It’s been close to a month now since the first wave of stay-at-home orders were issued here in the Pacific Northwest due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Anxiety, fear, confusion, sadness, and anger, are all emotions that I’m sure we’ve all felt at one time or another as close to 92% of United States is under a stay-at-home order because of …
ODFW proposes thermal angling sanctuaries for endangered Columbia River steelhead
Late last month, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife held a public meeting on YouTube regarding thermal angling sanctuaries for Columbia River summer steelhead. Wild Steelheaders United covered the importance of thermal angling sanctuaries, also known as cold water refugia, on the blog just before ODFW held their meeting. ODFW’s proposals include thermal angling sanctuaries – limited closures to …
Meet the Team: Eric Crawford
Home town: Moscow, Idaho Home waters: Living in very close proximity to both the Clearwater and Snake Rivers it’d be hard to show anything but equal deference for the two. Favorite way to catch steelhead (gear, fly, etc.)? I’ve got to be honest, I’m an equal opportunity angler. Whatever technique is going to catch fish on that river system I’m doing …
Sea lion strategy helping Willamette winter steelhead
By Dean Finnerty In these hard times, it’s uplifting to see a little good news like this morning’s article in The Statesman Journal detailing Willamette winter steelhead returns. Willamette River wild winter steelhead numbers—once as many as 20,000 fish—fell to just over 800 individual fish a few seasons ago. It appeared this once robust run was about to go the …
Take Action: Restoring the Lower Snake
As a steelheader, you may already know the incredible story of Snake River salmon and steelhead, and the precarious position those populations are in now. Today, we have a chance to help Snake River steelhead and salmon. TAKE ACTION TODAY: TU has setup a website with all the information you need to get a handle on Snake River issues and …
Finding Fish in the Tongass National Forest
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), 322 of Southeast Alaska’s 5,000+ anadromous waterways (waters that support ocean-going fish like salmon and steelhead) are officially recognized as supporting annul escapements (or runs) of steelhead. The “officially recognized” part is key, as this means they are included in the ADFG Anadromous Waters Catalog (AWC). We believe there are many more than 322 that are not documented …
Meet the Team: Lee Geist
Next up in our Meet the Team series is Wild Steelheaders United ambassador Lee Geist. You may know Lee from his Instagram profile (@lee_geist) or from his frequent presence on the waters of the Olympic Peninsula. Lee contributes blog and social media content for Wild Steelheaders and makes the rest of staff jealous with the amount of time he spends …
Science Friday: Nottawasaga River Steelhead Part 1 – A Great Lakes lesson in local adaptation and naturalization of a Steelhead population
This Science Friday we have Part 2 of a three-part series on steelhead in the Great Lakes. The authors focus on a tributary to Lake Huron, the Nottawasaga River, which is located in central Ontario, Canada.
Meet the team: Jonathan Stumpf
Lots happening ’round these parts. With our new website, we’re providing more updates and information on the priorities and campaigns of Wild Steelheaders United. We’re also relaunching our monthly newsletter, The Wild Steelheader, that will be delivered fresh to your inbox when you join us by signing the Wild Steelheaders United Credo. Our new website also includes staff bios so …
Wild Steelheaders United applauds Sen. Wyden and Gov. Brown’s opposition to FERC approval of Jordan Cove Energy Project
Yesterday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission voted 2-1 to approve the highly controversial Jordan Cove Energy Project. The project would include an export terminal in Coos Bay, OR and a 230-mile-long pipeline from Malin, OR to the export facility on the southern Oregon coast. The pipeline’s route will cross a number of iconic salmon and steelhead watersheds, including the Coquille, …