Milt,

Seastorm is looking for support to keep the lake open. The impacts would take place if the lake is closed for five years. Its the Parks Dept that is suggesting that the lake be closed to fishing. Once again, they dont have any science that backs up the benefit of closing the lake. The lake contains Kokanee and the assumption is that the fish will begin to migrate out of the lake after the dam is torn down. The kokes are apparently spawning on their own. In addition, its been reported there are several beaver dams that would prevent migration. The lake serves over 300 home owners along the lake and many people who travel to the lake and camp in the area. The fish, according to one retired biologist do not spawn at the same time as the returning coho. If the beaver obstructions were removed and fish migrated up to the lake, than at most, the dept could stop fishing during the coho spawning season, but its unnecessary to shut it down for five years. About 125 people at the local town meeting are in favor of keeping the lake open. I was at the commission meeting and I dont think the guy who delivered the report to the commission made his case.
Edit Sockeye not coho.

Furthermore, several organizations including WSC and WFC and flyfishing organizations have lobbied the commission to resist the shut down of the river to fishing if the tribes continue to the planting of Chambers Creek Steelhead on the basis, there is no benefit to the recovery of those wild steelhead if they gene pool is contaminated with hatchery fish.

They all went on to site the value of a true wild recovery river in the lower 48. If the tribes cant fish for five years, what is the point of putting hatchery fish in the river that show up in two or three years, especially if they are not what the state or HSRG deems as beneficial to the recovery of wild fish in that river.