[Kim McDonald]

This in today's paper about re-introducing salmon/steelhead on the Yakima via Lake Cle Elum

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010922245_fishproposal29.html

 

[Out of Here]

Thought-provoking, just not ready to put my thoughts onto the web just yet.

 

[Mumbles]

If the salmon and steelhead are reintroduced to this system how would that affect the wild trout populations in the river currently? I really don't know but my gut feeling is that I might be ill.

 

[seanengman]

Salmon and steelhead are native to the Yak... think of it as a step forward for anadromous fishes... or a step forward for tribal netting.

 

[ak_powder_monkey]

If the salmon and steelhead are reintroduced to this system how would that affect the wild trout populations in the river currently? I really don't know but my gut feeling is that I might be ill.

can't hurt any

I'd rather see more wild fish though, returns are increasing lately right?

 

[seanengman]

I pesonally like the idea. Hopefully it gets managed properly, so as a sustainabe population can come out of this... otherwise, well, think Stocky Ford.

 

[Old Man]

There is already Salmon in the Yakima. There is a Salmon Hatchery in the Easton area. Not to sure, but those holding ponds at Easton hold the fingerlings.

 

[longstick]

Salmon would help the system. Im all for it.

 

[Ppppp]

If the salmon and steelhead are reintroduced to this system how would that affect the wild trout populations in the river currently? I really don't know but my gut feeling is that I might be ill.

I cannot speak directly on how it would effect the Yakima. Oregon's Deshutes river has Salmon, Steelhead and Trout; it is a great fishery.

 

[Lugan]

(OMJ, that hatchery is run by a tribe and is located just upstream of South Cle Elum between the river and I-90.)

The article says two interesting things:

First, that juveniles would migrate down out of the lake in spring/summer. But that is when Cle Elum River flows are massive. If you look at the flows of all the Yakima tributaries, the vast majority of water during summer is pumped out of Lake Cle Elum, usually at 3,000 cfs or greater. If you've seen that river at that time of year, you've got to wonder intuitively how the juveniles would survive that kind of flow. Seems like finding food and shelter would be tough in such a torrent.

Lest we think this is purely about restoring wild anadromous stocks, the article also states something about an option to add a hatchery.

 

[NomDeTrout]

As long as this doesn't mean Yakima will become another hatchery meat hole...

 

[Old Man]

(OMJ, that hatchery is run by a tribe and is located just upstream of South Cle Elum between the river and I-90.)

The article says two interesting things:

First, that juveniles would migrate down out of the lake in spring/summer. But that is when Cle Elum River flows are massive. If you look at the flows of all the Yakima tributaries, the vast majority of water during summer is pumped out of Lake Cle Elum, usually at 3,000 cfs or greater. If you've seen that river at that time of year, you've got to wonder intuitively how the juveniles would survive that kind of flow. Seems like finding food and shelter would be tough in such a torrent.

Lest we think this is purely about restoring wild anadromous stocks, the article also states something about an option to add a hatchery.

Yeah . But there are still Salmon in the river. And a few Native Steelhead.. So buy putting in more hatchery fish, What will it do to the natives there. And there is that hatchery behind those holding ponds. It was new before I left to greener pastures.

But I shouldn't bitch as I don't fish Washington anymore.

 

[Out of Here]

Double post - thank the WA ferry wifi.

 

[Out of Here]

Comes down to habitat. The report already states that the reservoir's cant support the salmon populations. So, send them down the river. There is a reason why larger populations don't exist today. Look at the history, why the fish went away, who benefits from reintroduction, and will the current major user groups go along with what is necessary to sustain healthy wild populations?

I am on the side of the fish. If the Yakima can support healthy, wild populations given the demands of the day, then I support it. I am transparent in my non-support of hatcheries. No more hatcheries. Better habitat.

 

[the fanz]

the yakima lost much of it's salmon population due to irrigation. The fry where pumped out onto fields. A healthy run of salmon on the river would only increase the size and population of trout, buy increasing food supplies to the trout through eggs, carcasses and smolt. Think Alaska...

 

[docstash]

http://pisces.bpa.gov/release/documents/documentviewer.aspx?pub=P99852-3.pdf

From ykfp.org

Results from competition experiments performed in small screened
enclosures within the North and Middle forks of the Teanaway River
suggested that: 1) the presence of hatchery-reared steelhead negatively
impacted growth of naturally-produced rainbow trout, but did not impact
the growth of spring chinook salmon; 2) the presence of hatchery-reared
spring chinook salmon negatively impacted the growth of wild spring
chinook salmon; and3) the presence of wild spring chinook salmon did not impact the growth of wild rainbow trout. The
potential impact of hatchery spring chinook salmon on wild rainbow trout
was not examined.

5465 total which 104 were lost hatchery steelhead over Prosser Dam as of Jan. 28th is not bad compared to the recent counts, and lots more still to come-as this count does not end until 6/30/2010.

The Yakama Nation will continue to push for Hatchery and Wild Salmon for their interests whether cerimonial or to sell and BPA will continue to finance it, this is not going to change. They could care less about Steelhead except for sale purposes.

Craig

 

[Old Man]

the yakima lost much of it's salmon population due to irrigation. The fry where pumped out onto fields. A healthy run of salmon on the river would only increase the size and population of trout, buy increasing food supplies to the trout through eggs, carcasses and smolt. Think Alaska...

Think Alaska. There are probably more people living in Seattle than the whole State of Alaska.

The rivers in this state get pounded by quite a few people and then there are the out of staters.

 

[Troutrageous]

Old Man... I'm pretty sure the number of people in Seattle have nothing to do with the nutrients that salmon bring to rivers.

 

[NomDeTrout]

Old Man... I'm pretty sure the number of people in Seattle have nothing to do with the nutrients that salmon bring to rivers.

but as OM said, it has whole lot to do with the people who fish the rivers. Pumping in hatchery steelhead and salmon is gonna damage the trout fishery not because of the nutrients but because many are going to pound the hell out of the Yakima. Meathole dwellers hop from one meathole to another. You see it with Reitors, Tokul, Blue Creek, Cascades... Yakima is merely 1.5 hours away from Seattle and unless they close down the fishery near/around Cle Elum, I can already see the snaggers and meathole dwellers flocking over to the upper Yak.

but like anything else, if they're capable of managing the fishery well and if the habitat can handle it. It could be beneficial. I'm still on the fence about this one.

 

[docstash]

The Yakama Nation has been planting Salmon for years and managing the river for those Salmon, They have complete control over all the planting and hatcheries on the river and most of the decisions on the water flows. They were the reason behind the elimination of hatchery Steelhead and the end of the Yakima Steelhead Assoc. in the 90's. I personally believe they are doing a much better job of managing the Yakima than WDFW would. Paul Huffman know a lot more about the Yakima/Klickitat systems and the managment of them.

Craig