lupo, I'm no fish bio, but it may have something to do with the fact that fish came back, but didn't go directly to the hatchery.

The Sunset Falls counts (upstream) rose steadily all summer, while Reiter got nothing. The speculation I have heard is that they went upstream looking for cooler water, since the hatchery outlet stream is heated (by design, but not intent) in the hatchery pools all summer. When it cooled off, they started getting new fish in the hatchery outlet.

So, best case scenario (which is what they may be playing on...I don't know what their philosophy is in that respect) is that they got a normal return to the river, but the hatchery arrivals were late. Probably the best we could hope for.