Folks, if you care about the Sockeye Fishery in Lk. Washington, please read and contact Jim Compton (contact info at end of article) to express your opinion on the Cedar River Hatchery...

Thanks,

SalmonFisher

Article, in it's entirety, from www.seattletimes.com 2/22/04 ed.


Sockeye hatchery debate


This summer's Lake Washington sockeye return is expected to be strong enough to open sport fishing, but the future remains in doubt unless a permanent hatchery facility is constructed.

The temporary hatchery on the Cedar River, which was built in 1991, has been a big factor in generating more fish into Seattle's huge watershed since 1992.

"Last year, about 22 percent of returning adult sockeye originated from the hatchery," said Frank Urabeck, a representative for Washington Council of Trout Unlimited. "This year, the hatchery will make up 10 to 15 percent of the run."

A permanent hatchery on the Cedar is in the works, but Urabeck says some Department of Natural Resources staff are trying to divert dollars set aside for the hatchery to more questionable projects in the lower river as compensation for fish habitat losses resulting from past King County land use and flood control decisions.

The hatchery would create a more robust sockeye fishery in the lake, but because of a partially successful appeal of a project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by former King County employee Roz Glasser, completion has been delayed by at least one year, to 2006.

The supplemental EIS draft is expected to be available for public review this summer.

In the meantime, advocates against the permanent hatchery continue to lobby the Seattle City Council to drop funding and not even complete the EIS draft.

Those interested in saving the hatchery facility are asked to contact Seattle City Councilman Jim Compton, chairman of the utilities committee, at 206-684-8802.