Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
Money isn't the issue. TP spends $4,000,000 or so per year funding the Cowltiz hatcheries. Staffing shouldn't be an issue.

If the electronic fish counters are unreliable, which is common with that kind of equipment, how does WDFW know how many fish they are short? Does WDFW know how many steelhead and cutthroat were produced and released in any of the years since the electronic counters were installed?


Absolutely on point. This really sheds doubt on all of the prior release numbers and could well explain - at least in part - poor rate of return numbers.

During the hearing Sen. Pearson delved into the counter reliability and WDFW explained that the Cowlitz hatchery outflow with counter is unique to their hatchery system.

That said, the counter was reported to have been calibrated as in prior years so any errors in 2016 should have been consistent with prior years.
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