WC - I agree. At a return rate of 1%, that would be 5000 adults. The most adults that have EVER returned to the Kalama was 7000, and that was in 2007. The next highest was 3500, many years ago. But more to the point, the Kalama struggled to get 1000 adults back to the hatchery in 2008, 2009, and 2010. In fact, the river was closed to spring Chinook fishing in 2008 and 2009 because of low adult returns. Even more puzzling is that spring Chinook harvest in the ocean is almost zero (based on coded wire tags). Given the low success rate on the Kalama so far this year, another spring Chinook closure is possible this year, perhaps likely.

So, why does WDFW keep stocking spring Chinook in the Kalama River? If they are not returning as adults, why produce them as juveniles? Not a pleasant thought if you fish the Kalama River regularly, as I do.

Perhaps if WDFW stopped stocking springers on the Kalama, then every other river in Washington State with a hatchery program with a chronically low adult return rate would also be on the chopping block. That's a much more difficult situation. So WDFW continues to stock the Kalama (blindly) hoping that next year will be better.