Washington’s Elwha River is celebrating an important anniversary today. It’s been ten years since the start of deconstruction of two dams in the Elwha that blocked salmon and steelhead from returning to the majority of habitat in this remarkable watershed.
Planning set to begin for Washington coast winter steelhead season
This week, WDFW kicks off the coastal winter steelhead season planning with the first in a series of virtual town halls.
2021 Washington State Legislative Post-Session Summary: What’s in it for steelhead?
Last month, the 2021 Washington State legislative session wrapped up and aside from a particular veto by Governor Inslee last week, the overall session was productive for steelhead recovery and fisheries across the state.
Washington state finalizes suction dredge mining rules
This April, advocates for wild steelhead scored a major victory when the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Commissioners approved new regulations governing suction dredge (motorized) mining in the state.
Cheaters, Liars, and Whiners: The Washington Coast Wrap-up
Wild Steelheaders United ambassador Lee Geist shares his perspective from a season chasing steelhead on Washington’s coast under new fishing regulations meant to reduce angler encounter rate.
Update: Emergency closure for some winter steelhead rivers and the Quileute Tribe’s perspective
It has been a tough stretch for wild winter steelhead on the West End of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. Now, several months into the season, some of these runs appear to be even weaker than forecast. Given the alarmingly low returns of coastal wild winter steelhead so far this year, it’s not a surprise WDFW had to take additional action to protect these fish.
Elwha River: An update on our summer steelhead journey
Our Science Director, John McMillan, shares some early findings from our snorkel surveys of the Elwha River’s summer steelhead this past year.
The Plight of Hood Canal Steelhead
Wild Steelheaders United ambassador Lee Geist shares his history with Hood Canal steelhead and dives into some of the issues impeding their recovery.
Granite Grit Equals Access to Historic Habitat
Washington’s Icicle Creek has its fair share of management challenges: cumulative demands on water from agriculture, municipal use and a large national hatchery facility are just some of the factors that take a toll on flows and fish here. But a broad-based effort is underway to re-calibrate and balance those demands and accommodate the needs of fish and tribal and recreational fishing.
Science Friday: How dam construction — and removal — changed genetics of O. mykiss in the Elwha River
Have you ever wondered how installing a dam, and later removing it, can influence the genetics of a population of migratory fishes? A new study sheds some light on a possible answer.