If more people had a horse in the Cowlitz race perhaps we would still have significant plants in the river.

Pathetic!!!

Considering how many meetings Melanie and I go to we don't need another cause to support. I don't fish the Cowlitz, I don't know enough about the history or the fishery to contribute anything factual (although that doesn't stop other misinformed individuals from commenting!), how is that pathetic? I don't support Tacoma Power not doing all they can to meet mitigation requirements. Considering how far it is from where I live it's not one of the rivers I frequent. The horse in the race referred to the fact that I am not taking one side or the other as far as the followers of this thread are debating. Bob R

Sorry you felt this was directed at you.
It wasn't.

Yup.
Pre Clancy back when Roger Smith and Mike Kelly ruled the river now those were the days!!!!

Thanks for clarification, it's getting confusing without a scorecard. I think the current climate (hot blobs at sea) has me a little rattled. Returns on everything are in the tank, is the end in sight? On another note tuna fishing is off the charts. Haven't seen them this close in years. Hopefully WDFW won't get involved. They seem to screw up everything they touch. Bob R

They took a look at the tuna fishery back when Anderson was Director and decided there was no need for their involvement - a very good decision as there was absolutely no value to be added.

If only Tuna spawned in rivers.
I'd eat it with Ketchup.

More hatchery salmon and steelhead are planted in the Cowlitz than any other river in Washington State except the mainstem Columbia. The problem does not seem to be a lack of fish being stocked. The Cowlitz is not immune to the same poor smolt to adult return rates that afflicts every other river.

More
More More
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hot blobs and pinniped predation, two of the smolt to adult returns biggest issues. Take a look at the current water temp. charts the tuna fishermen use and you will see the issue. Not only salmon stocks, but the baitfish they thrive on also bites it when this occurs. I dread the next 4 years for salmon returns. bob r

Let me quote a top NOAA fisheries representative "those fish shouldn't have in the Cowlitz to being with" when discussing the early chambers creek stock. That served as a world class Steelhead fishery for some 70 years.And brought in millions of dollars in revenue to the local communities of SW Washington.Back in 2002 when the settlement agreement was signed. TP created the fish technical committee or FTC that all the agencies had a seat at the table except for the sports community.And it was also closed to the public.And good old Salmo g just happened to represent NOAA on the FTC.Remember the FTC is making decision in a closed meeting format. Sound just like what is happening with NOF today. And guess who fought the hardest to keep the public out of those meeting. You guess it none other then Salmo g and his friends from TU and AR. Everyone like to blame WDFW or TP for the problem on the Cowlitz ,but in all reality NOAA has a big roll in what happens on the Cowlitz. So eliminating a world class Steelhead fishery is probably one of the biggest con jobs ever pulled on sportsmen in Washington. And not eliminating the invasive species Tiger Musky is just mind blowing. So you see he did play a major roll in killing the Cowlitz. After years of hard work from people like Cowlitzfishermen and myself the FTC is now open to the public on a every other meeting concept. So please feel free to flame me,but your never going to get to let up on the killer of the Cowlitz.

Those were the days my friend.

Yup.
The flat brim crowd has mo idea...............as usual.

Just to clarify - the sports community is not an agency, therefore they would have no seat at the table. Their interest should have been represented by WDFW. I also want to clarify that Salmo g was long gone from the FTC when decisions about Cowlitz hatchery programming were finally made.

Sorry but the sports community could have sign on to the settlement agreement,but wasn't buying the garbage TP was selling. The guides signed on ,but found out there half vote wasn't going to get them anything so they drop out. One of the point is he was there keeping the public out of FTC meeting. Funny his name show up on meeting minutes for sometime after the 2002 signing.

Love it honey when you call me a troll. And if you had a nag in the race it be dead last or the the glue factory.

]
You prove yourself that you are indeed a troll. What fishing reports have you ever posted on this site? Numerous things you say have been proven to be total B.S. You never address that. All your posts attack other members. A-holes like you should stay on the "dark side". You are the classic definition of a troll and are proud of it. Troll away, you get NO respect from anyone here. Bob R

So if the sports community didn't sign on to the agreement, why would they possibly have a seat on the FTC? The answer is, they wouldn't, so your comment makes no sense. And again for clarification, the hatchery programs for the new license were not developed until sometime after 2010. I believe they were finalized in 2011, but that was too long ago for me to remember for sure. Nevertheless, it was long after Salmo g. was no longer involved in the project. The NOAA representative at that time was Michelle Day. I'm sure she would be more than happy to address your complaints.

Regardless of what Agencies or sports may have wanted at Cowlitz, the programs had to fit under ESA. If you want to go back to pouring Chambers Creeks into the system, get ESA changed.