Robert Allen3

There isn't very much public information available and other then a hand full of people that have stuck it out since its conception, no one except a handful of people knows of its success. There are a few key WDFW people, like Lee Van Trussenbrook from the region 5 office that was a player when the program first started out. Salmo G is another one who has vast knowledge of it and has also been an important player for many years now. A few key members from the Friends of the Cowlitz (FOC) also have vast knowledge of the restoration project. I have been fully involved with it since its conception (almost 10 years now) because of my early involvement with the FOC. I am a past president of that organization. Mike Khon is the BPA / LCPUD Project Biologist also has vast knowledge of the Cowlitz Falls collection facilities.

Also WDFW biologist Dan Rawding (one of WDFW's top wild steelhead expert and biologist) was also involved in the original fry planting program (I believe Dan was the one who also started the recovery program for the wild steelhead in the Toutle). The Cowlitz River recovery project was funded by BPA as part of a settlement agreement between BPA and FOC. At the time the project stated, we had two different fishery agencies (WDW & WDF) and there was lots of "turf" problems about what stocks of what species would be used for the reintroduction "experiment".

To this day, only a few of WDFW field staff have been sincere in making the recovery "experiment" a success. There has been way to much influence from the "old WDF & WDW blood lines" that didn't want the experiment to succeed because "they" were, and still are concern that the hatchery production programs may be "cut back" if this "experiment" is truly successful. What a shame, because we could have both of them!!!

Just ask Salmo G, he can tell you that even today, the production success of these "hatchery" fish are being held back because both Tacoma Power and BPA are fighting over who is going to pay for the new needed trapping and collecting improvements at the Cowlitz Fall collection facilities. It is a simple proven scientific fact, the more of these naturally raised fish that they collect and pass down below the dams, the more higher the retunr percentage rates will be for adults. One only has to see what has happened in the last 3 years to see what the trend already is.

The key and future success to our recovery program of producing quality "wild returning adults" is directly related to doing the needed improvements at the collection facilities at Cowlitz Falls, or installing all new ones in the head waters of Riffe Lake. The Upper Cowlitz River could be the landmark for recovering wild fish if it wasn't for the internal fighting between BPA and Tacoma Power. I hope that this will give you some of the information that you need. Wild fish can recover ,all it just takes is people who really care and MONEY, LOT'S OF MONEY!!

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????