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Steelhead population has doubled in Skokomish River, Hood Canal

The steelhead population in the Skokomish River has doubled since the Skokomish Tribe started a supplementation project in 2006, part of a 16 year-long project to boost the steelhead population in Hood Canal.

“The increase in the number of egg nests has given us an early indication that the project is working, but the long-term monitoring will be the true test of its success,” said Matt Kowlaski, the tribe’s steelhead biologist. “We expect numbers to continue to increase over the next four years because there will be active supplementation of steelhead into the river. After the project is over, we expect the egg nest numbers to likely flatten out or decrease, but hopefully remain at elevated levels.”  (more…)

Continue ReadingSteelhead population has doubled in Skokomish River, Hood Canal

Herald: Stillaguamish Tribe gathering juvenile chinook to save dwindling run

The Daily Herald of Everett reports on the Stillaguamish Tribe’s efforts to capture juvenile chinook and raise them to maturity for use as hatchery broodstock:

There was a time when a net cast in the south fork of the Stillaguamish River would bring in a variety of fish.

These days, nets often pull up little more than debris. (more…)

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State-tribal project marks century of saving salmon

The Seattle Times and the Marysville Globe reported on 100 years of hatchery cooperation.

The Seattle Times:

The Tulalip Tribes continued a century-old tradition last week of partnering with state hatcheries for the increased production of Puget Sound salmon.

Since 1907, tribal members have traveled to the Wallace River Hatchery near Gold Bar, working with employees of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to improve chinook- and coho-salmon numbers in the Snohomish River system.

(more…)

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