A couple comments_

1) Yes it looks like the Tumwater hatchery is now self-sufficient. This year there was 3,261 chinook spawned out of a run 13700 adults (and 1,880 jacks).

2) Following the ESA listing of Puget Sound Chinook the use of in-sound nets for Chinook were ended. The problem was that any of the uncaught chinook did not home very well to the release sites. Sampling at the time of natural spawning Chinook throughout the Puget Sound rivers had a significant number (an unacceptable number) of fish reared in net pens.

3) Increasing the number of hatchery produce chinook to benefit is another ESA myth. The resident orcas are large animals that evolved feeding on large Chinook (40/50 lbers) that were common pre 1900. A large male orca requires roughly 450 pounds of chinook a day. Having to catch 40 to 50 hatchery chinook to meet their diet needs is much more difficult that a 125 years ago when it only took 10 or less fish. If the State were truly serious of providing Chinook to meet the orcas' diet needs there would be serious selective breeding at hatchery racks to increase the size of the returning adults. Currently the average adult hatchery Chinook returning to Puget Sound is only 3.6 years old with an average length of 28.5 inches (8 to 10 lbs).

curt