The dam may be responsible for a lot of bad things on the Skokomish. I don't know about fish passage issues, but siltation caused by the lower flows since the dam went in is believed to be responsible for the substantial reduction of wild chinook and steelhead in the river. These are hardly to be found anymore on the Skokomish; their disappearence occurred within the decade following the dam, before treaty rights were recognized.

The siltation and filling of the river below the forks is also responsible for the news worthy flooding that occurs just about every winter. I don't think the homeowners that built on the river would have done so if historically the river overflowed its banks like it does now.

I know its a supreme irritation to us sporties, but all told, I'd rather have the Indians pound a hatchery run like they do on the Skok then wild runs. At least its an allocation issue (not to mention gear conflicts) as opposed to a conservation issue in which wild stocks are at risk. The wild guys are mostly gone, thanks to the dam.