State fisheries officials are cutting salmon and steelhead production at three lower Columbia hatcheries resulting in fewer coho and steelhead releases in the Kalama and Deep rivers plus Drano Lake.
A gap of about $500,000 in federal Mitchell Act money will reduce production at the North Toutle, Kalama Falls and Skamania hatcheries in Southwest Washington.
Production is being reduced by 600,000 coho and 24,000 summer steelhead over planned levels.
“Hatchery salmon production on the lower Columbia River has been declining for the last decade because of insufficient federal funding for these programs,” said Jim Scott, head of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fish program. “These recent changes are another blow to recreational anglers and commercial fishers that rely on hatchery coho in the ocean and lower river, as well as the communities that depend on the economic boost those industries provide.”
The Mitchell Act was 1938 legislation that appropriated funding for the operation and maintenance of state and tribal hatcheries in the lower Columbia River to compensate Northwest states for losses in fish production resulting from the construction of hydroelectric dams.
Federal Mitchell Act funds cover the costs of operating and producing salmon and steelhead at numerous Columbia River hatcheries, including eight WDFW facilities.
Eric Kinne of the WDFW’s Vancouver office said the cuts of 600,000 and 24,000 steelhead break down as follows:
o 100,000 early stock coho for the Kalama River will be cut.
o 300,000 late stock coho for the Kalama will be cut as a planned release of 600,000 is reduced to 300,000.
o 200,000 early coho for the Deep River net pens will be cut. The net pens still will get 750,000 coho, but the plan was to increase production to 950,000.
o 24,000 summer steelhead from Skamania Hatchery on the Washougal River will not be released in Drano Lake, a large backwater of the Columbia River at the mouth of the Little White Salmon River.
Those are steelhead that used to be planted in the White Salmon River before removal of Condit Dam.
The funding reductions will result in 7 percent fewer coho and nearly 2 percent fewer summer steelhead being released from lower Columbia hatcheries.
“We are working closely with our federal delegation to help ensure adequate funding is available for these facilities, but without an increase in federal dollars we will likely see a reduction in salmon production once again next year,” Scott said.
