The Upper Columbia, above the 395 bridge, has been closed to fishing for steelhead for the past 2 1/2 years. Except for Ringold, which is a bank fishery and it has been open for the months of June and July. The only reason why steelhead fishing was allowed was
because some returning fish were a mix of Skamania and Upper Columbia stocks.
Because this year's returning adults are all Upper Columbia Wells stock, we might not
have a season at Ringold. The steelhead in the Upper Columbia and tributaries, hatchery fish known as Wells stock and wild fish, are both listed as an endangered species. The Yakima and it's tributaries was one of the major contributing watersheds to the Columbia River system in producing salmon and steelhead. The dams on the Yakima have pretty much destroyed habitat and raised water temperature to the point that fish can't spawn successfully. Also wild fish have inter-bred with hatchery fish, putting the gene pool in a tailspin with subsequent offspring becoming less and less successful at spawning. We have sacrificed as far as sportsmen. Why is it easier to remove the dams instead of
curtailing harvest and solving predator issues. Salmo G, you are right. It is an
accumulative effect. Does the four Snake River dams account for more mortality than
the harvest and predator situation? In my opinion it is the harvest and predator issue that is a far greater evil . Removing the dams is not a magic wand. Some variables are easier to control than others and I always feel that we as sportsmen have taken a bulk of the responsibility. Why not remove the dams that would benefit both Upper Columbia and the Snake River? What makes the people think that by removing the four Snake River dams
the fish will return, when we are not getting much of a return on the Upper Columbia.
That has been my point all along. Why don't we solve the problems that are costing the most in mortality first than addressing the easier issues. This is why I do not understand why removing the four Snake River dams is such an issue when there are other areas that are contributing far more to the elimination of salmon and steelhead.