4/17/02 NISA Newsletter release:

High water conditions and low temperatures may really be slowing down the fish passage over Bonneville. We KNOW it is slowing down catch rates a bit. Fishing is still good in many places. We are averaging about a fish a trip which is historically very good fishing. If you look back to years where the run timing was late, the flows were high (via data produced by ODF&W Staff). I have also pasted a message from the States [see below]. If by next Tuesday, we can determine that the run is late, combined with a tiny bit of high water, we COULD be fishing into May. Stay Tuned.

Best Regards,

Liz Hamilton, Executive Director
Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association
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Message from OR & WA

The US v Oregon Technical Advisory Committee met today and came up with the following conclusions:
1. The upriver spring chinook run is less than the forecast of 333,700 and will likely not exceed 300,000.
2. The recent drop in counts at Bonneville Dam is a direct result of the increase in flows.
3. TAC will meet again on Monday April 22 and will provide a numerical estimate of the run size.