A new report from the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board shows some endangered fish populations in Southwest Washington are recovering while others continue to struggle.
The board operates under the federal Endangered Species Act to oversee efforts to restore salmon at risk of extinction. In conjunction with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the board recently completed a viability study of fish populations within its jurisdiction, which extends from the mouth of the Columbia River upstream to the Little White Salmon River.
Executive Director Steve Manlow presented the results of the study to the Clark County Council on Aug. 14.
“What we found is the long-term declining trends appear to have been arrested for the review period,” Manlow told the council.
The Lower Columbia board manages 72 fish populations (defined as a group of individuals from the same species or subspecies that are geographically, genetically or demographically separated from other groups). Clark County is home to 25 different populations — seven in the North Fork Lewis River, five in the East Fork Lewis River, four in Salmon Creek, five in the Washougal River and four in the lower Columbia Gorge tributaries.
“These are critically important watersheds for recovery,” Manlow told the council. “The East Fork in particular is the only watershed in the Lower Columbia that has five primary populations. We have placed a tremendous amount of effort into recovery into the East Fork.”
The study found that 20 populations, around 35 percent, were more viable than when listed as an endangered species. Clark County had seven of them: winter and summer steelhead in the East Fork Lewis River, bright chinook in the North Fork Lewis River, coho in Salmon Creek, chum salmon and summer steelhead in the Washougal River, and chum salmon in the Gorge tributaries.
Additionally, 14 populations — or 19 percent — are at high or very high viability levels. Among the species showing improvements were tule fall chinook, coho and chum salmon, and winter and summer steelhead, Manlow said.
“That is huge. We don’t see that in a lot of different parts of the state,” Manlow said.
Very high viability means there is a greater than 95 percent chance that the population will sustain itself for 100 years. Very low viability means there is a 95 percent chance the population will not exist in that same time period.
Better strategies
Since 1998, the board has been tasked with helping to develop local salmon and steelhead recovery plans and strategies that align with federal requirements. The board also helps implement those plans in partnership with counties, cities, state and federal agencies, tribes and environmental groups.
“This was basically a look at, how are we doing — since the (Endangered Species Act) listings — with recovery relative to the goals that were set,” Manlow told the council. “It’s going to help shape where we go in the future with salmon and steelhead recovery.”
Manlow said the board’s mission is to return salmon, steelhead and bull trout in the Lower Columbia region to healthy and harvestable levels.
“We need to be sustaining sport, commercial and tribal fisheries on the path to recovery and to make sure those populations can sustain that harvest over time,” he said.
The Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board is one of eight such agencies in Washington. It’s responsible for 2,280 miles of fish-bearing streams, 18 watersheds, 14 salmon and steelhead hatcheries, as well as 268 miles of Columbia River shoreline spread across six counties, including Clark County.
Manlow said keeping fish populations sustainable is complicated. While the focus of fish recovery is often on habitat restoration, Manlow said the board also works to ensure hatchery operations, fishery practices and hydro practices align with fish recovery needs.
“The plan is built on the concept that to support viability improvements. By viability, what we’re talking about is the ability of fish to sustain themselves over time and not blink out. You really need to address multiple factors, and those factors vary depending on which fish species you’re talking about,” Manlow said.
Spring chinook ‘struggle’
While some of the results were encouraging, it certainly wasn’t all good news.
“We still struggle with spring chinook. Our spring chinook populations are focused in the Cowlitz and Lewis (rivers) sub basins,” he said, adding that efforts in those regions are focused on reintroduction plans for hydroelectric companies.
Out of the 72 fish populations, 46 — or 64 percent — are at low or very low viability levels, meaning they can’t be removed from the list of endangered species. Manlow said coho and steelhead are promising candidates for eventual delisting.
Clark County Councilor Sue Marshall, who currently serves on the recovery board, said it is “a good news story” that at least some of the fish populations are thriving but acknowledged more work needs to be done. Marshall asked for more information about reintroduction plans for spring chinook, which remain at low viability.
Manlow said most of that work is happening on the Lewis River.
“Because we have three dams — Merwin, Yale and Swift — we need to get fish to all available habitat that drains to each one of those reservoirs,” Manlow said.
The strategy is to collect the fish at the base of Merwin Dam, which has an existing trap, then truck them to the upper watershed and release them. Manlow said after rearing, juvenile fish come back down into Swift Reservoir where they are collected and trucked to the bottom of the watershed for release.
“Dams are a problem. This process is somewhat primitive. I mean it really stresses the fish during collection and transport and release. There’s too much of an attrition rate,” Council Chair Gary Medvigy said. “It’s not a good process.”
The process is expensive and relies on financial contributions from project partners like power companies, Medvigy said.
“I’m looking forward to improvements on it as long as those dams remain, and we expect them to,” he said.
