers of managing rivers without hatcheries: values that will include improved fishing, larger runs, and full season wild fish abundances

Elwha Dam removal

By Rich Simms

 “Hydro” is one of the “Four H’s” that have had a large impact on wild salmonids over their historic range, and it is sometimes one of the most contentious and political. But sometimes the stars align through the right circumstances, and wills and determination make a wrong right.  Prior to 2011 we witnessed the deconstruction of Marmont Dam on the Sandy River and Gold Ray Dam on the Rogue. Now in 2011, the removal of the Elwha Dam and Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River, and Condit Dam that had blocked the White Salmon River has begun.  There is much to celebrate regarding the removal of these fish blocking monoliths, and many folks and agencies to thank for their hard work as it comes to fruition.  Let’s hope this trend continues as an important step of wild steelhead recovery.

Unique view of Glines Dam removal.

However there seems to be another problem; on the Elwha we got rid of one of the “Four H’s” only to replace it with another “H”: Hatcheries. The plan to restore a wild river with wild fish went sideways with plans of hatchery supplementation for potential future harvest and to augment recovery. In September, The Wild Steelhead Coalition partnered with The Wild Fish Conservancy, The Conservation Angler and the Federation of Fly Fishers Steelhead Committee filed a 60-day notice to litigate against the agencies that plan to utilize a hatchery to restore wild fish to this free river, one with some of the most pristine habitat anyone could ask for in the Pacific Northwest. The two biggest issues of contention are the planting of Chambers Creek stock steelhead in the Elwha River and the lack of a solid, adapted management plan to restore wild fish.  A new 60-day notice was recently filed to also include the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe as one of the agencies. On November 7^th, the parties who filed the notice were invited by Congressman Norm Dicks to discuss the notice and our concerns. The Congressman has offered his help to get the fish restoration issues resolved, and we are optimistic his effort to work with the agencies will bear fruit and get us on right path toward wild fish recovery on the Elwha.

The WSC also recently hosted a fundraising event to show the new film “Connect”, with proceeds going directly to support our efforts with the Wild Fish Conservancy in restoring the Elwha with wild fish. The event raised $5,000, which included support from Emerald Water Anglers, Sage, Redington, Rio (Farbank Group), The Avid Angler, Creekside Angling, Orvis Bellevue, The Drake, Gig Harbor Fly Shop, Yellow Dog Fly Fishing, Allen Fly Fishing, Simms, Georgetown Brewery, Recycled Waders, Puget Soundkeeper Alliance,  and Westland Distillery.  A big “thanks” also goes out to all who attended the event and support our efforts for a wild Elwha River. At the event, we also unveiled the new WSC  logo and folks will soon be seeing a new look and feel for the organization as we move forward in 2012.

On November 8, the WSC also partnered with Save Our Wild Salmon in a meeting with Senator Maria Cantwell’s office to make a strong pitch for the Senator to support a legitimate stakeholder process regarding Columbia River Steelhead and Salmon. We urged the Senator to work with the Administration and other elected leaders in our region to convene an inclusive, collaborative stakeholder process focused on restoring abundant salmon and steelhead populations in a manner that also meets the important needs of our communities and economy.

Our VP of Science, Dick Burge, is also representing the WSC as part of the Puget Sound Hatchery Review Committee with support from our friend John McMillan and Nick Gayeski at Wild Fish Conservancy.  The WSC was also instrumental in work to establish the Sol Duc River on the Olympic Peninsula as WSMZ by retiring the Snider Creek Broodstock program. And I urge you to please take a moment to thank the WDFW’s Director Phil Anderson, Ron Warren, and Jim Scott for standing up for wild steelhead by making this important decision to close the hatchery on Snider Creek.

I would also like to take this moment to recognize Richard Hunt for his years of service on the WSC Board as he steps away into an active member role.  At the same time I would like to introduce our new Board member Luke Kelly who has jumped on board and been a big help to the organization.

Yes, 2011 was a Dam fine year. Now if we can only rise above human intervention to let the river and the fish do what they have been doing for so long.

