Originally Posted By: Bent Metal
Originally Posted By: No More Ice Fishin
Thanks for all the great information and historical perspective on here. It's super interesting.

I haven't looked at the plants or returns for the Skykomish lately, but my understanding is that the lack of plants from the Wild Fish Conservancy lawsuits would no longer be impacting this. Not sure if that info is right or not...but I thought I've seen talk of the SAR being abysmal all over Washington (including the Sky buy also on the OP). Meaning it's not just a Puget Sound thing or greater metro area development within watersheds or a tribal harvest thing...but that something is happening out in the ocean as the common denominator. I know, death by a thousand cuts, but interested in more details around the deepest cuts.


I was looking at escarpment reports today and noticed it's business as usual for returns on Puget sound systems with fish on hand numbering 50-300 per hatchery facility, but what caught my attention was the Bogachiel had collected over 2,000 fish. Plant numbers were around 100k for the Bogey and the Sky, yet the coastal fish are doing better. The main obstacle being Puget sound and why folks here are basically saying it doesn't matter how many you plant, nothing will return. Perhaps we're better off planting more on the coast where the fish have a better chance at survival and eliminating hatchery fish in Puget sound?


Was happy to see that. Water/weather conditions so far made it tough to capitalize on it though. I'm sure those that caught the windows of opportunity did well.

As far as PS returns, keep in mind the Sky is the only system with any decent plant numbers and, correct me if I'm wrong, the only PS river with a completed HGMP that allows those planted numbers. The reason for poor survival has been IMO predation. I think the largest culprit, but hardly emphasized as a PS problem by anyone. I'll say it again, it's the easiest/quickest problem to change but the public and government does not have the stomach for it!