Which would seem to lend credence to suspicions that the 400K Satsop fish are intended to provide a larger 50% to divide between the QIN and the Skoks (whose fisheries would, in theory, cut into the QIN's Treaty allotment).

We must remember also that WDFW and its largest stakeholders don't recognize the Wynoochee's fish as distinct in any meaningful way from Humptulips, Satsop, Wishkah, Chehalis, Black, Skookumchuck, or Newaukum fish. They're all dollar signs with fins, 90% of which can be harvested in open ocean and lower Chehalis gillnet fisheries. They are far more interested in mitigating lost ocean harvest opportunity than they are in mitigating wild salmonid habitat loss in any single drainage, and this "plan" proves it.

It is a interesting issue. In the end it will be in the tribal 50% of that I am sure but then Chehalis tribal comes out of the states 50%. When this finally is finished in the courts and IF the Skoks prevail the question will reside in the boundaries. Many years back the Skoks fishers used to drop nets in the East Fork Satsop but only until spotted and removed. Never in mainstem Chehalis so if the boundaries were to include the mouth of the Satsop that would be the food fight of the century as to % to Skoks vs QIN down stream low holing them.

Like I said it will be the courts call so not much to go on except one thing, what a epic food fight over the tribal share.

Actually, the Courts will decide U&A. That is a legal issue. QIN and Skok could negotiate, but even that would have to filed with the Court unless QIN issues an invitation.

That shares are to Indians, not even to a specific Tribe. QIN could cork them and Skok would have to take them to court. Fortunately, the State has no authority in this issue. They could, out of the goodness of their desired campaign donations, offer up some of the NI share. The parties cam agree to whatever they want to.

Here is the proposed Wynoochee Mitigation agreement. This is a PDF file converted so formatting is off and typos are present. If you want a clean copy PM me. Notice the plan is to pay for 500k smolt on the Satsop River with Wynoochee Mitigation funds.

Recommendations for the use of the
Wynoochee Dam Salmon and Steelhead Trust Fund
Draft October 12, 2018

Summary
The "Agreement for Mitigation and Enhancement at Wynoochee Dam" ("Agreement'') of 1991 established the Wynoochee Dam Salmon and Steelhead Trust Fund ("Trust") to enhance the fishery resources of the Wynoochee River. The Agreement envisioned the construction and operation of a hatchery near the base of the Wynoochee Dam. However, for a variety of reasons the hatchery was never constructed and the funding provided through the Agreement remains largely unexpended. The Trust balance has grown to approximately $2.6 million dollars.

This document provides a proposal to increase fish production in the Wynoochee and Satsop Rivers to expend the Fund through the remaining 18 years (through 2037) of the Agreement. The proposal includes the following components:

1) 500,000 increase in early timed coho salmon yearlings; of which 100,000 are released into the Wynoochee River at the trap and 400,000 released into the Satsop at Bingham Creek Hatchery.
2) 60,000 increase in winter steelhead smelts;

The preliminary projected cost of the proposed project over the remaining 18 years of the Agreement is
$2,569,870.

Mitigation History
In 1991the Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife, the Chehalis and Quinault tribes, and the cities of Aberdeen and Tacoma signed the Agreement for Mitigation and Enhancement at Wynoochee Dam ("Agreement"). In the Agreement, the Cities agreed to create a fund for a hatchery to mitigate for continuing impacts to downstream migrants.

The fund was to support the construction and operation of a small hatchery and acclimation facility downstream from the dam on land owned by the US Forest Service. However, for a variety of reasons the hatchery was never constructed and the funding provided through the Agreement remains largely unexpended. In a letter dated July 9, 1993, the directors of the Washington Department of Fisheries, and Washington Department of Wildlife requested the cities of Aberdeen and Tacoma to continue to hold funds set aside for the hatchery facility, until an alternative plan was developed. The Trust is currently held by Tacoma Power and has grown to approximately $2.6 million dollars.

Project Proposal
The proposed project provides an increase in fish production for the Wynoochee River and includes the following components:


1) 500,000 increase in coho salmon yearlings;
2) 60,000 increase in winter steelhead smolts;
3) Sample 100% of adults returning to the trap; Each of these components is discussed In detail below.
Coho Salmon Production Enhancement
The objectives of the proposed coho salmon program are to Increase the number of coho salmon available to fisheries. Each year the production of 500,000 coho salmon yearlings would be funded by the Trust. 100,000 Wynoochee natural l ori gin eggs wo uld be incubated and rearing woul d occur at the Lake Aberdeen Hatchery; 400,000 Satsop eggs would be incubated and reared at Bingham Creek Hatchery and fish released into the Satsop River at 17 fish per pound. The coho released into the Wynoochee will be 100% CWT'd but not AD clipped for 6 year s. All coho released from Bingham Creek will be AD clipped funded by WDFW.

Projected costs of the coho salmo n project for the next 18 years are summarized in Table 1. All cost projections assume an average annual inflat ion rate of 3%.

Table 1. Projected costs for coho salm on program over 18-year period of proposed project.

