Thanks Salmo G

Lets hope that we do continue to have high ocean productivity, I would hate however for the various Government agencies to use it as an exuse to do nothing. I think you'd agree that poor ocean conditions are not the causes of salmon/steelhead decline in the NW. We need to be activly protecting and restoring habitat. Without that we will see declines again when poor ocean productivity returns. We need to restore our wild stocks so that they are healthy and abundant enough to survive the next enviromental downturn.
As far as carrying capasity is concerned.. I think that that is something mother nature should decide. Every rime man steps in to control a population of animals they screw it up. The should be the goal of WDFW to return as many wild salmonids to every stream as possible. If we return too many mother nature can deal with the overabundance naturally however there is no option for mother nature if we return too few. I think that WDFW has no clue how many fish should be returning to our streams and that their data on carrying capasity is an uneducated guess.
If small streams in Alaska can have runs in the hundreds of thousands and in fact millions I doubt the carrying capasity of the Skagit is less that 30,000 winter steelhead and likely several million chums coho and chinook.
I guess my point is I think we greatly underestimate what are rivers and our fish are capable of.
I am very happy to hear about the success they are having on the Cowlitz, Unfortunatly the genetic conditions that make it possible are very rare in hatchery stocks. A decade ago WDFW wanted to breed Washougal winter steelhead as a wild broodstock. they sent anglers in the upper reaches of the watershed to collect adults. many fish were caught, none were breed they all tested positive for INH, they had contracted it from the Skamania stock summer runs.
I am all in favor of a hatchery closure but don't start on the Sol Duc Close the Skamania hatchery!! And while were at it lets eliminate the Washougal Chinook production the only thing it breeds is an illegal fishery.
Ok now i have said too much too