Historic water records are pretty skimpy but can be found (or used to be) in USGS. What I heard was that the development of wells in the headwaters, probably coupled with sewers, exported water. Even by the 50s, wells could have been extracting too much. But, into the 80s it was still considered a good producer of steelhead. even intermittent, with good winter flows, could have made it a great stream. The canary grass choking the channel was one of the big issues I heard of.

Chums only need about 6 months flow, at the right time of course. In that system, start flowing in November, be done by April or May and you may really fit the chum. By drying out, the cottids and other predators would be absent meaning more fry make it at least to the mainstem.

I am pretty sure that there is a lot of historic data out there on flows, fish populations, distribution, size, timing, and so on that is not looked at for various reasons.

Sent out at 4:30 tonight, to keep us from responding quickly.. Love how the system works.... There is no way they will not get enough in the first 3 days to justify us having a complete season. Every day, however, takes away from the peak period.... If we get in. This should not be able to be done unilaterally, and probably wasn't. If they can do it, then so can the department. If just notification is enough, then the department should be sending back an email right now, along with a emergency opening. If they notified the department in advance, then we should be twice as ticked off that the department did not open it up too. Our take would be miniscule compared to theirs. Suddenly, out of no where, there suddenly is enough for a compete fishery for them, but none for us???



NISQUALLY INDIAN COMMUNITY
EMERGENCY REGULATION 7-2017
DECEMBER 18, 2017.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 14.23.02 NISQUALLY TRIBAL CODE, TITLE 14-Chapter 2, AS AMENDED BY THE BUSINESS COMMITTEE EFFECTIVE 7/31/91, THE NISQUALLY FISH COMMISSION HAS ADOPTED THE FOLLOWING FISHERY OPEN EFFECTIVE AT 12:00 NOON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2017.
REGULATION SUPERCEDED/MODIFIED: NONE
SPECIES: CHUM
FISHERY TYPE: COMMERCIAL
GEAR: GILL NET
OPEN DAYS/HOURS:
DECEMBER 19TH AT NOON TO DECEMBER 22ND AT NOON.
STARTING DECEMBER 24TH SUNDAYS NOON TO WEDNESDAYS NOON UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, BUT NO LATER THAN JANUARY 31ST.
AREA: NISQUALLY RIVER MOUTH TO TOM BROWN’S LOG JAM AT FLAGGING
Nisqually Commercial Regulations:

1. Chum-Any combination of 3 nets combined cannot exceed 250 feet in length. No singular set net can exceed 150 feet in length. No drift gill net can exceed 85 feet in length.

2. No net shall extend beyond 1/2 the width of the channel of the Nisqually River at low tide.

3. No net shall exceed beyond 2/3 the width of the channel below I-5 on McAllister Creek at low tide.
4. All nets shall be clearly identified with owner’s name (first and last) and fishing ID number to allow net identification by tribal enforcement staff.

5. All nets can be tended only by owner and or authorized assistant, we will help and assist as we always have done.

6. Fishing locations in freshwater areas shall be not less than 250 feet apart, unless otherwise agreed as per section 14.23.04 of the Nisqually Tribal Code, Title 14, Chapter II-Fishing.


7. All net mesh restrictions refer to stretched mesh.


8. All nets are to be removed from the river at the end of Coho season, noon November 22nd. If the either of the Chum ISU models allows for Chum opener nets will be removed the last day of the fishery. Nets remaining after the river is closed by the Nisqually Fish Commission will be considered abandoned and will be removed by the Tribal Law Enforcement Patrol.

SPECIAL SPECIES CONCERN: GREEN AND WHITE STURGEON
FISHERY TYPE: INCEDENTAL; ALL STURGEON CAUGHT DURING ANY DIRECTED FISHERY IS TO BE RELEASED ALIVE.

JUSTIFICATION: HARVEST OF CHUM
NISQUALLY FISH COMMISSION

Should be in the regulations...if waters are open for nets, they are open to sportfishing. Screw the conflicts; we're just fishing "in common". WDFW needs to open the Nisqually for chum fishing, NOW!

That would be Region 6. Call and ask the Fish Program Manager down there. Interesting to see the response.

I notice that the reg does not mention a mesh restriction. There are mesh sizes, used in the past on other systems, that avoided steelhead while taking chum. I think 6 1/2 minimum would do it.

[color:#FFFF66]Fish Program Manager, Region 6......Annette Hoffman[/color]

If you get any answer I would be shocked......if you'd ask for an email response, I'm sure you'll get no answer......How she got to Fish Manager, I don't know.....good thing she has bio's that can bail her ass out!!!!!

The easy answer is to just show up and fish! Get a ticket and take it to court!

