Washington will close hatchery that produces thousands of steelhead


There will soon be fewer steelhead released into Washington’s waters due to the impending closure of Skamania Hatchery.

Located in Washougal, the hatchery produces summer and winter steelhead that are released into southwest Washington rivers for recreational fishing.

The hatchery produces 331,000 steelhead per year, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Operations at Skamania Hatchery will begin to slow over the next year, as the state Department of Fish and Wildlife begins the threeyear process of closing the facility.

The Washougal and Beaver Creek hatcheries will take over some steelhead production.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that closure of the Skamania Hatchery will reduce the total production of steelhead in Washington by 161,000 per year after factoring in the increased fish from the other facilities.

The hatchery’s closure will most strongly affect southwest Washington recreational steelhead anglers, according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife announced its decision to close Skamania Hatchery in June after not receiving its full twoyear budget request from the state Legislature.

The agency had asked the Legislature for $1.9 million to maintain operations at the North Toutle and Skamania hatcheries, but only received $750,000 as lawmakers worked earlier this year to resolve a budget deficit in the $12 billion to $16 billion range.

“This funding is far short of the amount needed to sustain current hatchery operations at both facilities,” the Department of Fish and Wildlife said in its budget request for next year.

The North Toutle Hatchery produces Tule Fall Chinook and coho salmon.

With only enough funding to support continued operations at one of the two hatcheries, the Department of Fish and Wildlife determined that the benefits of keeping the North Toutle Hatchery open outweighed the benefits of the Skamania Hatchery.

Rather than asking the Legislature to backfill its initial request amid declining revenue forecasts, the Department of Fish and Wildlife is asking for $432,000 in the 2026

A wild winter steelhead caught in a Washington coastal river on the Olympic Peninsula held in the water prior to release. CHASE GUNNELL / WDFW

supplemental budget to start closing Skamania Hatchery.

“The Department recognizes the necessity of exercising fiscal restraint this year considering falling revenue forecasts, rising caseload costs, shifting federal impacts, and increasing tort liabilities,” Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Kelly Susewind said in a letter to Office of Financial Management Director K.D. Chapman-See.

Two Skamania Hatchery staff will be reassigned to the Washougal Hatchery but stay onsite at the Skamania Hatchery to oversee the three-year closure process.

Those staff members will continue trapping and fish ladder operations for returning adult fish that were released from the hatchery as juveniles.

Staff will finish closing the hatchery and begin decommissioning it once there are no more adult fish returning.

Decommissioning the hatchery will involve removing any intake or other inwater structures, demolishing infrastructure and restoring habitat in the area.

That process may take an additional six years after the hatchery closes and cost roughly $8 million, which the Department of Fish and Wildlife said will need to come from a future capital budget.

Total BS. We are now paying license fees to shut down sport fishing. Just keep voting for evil and evil is what you will get.

Note the choice WDFW made was Tules/coho vs. steelhead. Salmon rules.

I find it interesting that WDFW has the Wildlife Fund to tap, which is separate from GFS. They increased fees and yet they use the "We don't have money for highways/education/etc-which is true) to justify the cuts.

Unfortunately Skamania is too far down the Columbia to be given to the Tribes. I also wonder if it was at least at one time connected to Mitchell Act (Fed).

Started a conversation about this on another site. This site on was off line at the time. Another nail in the coffin for steelhead in this state.

This made me sad. My first ever steelhead came from Beginner's Hole on the Kalama in 1999. Summer run Skamania fish of about 9 pounds. That fish still lives in my memory as the scrappiest local fish I have ever tangled with. Tailwalks, backflips, fast runs....

I guess the price per returning adult just doesn't pencil out anymore. Very unfortunate.

But hey... more Tules for Columbia anglers who wish they were getting URBs instead, right?

Cue the DrifterWa Grrrrrr.....

Not sure that the whole decision was based on cost per fish to the creel, which may have been high. But salmon contribute to AK, BC, OR, WA, and Columbia fisheries which are all way more important than steelhead. They probably, cumulatively, have more anglers and commercials chasing them. Those Skamania's probably didn't even go to any Tribal fishery, either.

This and the Largest Tax Increase in Washington State History !!!
Get Rid of these Turds.

More info to add.
In a September 2024 legal settlement, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) agreed with conservation groups to close the segregated winter steelhead hatchery program at the Washougal River. The agreement is part of a broader effort to reduce the impact of hatchery fish on wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Lower Columbia River.
The settlement was reached after a lawsuit from the Wild Fish Conservancy and The Conservation Angler alleged that hatchery fish were spawning with wild fish at levels that violate federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) standards.

