New Net Pen Day House Construction Underway
New Pontoons from Ferguson Plastics
Construction of the new day house for the net pens is underway. The first step before building the house was to assemble the new pontoons that we purchased from Ferguson Plastics. Over the next couple of months we will update with pictures of the construction of the day house.
Squaxin Island Tribe to Use Grant to Protect and Restore Goldsborough Creek
GOLDSBOROUGH DAM SITE IN 2006
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
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 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
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
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
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.
2010 North of Falcon Underway
Preseason planning of 2010 Washington State commercial and recreational salmon fisheries is underway. The process known as North of Falcon is a series of meetings where representatives from Tribal, State, NOAA Fisheries, Fishing Industry and general public work together in developing the fisheries for the year. Over the next two months Andy Whitener and Joseph Peters will be representing Squaxin Island Tribe at North of Falcon ensuring allocation and conservation needs of the Tribes local stocks are met.
For more information about North of Falcon go to Washington Fish and Wildlife web page ——-> North of Falcon Q&A.
Regional Chinook, coho and chum forecast have been developed for Washington State and as of February 12th, have been agreed to by Tribal and Washington State Fish and Wildlife policy representatives. Below are the agreed to 2010 Deep South Puget Sound salmon forecasts.
Tribe appeals decision on Johns Creek
From the press release:
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.
If the Gov. Gregoire is serious about protecting the waters of Puget Sound, then she will direct Ecology to act. “Ecology’s excuse is the lack of resources. It takes a commitment to their responsibilities, not money, to close the basin,” said Kevin Lyon, the Tribe’s attorney. “The rule is simple: if you lack information, you don’t take water – especially when minimum flows are not being met.
The Name “Salish Sea” Wins Award
The name “Salish Sea” was chosen as the “Name of the Year” by the American Name Society. Last year’s winner was “Barack Hussein Obama.” Check out www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jan/12/salish-sea-becomes-name-of-the-year for more details.
Squaxin Island Tribe files second petition to protect Johns Creek
A news release this afternoon:
The Squaxin Island Tribe has filed a second petition with the state Department of Ecology (DOE) to stop all new water withdrawals, including permit-exempt wells, in the Johns Creek watershed near Shelton. The action was taken to protect several runs of salmon that spawn and rear in the creek.
“There isn’t enough water in Johns Creek to support salmon,” said Andy Whitener, natural resources director for the Squaxin Island Tribe. Likely because of withdrawals from hundreds of domestic and municipal wells, the creek does not meet state mandated minimum flows to protect salmon.
The tribe filed the petition under a state law that closes a watershed from future withdrawals if not enough information is available to justify those withdrawals.
This new petition comes almost two years after the state declined an initial call from the tribe to protect Johns Creek. With the original refusal came the promise that the state would work with Mason County to develop ways to achieve minimum streamflows. “That so-called ‘alternative path forward’ never materialized,” Whitener said. “Neither the state or Mason County took any action.”
Fall is here- Chum are in Kennedy Creek
- Spawned out Kennedy Creek chum- November 4th
Thousands of chum salmon have started to make their journey up Kennedy Creek to spawn. The past weeks small rain events have push this fish out of the estuary in to the spawning grounds. It’s great to see the chum are here.
Squaxin Island Tribe treaty fisheries do target chum destined for Totten inlet streams. The fishery is managed according to escapement requirements for stocks that are intercepted. The Totten Inlet escapement goal for this year is 11, 500 chum.
Weekly adult spawner stream surveys are conducted to ensure we are meeting escapement goals.
Kennedy Creek Adult Spawner Survey Counts
Date River Mile Observer Live Dead
10/15/2009 0.0-2.3 WDFW 0 3
10/22/2009 0.0-2.3 WDFW 151 3
10/29/2009 0.0-2.3 WDFW 2503 3
11/5/2009 0.0-2.3 WDFW 7208 223
Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail is a great place to view spawning chum.
The trail is open to the public from 10 am to 4 pm on the following days in November:
* Weekends (10/31/09 – 11/29/09)
* Day after Thanksgiving (11/27/09)
* Veteran’s Day (11/11/09)
For more information go South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Groups Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail website.
Chum anglers at the mouth of Kennedy Creek