Anyone know when they net the forks area rivers? Is there somewhere i can look to see when they do it?
I can bring very little informed opinion to this discussion as I have only been in the Northwest for about 4 1/2 years and I am still trying to get my head around all of the players in this issue. However, at the December SW Wa. CCA chapter meeting the VP of Conservation issues for BPA (sorry I can't remember his name) gave a presentation that included a segment on the mitigation efforts for the dams. His comments regarding barging indicated that even BPA sees that component of their program as questionable especially for Steelhead. It seemed to me, by the data he presented, that BPA is making real progress with some of these issues and that they are interested in doing what is proven to be effective. I am no apologist for BPA but it may be they recognize it is in their own best interest to deal effectively with these problems.River elf:\I get what you mean about the incremental approach... One issue at a time but the following quote from the above CCA Email spooks me.
"Ongoing hatchery review and salmon recovery efforts in Washington waters and the
Columbia Basin have made it clear that if we are to restore depleted and ESA-listed
stocks of wild salmon and steelhead, we must reform fishing practices so investments in
hatcheries, habitat improvements, and hydro operations can be fully realized."
Does CCA seriously believe that barging smolts and other ineffective programs simply need time to be realized? This has been the BPA and NMFFs line for years. Meanwhile stocks continue to grind toward the brink. I hope you are right and Loomis will change his tune when the harvest picture has been figured out
The nisqually hasn't been netted for steelhead in quite some time. In addition there hasn't been hatchery releases for the same amount of time. The Nasty appears to be the hardest hit by the south sound productivity maliase that also afflicts the Puyallup and the Green....there seems to be some common sense at work, but still, not perfect.
for instance, the HSRG seems to be solely concerned with salmon, and their third party facilitator is LLTK, Long Live The Kings...all well and good, but HSRG seems to have ignored wild steelhead, at least in the South Sound which was the part I reviewed yesterday.
Looking at the status of the Nisqually, near and dear to me, the steelhead run is listed as critical, and they are part of an ESA-listed ESU, yet HSRG makes no recommended changes to hatchery or harvest that might help resuscitate this run of fish. In fact, no mention of steelhead in their management recommendations. That strikes me as strange and I've already emailed Long Live The Kings for some answers.
At the time of Boldt the Nisqually was the #15 rated steelhead river in the State, now...