Key components of the settlement
Hatchery closures and reductions: WDFW agreed to several actions that modify hatchery releases:
Washougal Winter Steelhead Program: The segregated winter steelhead program in the Washougal River basin will be terminated. However, WDFW plans to pursue a new program using native steelhead stock.
Deep River Coho Program: The coho salmon program at the Deep River net pens will be closed.
Kalama River Chinook Program: Releases of fall Chinook salmon from the Fallert Creek hatchery on the Kalama River will be reduced.
Protection from future litigation: In return for the changes, the conservation groups provided WDFW with protection from further lawsuits over the same alleged ESA violations for a specified period.
Increased transparency: The settlement requires WDFW to make more information about its hatchery programs publicly available.
Legal fee reimbursement: WDFW agreed to reimburse the conservation groups for their legal and expert witness fees.

Implications and context
Impact on wild fish: Conservation groups argued that the genetic interbreeding of hatchery fish with native stocks was harming the survival and recovery of wild, endangered fish. The settlement is seen as a way to better protect wild fish genetics.
Shift in management: The deal reflects a shift towards focusing on integrated hatchery programs that use a portion of native fish for broodstock, helping to preserve local genetics.
Gap in fishing opportunity: The transition to a new native-stock program in the Washougal River will likely create a temporary reduction in hatchery steelhead returns, impacting recreational fisheries.
Ongoing tensions: While the settlement resolves the immediate lawsuit, it does not fully end the long-running debate between those who view hatcheries as essential for conservation and harvest and those who see them as detrimental to wild fish populations.

I wonder when the Wild Fish Conservancy will take notice that its efforts have not resulted in any increases in wild steelhead productivity.

i dont think they will salmmy. They were duped or already knew. Probably both.

Too late for y’all to wake up now, y’all got what you voted for.

Raise the taxes, kill the state’s fish, save your whale, and send this to the tribe to fix w more federal $$$.


Progress.....

Just my opinion but I think WDFW would be overjoyed if steelhead just more or less disappeared. They are too difficult to manage, the stakeholders aren't pliable enough, they are expensive. And, recovery in real terms will require significant increases in marine derived nutrients delivered to the streams and we know that ain't gonna happen.

The old school F & G folks had no problem liking, promoting, and rearing Steelhead on behalf of the state’s fisherfolk . It wasn’t until the mid 70s thru the early 80s, activisim, politicks and saving the wild like it was before the new age folks , now in charge , came into the departments only to suck the life and money outta everything Steelhead.

Great State fish that it was...

Maybe it’s time to rethink what the state fish is.
We do have “Bass Week” now.
SF

The only thing there lawsuit efforts have ever achieved is less opportunity to fish for steelhead anywhere. For what? To never see a Steelhead beached on the shore? Or in a net to be released ever again? You can't enjoy Steelhead visually without hooking and landing one. Baffles my mind a little, that I like to swing flys for them. Don't those WFC guys like to do the same? Bastards! Dirty bastards for those that have demonized Steelhead fishing in this state. I say open everything everywhere year round for catch and release, regardless of hatchery smolt planting! That's done! What does it really matter? Actually I'm fed up. I'm brave talking after a couple of bourbon's tonight. This season I'm going to fish for steelhead where I want, when I want, regardless of regulations. I will pay the fines if caught, and go to jail if that what it comes to. You past dept. guys will struggle with this. In reality, my days are numbered anyway. If in jail for sportfishing catch and release, maybe Trump will pardon me for the Steelhead bshit thats' going on here in this state.

I vote for "Salish Sucker" for state fish!

lol. No way. Its gonna have to be the planter troot or grass carp.

They sure have the money to do all these culvert projects that do not produce any fish...

about 95% of all the funds go to pay salaries and benefits...

back before the 2000's there were lots of private fish farms that were stocking steelhead,, people were raising their own fish and releasing them... I know of several,, Union River,, Sheerwood creek and others... Some just had rearing ponds connected to the creeks and some one they knew would deliver fry and some did the whole process themselves...

I think that's what we need to get back to,, fish farming as a hobby,, farming fish is not rocket science,, especially when its for recreation and not profit...

The government creates the problems,, if the government is not operating there are no problems...

As an example we have a government shutdown and nobody notices,, meaning we don't need them... We need to defund the state and all the agencies and take matters into our own hands regarding everything... The government regulates us,, tells us what we can and cant do,,, the government is not useful...

Several old concrete rearing pens on the canal near the beach where people raised their own chum for fun,, some even did it in garbage cans... When I was a cop I talked to several people who were doing or or had done it... The state went around and shut them all down by the late 90's mostly...

The state and tribes run the MAFIA racket on fish and wildlife and cannot let anyone get in on their money machine,, they regulate in the name of safety and science but its only about money and extortion...