PACIFIC COAST STEELHEAD MEETING AMILEE WILSON WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT

PACIFIC COAST STEELHEAD MEETING AMILEE WILSON WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE MARCH 2004 Washington State Steelhead Stock Status Review

NOAA Determination of Washington State Steelhead Status by ESU Ø Not Warranted for listing – Puget Sound (Coastal Steelhead) – Olympic Peninsula (Coastal Steelhead) – Southwest Washington (Coastal Steelhead) Ø Threatened – L. Columbia River Sys. (Coastal Steelhead) – M. Columbia River Sys. (Inland Steelhead) – Snake River Basin (Inland Steelhead) Ø Endangered – U. Columbia River Sys. (Inland Steelhead)

Which is it: SASSI or Sa. SI? SASSI (1992) Sa. SI (2002) Ø All anadromous species including Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye, and Steelhead. Ø Salmon and Steelhead Stock Inventory Ø Inclusion of Bull Trout/Dolly Varden (1997) and Cutthroat Trout (2000) stock inventories. Ø Salmonid Stock Inventory

Salmonid Stock Breakdown for Washington State

Summary of 2002 Sa. SI Stock Ratings 1992: 137 stocks – – Healthy: 36 = 26% Depressed: 42 = 31% Critical: 1 = 1% Unknown: 58 = 42% 2002: 137 stocks – – – Healthy: 28 = 20% Depressed: 41 = 30% Critical: 1 = 1% Unknown: 66 = 48% Not Rated: 1 = 1% Note: The first three WA State Sa. SI ratings are only conceptually compatible with color-coded NOAA Fisheries ratings.

Summary of 2002 Sa. SI Stock Ratings

Puget Sound ESU – Not Warranted

Skagit River System (Puget Sound ESU) • Production in the mainstem & tributaries appears to be very poor at present • 1992 - Healthy; 2002 – Depressed or Unknown

Snohomish River System (Puget Sound ESU) • Strong system recovery from early eighties to consistently meet EG of 6500 until the year 1999 • Majority of stocks: 1992 - Healthy; 2002 - Depressed

Stillaguamish/Deer Creek (Puget Sound ESU) • 2002 status reflects improved overwintering habitat and increased parr-to-smolt survival and adult returns followin the flooding in 1995 • 1992 – Critical; 2002 - Depressed

Green River (Puget Sound ESU) • Escapements have generally varied within a range of 25% above or below the escapement goal of 2, 000 spawners. • 1992 – Healthy; 2002 - Healthy

Olympic Peninsula ESU – Not Warranted

Quillayute River (Olympic Peninsula ESU) • Historical bright spot for wild winter steelhead and seems to be maintaining good habitat • 1992 – Healthy; 2002 - Healthy

Queets River (Olympic Peninsula ESU) • No agreed to Esc. Goal • 1992 – Healthy; 2002 - Healthy

Quinault River (Olympic Peninsula ESU) • A wild stock with natural production • 1992 – Healthy; 2002 - Healthy

SW Washington ESU – Not Warranted

Humptulips River (SW Washington ESU) • Sustained a long decline, but seems to be stabilizing • 1992 – Healthy; 2002 – Depressed

Chehalis River (SW Washington ESU) • Escapements have been high and relatively stable from 2000 to 2003 • 1992 – Healthy; 2002 – Healthy

L. Columbia River ESU - Threatened

Toutle River (Lower Columbia River ESU) • Chronically low escapements from 1994 to 2001 • 1992 - Healthy; 2002 – Depressed

Lewis River (Lower Columbia River ESU) • Chronically low escapements; new escapement index established in 1997 but its relationship to the previous escapement index is currently unknown • 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

Kalama River – (Lower Columbia River ESU) • Escapements in 1998 through 2001 have been only 14% to 33% of the goal • 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

M. Columbia River ESU - Threatened

Touchet River (Mid Columbia ESU) • Data gaps hurt status determination • 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

Yakima River (Mid Columbia River ESU) • Unexpected up turn in wild escapement • 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

U. Columbia River ESU - Endangered

No Sa. SI Stock – (Upper Columbia ESU) Counts from Priest Rapids Dam represent all fish returning to the Upper Columbia River ESU

Methow/Okanogan Summer Steelhead (Upper Columbia ESU) • Counts from the Wells Dam • 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

Snake River Basin ESU - Threatened

Tucannon River (Snake River Basin ESU) • Possible up-ward trend despite data gaps • 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

Asotin Creek (Snake River Basin ESU) • Data gaps hurt status determination • 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

Conclusions 1. Increase and maintain the number of Healthy stocks 1. How should we manage the 41 Depressed stocks? 2. Multitude of “Unknown” stocks – – Fisheries lost Harvest no longer a source of data 2 year steelhead moratorium Weather conditions make it impossible to survey most summer steelhead populations