Originally Posted By: Larry B
Several critical points considered by the Commission were:

1. There is nothing in the plans for the Elwah to actively try to re-establish a sockeye run. Instead, any recolonization would occur by individual fish from the current kokanee population reverting to an anadromous life cycle or via strays.


they are not trying to actively restore the summer run steelhead population either, but they will shut down all upriver rainbow trout fisheries for the five year moratorium (if not longer). this closure will have negative economic impacts on fishing related businesses in the local area just like lake sutherland (maybe more, with a larger number of out of area people traveling to the upper elwah specifically for the rainbow trout fishery).

most dam removal advocates are upset by the hatchery influence in the elwha dam removal project. to use one of the few species not subject to intensive hatchery production as a reason to not close down lake sutherland is silly.

Originally Posted By: Larry B
2. There are several significant beaver dams on Indian Creek. When queried about the ability of sockeye to pass over/through these the regional biologist stated that due to access difficulties and the size of the dams they had been unable to determine if there were open slots for fish passage. He did opine that he was sure that silvers could transit them. He made no statement regarding whether sockeye would be successful.
3. There are no plans to breach those dams.


there are no plans because they do not know yet if there is a blockage problem. should they remove the dams (and resulting rearing habitat) before they know if they need to?

Originally Posted By: Larry B
4. Commissioner Mehnken added that his experience with Redfish Lake sockeye was that its return from the brink was due to capture of the few remaining returning sockeye and a successful artificial spawning/rearing program rather than resident kokanee reverting to an anadromous life cycle and that few, if any, such reversions occur.


so there was or wasn't a few? also redfish lake sockeye have to deal with a lot more than lake sutherland sockeye will (namely dams and a much longer migration). plus the few sockeye in the lower elwha already prove that the kokanee are contributing anadramous adults.

Originally Posted By: Larry B
So, I hope this debunks the "cave in" accusation.


hardly debunks a political cave in by wdfw. it is totally a cave in. every other fishery in the watershed is shut down... but pressure to exclude the only lake capable of sockeye production by landowners worked.

the supporters of the cave in by the commission even admit it. to me, compromise will not help restore the elwha or other stocks throughout the state.

hopefully the tribe doesn't use this as an excuse to not implement the fishing moratorium on their end.

i sure would like to keep fishing the wilderness rainbows on the elwha but i decided to temper my selfish desires and give something up for the good of the dam removal project and the elwha river restoration.

100% political cave in by the commission