Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River

Posted by: DrifterWA

Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 01:04 PM


Wynoochee River, located in WDFW Region 6

Wynoochee River has a fish trap, located a few miles down river from the dam.

The trap, as I understand it, is owned by Tacoma City Light, TCL.

TCL allows WDFW to remove hatchery and wild steelhead to take to the Lake Aberdeen hatchery to be used as brood stock, any extra fish are then taken above the dam, by TCL, and placed in the lake.

1. There is no way for the steelhead to ever get down river, because of the dam, thus a death sentence. At one time WDFW thought smolt from " spawning adults" could make it thru the dam. I question this because there is no documented increase of non clipped steelhead in the Wynoochee River.

2. Once the hatchery brood needs have been met, why not truck, from the trap, these steelhead down river to give sportsmen a chance to catch one or two????? Remember its taxpayers that provide the funds for these fish.

3. Because steelhead have the ability to return more than once, what happens to the males that are used for brood at the hatchery???
I realize that female fish are killed and eggs removed but males are "just milked".

Seems like that must be better ways to use these steelhead, for the good of the tax paying public...... comments????
Posted by: SpoonFed

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 01:22 PM

I agree drifter. After the brood goals are met, the rest of the collected fish should be trucked back downstream for either additional sports opportunity or to give the fish a chance to spawn lower in the system. That would make a shorter gauntlet run for the smolts.
This kind of reminds me of the cowlitz river project.
The fish that are trucked up to the lake above riffe, the cis and the tilt.
When those fish spawn, how do the smolt get back down when there are 3 dams for them to pass. The thought of those smolt making the journey just doesn't seem possible.
If anybody else could shed some light on both of these issues, I'm all ears.
Posted by: Carcassman

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 01:34 PM

They have (had) smolt collection facilities on the Cowlitz above the dams. Smolts are collected and trucked down or (at Mossyrock, I believe) collected and then passed downstream.

WDF and TPU studied various smolt collection options at Wynoochee in the 90s. As I recall, they hade very little success in catching smolts.
Posted by: DrifterWA

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 02:07 PM

Originally Posted By: Carcassman


WDF and TPU studied various smolt collection options at Wynoochee in the 90s. As I recall, they hade very little success in catching smolts.


Then why does WDFW continue to what was done in the 90's????? I mean come on, this is 2020...

I know salmon are also trucked above the dam, this year about 750 were put in the lake..... now I understand the salmon will die and add feed to the lake.....but steelhead if given a chance might make a 2nd or more spawning run......
Posted by: MetalheadMatt

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 04:41 PM

Why not a smolt collection skimmer like on lake cushmen
Posted by: MetalheadMatt

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 04:42 PM

Or let them go above trap and spawn naturaly
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 04:50 PM

I like the idea of continuing to put excess fish into the lake, Melanie and I have been successful in catching them there on ultra-light gear. A real hoot! I know of others who also catch a few. I'm not opposed to putting some of them back downriver, just not most of them. Just make Tacoma Power live up to it's commitments and get more fish in the river!
Posted by: fish4brains

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 05:39 PM

I worked at the dam the year before it was transferred from the Corps of Engineers to the city of Aberdeen, this was 89 I think. I loaded fish at the fish trap and released them at coho campground, there were some big steelhead and big kings in the trap back then. I always wondered why we were letting them go in the lake. Used to be decent trout fishing in the lake, not sure if there is anymore.
Posted by: Rivrguy

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 05:52 PM

Bobr, Tacoma Power has zip, nada, nothing to do with the mitigation. They put the funds in a trust that WDF&W controls and WDFW has responsibility to rear the fish period. All Tacoma Power is responsible for is trucking a certain number above the dam.
Posted by: Carcassman

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 06:51 PM

There are fish collection options from trapping at the reservoir inlet to more complex filtering of the water like on the Oregon Deschutes. It can be done, but cost will be the determiner.
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/13/20 10:45 PM

Originally Posted By: Rivrguy
Bobr, Tacoma Power has zip, nada, nothing to do with the mitigation. They put the funds in a trust that WDF&W controls and WDFW has responsibility to rear the fish period. All Tacoma Power is responsible for is trucking a certain number above the dam.

Thanks for correcting my misinformation, I'll put the blame where it belongs, on WDFW.
Posted by: Rivrguy

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/14/20 07:35 AM

Hard to go wrong there Bob!
Posted by: Salmo g.

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/14/20 08:40 AM

It's not that juveniles cannot pass downstream at Wynoochee Dam. The matter is that the survival rate from passage through the dam is too low. So putting adults upstream of the dam is not a complete waste, more like a partial waste of fish resources. Fish passage alternatives that could be successful do exist. What irks me is the lack of effort on the part of the fish resource agencies to force culpable parties to install them.

This predates my involvement, but the parties involved with transferring Wynoochee Dam to Tacoma settled on a process available through the Corps of Engineers that ultimately didn't include enough money to actually fund downstream fish passage. In hindsight, that was an obvious strategic error. However, there are still ways to pursue fish passage for Wynoochee, but none of the agencies appear to have the appetite to do so.
Posted by: Anonymous

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/14/20 09:18 AM

Originally Posted By: fish4brains
I worked at the dam the year before it was transferred from the Corps of Engineers to the city of Aberdeen, this was 89 I think. I loaded fish at the fish trap and released them at coho campground, there were some big steelhead and big kings in the trap back then. I always wondered why we were letting them go in the lake. Used to be decent trout fishing in the lake, not sure if there is anymore.

