I do realize the natives taken out of either river is not good but if you look at the Wind it sees an average year of about 600 spawners, in 88 and 03 they saw over a thousand. Pick a year when adult numbers are up or at least average move some Nativers over give it a little kick start with logic instead of hatchey fish...
Why not do the same on the Elwa, the Sol Duc has a healty wild steelhead poulation. Hatchery fish are not the answer.
there is genetic material in the resident rainbow population above the dam. recent studies have shown up to 40% of the genetics in steelhead populations comes from resident rainbows, so the genetics for steelhead are still there. the same is true in the elwha river.
as for using stock from out of basin, it is nice that at least on the white salmon they will let nature run its course. it will be nice to see what wild fish can or cannot do in the absence of hatchery fish and also to see how a run of fish repopulates from resident fish / strays without the influence of humans.
we get a great opportunity to see this in the white salmon and the elwha's summer runs. it is nice to see that the science will be driving at least one dam removal project and that we will likely learn more about recolonization from the white salmon than the elwha.
we humans sure can be an impatient species.
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