Rich Simms
President
Wild Steelhead Coalition

As a result of the CRSSE, the Columbia River Salmon and Steelhead Recreational Advisory Board was formed in September 2009 to advise WDFW and WDFW Commission on the use of money generated from the endorsement. Senate Bill 5421  directed WDFW to form the board, which currently has nine members who represent different regions of the Columbia River Basin. Members of the CRSSRAB represent boards and conservation groups including the Snake River Salmon Recovery Board, Trout Unlimited, Clark/Skamania Fly fishers, Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), and Entiat Watershed Planning.

The revenue generated from the endorsement in 2011 was an estimated $2.3 million dollars. These funds go directly to managing, monitoring, and enforcing fisheries on the Columbia River and its tributaries.

Current CRSSE Projects and Funding:

• Enforcement

• Upper Columbia River: Biologist

• CRSSR Advisory Board: Travel/Miscellaneous costs

• Snake River: Spring Chinook Fishery Monitoring

• S.E. Washington: Supplemental Steelhead/Fall Chinook Monitoring

• Wenatchee River: Spring Chinook Creel Monitoring

• Upper Columbia River: Fisheries Monitoring

• Lower Columbia River: Summer Chinook MSF (Mark Selective Fisheries) Monitoring

• Hanford Reach: Steelhead Creel Monitoring

• Cowlitz River: Steelhead Resistance Weir Boards

CRSSE Projects implemented in 2011:

• Wenatchee River: Spring Chinook District Biologist

• Yakima River: Spring Chinook Fish Monitoring

• Columbia River: Mark Select Summer Chinook Creel Monitoring

• Klickitat River: Creel Census

• Washougal River: Winter Steelhead Creel Census

• Wind River: Summer Steelhead Hooking Mortality Study

• South Toutle: Summer Steelhead Creel Monitoring

 The Wind River summer steelhead Hooking Mortality study is an excellent example of CRSSE funds being used to directly benefit wild steelhead and angling opportunities through science. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is currently implanting Passing Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags into wild steelhead through hook and line sampling at Shepard Falls fishway on the lower Wind River. The differential kelt survival rates between line caught PIT tagged fish and Shepard Falls PIT tagged fish will reveal a catch and release mortality rate that can be applied to this fishery as well as in other fisheries’ management decisions for wild steelhead.

Skagit River

By The Wild Steelhead Coalition

Introduction

In September 2011, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe, the Swinomish Tribe, and the Sauk-Suiattle Tribe prepared Draft Report: Stock Status and Harvest Management Plan for Steelhead Returning to the Skagit River for the 2011-2012 Run Period.  This is a draft document and it is clearly stated on the first page that “This is a preliminary plan that has not yet been reviewed or agreed to by tribal co-managers. The information is likely to be refined after co-manager review and input. Any sport fishing rule changes required will be put in place via the emergency fishing rule process.”

This is a very important document that tribal and sport fishers alike should be very concerned about.  The Skagit Basin fishery has been experiencing significant declines of wild steelhead numbers and has resulted in early closures of sport fishing seasons in recent years.  It is important to understand that within this article the Wild Steelhead Coalition (WSC) is only summarizing this draft report. Please note that the WSC has many concerns about the management plans and conservation efforts related to Skagit Basin wild steelhead stocks, and we are working diligently on these issues via the appropriate channels.

Report Overview

The 20-page report is broken down into Introduction, Management Objectives (includes wild fish population goals, Fishery goals, and Hatchery Fish Production Goals), Fishery Goals, Preseason Forecast of Abundance, Wild Steelhead Stock Status and Fishery Performance (includes Expected Harvest Rates), Fishery Management Plan (broken down into Tribal Fishery and Sport Fishery), In-Season Fishery Management, Monitoring, and Enforcement.  The Introduction explains that this document specifies the procedures under which the co-management parties agree to manage the 2011-2012 winter steelhead fisheries in the Skagit River Basin.

Skagit Management Objectives

The Management Objectives section states: “For wild steelhead, the management objective since 1994 has been to limit the catch of wild steelhead to less than 16% of the wild run size.”

Since the poor wild steelhead return in the 1999-2000 season, the co-managers have adopted a floor escapement level.  After the 2000-2001 season, the floor escapement level was set at 6,000 wild steelhead, meaning if escapement of wild steelhead is less than this floor escapement level then fisheries directed at wild steelhead would not be opened.  Looking at the escapement numbers over the past decade (the report includes several very informational data tables), the declining trend of returning wild steelhead is evident.