Source Cost Comments
Three Netpens at Lake Aberdeen $112,485 Includes T Dock repairs
Trucking Juveniles and Adults $16,902
CWTTags $97,800 6 years of tagging for
Feed $586,844
Miscellaneous Goods & Services $109,030 Includes replacement of pen netting at 5-10 year intervals.
Planting Truck $175,000 Designed to couple with fish handling facility hopper. Used for transport of both adults and
juveniles.
Staffing $664,749 6 months of staffing for trap operation and net pen rearing.
Indirect @30% on all Items except Feed
and Planting Truck $300,290
Total $2,063,100



Winter Steelhead Production Enh ancement
The objective of the proposed winter steelhead program is to increase the number of steelhead available to fisheries. Each year the production of 60,000 winter stee lhead smolts would be funded by

the Trust. Eggs will be incubated and rearing would occur at the Lake Aberdeen Hatchery released at the Wynoochee trap at 5 fish per pound. All steelhead would be 100% Ad clipped.

Projected costs of the steelhead project for the next 18 years are summarized in Table 2. All cost projections assume an average annual inflation rate of 3%.

Table 2. Projected costs for winter steelhead program over 18-year period of proposed project.


Source Cost Comments
Planting Truck - Included in costs for coho program.
Staffing - Included in costs for coho program.
3 ½ stacks of incubators $3,600
Trucking Juveniles and Adults $20,591
CWTs 20K for 6 years $19,560
Mass Marking $117,000 Life of project
Feed $244,543 60,000 winter steelhead
Miscellaneous Goods & Services $40,970
Indirect @30% on all items except Feed and Planting Truck $60,516
Total $506,770

Proposed Fish Trap Enhancements
The current fish trap, which is located about 2 miles below the Wynoochee Dam (Figure 1), offers only a rudimentary ability to collect and sort returning adults. Live fish must be dip-netted from the flume, handled and examined individually while in the dipnet. Adults are then sorted to one holding tank, individual fish transferred to a transport tank manually, or marked and returned to the river. It doesn't prevent fish from cycling through the facility multiple times, and is rough on fish and fish handlers.
Handling adults in this manner causes damage and potential mortality due to slime and scale loss caused by the net material and fish handlers' gloves.

The facility upgrade will require installation of an elevated platform (false floor), modification to the flume, installation of holding/anesthetic tanks and a braii system (lift system) to transfer adults to transport tankers.

The projected costs for enhancements to the trap are summarized in Table 3.

Table 3. Projected costs for facility enhancements.


Source Cost Comments
Wynoochee Dam Trap Enhancements $200,000 Tacoma cost estimate.
30% Contingency $60,000
Total $260,000 Not to be funded by Trust Funds






Figure 1. Map of the Wynoochee Dam and Fish Trap.



Adaptive Management
Substantive uncertainty exists regar ding the expected performance and cost of this project. To provide for management flexibility, the performance and cost of the fish production programs will be reviewed at 5-year intervats. The fish product on programs may be modified by the Parties to more effectively address the goals of the Agreement provided that suffi cient funds are availabl e within the Trust.

Slate of Washington DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
P.O. Box 43200 Olympia, Washington 98504-3200
Phone: (360) 902-2200
www.wdfw.wa gov


Quinault Indian Nation
P.O. Box 189 Taholah, WA 98587
Phone: (360) 276-8211
www.quinaultindiannationcom




This is the joint letter on from WDFW & QIN for the Wynoochee Mitigation plan to Tacoma Power.

July 12, 2019



Mr. Keith Underwood Natural Resources Manager Tacoma Power
3628 South 35th Street Tacoma, WA 98409-3192

Dear Mr. Underwood:

In 1991, the Washington Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife (now merged into the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife), the Quinault Indian Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis, and the cities of Aberdeen and Tacoma signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) regarding fisheries mitigation and enhancement to address certain impacts resulting from the Wynoochee Dam. In the MOA, the cities agreed to create a fund for a hatchery to mitigate for continuing impacts to downstream migrants. The MOA parties' original plan was to build and operate a hatchery and acclimation facility downstream from the dam. The plan for the hatchery was terminated in 1993, when the United States Forest Service declined to issue a land use permit for the facility. Subsequently, the cities created a trust fund, and City of Tacoma (Tacoma Power), who had acquired Aberdeen's interest, has since held the fund. The fund is called the Wynoochee Dam Salmon and Steelhead Trust Fund (Trust Fund).

This joint letter of the Quinault Indian Nation and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (Co-Managers) proposes a plan to use the Trust Fund. The Co-Managers have agreed to the attached plan (Plan) for expenditure of Trust funds. The Plan proposes to fund needed upgrades, equipment, supplies, and staff in existing facilities to produce the entire mitigation expected in the remaining years.

Further, the Co-Managers, upon joint signature, request that Tacoma Power take actions to join or approve the Plan, and take necessary actions to fund it by use of the Trust Fund, including such actions as may be necessary to inform or obtain the approval of any other necessary entity, including, but not limited to, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

Keith Underwood July 12,2019
Page2

Quinault Indian Nation and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife believe the Plan will bring resolution to the longstanding need to use the Trust Fund to address impacts of Wynoochee Dam. Further, these two parties are optimistic and hopeful Tacoma Power will join in the Plan and help bring it to implementation.

Sincerely,



Date

30% for contingencies? YGTBFK, right?

How does any thinking man construe this as WYNOOCHEE MITIGATION when the lion's share of the production accrues to Satsop?

