Boater,

There isn't a predominant wild run on the Cowlitz and I believe WDFW manages it as a hatchery river, as such, I doubt there will be any overall impact on the Cowlitz. If anything I would suspect they would increase hatchery production.

The way fisheries has been managed or mis-managed has done little to restore wild fish. Commerical and non-commercial fisheries are not going to go away. So, to close a river to fishing to restore wild fish isn't an option.

The best option, as pointed out by the HSRG, is to manage with selective harvest and hatchery reform. By taking hatchery fish out of the system, which are genetically inferior to wild fish and allowing more wild fish to spawn will increase numbers.

I think there will be as much hatchery fish to catch and in time, more wild fish as well.