Video any nets you see while you are fishing and video any and all interactions with anyone approaching you. It may cost a ticket, but if you are civil and do not incite violence, have video documentation you will have enough to call on any judge to question the circumstances. Might even make it in the news!!

If any of you can get down to the river, please take pictures of any nets, boats and post them here. Remember, don’t interfere in a tribal fishery or you can be arrested. Just politely take pictures. This is not a cultural fishery. It is a commercial fishery!

J F C ! ! !

YGTBFKM, right?

GDITMMM ! ! ! !

Here's the problem. The North of Falcon Treaty allows for the opening of a treaty fishery if the fish come in, but does not have a provision for the non-treaty recs. Basically, the worlds largest run could come in and our side agreed we would not touch them unless the tribes decide to let us. Why they agree to this is beyond me.

Tribal provision:
Chum Commercial Fishery Closed. Yelm Escapement ISU model will be used in season to determine if fisheries are possible. Projected ISU derived escapement must exceed 2,000 fish above spawning goal of 18,000 for fisheries to open (approximately 184 peak live in Yelm). Fisheries will be managed to the lower 6 miles of the River to protect projected spawners. Chum management wk 48 – wk 5.

Non-treaty provision:
(mouth to the military tank crossing bridge, one mile upstream of the mouth of Muck Creek)
tank crossing bridge, one mile upstream of the mouth of Muck Creek)
7/1 –11/15

As you can see, we agreed to be out of the river by 11/15 and not retain any Chum. They retained the right to do an in season emergency opening.
Sounds like a perfect sharing to me.

6 fish limit, 2 adults, 12” min. size; release wild Chinook and Chum

And release steelhead.

Ummmm... sorry to keep pounding on this drum, but was agreed to behind locked doors without any public knowledge.

I’m going down today to see how well my rod and reel are working. Gonna cast some lead. I’ll be on the Ft. Lewis side if anybody wants to check out their rod and reel too.

Region 6 Manager, Annett Hoffmann 360-249-1201 Annette.Hoffmann@dfw.wa.gov
case you want to call. I am!

I got a prompt reply from WDFW this morning that we are also getting a 2 fish opener from the tank bridge, and the notice will be sent out sometime today. Although with the train wreck, I imagine sports pressure will be pretty light.

I don't like "phone calls"......if push come to shove, conversations can get twisted....

Email.....only way to go !!!!!!!

Just found this in my email.
Hi Mark,
 
Our first priority in the Nisqually right now is getting fish on the spawning grounds.  Our escapement goal this year was 18,000 fish.  The number of live fish on the spawning grounds counted yesterday should get us there.  The sport opening is going out today and will open the Nisqually to fishing from the military tank crossing bridge to the mouth.  Daily limit two adult salmon.  For winter chum, greater than 90% of the non-treaty harvest takes place in freshwater so our objective for the sportfishing community is not to achieve 50% of the harvest but rather secure meaningful opportunity on a sustainable fishery.  In other words, I see the currency as “days on the water”. 
This year a low forecast limited our time on the water.  The good news is that we got fish on the spawning grounds in hopes of rebuilding this run and we can now fish confidently on what’s in the river.  All this being said, I’m open to suggestions that meet conservation objectives and give the sportfishing community an opportunity to harvest winter chum. 
 
Thank you.
 
James P. Losee
Fish Biologist, South Puget Sound
WDFW
360-902-2741

Should be posted any minute. Two adult, six fish. No game fish, barbless. Start fishing at noon!! Thanks to all that called and raised concerns!! We are “fishing in kind”. See you all down there!

You don't suppose that the decline of Chums has something to do with the popularity of Chum roe with sashimi eaters? I can remember when tribal netters were giving Chums away in grocery store parking lots.

http://finecaviar.com/category/product/salmon-roe-caviar.html

Fishing in common sounds great until you realize that while everyone is indeed fishing, the guys with the gillnets at the mouth are the only ones doing any catching.

Good to see that it's opening, but if it were me, I'd wait til' the nets come out to go fishing.

WOW! $57 / lb retail

I think you guys may be on to something.

Saw a lot of NT seiners on these chums down in MA11 salt a few weeks back, so WDFW must have given NT commercials a solid crack at these fish knowing there was a low forecast. Most of the NT share went to commercial interest. Rec's get a couple cracks in the last week or two of the season. . .woo hoo.

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I doubt that there would have been a commercial NI fishery that targeted Nisqually. More likely the tail end of the Fall chums which would have been Skookum and maybe Perry and McLain.

To my knowledge, WDFW has been, or was, pretty committed to staying off the Winter chum commercially. Even in Boldt, they were allowed to aggregate SS chum with all the Winters going to Nisqually and the NI share coming out of the Falls.

Area 11 wouldn't have the winters until sometime in December and a fishery by NI after 11/30 would be in violation of Initiative 77. Can be done, but...........