A key point to remember is that there is ZERO mention of increasing escapement goals anywhere in the basin as a result of this "mitigation." That proves, without question, that WDFW intends for whatever additional, returning fish that come from this to be harvested. We all know who's most efficient at harvesting, and it's not in-river sport fishers. These fish are, first and foremost, intended to increase opportunity in the ocean (for recs and commercials). Next at the table will be the Tribes. QIN and the NT gillnetters will get a few additional gillnet days in 2A-2D.

I'll concede that it makes sense to produce the smolts at Bingham if the capacity already exists. What doesn't pass the sniff test is releasing 80% of them in the Satsop under a guise of "Wynoochee mitigation." That's the part that is most curious. Assuming as much as 10-15% of those Satsop plants will be managed to return to the Satsop (just basing that on how the basin is managed overall), it will lead to a "surplus" of harvestable hatchery fish bound for the Satsop (and, conveniently, piling up below the mouth of the Satsop until the water gets high/cold enough to get them moving). That leads me to believe there is a new stakeholder in the mix (the Skoks, who will presumably be gillnetting on the Brady flats and absolutely hammering the early run). It's the only thing that makes any sense to me. I hope I'm wrong.

Hope you're wrong, too...but in the event you're right, this would amount to just one more example of how Ron Warren connives to add "opportunity" to the Tribal Treaty side , while once again denying same to the Rec fishermen. He's made promotion, longevity , salary and benefits along the way.

Anybody else see a pattern here?

Drain the swamp?

Some of the questions I asked have been answered. With the construction of the pipeline across the lake and the ability to use Wynoochee water direct, the additional 60 k Steelhead will be mixed with the original 170K . The higher density in the raceways is now possible with pipeline water where as the prior usage of lake water did not allow high densities.

The net pens are to be a emergency stand by thing. Not sure I get this one but this will be clarified the 24th I think.

Accommodations for the 100k Coho will be made by altering the rainbow program.

Now the 400k in the Satsop? What I have outlined prior is about maximum loading for Aberdeen Lake. For myself it is unacceptable. The hatchery staff should be able to find a way to rear substantial portion of that 400K in a manner that they can be released in the Wynoochee and return to the Wynoochee. This gets into fish behavior and the Grays Harbor complex capabilities so this is something only the hatchery staff can do. So game on but 400k in the Satsop does not fly. They need to find a way to get 150k to 175k of the Satsop fish back to the Wynoochee to get its release to 250k to 300k.

Harvest wise I understand what staff told me but I will let them explain it. That one I have reservations about so I will not touch it.

Heads up folks the Wynoochee Mit meeting has been moved to Grays Harbor College.

Wynoochee Agreement meeting - venue change


Grays Harbor (DFW)
<graysharbor@dfw.wa.gov>
3:04 PM


FYI – Please forward below information to all interested parties represented by advisors.


NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
September 19, 2019
Contact: Larry Phillips, 360-870-1889

WDFW announces change of venue for meeting on Wynoochee agreement

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is moving the location of its Sept. 24 meeting about a plan to enhance salmon and steelhead populations diminished by the Wynoochee Dam.

The public meeting is scheduled at 6 p.m., Sept. 24, at the Grays Harbor College (Aberdeen Room 4134A and B), 1620 Edward P Smith Dr., Aberdeen. WDFW changed the location of the meeting to ensure adequate meeting space for the public.

At the meeting, WDFW staff will discuss details of an agreement with the Quinault Indian Nation to mitigate for damage to fish populations as a result of the Wynoochee Dam in Grays Harbor County.

Under the agreement, WDFW annually will release:

100,000 coho into the Wynoochee River;
400,000 coho into the Satsop River;
60,000 winter steelhead into the Wynoochee River.

More information about the agreement is available at https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/agreement-reached-benefit-coho-salmon-steelhead-wynoochee-river-basin.

Persons with disabilities who need to receive this information in an alternative format or who need reasonable accommodations to participate in WDFW-sponsored public meetings or other activities may contact Dolores Noyes by phone (360-902-2349), TTY (360-902-2207), or email (dolores.noyes@dfw.wa.gov). For more information, see https://wdfw.wa.gov/accessibility/reasonable_request.html.

The recent Wynoochee proposal has some folks wondering just what the h---. So for the newbies to the issue are to documents from 2015 that are a proposal worked out. This proposal is pretty much to the one developed the early 90's with the exception of the use of funds for Summerrun Steelhead. The 90's proposal that was reworked and supposed to move forward several times. WDFW did not so here we are and the differences revolve around net pens location and the 400k reared at Bingham with Wynoochee mitigation moneys. The Summerrun option never gained much traction.

Results from the meeting on Wynoochee Mitigation.
July 30, 2015.
Attendees. Jim Scott, Steve Theisfeld, Mike Sharp, Ken Issacson, John ?? WDFW
XXXX XXXXX , Sports, Conservation.

WDFW, Jim Scott presented a document, Recommendations for the use of the Wynoochee Dam Salmon and Steelhead trust Fund. DRAFT JULY 30, 2015,

After some discussion, and review, and with sports input, we decided the document will meet Mitigation requirement. Other discussion followed. With $400,000 plus remaining some other options could be possible. Joe Durham Proposed, since so many feel a pay back is due, due to the fact that nothing being done in 20 plus years, an additional 15% for both species be included in the proposal. Ken will do calculation, and determine if space is available, but first reaction was that it would be workable.

