Baker Lake Sockeye to be established in Lake Cushman?

[Larry3215]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

June 26, 2017

Contact: Edward Eleazer, (425) 775-1311, ext. 109

WDFW to host meeting on transferring Baker Lake
ockeye salmon to Lake Cushman

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will host a public meeting on the reintroduction of sockeye salmon into Lake Cushman using salmon eggs from Baker Lake.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., June 29, in the gymnasium of the Sedro-Woolley High School, 1235 3rd St, Sedro-Woolley.

Staff from WDFW, Puget Sound Energy and Tacoma Power will provide an overview of this collaborative effort to reestablish a sockeye population in Lake Cushman on the Olympic Peninsula. Sockeye have not been documented in the lake in decades.

Last year, 250,000 sockeye eggs were transferred from Baker Lake to the Saltwater Park Sockeye Hatchery along Hood Canal for release next spring into Lake Cushman. The eggs were taken from approximately 200 fish. The egg transfer last year was the first of several planned egg transfers.

Depending on the effort's success, fishery managers hope to allow sockeye fisheries in the lake and Hood Canal area in the future.

As part of its federal license to operate hydroelectric dams on the Skokomish River, Tacoma Power has expanded its facilities and fish programs, including the reintroduction of sockeye into Lake Cushman. The utility is working with WDFW, local tribes and Puget Sound Energy, which operates the fish trap at Baker Lake.

WDFW has more information about Baker Lake sockeye on its website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/salmon/sockeye/baker river.html. More information about the sockeye transfer plan can be found online at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/salmon/socke ... ar2017.pdf.

Additional information on the Tacoma Public Utilities program can be found at https://www.mytpu.org/tacomapower/fish- ... rogram.htm.

Additional information on the Puget Sound Energy program can be found at
https://pse.com/aboutpse/Environment/Pages/Fish.aspx.

[Mike Carey]

I had heard this was a plan a couple years ago. Add Cushman and Cle Elum to the list of possible future sockeye fisheries.

[Larry3215]

If you follow the PDF above, it says this:

Purposes of the fish supplementation program are to protect, address damages to, and
enhance anadromous and resident fis
heries. The objectives of the program are:
1.To support the reintroduction, restoration, and long term maintenance of a sockeye salmon population in the North fork Skokomish watershed;
2.To provide harvest opportunities to treaty Indian fisheries.
3.To provide recreational fishing opportunities.
In the future, sockeye fishery opportunity could be provided in Marine Area North of Ayok Rock and possibly in Cushman Lake, similar to a Baker Lake fishery.

I cant find Ayok Rock. Google doesnt know where it is and neither does my Marine chart software. Anyone know where that is?

[Larry3215]

Ah, looks like WDFW cant spell any better than I can. Im assuming they meant Ayock Point, not Ayok Rock?

[spokey9]

Frankly until the tribe backs off the bogus claim of owning the skok, we shouldn't be footing the bill to provide them more fish to block us from

[Onmygame]

Makes a guy wonder what ever happened to this project -

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 ... ish-river/

[NorseNW]

Oh another co-managed fishery with the tribes. Those are always a win win!?!?! No thank you

[mitch184]

Doom and Gloom.

The Skok project needs 400 fish. That's it. It's already decided, it's above the WDFW and there's nothing they can do about it.

If we're thinking 400 fish is going to make or break this years' fishery....... it's already broken.