Next, under Management Objectives, Fishery Goals it states that: “Because of the uncertainty regarding the MSH (maximum sustainable harvest) escapement level for Skagit wild winter steelhead, and the lack of in-season data on sports catch and run size, both the sport and the tribal fisheries will be managed according to fishing schedules that are set preseason and are not adjusted during the season.”  This section also states that the steelhead run size forecasted for the 2011-2012 season is 4,265 wild steelhead and 918 hatchery steelhead.

Take note that the wild steelhead return forecast of 4,265 is below the floor escapement level of 6,000 fish, and will likely affect the sport fishing season on the Skagit River Basin this season.  Because of this and the fact that Puget Sound wild steelhead are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, the tribes and the state have designated their fishing schedules for the 2011-2012 season with particular concern for incidental catch of wild steelhead.  Interestingly, the document notes that these schedules and the impact on steelhead stocks will be evaluated post-season and will not be adjusted during the season.  Although controversial for how this schedule affects wild fish run timing, this section notes that the scheduled fishing season coincides with the return timing of hatchery steelhead.

The Management Objective, Hatchery fish Production Goals section identifies the total number of steelhead smolts to be released from the Marblemount Hatchery.  In the 2011-2012 season there will be 229,000 smolts released, and this will require about 150 adult spawners collected from the Marblemount Hatchery and the Baker River Trap.

Preseason Forecasts of Abundance

In short, the forecast for wild adult steelhead run size was calculated on “average, age specific brood year adult return rates, using the 1998-2008 brood year data (table 3).”  The WSC would like to note that this forecast is based on a relatively short data set of 10 years when wild steelhead numbers were already on the decline.

For the Hatchery Steelhead Forecast section it is stated that: “We used available return year age data, developed age specific smolt release year return rates, and calculated average smolt to adult return rates for all corresponding release years (Table 5).”  More importantly, the draft states that the average smolt to adult return rate for 1984-1993 was 1.76% and for 1999-2006 was 0.47%.

This is a significant drop in returning hatchery steelhead!  The bottom line, co-managers used the average of return rates since release year 1999 (to present).  Again, the hatchery steelhead return for the 2011-2012 season is a mere 918 fish.

Wild Steelhead Stock Status & Fishery Performance

The next section, Wild Steelhead Stock Status and Fishery Performance, clearly affirms that the WDFW has implemented a non-retention rule for Skagit Basin wild steelhead during recreational fisheries.

This part of the draft document also states that expected release mortality from recreational wild steelhead encounters for the 2011-2012 run-year is approximately 0.313% (about 13 wild fish at the preseason forecast run size).  The draft does not explain how this mortality estimate is derived.

Fishery Management Plan for 2011-12

The Fishery Management Plan section follows and displays catch allocations and management periods for the 2011-2012 season.  Of significant concern of the WSC, the draft report explains: “For wild steelhead on the Skagit, which the co-managers have redefined as one population (i.e. there are not separate “summer” and “winter” wild spawning populations), the ending date has been set as June 30.”  Basically, this date is set to define the wild steelhead catch allocation period for management planning, so the 2012-2013 management plan will likely begin on June 30, 2012.

The draft report explains that for hatchery steelhead, the allocation periods are different.  The Fishery Management Plan section states: “This is because two distinct populations of hatchery steelhead – Chambers Creek winters and Skamania summers – have been planted in or near the Skagit, so, to evaluate these programs, they are accounted for separately. For Skagit Bay and River, the winter-run hatchery steelhead catch allocation period runs from November 1 through April 30, and the summer-run hatchery steelhead catch allocation period runs from May 1 through October 31. WDFW has regulations for recreational steelhead fishing that are in effect June 1 through April 30, which encompass most of both the summer-run and winter-run hatchery steelhead catch allocation periods.”

Tribal Fishery Management

The following section in the document is for Tribal Fishery.  On this draft, the Tribal Fishery section is blank.

Recreational Fishery implications

The Sport Fishery section follows and basically refers to the WDFW’s Sport Fish Rules – “Fishing in Washington”,  2011-2012 pamphlet edition.  This segment also refers to Table 9 within the document, and this is of special interest to all sport fishermen who plan to visit the Skagit during the 2011-2012 season.

