1. Washington State Steelhead Stock Status Review PACIFIC COAST STEELHEAD MEETING AMILEE WILSON WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE MARCH 2004

2. NOAA Determination of Washington State Steelhead Status by ESU  Not Warranted for listing –Puget Sound (Coastal Steelhead) –Olympic Peninsula (Coastal Steelhead) –Southwest Washington (Coastal Steelhead)  Threatened –L. Columbia River Sys. (Coastal Steelhead) –M. Columbia River Sys. (Inland Steelhead) –Snake River Basin (Inland Steelhead)  Endangered –U. Columbia River Sys. (Inland Steelhead)

4. Which is it: SASSI or SaSI? SASSI (1992) SaSI (2002)  All anadromous species including Chinook, Chum, Coho, Pink, Sockeye, and Steelhead.  Salmon and Steelhead Stock Inventory  Inclusion of Bull Trout/Dolly Varden (1997) and Cutthroat Trout (2000) stock inventories.  Salmonid Stock Inventory

5. Salmonid Stock Breakdown for Washington State

6. Summary of 2002 SaSI Stock Ratings 1992: 137 stocks –Healthy: 36 = 26% –Depressed: 42 = 31% –Critical: 1 = 1% –Unknown: 58 = 42% 2002: 137 stocks –Healthy: 28 = 20% –Depressed: 41 = 30% –Critical: 1 = 1% –Unknown: 66 = 48% –Not Rated: 1 = 1% Note: The first three WA State SaSI ratings are only conceptually compatible with color-coded NOAA Fisheries ratings.

7. Summary of 2002 SaSI Stock Ratings

8. Puget Sound ESU – Not Warranted

10. Skagit River System (Puget Sound ESU) Production in the mainstem & tributaries appears to be very poor at present 1992 - Healthy; 2002 – Depressed or Unknown

11. Snohomish River System (Puget Sound ESU) Strong system recovery from early eighties to consistently meet EG of 6500 until the year 1999 Majority of stocks: 1992 - Healthy; 2002 - Depressed

12. Stillaguamish/Deer Creek (Puget Sound ESU) 2002 status reflects improved overwintering habitat and increased parr-to-smolt survival and adult returns following the flooding in 1995 1992 – Critical; 2002 - Depressed

13. Green River (Puget Sound ESU) Escapements have generally varied within a range of 25% above or below the escapement goal of 2,000 spawners. 1992 – Healthy; 2002 - Healthy

14. Olympic Peninsula ESU – Not Warranted

16. Quillayute River (Olympic Peninsula ESU) Historical bright spot for wild winter steelhead and seems to be maintaining good habitat 1992 – Healthy; 2002 - Healthy

17. Queets River (Olympic Peninsula ESU) No agreed to Esc. Goal 1992 – Healthy; 2002 - Healthy

19. Quinault River (Olympic Peninsula ESU) A wild stock with natural production 1992 – Healthy; 2002 - Healthy

20. SW Washington ESU – Not Warranted

22. Humptulips River (SW Washington ESU) Sustained a long decline, but seems to be stabilizing 1992 – Healthy; 2002 – Depressed

23. Chehalis River (SW Washington ESU) Escapements have been high and relatively stable from 2000 to 2003 1992 – Healthy; 2002 – Healthy

24. L. Columbia River ESU - Threatened

26. Toutle River (Lower Columbia River ESU) Chronically low escapements from 1994 to 2001 1992 - Healthy; 2002 – Depressed

27. Lewis River (Lower Columbia River ESU) Chronically low escapements; new escapement index established in 1997 but its relationship to the previous escapement index is currently unknown 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

28. Kalama River – (Lower Columbia River ESU) Escapements in 1998 through 2001 have been only 14% to 33% of the goal 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

29. M. Columbia River ESU - Threatened

31. Touchet River (Mid Columbia ESU) Data gaps hurt status determination 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

32. Yakima River (Mid Columbia River ESU) Unexpected up turn in wild escapement 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

33. U. Columbia River ESU - Endangered

35. Counts from Priest Rapids Dam represent all fish returning to the Upper Columbia River ESU No SaSI Stock – (Upper Columbia ESU)

36. Methow/Okanogan Summer Steelhead (Upper Columbia ESU) Counts from the Wells Dam 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

37. Snake River Basin ESU - Threatened

39. Tucannon River (Snake River Basin ESU) Possible up-ward trend despite data gaps 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

40. Asotin Creek (Snake River Basin ESU) Data gaps hurt status determination 1992 – Depressed; 2002 – Depressed

41. Conclusions  Increase and maintain the number of Healthy stocks –How should we manage the 41 Depressed stocks?  Multitude of “Unknown” stocks –Fisheries lost –Harvest no longer a source of data –2 year steelhead moratorium –Weather conditions make it impossible to survey most summer steelhead populations