On to question and answer time.

Is there a difference between wild and hatchery fish mortality rates?
No significant difference.

Have they tried delayed release for sockeye elsewhere?
Don't know. L. Merwin has delayed release of kokanee.

Is Fraser R situation same cause as the situation in L. Washington?
Don't know.

Fry mortality rate?
Smolt data is not precise, no conclusions for cause. The data for smolt exiting the locks is not existent, so can not make a conclusion for comparing mortality rates in L. Washington vs the marine environment.

New hatchery will release up to 34 million fry. (Interim hatchery currently is 17 million maximum.) They will implement techniques to mimic natural conditions. Sockeyes are not held long enough to be really affected by "hatchery conditioning". Currently, they are held 14 days max. If delayed release is considered, they will be held 2 months max. They need to feed on zooplankton out in the open waters. This short period also prevents the hatcheries from giving external markings (missing adipose fin, tag, etc) to differentiate between hatchery and native fish.

The 34 million fry number was produced by estiamting lost spawning grounds above Landburg Dam. They estimated that 262,000 adults could have utilized the waters above the dam, which results in 34 million fry.

Broodstock will be a mix between hatchery and native fish. They want to keep hatchery populations less than half of the overall population (so less hatchery fish than natives).

ratio of returning wild and hatchery fish is highly variable depending on conditions outside of human control.

New hatchery's target for substantial completion is Aug 2011 with broodstock collected that year. WDFW supports this hatchery and this report will not affect the current plans to go proceed.

Proposal by a participant: Tiger Muskies released into L. Washington to control Northern Pikeminnow. In L. Merwin, tiger muskies reduced the population of northern pikeminnow, resulting in an increase of kokanee populations. 90% of predation in L. Washington of sockeye fry are attributed to cutthroat trout and northern pikeminnow. Tiger muskies do not utilize the same areas of the lake as sockeyes do, but tiger muskies do utilize the same areas as squawfish. No significant predation on sockeye.

That's about the gist of it.