WN1A -
Nice article; had read it when it came out.

In the article in mentioned that the older/larger groups of steelhead could be more effected by climate changes. Thought you might be interested in what is being seen on the Skagit.

Since the mid-1990s the portion of any steelhead brood year returning as 3-salt fish as compared to the 2-salt has been much lower (maybe 1/2) of that seen during the period from late 1970s into the early 1990s. There has been even a larger drop of in the repeat spawner rate.

The last a couple of return years have seen a age structures typically of what was seen in that earlier period. 55% two-salts and 45% 3-salts and repeat spawner rates of 15% up from less than 5%. A sign that at the Skagit fish are finding better ocean conditions????

Milt Roe -

While I agree that more research needs to be done including in Sound mortalities not sure that poor in sound survival accounts for all or even the majority the poor returns seen in the Sound as a whole. See the information above on the Skagit steelhead age structure changes. Looks to me that the longer the fish are in the ocean the worst they do; would indicate that there are survival issues long after the fish leave the Sound.

Curt