CFM: thanks for the data: I think I got it now:
1. the hatcheries are cutting back the number of fish theyproduce in order to facilitate the return of the non-existing "wild" fish so ultimately they can go back to power producing only & get out of the expense of the fish making business
2. The technical committee is meeting in private & cooking up schemes w/o public input to help the power co. get back to solely producing power as fast they can
3. The massive amount of silt in Riffe impedes us from catching the "few" fish that are there

The part I still don't get is how do they (the tech committee & the other powers that be) think the fingerlings & smolts that are born and grow up ABOVE the Riffe Dam are going to get past the dams @ Riffe & Mayfield to get to the ocean. I saw on tv where at a dam on the Columbia they put a balloon on a smolt & sent him down through the dam to see if it lived. I don't think there's any way for the little ones to get past the Mayfield Dam. I went on a tour of the Mayfield Dam and didn't see any way for the little salmonids to get past the dam. If it's true that the little ones can't get past the dams, isn't it pretty stupid to think that putting adults above the dams will actually help restore the non-existant "wild" run?
As I see it, the power company is going to make less fish & the "wild" run will remain non-existant until there is a way for the fish to get past the dams (both coming back & going to) the ocean so the Cowlitz is basically toast, another victim of greed, "mis-management", and a lack of guts on our governments part. The will of the people is that they want their electricity no matter how its produced, tree huggers & fishermen be damned & the govt is either getting paid off, doesn't have the guts to face the power co. or most likely doesn't have the backing of the general population to force the power co. to produce the electricity in manner that is not so destructive to the ecology of the river...Max