Melanie and I catch some really nice trout in the lake, you have to work at it, esp. with a 14 inch minimum. I think the steelhead we catch in the lake are in great shape having time to recover, all of them have been chrome with great color to the meat. So it's not a waste of a resource, it provides great opportunity for those willing to put in the time and learn the fishery. I would rather have a steelhead that has fully recovered then one that has to retrace it's path to the dam without any recovery time. Last one did three jumps totally out of the water, 1st one tailwalking like a largemouth bass. Isn't the stock used for the Great Lakes steelhead fishery from the northwest? They obviously have no problem with catching steelhead in a lake. I have no problem with some fish being trucked for opportunity for river fishermen, but some need to go into the lake to continue opportunity for lake fishermen. Last fish out of the river I caught couldn't compare with every other fish we've caught in the lake, quality wise.
Posted by: SpoonFed

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/14/20 09:28 AM

Originally Posted By: bobrr
Originally Posted By: fish4brains
I worked at the dam the year before it was transferred from the Corps of Engineers to the city of Aberdeen, this was 89 I think. I loaded fish at the fish trap and released them at coho campground, there were some big steelhead and big kings in the trap back then. I always wondered why we were letting them go in the lake. Used to be decent trout fishing in the lake, not sure if there is anymore.

Melanie and I catch some really nice trout in the lake, you have to work at it, esp. with a 14 inch minimum. I think the steelhead we catch in the lake are in great shape having time to recover, all of them have been chrome with great color to the meat. So it's not a waste of a resource, it provides great opportunity for those willing to put in the time and learn the fishery. I would rather have a steelhead that has fully recovered then one that has to retrace it's path to the dam without any recovery time. Last one did three jumps totally out of the water, 1st one tailwalking like a largemouth bass. Isn't the stock used for the Great Lakes steelhead fishery from the northwest? They obviously have no problem with catching steelhead in a lake. I have no problem with some fish being trucked for opportunity for river fishermen, but some need to go into the lake to continue opportunity for lake fishermen. Last fish out of the river I caught couldn't compare with every other fish we've caught in the lake, quality wise.


That is right, at least the spring/summer fish in the Great Lakes are of
Skamania origin.
Winters, I'm not sure about.
Posted by: Carcassman

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/14/20 12:48 PM

About the time that the hatchery was kiboshed on the Wynoochee, R6 went on a habitat kick in that they wanted to use the available $$ for habitat, regardless of whether or not it met the mitigation requirements for fish. That was on the salmon side. I don't know where WDW was in all this.
Posted by: slabhunter

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/14/20 03:28 PM

I don't like the news. But at least it shows the Quinault do favor wild steelhead over hatchery.

Quote:
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

February 14, 2020
Contact: Mike Scharpf, 360-249-1205

Chehalis River and tributaries closing due to projected low steelhead returns

OLYMPIA – The Chehalis River and its tributaries will close to all fishing at midnight Sunday, Feb. 16, due to low projected steelhead returns, fishery managers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) announced.

With only 6,616 Chehalis basin steelhead projected to return this year, returns of wild Chehalis steelhead are forecast to come in well below the escapement goal of 8,600 fish for the fourth year in a row, said Mike Scharpf, district fisheries biologist with WDFW.

Given this recent history, the closure represents a conservative approach to ensure conservation goals can be met, Scharpf said.

“There are many factors affecting steelhead in the Chehalis,” said Scharpf. “Given that steelhead populations are returning in low numbers statewide this year, poor ocean conditions are likely one of those factors.”

The closure includes the Chehalis River and all tributaries, including but not limited to Elk, Johns, Hoquiam, Newaukum, Satsop, Skookumchuck, Wishkah, and Wynoochee rivers.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is the state agency tasked with preserving, protecting, and perpetuating fish, wildlife, and ecosystems, while providing sustainable fishing, hunting, and other recreation opportunities.
Posted by: slabhunter

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/14/20 04:08 PM

Originally Posted By: Salmo g.
It's not that juveniles cannot pass downstream at Wynoochee Dam. The matter is that the survival rate from passage through the dam is too low. So putting adults upstream of the dam is not a complete waste, more like a partial waste of fish resources. Fish passage alternatives that could be successful do exist. What irks me is the lack of effort on the part of the fish resource agencies to force culpable parties to install them.

This predates my involvement, but the parties involved with transferring Wynoochee Dam to Tacoma settled on a process available through the Corps of Engineers that ultimately didn't include enough money to actually fund downstream fish passage. In hindsight, that was an obvious strategic error. However, there are still ways to pursue fish passage for Wynoochee, but none of the agencies appear to have the appetite to do so.


Perhaps the BIA can reopen this can of worms? In light of today's WDFW News Release. Chehalis River and tributaries closing due to projected low wild steelhead returns, for the fourth year in a row.
Posted by: MetalheadMatt

Re: Steelhead issues on Wynoochee River - 02/14/20 05:39 PM

Wild Steelhead have dropped in numbers 4 years in a row. Not just on this system but everywhere in Washington. Maybe all parties involved should use selective methods of harvest.

When a west coast river can continually get over 35k wild steel to return as does the Umpqua, and our basins struggle to get 6k. It is not habitat alone as Umqua has shown. IT is 100% selective fisheries. Which Washington does not have. Until this changes, the writing is on the wall.