Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
Whenever the heyday of the Cowltiz was, the state could have spent state money on Cowlitz fish enhancement, but I have no knowledge of either agency having done so. On the other hand, neither agency (WDG and WDF) were not above spending Tacoma mitigation money beyond Tacoma's defined mitigation obligations. That contributed to difficulties in the 2000 license negotiations, with Tacoma even reserving the right to contract with a party other than WDFW to operate the Cowlitz hatcheries.

I've seen no records of 3 million steelhead in the Cowlitz as Chinook 1 referred to in the GH/WB thread. Certainly not 3 million adult steelhead nor 3 million steelhead smolts. The highest steelhead hatchery smolt production for the Cowlitz that I can recall was something north of one million smolts, maybe 1.2 or 1.4, far short of 3 million. And that was winter and summer smolts combined.

Maybe you should ask some of the old timers like Cowlitzfishermen. That have been around the Cowlitz for years or maybe you should go ask Mark Johnson the old hatchery manager, but again you weren't there in the 80's. And Jack Tipping Tiger Muskie program is a terrible program when your trying to recover wild fish. And should be stopped immediately. How come you didn't stop that in 2000 ?