Sol,

You're roughly correct on the concept. The underlying assumption for native broodstocking programs is that the program yields greater production in subsequent adults than does natural production. Some such programs may have never been monitored for their effectiveness, so it's unknown whether the fundamental assumption is satisfied or not. I know from experience that the native broodstocking programs on the Sauk and Skagit Rivers didn't satisfy that assumption on a sustained basis - meaning some years were successful and some weren't.

I don't know how successful the Snider Creek program is, only that it has persisted longer than others. If there are monitoring results for the program, it would be in everyone's interest to know what they reveal.

For what it's worth, native broodstock were used when hatchery steelhead programs began on the Wynoochee and Skookumchuck Rivers in the early 1970s as dam mitigation measures. They have persisted for over 30 years at this point. There is still natural steelhead production in both systems, WDFW reports the wild populations as reasonably healthy. I don't know if there is specific monitoring data or not, so I don't know if the wild runs sustain themselves, or if the wild runs are sustained because the native broodstock programs sustain them, or if it's some combination of the two.

In cases like this, the science hasn't kept up with the measures put into practice. Because of ESA listings and other changes in fish management, the science is trying to catch up, and better answers will become available to our questions about these kinds of projects. Meanwhile, it seems like the answer is, "it depends." There are strong indications that broodstock programs can activel recover depleted stocks in some cases, while in others it appears that the better alternative may have been to leave the captured broodstock in the river to spawn naturally.

If our intention is to aid fish populations, we ought to be open minded to the possibility that the outcome can swing either way, and be willing to act based on the performance of each program.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.