Point of clarification regarding Whitehorse hatchery/rearing pond -
The facility usually takes winter steelhead eggs for there its own program (as I recall they took over 200,000 winter steelhead eggs last season -exact numbers available in the hatchery escapement report at WDFW's web site). It is rare that many summer eggs are taken at that site.

On years of low runs or low water (the returning adults seem to be reclucant to run the creek the needed winter eggs are supplemented from the Snohomish system. On years of good fish abundance winter steelhead eggs on the Snohomish are taken at Tokul Creek (Snoqualmie) and the summer eggs at Reiter (Skykomish). On years of short returns either facility is capable of supplementing the other.

Regarding the Boulder Creek slide - there is a slide that is periodically active located about 7 miles upstream of the creek's mouth. It should be noted that slide area is located in a wilderness area. Much of the Stillaguamish Basin has been cursed with large areas of geological lake sediment deposits (those awful blue clay areas) that casue high turbidities in the basin.

A successful control of the Steelhead Heaven slide would be a boon for anglers as it should reduce the amount of time the river is un-fishable below the slide. However it should be stressed that the project will do little to increase the productivity of the North Fork to produce wild steelhead or chinook. This slide is actually contributing relatively little of the sediment that is being inputed into the system. The 3 major habitat factors that are limiting successful salmonid production in the basin include: 1) elevated stream temperatures, 2) unstable spawning gravels and 3) lack of complex rearing habitats. These habitat failings are due to the lack of stream physical processes that have little to do with the slide.

Bottom line projects such as this slide fix is just a very small baby-step in the long road of recovery.

Tights lines
S malma