Discussion followed as to what QIN is so insistent on, and further discussion needs to take place with them. Also to get Chehalis Tribe to sign on to any agreement.

TO DO LIST BY WDFW
1. Check on 15% addition, and add to proposal.
2. Hold a conference call with Grays Harbor Advisory Group.
3. Meet with QIN, and Chehalis Tribe on proposal, and their comments, and concerns.
4. Hold public meeting for comments, and to advise public of plan, and options,
5. WDFW to meet with cities involved with Mitigations.
6. Wynoochee Technical Committee to discuss, and sign of on proposal.
7. Present to FERC for their approval, and sign off on the proposal.
A review of trap modification will need to be reviewed, and cost adjusted for modification.

This is the proposal from 2015 and mirrors the 1990's work.

Recommendations for the use of the
Wynoochee Dam Salmon and Steelhead Trust Fund
Draft July 30, 2015

Summary
The “Agreement for Mitigation and Enhancement at Wynoochee Dam” (“Agreement”) of 1991 established the Wynoochee Dam Salmon and Steelhead Trust Fund (“Trust”) to enhance the fishery resources of the Wynoochee River. The Agreement envisioned the construction and operation of a hatchery near the base of the Wynoochee Dam. However, for a variety of reasons the hatchery was never constructed and the funding provided through the Agreement remains largely unexpended. The Trust balance has grown to approximately $2.5 million dollars.

This document provides a proposal to increase fish production in the Wynoochee River and fully expend the Fund through the remaining 22 years (through 2037) of the Agreement. The proposal includes the following components:

1) 55,700 increase in coho salmon smolts;
2) 25,000 increase in summer steelhead smolts; and
3) Improvements in fish collection facilities at the Wynoochee Dam and at the Lake Aberdeen Hatchery to support these programs.

The preliminary projected cost of the proposed project over the remaining 22 years of the Agreement is $2,035,773.

Mitigation History
In 1991 the Departments of Fisheries and Wildlife, the Chehalis and Quinault tribes, and the cities of Aberdeen and Tacoma signed the Agreement for Mitigation and Enhancement at Wynoochee Dam (“Agreement”). In the Agreement, the Cities agreed to create a fund for a hatchery to mitigate for continuing impacts to downstream migrants.

The fund was intended to support the construction and operation of a small hatchery and acclimation facility downstream from the dam on land owned by the US Forest Service. However, for a variety of reasons the hatchery was never constructed and the funding provided through the Agreement remains largely unexpended. In a letter dated July 9, 1993, the directors of the Washington Department of Fisheries, and Washington Department of Game requested the cities of Aberdeen and Tacoma to continue to hold funds set aside for the hatchery facility, until an alternative plan was developed. The Trust is currently being held by Tacoma Power and has grown to approximately $2.4 million dollars.

Project Proposal
The proposed project provides an increase in fish production for the Wynoochee River and includes the following components:

1) 55,700 increase in coho salmon smolts;
2) 25,000 increase in summer steelhead smolts; and
3) Improvements in fish collection facilities at the Wynoochee Dam to support these programs.

Each of these components is discussed in greater detail below.

Coho Salmon Production Enhancement
The objectives of the proposed coho salmon program are to increase the number of coho salmon available to fisheries. As originally envisioned in the Agreement, each year 55,000 coho salmon smolts would be funded by the Trust. Eggs would be incubated and initial rearing would occur at the Lake Aberdeen Hatchery. To maximize survival rates and returns to the Wynoochee River, smolts would be reared in net pens in the Wynoochee Reservoir for up to 6 months before release immediately below the Wynoochee Dam.

Projected costs of the coho salmon project for the next 22 years are summarized in Table 1. All cost projections assume an average annual inflation rate of 3%.

Table 1. Projected costs for coho salmon program over 22-year period of proposed project.

Source Cost Comments
Netpen at Wynoochee Reservoir $13,595
Trucking Juveniles and Adults $17,255
Mass Marking $61,498
Feed $120,128
Miscellaneous Goods & Services $79,374 Includes replacement of pen netting at 5-10 year intervals.
Planting Truck $200,000 Designed to couple with fish handling facility hopper. Used for transport of both adults and juveniles.
Staffing $785,856 6 months of staffing for trap operation and tending of net pens.
Indirect @28% on all items except Feed and Planting Truck $271,928
Total $1,549,634



Summer Steelhead Production Enhancement
The objective of the proposed summer steelhead program is to increase the number of steelhead available to fisheries. Each year the production of 25,000 summer steelhead salmon smolts would be funded by the Trust. Eggs would be incubated and initial rearing would occur at the Lake Aberdeen Hatchery. To maximize survival rates, returns to the Wynoochee River, and to facilitate the collection of adults, smolts would be reared in net pens in the Wynoochee Reservoir for up to 6 months before release immediately below the Wynoochee Dam.
Projected costs of the steelhead project for the next 22 years are summarized in Table 2. All cost projections assume an average annual inflation rate of 3%.

Table 2. Projected costs for summer steelhead program over 22-year period of proposed project.

