Just a few points on steelhead biology, at least as I read of it.

If those hatchery fish don't go to sea as age-1 they have two choices. They can die or live. If they live, next spring they can smolt, die, or live. There are hatchery-steelhead, released as age-1 that smolt as age-2 or 3. And, some of them stay as residents; exactly the same as a wild steelhead does.

I doubt that even if every one of the Chambers fish stayed in freshwater that there would be "millions" in the Elwha. I suspect the program there is in tens of thousands, perhaps up to 100K but I doubt it is that high.

Since one of the knocks on Chambers fish is that they are reproductively incompetant, does anyone believe that a resident Chambers fish suddenly figures reproduction out?