Something very strange is going on in the Cowlitz this year. I just made a visit to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery yesterday morning to see what the heck is going on with the Coho runs. The fish ladder that leads into Tacoma's hatchery was crammed full of DARK Coho. That should not be the case at this time of the year on the Cowlitz! It's way too early for that many DARK Coho to be stacking up at the Cowlitz Barrier Dam. There where a few bright one, but I mean a very few!

That in its self may be one good reason why no one has been able to catch very many of these fish. In fact, not very many Coho are even being seen moving through the river system.

It is my opinion, many of these "early Coho" that have already arrived at the Barrier Dam ladder are not even Cowlitz River fish, but instead, are Toutle River hatchery fish. The Toutle, like most other smaller rivers were at records lows this fall.

Because of the eruption of Mt. St. Helens, the Toutle also has some of the "hottest" water temps around at this time of the year. Almost every year, fish stack in the lower Cowlitz River below and above the Toutle until higher, and cooler waters inters the Toutle system. This year was no different!

Looking back at the last 3 years of Tacoma's weekly fish reports, their record reviled that these numbers indicate that something funny is occurring on the Cowlitz!

During the Coho runs of September 25, 2000 to October 30, (5 weeks of returns) 14, 189 adults and 3,608 jacks returned.

From September 24, 2001 to October 22 (4 weeks of returns (missing week #5 report) 7,194 adults and 2,673 jacks returned. Assuming another 3,500 fish for week 5, that would bring the total to 10,694 adult Coho.

Now, from September 25, 2002 to October 21, (5 week of returns) 19,252 adults and 3,929 jacks have returned.

That's almost double the amount of the retuning adults from this same time period last year. One should recall that last year (2001) was a record year for the Cowlitz with a retune of over 85,000 adults to the Cowlitz River Barrier Dam (that did not include the 6 adult fish sport catch limit either).

Maybe its all just because Tacoma Power jacks the water up and down every 3 or 4 days for weeks on end! So what do you think is going on? Anyone else have any better ideas of what the heck is happening?

Cowlitzfisherman
Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????

CF,
I have been watching the way that TPU has been changing the flows of the river all summer. Why is it that they are choosing to do the drop and rise this year??? In years past you could count on the river being at a steady 4000CFS through the month of October, then in early November it would go to 5000CFS for a week or so then up to 6000CFS until the rains came and then it would bounce between 6000 and 12000 depending on what was going on. Between choosing to learn a new system this year and the reports of lots of non-biters in the Cow I have not been down there since September 20th. Last year at this time we were puttin' a spanking on the fish headed back to the dam. Whats the story??? Also do you know what the return counts are at the Toutle hatchery?? Lots of fish have been taken from there from what I have heard.
Good luck and tight lines, Jeff

Jeffhead,

Thanks for your questions!

Maybe you should read what the "emphasis of Tacoma's Settlement Agreement" really was!

It's a bad deal on, and for the the Cowlitz River!

This is quoted from the Tacoma Power's web sit concerning the Cowlitz and the "settlement Agreement":

"Fisheries management on the Cowlitz River currently depends primarily on hatchery production of salmon and steelhead, with less emphasis on wild salmon populations. This is contrary to the priority for wild salmon recovery brought about by listings of some salmon species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The emphasis of the relicensing settlement agreement is ecosystem integrity and the restoration and recovery of wild, indigenous salmonid runs, including ESA-listed and unlisted stocks, to harvestable levels. Fisheries management and hatchery production will be consistent with the overall goal of restoring and recovering wild stocks in the Cowlitz River basin…"

Jeff,
You are dead right about the flow issue! That is exactly why we (CPR-Fish and FOC) appealed WDOE issuing Tacoma Power the 401 permit! They did not take into consideration the current existing flows that were established and needed to maintain the existing "recreational fishing"!!

Because of our law suit, last year Tacoma Power was doing their best PR work with flows!!!

BUT…FERC issued Tacoma their new license and all the old flow agreements and old rules are now off! That's another reason why we appealed their (Tacoma) 401 permit.

According to the most current WDFW Hatchery Escapement Report (October 17, 2002), they (WDFW) claim to have had only 5895 adults to date. That figure most likely is pretty erroneous and probably does not include the fish that they have given to the "food banks" or passed above the fish rack.

I hope that this has answered most of your question.

Cowlitzfisherman
Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????