Source Cost Comments
Planting Truck - Included in costs for coho program.
Staffing - Included in costs for coho program.
Net Pen at Wynoochee Reservoir $13,595
Trucking Juveniles and Adults $7,745
Mass Marking $27,602
Feed $117,892
Miscellaneous Goods & Services $35,626
Indirect @28% on all items except Feed and Planting Truck $23,679
Total $226,139


Fish Trap Enhancements
The current fish trap, which is located about 2 miles below the Wynoochee Dam (Figure 1), offers only a rudimentary ability to collect and sort returning adults. Live fish must be dip-netted from the flume, handled and examined individually while in the dipnet. Adults are then sorted to one holding tank, individual fish transferred to a transport tank manually, or marked and returned to the river. It doesn’t prevent fish from cycling through the facility multiple times, and is rough on fish and fish handlers. Handling adults in this manner causes damage and potential mortality due to slime and scale loss caused by the net material and fish handlers’ gloves.

The facility upgrade will require installation of an elevated platform (false floor), modification to the flume, installation of holding/anesthetic tanks and a brail system (lift system) to transfer adults to transport tankers.

The projected costs for enhancements to the trap are summarized in Table 3.

Table 3. Projected costs for facility enhancements.

Source Cost Comments
Wynoochee Dam Trap Enhancements $200,000 Tacoma cost estimate.
30% Contingency $60,000
Total $260,000






Figure 1. Map of the Wynoochee Dam and Fish Trap.


Adaptive Management
Substantive uncertainty exists regarding the expected performance and cost of this project. To provide for management flexibility, the performance and cost of the fish production programs will be reviewed at 5-year intervals. The fish production programs may be modified by the Parties to more effectively address the goals o

Sorry about not keeping all up to date but it is fishing time. So what have I seen on the river? Well both Coho and Chinook are coming right through the bay and upstream bright silver, scales not set but no sea lice. So best I can tell is they are simply slowly going upstream and not staging in tide water. Chinook appear to be late and not sure about that at all so as in all years it rains early things are weird in fish world. Early rain upstream benefits and tidal fisheries suffer is the rule.

To the question of the new Region 6 Fish Program Director James Losee and his style, no idea. We must remember that in the recent past Grays Harbor and Willapa harvest responsibility were put under a policy staffer. So Mr. Losee interaction with the South Coast areas may or may not change as that is a internal WDF&W decision. He seems to be a descent enough guy but then most staffers are. All will have to wait to see just what his philosophy on management is and if his areas of authority will include the South Coast.

Now about questions on Wynoochee Mitigation. This issue is a bear for me. Having literally set through meetings that number in the hundred of hours I have concerns. The recent proposal by WDFW and flies in the face of former staff positions and what the requirements are for the mitigation. It proposes utilizing Wynoochee Mitigation funds to rear fish at Bingham on the Satsop which for over 25 years was a no go. Several fish health issues exist also at Aberdeen Lake with the proposal which were discussed in detail many times in the past.

So for my part I will help put together documents that the local communities can use to insure past actions are not lost in time. To that end I will post a Public Records Request for fish health records and a letter outlining some of my concerns to the Director and Commission.



October 1, 20019

Director Susewind and Commissioners,

On September 30, 2019 I submitted a Public Records Request to WDFW ( attached ) for fish health documents for Aberdeen Lake Hatchery. I attempted to keep the scope as narrow as possible to limit the burden on staff. That said the need for the request is driven by the recent proposal by Region 6 staff for Wynoochee Mitigation Funds. Several elements of the proposal are troubling and simply ignore previous agency thoughts and actions. It is possible to develop a proposal that meets or exceeds Wynoochee Mitigation needs utilizing Aberdeen Lake Hatchery and other Grays Harbor Hatchery Complex assets but the recent proposal does not meet that standard. The following thoughts briefly touch on some concerns for the proposal outlined September 24th.

The use of net pens in Aberdeen Lake in the past was rejected by staff as they described the lake as a cesspool for fish, in particular Coho. That issues from predation to storm damage made net pens in Aberdeen Lake unworkable. Water temperatures were of particular concern as anything over 69 degrees resulted in disease outbreaks.

The current proposal relies upon the pipeline for direct Wynoochee water to overcome these concerns but it has limitations. First it must be shut down and the hatchery utilize lake water in winter periods of siltation in the Wynoochee River. Additionally in summer months the pipe line cannot supply the hatchery enough water for the entire facility first use water requiring reuse of water for nearly half the raceways. To further complicate matters in summer months Wynoochee water utilized regularly exceeds 70 degrees which is the temperature that the disease Columnaris becomes a major issue for Coho. At the meeting on Sept 24th staff identified an eggtake of 250k would be needed to produce the 100k Coho smolt which is overage of 150% just to overcome the fish health issues.

The use of Wynoochee Mitigation funds to rear fish in the Satsop is simply unacceptable. Couple this within the past WDFW utilized Skookumchuck Mitigation funds to build rearing vessels at Bingham Hatchery ( then Simpson Hatchery ) that were seldom used and simply utilized the Mitigation funds to pay for a portion of the existing Simpson Coho production. This violation of the Skookumchuck Mitigation Agreement ceased only after citizen's threatened legal action. That issue was solved by a public / agency partnership that still exist today to release the smolt above the Chehalis Tribal Reservation as required by the Skookumchuck Mitigation Agreement. I see no reason to doubt that if allowed to use Wynoochee Mitigation Funds at Bingham to rear Coho that the agency would then reduce or eliminate current Coho production and simply subsidize Bingham Hatchery Coho production with Wynoochee Mitigation Funds.

