There’s a push on right now, including an open public comment window at Washington state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), to tag the next Steelhead Gene Bank in Southwest Washington state.
WDFW has committed to the establishment of a Wild Steelhead Gene Bank in rivers near the mouth of the Columbia; public meetings were held a couple of weeks ago and a comment period is now open through the 5th.
From the Native Fish Society’s page on the issue –
What rivers are eligible?
WDFW is currently considering eliminating hatchery steelhead releases for two distinct groups of rivers in Southwest Washington. A Gene Bank designation will be established on either the Grays and Chinook rivers, or Mill, Abernathy, and Germany creeks. The Grays and Chinook rivers are one distinct steelhead population, and the Mill, Abernathy, and Germany creeks are considered a separate distinct population.
Why select the Grays and Chinook rivers as the next Wild Steelhead Gene Bank?
The Grays and Chinook rivers are the best candidates for the next Wild Steelhead Gene Bank because they are strong wild steelhead populations that have met or exceeded escapement goals for the last 15 years, they are likely to maintain high productivity into the future, and the Grays River hatchery needs substantial infrastructure investments that would require millions of taxpayer dollars in new repairs were it to continue in operations.
On Abernathy Creek, a multi-year US Fish and Wildlife research study is currently being conducted to understand more about the risks from the impacts of integrated (broodstock) hatchery programs on wild steelhead populations. This research is critical to understanding more about the genetic causes of hatchery domestication and will help improve hatchery practices by minimizing risks to wild steelhead across the Northwest. Establishing Mill, Abernathy and Germany creeks as a Wild Steelhead Gene Bank would interfere with this ongoing research and be counterproductive for hatchery reform goals.
The majority of stakeholders who participated in a yearlong advisory group lead by WDFW voted in favor of the Grays and Chinook rivers as becoming the next Wild Steelhead Gene Bank.
Full sized version of lower graphic here on the Wild Steelhead Coalition site.
