Steeliedrew,

Old information was that the Lk WA sockeye population was limited by the number of fry entering the lake each year. When the Cedar River flooded, eggs and alevins were scoured and lost, and the lake wasn't producing to capacity. New information has it that the Lk WA ecological interactions are more complex. There are more than 30 species of fish in the lake; predator-prey relationships aren't understood as well as they thought; there are smolt passage problems at the Ballard Locks; and there are problems that I can't recall off the top of my head just now. The upshot is that having a hatchery that has the ability to fully seed the lake with fry each year may not be addressing the real limiting factor or factors. Further, with returns like this year's, obtaining enough hatchery broodstock on a consistent basis may not be feasible either. And last I read, the co-managers aren't planning to modify the existing spawning escapement goal of 350,000 natural spawners either.

If anyone is making a comprehensive analysis of the Lk WA sockeye run, including spawner:recruit analysis and ecological analysis, apparently they're keeping it a secret.

Sg