Under this draft plan, Skagit recreational fisheries will be closing early (February 1) on many popular steelhead fishing areas (See page 7 rivers list and Table 9 sport fishing seasons in the draft document!).  The document clearly states: “Emergency rules governing sport fishing seasons for the following rivers and sections will be enacted by the WDFW in the 2011-2012 winter game fish seasons.  These regulations will be put into effect due to forecasted returns below the floor escapement value in order to reduce impacts on wild steelhead.  Depending on in-season evaluation, WDFW may institute additional restrictions on the suite of sport seasons as needed by emergency regulation.”

In-Season Fishery Management, Monitoring & Enforcement

Following the Sport Fishery section are the In-Season Fishery Management, Monitoring, and Enforcement sections.  The In-Season Fishery management section has no detail, but shows an outline of: Co-manager communication plan, Data sharing timeline, In-season fishery change procedures, and In-season update (which states that there will be no in-season update of either hatchery or wild run sizes).

The Monitoring segment is very short and explains that the Swinomish and Sauk-Suiattle Tribes will collect data from tribal fisheries, including the catch of hatchery versus wild origin steelhead.  The Monitoring section also notes that the WDFW will attempt to collect scale samples by recruiting recreational sport fishing volunteers during the 2011-2012 season.

Lastly, the Enforcement section heading is present, but there is not content related to this section in the draft document.

Skagit Steelhead Data

The remainder of this draft plan entails multiple tables of data related to Skagit hatchery steelhead and Skagit wild steelhead (pages 12-19).  These pages are an excellent resource and if you have read this far, the WSC highly recommends you study these tables!

As mentioned previously this draft report also includes tables for the sport fishing seasons on the Baker, Cascade, Sauk, Suiattle, and Skagit Rivers for the 2011-2012 winter game fish season (page 8-10).  These pages will be of specific interest for those recreational sport-fishers as well as those tracking the current trend and concerned with the future of wild steelhead within the Skagit Basin.

Summary

The WSC is pleased to have received this draft report, and the ability to share its content with our supporters.  To reiterate, the article you have just read is meant to be a summary for our supporters, however we at the WSC have some significant concerns as to the direction of wild steelhead management on the Skagit.  Rest assured that where appropriate the WSC is fighting for improved management, use of best available science, and the end goal of wild steelhead conservation for this precious species within the Skagit River Basin.  To learn more about the WSC’s stance on Skagit wild steelhead or to get involve and make a difference, please feel free to contact us.  There is much to be done, and we aren’t getting there with idle support.

Update:  As of December 2011, WDFW has submitted this document to co-managers and this document is currently being reviewed and will be signed by all parties soon.

Methow River steelhead

By Chris Ringlee

Popular steelhead fisheries occur on the Upper Columbia (UC) and its tributaries during the fall and into the winter for fish that belong to the Upper Columbia Distinct Population Segment (DPS). Upper Columbia DPS steelhead are listed under the Endangered Species Act as “Threatened” and have had this designation since January 5, 2006. Prior to this, UC steelhead had been listed as “Endangered” since August 18, 1997. The Upper Columbia steelhead DPS includes all naturally-spawned anadromous steelhead populations below natural and man made impassable barriers on streams in the Columbia River Basin upstream from the Yakima River to the US‐Canada border, as well as six artificial propagation programs: the Wenatchee River, Wells Hatchery (in the Methow and Okanogan Rivers), Winthrop National Fish Hatchery, Omak Creek and the Ringold steelhead hatchery programs.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) implemented emergency fishing season openings on the Upper Columbia and tributaries.  These emergency rules have created steelhead fisheries throughout the Upper Columbia to remove excess hatchery steelhead from the systems. It is important to understand that hatchery steelhead are also listed under the ESA and are used in the recovery efforts of wild fish, so not all hatchery steelhead have an adipose clip.

WDFW suggests that 50-65% of hatchery fish are adipose clipped in the Upper Columbia. WDFW and other agencies can distinguish hatchery origin fish through the use of Coded Wire Tagging, a small metal tag placed in the head of juvenile hatchery fish. Hatchery fish can also be determined through the use of scale analysis since their life history differs from wild steelhead in overwintering and growth patterns. WDFW regulations for the Upper Columbia areas require that ALL adipose clipped steelhead to be retained, making it illegal to release hatchery steelhead.