My lack of faith in the recent proposal is further reinforced by statements by Mr. Warren to the press. In an article in the local news paper he is quoted "Despite some obstacles along the way, the state and tribe have worked collaboratively over the years to find a path forward for fish in the Wynoochee Basin." In an effort to be polite I must say this is a gross misrepresentation of the facts at a minimum. Until around 1993 WDFW blamed the failure to perform on Tacoma City Light but that ended when in a meeting Tacoma City Light confronted agency staff resulting WDFW staff admitting Tacoma City Light had nothing to do with the failure to perform. From that point forward the agency position was the Quinault Nation was the impediment and four different times a proposal was developed by local citizens and WDFW to be presented to the Quinault Nation but staff never advanced the efforts forward.

The Nations position has always stayed consistent that the hatchery agreed to previously was to be built at the Wynoochee Dam must be built. Again the failure build the hatchery resides with WDFW staff and records are available to confirm this if you feel the need for the documents.

In closing the purpose of the PRR is to seek documents that I, working with others, will add to a record for the public to use in the future. To be blunt we are up there in years and frankly likely do not have that much time left on this planet. It is our intention that the citizens of the Chehalis Basin have access to the information as I have little doubt that WDFW will not meet its obligations. I am reminded of an issue agency staff had previously agreed to a solution. When I asked why staff had went back on their word the response was simple, "circumstances have changed" and I have little doubt that in the future staff will likely feel circumstances have changed, again. That response was not acceptable then and is not now, the Wynoochee Mitigation needs to be done properly.





September 30, 2019

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
WDFW Public Records Officer
PO Box 43200 MS#4136
Olympia WA 98504-3200


This is a request for public records request ( PRR ) is for records regarding Aberdeen Lake Hatchery. In the operation of the hatchery WDFW Fish Health Pathologist regularly visits the hatchery to determine the health of the fish reared at the facility. The Pathologist results and comments are detailed on a form that is commonly called a Path Report. This Public Records Request is for all Pathologist reports for Aberdeen Lake Hatchery from year 2010 to the present date of September 30, 2019.

Additionally it is common for the Pathologist to take tissue and other samples that transported to the WDFW Fish Heath laboratory for testing. These results are recorded and results transmitted to hatchery staff. This request is for all laboratory test results for Aberdeen Lake Hatchery from year 2010 to September 30, 2019.

This is PRR request is very narrowly defined to limit agency staff time needed to comply. The Path reports are on file at the hatchery as are the laboratory with Fish Heath.

In recent weeks WDFW rolled out the latest version of a plan for the use of Wynoochee Dam Mitigation. As someone who sat through so many meetings, for Bill and his kick the can down the road visits to Commission meetings, and Joe with a mountain of files from 25 years of effort it was difficult to take. That said we were asked to look at things differently by Rep. Blake, to bring a team together to develop a alternate proposal which we did. The letter below and the proposal are the results of that effort.

Hopefully you folks can support our effort as from our perspective it honors the intent of Wynoochee Mitigation Agreement and has far greater benefits to the Wynoochee Ecosystem than the WDFW proposal.



Director Susewind, President Sharp, WDFW Commissioners

On September 24, 2019 WDFW presented it most recent plan for the use of the Wynoochee Mitigation Funds supported by Quinault Nation (the Nation). To say components such as the use of net pens and Wynoochee Mitigation funds to rear and release Coho smolts at Bingham Hatchery on the East Fork of the Satsop River caused emotions to boil over would be somewhat of an understatement.

For long time advocates with literally hundreds of hours sitting in meetings and file cabinets full of documents on the history of the issue it was particularly difficult. One long time advocate declared that this issue was going to be an "epic food fight."

It was shortly after the meeting that I became aware that Rep. Blake was concerned about the issue and contacted him. To be honest his take on the issue was different. While recognizing the failures of the past he advocated a different approach. Rather than reject the WDFW proposal out right based upon the failings of the past that we use the new proposal as a base to offer an alternative approach. An approach that may not and likely is not easier but would allow WDFW, the Nation, and the local communities to come together for the good of all and the resource. His point was we have accomplished this in the past with efforts such as Long Live the Kings on the Wishkah River, the grass roots efforts of East Grays Harbor volunteers on the Satsop River. The list is long so the question, why not again? Why not now on the Wynoochee River?

With Rep. Blake's encouragement we reached out to many to create an alternative proposal for the use of Wynoochee Mitigation funds. We ask that WDFW and the Nation consider our alternate not because it is simpler (which it is not) but it is best for the resource. To use the Wynoochee Mitigation issue to bring together all the citizens concerned about the future of the Wynoochee River and the resource.

For the team,

Here is the proposal:

Wynoochee Dam Mitigation
An Alternative Approach to Traditional Mitigation




Introduction: On September 24, 2019 the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) presented a proposal for the use of the Wynoochee Dam Mitigation funds. Several elements of the proposal were of great concern to many local citizens. Recognizing that this was an issue Representative Brian Blake reached out to several citizens in an attempt to see if an alternative was available.

Working collaboratively local advocates and knowledgeable professionals the team developed an alternative proposal for review with the following defining elements.

