Last Friday, the ODFW Commission met to discuss the Rogue-South Coast Plan. The virtual meeting was open to the public and many anglers, guides and elected officials showed up to comment. Out of fifty comments focused on the issue of harvest, thirty-seven people testified in support of a catch and release alternative.
Field Day Friday: Elwha summer steelhead survey
Fall means another field season of studying steelhead in the Elwha River is over and this is the fourth consecutive year we have counted steelhead in the Elwha by snorkeling various river reaches.
What You Can Do to Help Wild Steelhead of Oregon’s South Coast
Throughout their range, the odds have not been looking good for wild steelhead and in many cases ODFW and other agencies are taking steps to prioritize the long-term health of wild steelhead, as seen with closures to the Columbia Basin tributaries in Oregon. So, why won’t ODFW apply the same level of caution when it comes to the issue of harvest in Oregon’s south coast?
The Unexpected Advocate Who Saved Southern California Steelhead
Pete Xander, a southern California resident, negotiated a permit for the expansion of a sewage treatment plant on upper Malibu Creek and prevented extinction of the southern steelhead.
The Consequences of Not Being Seen
Our Alaska team reports back on their work this spring observing steelhead using available habitat and our efforts to document that use for species inclusion in Alaska’s Anadromous Waters Catalog.
Wild Steelhead Harvest: Biological or Social Issue?
In the final installment of our five-part series on Oregon’s Rogue-South Coast Plan, we recap some of our previous concerns and make the case why we believe wild steelhead harvest on Oregon’s coast must end.
Coquille Bass Blitz – Revisited
Wild Steelhead Initiative Manager, Dean Finnerty, and his son recently assisted ODFW with electro-fishing on the Coquille River, one of Oregon’s finest salmon and steelhead waters. ODFW’s electro-fishing efforts help remove non-native species that adversely affect native fish.
Anglers, hunters and outdoor recreation companies to Biden administration: The dams must come out
This month, Trout Unlimited joined dozens of fish and wildlife groups and major outdoor recreation companies in calling on the Biden administration to develop a comprehensive solution to the collapse of salmon and steelhead populations that includes removing the four dams on the lower Snake River and investing billions of dollars in a reimagining of infrastructure in the Northwest.
Elwha River: Ten Years Later
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.
Uncharted Territory
The Northwest is experiencing the worst summer steelhead returns on record. Steelhead stocks from British Columbia to southern Oregon and as far inland as the Snake River basin are doing poorly. Sadly, we are likely to see greater variability in run sizes, with smaller peaks and deeper troughs.