In the total Upper Columbia steelhead fishery during the 2010-2011 season, an estimated 23,910 anglers fished a total of 93,504 fishing hours and caught 11,610 steelhead; of which 5,219 were adipose-absent fish of hatchery origin, 3,937 were adipose-present hatchery origin, and 2,454 were natural-origin steelhead. In the Wenatchee River, an estimated 2,095 anglers fished 5,758 hours and caught a total of 484 steelhead; of which 97 were adipose-absent, 161 were adipose-present hatchery, and 226 were natural origin. In the Methow, an estimated 9,125 anglers fished 41,592 hours and caught a total of 5,880 steelhead; of which 2,857 were adipose-absent, 1,953 were adipose present-hatchery, and 1,070 were natural origin.

In the steelhead fishery above Wells Dam, which includes the main stem Columbia, Methow, Okanogan, and Similkameen Rivers, an estimated 4,779 adipose fin clipped steelhead were removed by anglers. This represents a 64.5% reduction of the estimated 7,411 adipose fin- clipped hatchery steelhead in the system, which were observed passing Wells Dam during the season.

In the steelhead fishery from Priest Rapids to Wells Dam, which includes the main stem Columbia, Wenatchee, and Entiat Rivers, an estimated 396 adipose fin clipped steelhead were removed. This represents a 9.3% reduction of the estimated 4,263 adipose fin clipped steelhead assigned to the main stem Columbia, Wenatchee, and Entiat populations. WDFW uses anglers as a facet of steelhead management through the removal of hatchery fish. While high interception rates occur further upstream, this Wenatchee area lacks significant hatchery steelhead removal. This is one area of concern for the WSC as the Wenatchee receives substantial hatchery plants equaling 474,500 smolt in 2010.

The fishery opportunity and harvest of hatchery steelhead in the Upper Columbia has impacts on wild steelhead. The overall impacts of the Upper Columbia River and tributary steelhead fisheries on natural-origin steelhead was estimated at 136 wild fish based on a 5% hooking mortality. This represents 64.2 % of the allowable natural-origin impacts, which is less than the 212-fish mortality figure estimated during the October 2010 in-season forecast based on ESA recovery guidelines.

NOAA uses a 5% catch and release (C&R) mortality figure for estimating mortality associated with the release of wild steelhead. WDFW currently uses an estimated 10% C&R mortality figure applied to steelhead fisheries in the state. The WSC applauds the WDFW for implementing the Wind River summer steelhead Mortality Study to help define actual C&R impacts, and urges the WDFW to implement other studies regarding C&R mortality.

Wild steelhead counts continue to hover below established goals.  Natural-origin fish escapement* in 2011 to the Wenatchee and Methow Rivers was estimated at 1,345 and 1,773 respectively. The escapement goal for the Methow is 2,300 and the NOAA recovery goal is 2,500 adults; while the escapement goal for the Wenatchee is 3,000 and the NOAA recovery goal is 2,500 adults.

Regarding enforcement of steelhead protections, the WSC applauds the effort shown by WDFW and NOAA in these Upper Columbia steelhead fisheries. Enforcement of regulations protecting ESA-listed Upper Columbia River steelhead occurred throughout the steelhead fishery areas. For the 2010-2011 season, enforcement activities reported 872 enforcement hours, 1,124 angler contacts, and 185 reported violations (Table 12). Arrests accounted for 7% of all anglers contacted. There were no violations reported for illegal retention of unmarked steelhead.

* “Escapement” refers to that portion of an anadromous fish population that escapes the commercial and recreational fisheries and reaches the freshwater spawning grounds.

Reference

http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/ESA-Salmon-Listings/Salmon-Populations/Steelhead/STUCR.cfm

http://wdfw.wa.gov/mapping/salmonscape/

Ford MJ (ed.), Cooney T, McElhany P, Sands N, Weitkamp L, Hard J, McClure M, Kope R, Myers J, Albaugh A, Barnas K, Teel D, Moran P, Cowen J. 2010. Status Review update for Pacific Salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act: Northwest. Draft U.S. Department Of Commerce, NOAA Technical Memorandum NOAA‐TM‐NWFSC‐XXX.