I guess that I would have to be in favor of extracting D.N.A. for the use of cloning fish in the future if necessary.Of course you would need as many samples as possible,so you could still have the diversity in the fish.

What if we do everything possible to provide the best possible habitat for the fish,and they still become extinct.Face it we dont know enough about ocean conditions.There is little we can do to regulate the weather patterns.So the only real control we have is in the habitat of the streams they live in.Tops this is 1/3 of the equation.That leaves a lot of room for disaster in all other areas.

What I'm getting at is that no matter how much habitat enhancement we do there is a possibility that these runs could be totally wiped out.Who knows when,maybe soon,maybe thousands of years down the road.

Why not have the basis for starting new runs or improving the runs we have,once the science of cloning is perfected.The habitat in the rivers and oceans recover,if possible,and the weather patterns decide to cooperate again.

Its like money in the bank.(I hope) If we save now maybe we can have some for seed later.If we dont save now,how could we ever have the seed for later.Once its gone you cant go back in time to get it.

Hopefully the worst case scenario never happens.The runs rebuild on there own,and we dont have to face such a dilemna.But what if?
Kinda thinking outside the box I guess.

Mooch,
Your remarks really aroused my curiosity.I was about to argue your point about the Toutle.I guess actually I am.But in the same sense maybe supporting it.

The Toutle wasnt really left alone.Remember the sediment dam.All the silt thats built up behind it.Imagine what could have happened if that dam wasnt built and all that silt was allowed to flush out of the system.

There would have been a need for a lot more dredging on the Cow. and Columbia.(probably needs it again in the near future anyhow)but the whole Toutle valley might not be inundated in silt,like it is now.There would probably be a whole lot more natural habitat and spawning grounds to allow these runs to rebuild like the should.

There is very little fishing opportunity for steelhead on the mainstem Toutle. I think it is more of just a passage to streams and rivers that were relatively untouched by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens.

The South fork Toutle.and Green river were for the most part out of harms way during the eruption and flows that followed.The only stream that I remember for sure that supported fish runs and dumps into the North fork and was also relatively untouched was Alder creek.There May have been some others,but its been so long I honestly dont remember.

Maybe the fish that were in Alder creek at the time of the eruption have reproduced enough to help rebuild runs in the n. fork.Maybe some of the Green and S fork fish helped rebuild the runs.I dont know.

I would be curious though just how many fish are transported over the sediment dam.How many go further upstream than Alder creek.How many spawn naturally,in the N fork compared to Alder creek.

I guess I'm curious if its rebuilt itself as well as you say,or maybe were led to believe.As far as I know we arent allowed to fish above the sediment dam.Why not if the runs have recovered as mentioned. C.N.R.?

Maybe somebody on here can give us the #s or tell us where to get them. Or have some answers to the other questions.

Kinda long winded,kinda scattered,kinda off track. But you brought it up,and I,ve been curious for many years.So I couldnt resist.
Maybe good for a new topic on this one?