Restore the Elwha Without Hatchery Fish

You may have seen our recent op-ed article in the Seattle Times, Restore the Elwha Without Hatchery Fish, and the unabridged version on Crosscut.com, Elwha River salmon, steelhead better off without hatcheries. Both articles were a collaborative effort with the Wild Steelhead Coalition and FFF Steelhead Committee, in which we lay out the case for a hatchery-free recovery strategy on the Elwha. Why are we so adamant that this is the correct path? As with all decisions we make, the science leads the way. Read a memo from NOAA on the subject: Chambers Creek hatchery winter steelhead in the Elwha River. And we're not the only ones relying on what the science tells us; the US Department of the Interior and WA Department of Fish and Wildlife also feel that the best course of action for the recovery of wild salmonids is to stop supplementation with Chambers Creek Hatchery plants.  Stay tuned; more to come in the coming months.  

When Is 2% Greater Than 33%?  

You may have been following our recent lawsuit filed in response to

the National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) authorization to the states of Oregon and Washington to kill sea lions at the Bonneville Dam. On July 25th, as a result of that lawsuit, NMFS revoked it's May 2011 authorization.  The decision means that the states cannot kill any of the federally-protected sea lions unless NMFS subsequently approves a new request from the states. Many of you are probably wondering why an organization like WFC would enter into such a lawsuit that protects the sea lions that kill wild salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon.  To get a better understanding  of the situation and our rationale, read When Is 2% Greater Than 33%?    

Cherry Valley Pump Study Update & Resulting Paper    

In 2008, WFC began a study of fish passage at a small-scale, agricultural, ditched tributary of Cherry Creek, near Duvall, WA (a fuller description of the study was published in the 2009 Wild Fish Journal). A dam-and-pump system installed on Cherry Creek allows local farmers to pump water off the fields adjacent to the creek during the rainy season. WFC hypothesized that the creek system, known to support rearing of several species of salmonid juveniles including coho, ESA-listed Chinook, and others, were at risk due to the operation of the pump facility. WFC researchers designed an experimental study to ask what happens to juvenile salmon that are forced to pass through the pump system... Read the entire article. 

Introducing WFC's Barrier Prioritization Mapping System

The first step in restoring fish passage is asking a number of fundamental questions and establishing a sound, logical approach to their resolution. For instance, if habitats are fragmented by man-made barriers such as roads or trails, who is responsible for their maintenance? Are the structures complete barriers or partial barriers? What species of fish are present? If the culverts are redesigned to pass fish, is there enough fish habitat upstream to justify the cost?

Additionally, in a weak economy, getting help with funding to remove a barrier culvert is more challenging than ever. Consequently, when seeking funding for barrier restoration, it's important to have your "ducks in a row" or should I say "culverts in a row." At any rate, it is beneficial to know where the barrier culverts are and which watersheds are considered as priority watersheds... Read the entire article.  

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