• That the returning adults will be equal or exceed the WDFW proposal.
• That the returning adults would all return to the Wynoochee River. WDFW's proposal has the vast majority of the returning Wynoochee Mitigation adults returning to Bingham Hatchery on the East Fork of the Satsop River.
• That the additional fry production will provide fry to be placed in underutilized rearing habitat in the Wynoochee ecosystem.

Summary: From the original construction in 1972 of the Wynoochee Dam for flood control the mitigation for loss of natural production has been a contentious issue. Originally, Washington had two fish management agencies. The Department of Game managed steelhead and cutthroat while the Department of Fisheries managed salmon. Winter Steelhead and Cutthroat trout (later removed) were mitigated for but not salmon which raised considerable angst with many citizens. With the addition of the Tacoma Power power generation facility in 1994 an additional 25,000 Winter Steelhead and 55,700 Coho were required and funds set aside by Tacoma Power. Due to a number of issues throughout the years Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDF&W) was not able to comply with the mitigation requirements and the interest bearing fund has grown to over $2,600,000. Further, the loss of salmon available for harvest and ecosystem benefits has been un-mitigated for 28 years.

Currently WDFW has a new proposal and the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) have agreed to the proposal that not only included the required yearly mitigation and but also a payback for the years that the mitigation fish were not produced. The WDFW proposal would rear 60,000 additional Winter Steelhead at Lake Aberdeen Hatchery. (LAH) and100,000 Coho at LAH and 400,000 Coho to be reared and released at Bingham Hatchery which is located on the East Fork of the nearby Satsop River. While this proposal is a welcome step forward in our view it can be substantially improved by utilizing all Wynoochee Mitigation funds in the Wynoochee River ecosystem. Building off the WDFW proposal we would like to propose an enhanced vision of how to utilize the Wynoochee Mitigation funds. Our proposal is to better mimic the natural processes to Coho insure the greatest ecosystem returns on time and effort.

Broodstock: Wild Coho brood would be taken at the fish trap below Wynoochee Dam and transported to LAH. Using 2018 as an example records show that 789 Coho adults were passed upstream. This number of adults should allow for brood taken at the fish trap below the dam to be the source of brood for the mitigation Coho smolt of this proposal. A requirement exists for an undetermined number of Coho to be passed upstream of the dam, which could result in a shortage of wild brood. Shortages would be backfilled with fish from LAH Coho program to back fill the eggtake as long as fisheries are managed to meet eggtake and fish passage needs at the Wynoochee Dam. It should be noted that the LAH Coho is a fully integrated program with a high infusion rate of wild genetics.

The additional Winter Steelhead required would utilize current hatchery configuration and would be added to the current required production. The current choice of Winter Steelhead planting locations should be reviewed to ensure cross breeding between hatchery produced Winter Steelhead and Wild Winter Steelhead is kept to minimum.

Spawning, Eggtake & Incubation: Enough Coho adults to provide a 500,000 release plus an overage would be brought to LAH and held until spawning. Eggs would be incubated at LAH and fry ponded there. This might require additional incubation capacity to be added. The Grays Harbor complex has unused equipment that is not utilized due to budget cuts that could be brought to LAH. The incubator expansion would also allow for a further expanded egg take to rear fry for out planting outlined in the next section. If desired funding targeted by WDFW' for the net pens could be used for incubation improvements as the net pens are no longer necessary. Ideally, an additional incubation capacity of 1,000,000 Coho eggs is needed to meet the needs of our entire proposal.

Rearing At Fry Stage: Fry would be ponded at LAH and reared on Wynoochee water via the pipeline. The amount of time that the fry would remain at LAH will have to be determined as the volume of the rearing vessels, water flows, and loading capacities are not known by us to enabling offering a definitive timeline. As Coho imprint at the front of their life cycle it would be desirable to rear the Coho fry long as possible at LAH then transferred to Bingham Hatchery.

Our team would like to put forth for consideration that the 30,000 LAH Coho program be continued as backup and ideally expanded to meet the fry planting of our proposal. As our proposal would leave unused vessels at LAH after the transfer to Bingham in real terms it costs little other than feed as the hatchery is still fully staffed.

In addition to the previous proposal our team would propose an additional effort to rebuild Wynoochee Coho. When Chehalis Coho stocks crashed in the 1980's WDFW Montesano staff used Bingham Hatchery to produce fry for out planting at around 400 pp very successfully. The effort targeted underutilized habitat such as beaver ponds and off channel rearing areas.

It is often debated as to how effective the use of hatchery fry are in rebuilding Coho stocks. The volunteers from the Elma Game Club, (EGC) who later assumed operation of WDFW facility Satsop Springs Rearing Ponds, learned that success of fry plants was dependant on two elements. First the fry brood parents should not be multi generation hatchery stock. Due to the layout of nearby Simpson Hatchery (now Bingham) and prior to mass marking a substantial number of wild adults were incorporated into the eggtake due to the facility layout resulting in a hatchery fish that was genetically the same as its wild counterparts. A strong brood with strong wild genetics is necessary for success and the LAH brood meets that requirement.

