Category Archives: Salmon

Oral arguments in Squaxin Island Tribe v. Gregoire this Friday

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This Friday, oral arguments will be heard in Squaxin Island Tribe v. Gregoire, a lawsuit the tribe filed last year to protect Johns Creek. For years the tribe has been urging the state to do the right thing and halt new well drilling in the Johns Creek basin.

Last year, the tribe asked the governor to step in, but she didn’t. Here’s the story from the time:

The Squaxin Island Tribe is appealing to Gov. Chris Gregoire the decision by the state Department of Ecology to reject a petition to protect Johns Creek. “Ecology’s inaction does further harm to our treaty-based fisheries,” said Andy Whitener, natural resources director for the Tribe. “Salmon recovery should not have to bear a disproportionate share of the fallout from tough economic times.”

This is the second time in two years that Ecology has rejected the Tribe’s request to protect Johns Creek, citing the need for study on the connection between ground and surface water in the Johns Creek watershed. The Tribe’s petitions were based on a state law that closes a watershed to new well drilling activity if not enough information exists to establish that water is legally available.

Here are the various court filings for this lawsuit. First, the tribe’s opening brief:

Squaxin Island Tribe v. Gregoire | Squaxin Island Tribe opening brief

Then a response from Mason County:

Squaxin Island Tribe v. Gregoire | Mason County response brief

Department of Ecology’s response:

Squaxin Island Tribe v. Gregoire Ecology response brief

Then, the tribe’s reply:

Squaxin Island Tribe v. Gregoire | Squaxin Island Tribe reply brief

Squaxin-WDFW Spawning Chinook at Tumwater Falls Hatchery

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Male Chinook selected for spawning

Over the last few weeks WDFW and Squaxin Island Natural Resources staff have been busy spawning hatchery Fall Chinook returning to the Tumwater Falls Hatchery.  Pictures from Wednesday October 6th, 2010 spawning.  Video Clip

Approximately 3,000 adult Chinook (1,500 females/1,500 males) are needed to return to the hatchery for spawning to continue the program.   Eggs and milt are then taken from returning Chinook for future production.  Approximately 4.8 million eggs are taken, sometimes more to support other hatchery programs around the Puget Sound.  So far about 4,000 Chinook have returned to Tumwater Falls.

Once eggs are fertilized, incubated and reared at Minter and Coulter Creek Hatcheries,  about 3.8 million are released as juveniles at Tumwater Falls in late spring  (at about 70 chinook to the lbs.).

Squaxin Net Pen Coho Smolt Released

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Measuring and Adipose Clip quality checking a sample of Net Pen coho smolt

Measuring and Adipose Clip quality checking a sample of Net Pen coho smolt

Over the last couple of weeks Squaxin Island Natural Resources have released approximately 1.8 million coho smolt from the Net Pen facility located in Peale Passage.      “Our hope is these coho live a healthy life through out their journey   through the Puget Sound into the ocean and return back as 8 lbs adults for the 2011 Washington Sport and Tribal Fisheries,” said Will Henderson Enhancement Manager for Squaxin NR.

Joe Peters measures a sample of coho

Joe Peters measures a sample of coho

Squaxin Island Tribe and Washington Fish and Wildlife co-manage the Net Pen facility in Peale Passage.   Juvenile coho arrive to the net pens in late January at 30 fish to pound.   Staff feed these coho an EWOS diet feed for four months and then the fish are released.  Coho are released at an average of 13 fish to the pound.    The coho smolt released May 2010 will begin returning to South Puget Sound in September 2011.

Forecast for returning adult Net Pen Coho for 2010 is  33,600.

Squaxin Net Pen Inventory Video

Squaxin Island Tribe to Use Grant to Protect and Restore Goldsborough Creek

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GOLDSBOROUGH DAM SITE IN 2006

goldsborough fall 06-1

SHELTON – The Squaxin Island Tribe will use a nearly $1 million federal grant to further restore Goldsborough Creek, one of the largest and most important salmon streams in deep South Sound. “This grant gives us the ability to address the health of Goldsborough Creek on several fronts,” said John Konovsky, environmental program manager for the Squaxin Island Tribe.

The grant will fund a project with three goals: restoring and protecting habitat in the creek, protecting stream flows, and restoring habitat in the creek’s estuary while preserving a working port.

It builds upon the removal of the Goldsborough Creek dam almost 10 years ago which opened up 25 miles of salmon habitat. Since then, the tribe has tracked an increase in juvenile coho production despite an overall decline in wild coho populations in the region.

For more information, see:  http://www.nwifc.org/2010/04/squaxin-island-tribe-to-use-grant-to-protect-and-restore-goldsborough-creek/.

Spring Storm Makes Mess of Smolt Traps

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April 1st– Smolt Trap Update:

Yesterday we were able to get the traps  fishing again only to let the blow out panels lose today. With another big spring storm scheduled to hit Western Washington early Friday morning, we are preparing for the worst and want to save Skookum and Cranberry traps from complete destruction.

The weir panel traps are designed to blow out when  there is higher water and debris gathers at the panel.  Add more than an inch of rain and windblown debris and the force on can snap wire, bend T-post and break panels.

Fortunately we installed these traps a week and half earlier than normal.  Generally we are not seeing out-migrating coho smolt for another week.  We plan to get things back to normal early next week and begin installing Sherwood and Mill Creek traps.

Goldsborough screw trap is still fishing.

March 29th @9:43 am

Wind and Rain from the spring storm that hit Western Washington Sunday and Monday blew out smolt traps temporarily. As of 7 am Monday March 29th and estimated 1.3 inches of rain fell in Kamilche since Saturday.

Water flowing over Skookum Creek smolt trap panels.

Water almost flowing over Skookum Creek smolt trap panels.

We had water flowing over the top of the weir panels and one tree fell over the screw trap diversion panels .

A wind blown tree over Goldsborough

A wind blown tree over Goldsborough

In a few days after the weather has calmed and the creek levels lower  we will get the traps buttoned back up and we will continue installing our remaining two traps.

Squaxin NR Installing Smolt Traps

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The Squaxin Island Natural Resources began installing smolt traps in five local streams this week.   This will be the eleventh year the Tribe has been doing smolt trap studies.

Monday, March 22nd a rotary screw trap was installed on Goldsborough Creek and a weir panel trap was installed on Skookum Creek, Tuesday March 24th.   Over the next week and a half weir panel traps will be installed on Mill, Cranberry and Sherwood Creeks.

Rotary screw trap on Goldsborough Creek

Rotary screw trap on Goldsborough Creek

Project objectives of  smolt trapping are to determine current levels of natural coho  production and smolt outmigration timing.  In addition, the information collected on outmigrants can be used to form relevant spawning escapement goals.

Once traps are installed they are checked daily.  All Oncorhynchus spp. (salmon species) that are captured will be placed into a bucket containing MS-222 (Tricaine Methanesulfonate) and water, fork length recorded on to a data sheet.  Fish exposed to the MS-222 will then be placed into a recovery bucket of stream water and released after noticeable revival from MS-222.  Each fish will be released in a low flow area of the stream, close to the area of capture.  Oncorhynchus kisutch (coho) will be our primary focus of research.  Organisms other than Oncorhynchus spp. caught in the smolt traps will be identified, recorded and released.

Trapping continues from late March through the end of June. In the creeks around the South Puget Sound, coho smolt outmigration  occurs  between the months of April through June.