Anyone who can help:
I am an undergrad in the SOF at the UW and I am trying to find some evidence but have looked all over and cant find anything.
I am gonna write a paper for my FISH 101 class arguing that the ESA listing of Upper Columbia Steelhead is unwarranted and unnessacry because all the wild steelhead in the Upper Columbia are genetically and morphologically differnt from the true native fish up this system because of inbreeding between hatchery and native fish and the mixing of all Upper Columbia steelhead at Wells Dam. Thus there are now native steelhead left, they are extinct. From some books I have read I have fisherman's accounts describing the differnces between the wild fish now and the wild fish then but I dont have any scientific evidence or papers that I can use as evidence. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in Advance
Ryan S. Petzold

[This message has been edited by RPetzold (edited 12-01-1999).]

Try contacting Amato publishing (the publisher of STS). They have published several articles relating to DNA testing of fish and may be able to point you in the right direction. Good luck.

On a side note, I must say I disagree with what I presume to be your ultimate goal of de-listing the "wild" fish you speak of. I personnaly believe even if they are inbred they still carry the genetic make-up, at least in part, of they're native ancestors. Given the proper protection and time, those superior genes will resurface.

just wanted to add something, If the Upper Columbia contains a majority of hatchery/ wild fish hybrids It would make sense to me that the 100% native population would be threatened. (more hybrid fish competing for native habitat and food). There are probably some natives hanging on there, Therefore giving all the more a need of an ESA listing for the remaining wild fish.
If an ESA listing occurs, especially an "endangered" rather than "threatened", The hatchery steelhead fishery would surely come to a halt, to allow for wild steelhead populations to increase.
good luck with your study.

Just as a side note: I grew up in the Tri-cities and have caught steelhead in that area. I have caught and know of severval people, that have caught large natives 20+ in the reach area up near white bluffs. There are natives in that area, but the numbers are few. I also know a guy who fly fishes in the winter(or used to)(below the wooden power lines) and catches(and releases) large undeformed fined steelies. These fish chase huge maribous. This cold water pursuit of flies, is more characteristic of natives, not hatchery plants. But perhaps they are hybrid, but what I have seen from natives from these parts, and from hatchery fish here and there..they sure seem to be native.

Somewhere I have a copy of lenghtly independent study that was requested by the nmfs regarding this topic. It breaks down each watershed from the Wenatchee River north to the Canadian border. It supports your general ideas, and gives specific dates for the mass spawnings at Rock Island Dam (1939-1944), when ALL migrating fish were mass spawned. In my non-scientific backgroung (except having also taken Fish 101), and my family having fished the Wenatchee river for 3 generations there are no "native" fish. Yes, now that the clipped hatchery fish are endangered there will be an influx of "wild" fish because of the closed seasons increasing the amount of spawning fish.I ask, how can a human controlled fishery that gets 290,000 plants per year, and have a return this year way over the 10 year average be endangered? As a side note the Wenatchee opened for whitefish today and we only hooked 6 hatchery steelhead to go with our 6 whitefish on whitefish gear. Huh. must not be any steelhead left. Anyway, I will investigate this information for you. snit

Check out the following Ryan:
http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/pubs/tm/tm35/index.htm

This is a NOAA Tech Memo "Status Review of chinook salmon from WA, ID, Or, and Ca" NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-NWFSC-35 (Should be at Fish/Ocean Lib. if you cant print it)

Its a 1998 publication and also has an extensive bibliography, so would provide you with a solid starting point.

I should state that the presence of only hybrids in a system does not warrant a non-listing of the species under ESA. If this is all we have left, the preservation and protection of hatchery descendants in such compromised systems is recognized as a way of gaining stock recovery. Such language is present in the current Puget Sound chinook listing (don't have the original upper Columbia listing).

I would modify your premise to an investigation of the origins and history of the upper Columbia run to flesh out just whats left to save. Good luck.

This paper is actually only an extra credit assignment so that I am assured I get a 4.0 in this class. But I do wish I had more time with this and within the near future I would like to go into very deep detail about this issue beacuse I believe that it is very important because I do believe, considering the status of the wild steelhead, that it is possible to have a C&R season on the Wenatchee and the Methow. The Wenatchee just a few years ago was having great returns. Plus I also believe that closing the Upper Columbia tribs to trout fishing is assonine for many differnt reasons. My goal IS NOT necassarily to get them unlisted because I belive having them listed is very beneficial for the fish but I do belive because all true native steelhead in the Upper Columbia are extinct, a C&R fishery would be very possible and would add money to the economy of the area and also take alot of fishing pressure of the Snake and Snake River tribs. such as the Grande Rhonde.
Thank for all your help so far!!
Ryan

RPetzold:
I think it's an interesting idea and as long as the lit search is conducted in an unbiased manner it may provide interesting information. At the least it will be a good learning experience.
This brings up some good questions: at what degree of hybridization do you call a stock extinct? How valid is the idea of stock recovery through the protection of hybrids? How would you determine a native with all of the intermixing that has already occurred?
Also, what would be the fallout if wild upper Columbia River steelhead were declared extinct? Would this put more pressure on NMFS to move on Snake river fish?
Just some ideas. Sorry I can't give you any sources right now. Good luck!

Snit:
If you could just get me the title of that part that would be outstanding. Thanks soo much.
Tight Lines
Ryan