Science Friday: Tillamook Bay Steelhead

In Oregon, Science Friday by Nick Chambers

Do you ever wonder what we might be missing nowadays in terms of steelhead life histories? Although we can’t go back in time to answer this question, we can look at historic data — in this case from Oregon’s Tillamook Bay. By the 1940’s Oregon’s Tillamook Bay was a patchwork of homesteads and farms, appearing more like the present day …

TU comments: Proposed Changes to Listed Salmon and Steelhead Hatchery Programs

In Oregon by Nick Chambers

  December 20, 2016 Chris Yates Assistant Regional Administrator Protected Resources Division NMFS, West Coast Regional Office Attn: Claire McGrath 1201 NE Lloyd Blvd., Suite 1100 Portland, OR 97232 Re: Proposed Changes to Listed Salmon and Steelhead Hatchery Programs . Dear Mr. Yates:   Trout Unlimited (TU), the nation’s largest coldwater fisheries conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring our …

Important salmon-producing areas protected in final Tongass National Forest Plan Amendment

In Alaska by Nick Chambers

December 9, 2016 Contact: Mark Hieronymus, Trout Unlimited – Alaska, mark.hieronymus@tu.org, 907-209-9770 Arne Johnson, Bear Creek Outfitters, arne@juneauflyfishing.com, 907-723-3914 PRESS KIT AVAILABLE: including b-roll footage, photos and interview footage at this link. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Important salmon-producing areas protected in final Tongass National Forest Plan Amendment Sportsmen and businesses applaud new direction for country’s largest National Forest. JUNEAU, AK – …

A solid first step

In Washington by Nick Chambers

Wild Steelheaders United praises submission of new steelhead management plan, process of reopening Skagit River for catch-and-release wild steelhead angling   As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, recent developments in Washington State give wild steelhead anglers and advocates extra reason for being thankful.   The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has prepared a new plan for managing winter/spring …

Juvenile steelhead doing what it takes to become a smolt: You grow in summer, I’ll grow in winter

In Oregon, Science Friday, Steelhead Files, Washington by Nick Chambers

Another Friday, another blog post on the science of steelhead. We love this day of the week! Our topic this week is the growth of juvenile steelhead.  Did you know that the growth rate of steelhead can vary depending on the season of the year?  This variation in growth rate can be considerable. There are a number of reasons that …

Rivers of Resilience – Wind

In Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Science Friday, Steelhead Files, Washington by Nick Chambers

The Wind River, a tributary to the Columbia River just above Bonneville Dam, is, at only 224 square miles, a substantially smaller drainage than the Yakima. It receives more precipitation and thus is dominated by forests and industrial timberlands. The Wind River has had some habitat restoration but nowhere near the extent of the Yakima, but that is also because …

Rivers of Resilience – Yakima

In Science Friday, Steelhead Files, Washington by Nick Chambers

It can be hard to maintain faith in the steelhead world.  As noted in the recent article by Bill Herzog, it seems like we are losing wild summer runs faster than we can recover them. I would hedge that many, if not most, anglers feel the same.   Steelhead are not disappearing for lack of effort though. Frankly, it’s amazing …