Wynoochee River, located in WDFW Region 6

Wynoochee River has a fish trap, located a few miles down river from the dam.

The trap, as I understand it, is owned by Tacoma City Light, TCL.

TCL allows WDFW to remove hatchery and wild steelhead to take to the Lake Aberdeen hatchery to be used as brood stock, any extra fish are then taken above the dam, by TCL, and placed in the lake.

1. There is no way for the steelhead to ever get down river, because of the dam, thus a death sentence. At one time WDFW thought smolt from " spawning adults" could make it thru the dam. I question this because there is no documented increase of non clipped steelhead in the Wynoochee River.

2. Once the hatchery brood needs have been met, why not truck, from the trap, these steelhead down river to give sportsmen a chance to catch one or two????? Remember its taxpayers that provide the funds for these fish.

3. Because steelhead have the ability to return more than once, what happens to the males that are used for brood at the hatchery???
I realize that female fish are killed and eggs removed but males are "just milked".

Seems like that must be better ways to use these steelhead, for the good of the tax paying public...... comments????