Hood Canal is not alone on the High Mortality Rates on Steelhead Smolt. It is becoming apparent through our discussions on NWwildcountry with those who have a hand in Fisheries Management throughout Puget Sound, there is a huge, mostly misunderstood problem. The Acoustic Tagging Program, that we discussed in depth, paints a picture and is a component producing data that some have faith in and others are not so certain. The High Mortality in Hood Canal is right in line with Steelhead Smolt leaving the Puyallup, Nisqually and Green River basins as well. Some of the numbers I gathered from the Fisheries Managers in each of those systems, indicated as little as 6% to 10% survivability actually making it to the Straits, to migrate out. Some rivers have been shown to have numbers in the 60% to 75% outbound migrating Steelhead Smolt at the mouth, and as they migrate through the 150 miles of Puget Sound to make it to the Straits, it falls to that confusing 6% to 10%. The hardest thing to understand is that these smolt are on the move. So much so, they can make it from the Nisqually or Puyallup, to the Straits in 7 to 12 days, and yet the overall mortality is 75%.

FireFish...