The second element was the release sites. Realizing simply planting fry in a convenient stream is prone to failure so EGC volunteers identified and utilized release locations that had solid salmonids habitat. Their efforts were confirmed when they identified a stream on the Satsop / Wynoochee Boundary road that had a total culvert blockage and huge plunge pool just several hundred yards from the main river. (That culvert has since been replaced) The area above the blockage was a long series of beaver ponds that could be accessed by a Simpson Timber Co. road. The volunteers planted Coho fry reared at a project built on the Muller family farm on the Satsop River that incubated and reared 1,000, 000 eggs to fry to plant at a weight of 400 fpp to 40 fpp for the Satsop sub basin. Each year they planted this stream with Coho fry by accessing the area upstream. When the adults came back the volunteers were astounded to find the pool literally full of adult Coho where few had been seen before. When the EGC assumed operation of Satsop Springs the group continued to monitor the stream. After the returns from the final year of Coho fry plants returned everything went back to what it had been prior to the plants. Very few Coho adults were observed. For the EGC volunteers it was a valuable lesson, it is all about broodstock and habitat.
Work by various WDFW staff has shown that lakes such as Crocker, Capitol, and Steilacoom can take Coho from fry to 80mm migrants and in very short order produce high quality smolts. In situations where smolt-adult survival was measured, the lakes provided significant boost in marine survivals. Further, beaver ponds, wall-based channels, and other off-channel “ponded” habitats in the Clearwater basin (WADNR staff) have been shown to attract and overwinter good numbers of Coho.

Our team proposes that the integrated LAH Coho stock be used to rear fry for out planting to areas in the Wynoochee sub basin. Areas where habitat exists that is underutilized or simply has habitat available. The fry would be planted at a size to maximize survival with little effect on LAH capacity, loading issues and timing will come with size on the fish transferred to Bingham. The number of fry that LAH could produce would need to be determined as additional incubation would be required. Ideally the program would utilize the local community as it did in the past to out plant fry.

Rearing to Yearlings: The fry will be reared at Bingham Hatchery under protocols to a size to that is desirable for the next phase of our proposal.

Overall Rearing Protocols: Fry will be reared on Wynoochee River water to ensure early imprinting. The transfer to Bingham, and subsequent rearing, will be for the least amount of time concomitant with the production of smolts from the Conditioning Ponds (CP). The use of the CPs is based on the work of Cederholm (Clearwater River wall-based ponds WADNR) and Crocker Lake (WDFW) wherein Coho actively sought out these off-channel sites for rearing, especially overwintering, and produced significantly larger smolts that had higher survival rates than stream-reared congeners. The various sites will be evaluated for suitability, which would include outflow, temperature, and food abundance. Feeding is an option, but would require additional permitting and monitoring. At the minimum, Coho will be stocked into the ponds in late winter (probably February) at as large a size as is possible. Smolts will emigrate volitionally. Since the CP’s will be natural rearing and subject to predation, it is recommended that egg-take be increased concomitant with the expected length of rearing in the CP’s.

Conditioning Ponds: Several options exist for this phase of our proposal, which may or may not be feasible. Gravels pits exist in many places up and down the Wynoochee valley that can be used as conditioning sites. The issue of feeding the Coho after releasing them into a conditioning site if desirable has yet to be addressed as it is an issue of landowner acceptance of the use of the pits and regulatory issues about wastewater discharge. One characteristic of Coho is that they tend to go as far upstream as they can to spawn. A simple example given to us is that if one reared Coho at or near the mouth of a stream when the adults returned they would continue upstream as far as they could to favorable spawning areas as shown by WDFW work in the Snow Creek watershed. This makes the use of multiple release sites desirable. The WDFW work on County-line Ponds in the Skagit River watershed, wherein some off-channel ponds were more formalized for use as overwinter ponds, can be used as a guideline for evaluating sites

Our thoughts are that the landowners would embrace the concept and that multiple sites insure the greatest potential for success. If eggs were taken this fall we have nearly a year and half to get the release sites online.


• Briscoe Pit located off the Upper Donavan logging road mainline owned by Weyerhaeuser was a Grays Harbor College project site. Substantial data exist as to water quality and off channel rearing. It is our understanding that the abandoned pond may or may not have been compromised by the river.
• Northwest Rock (a Roglin Company) has gravel extraction site midway up the East side of the Wynoochee valley. The abandoned pit has an egress connecting it to the river that is a prime candidate.
• Several pits also exist in the vicinity of Sterling Park owned by the Port of Grays Harbor.
• With the expanded numbers that our proposal envisions, a member of our team expressed a desire to utilize a strategy of planting a number of the yearling release in Sylvia Lake. Lake planting will result in production of very large smolts that have shown to have significantly higher marine survivals. Note: at the same time, there were many lowland lakes whose OD “trout” fishery was supported by Coho pre-smolts as they will likely be of pretty good size and smolts have been seen to 400mm “smolts” and are very bright silver.
• Unnamed sites that could be utilized.
• The city of Aberdeen industrial intake area could be utilized to build a conditioning pond for a single release or ideally one of the multiple release sites. While our team lacks detailed knowledge of the site or property owned acceptance it is viable water source with a secured parameter. A single pond would offer more physical control but dispersed ponds will offer a wider range of smolting points, probably a wider range of smolting points, probably a wider range of timings given different temperatures and food resources, and probably better adult dispersal as there will be a variety of different places to at least initially home


Another Option: At the recent public meeting a former Tacoma Power employee stated that when the power generation facility was constructed a pipeline was installed to the proposed hatchery site. Not knowing the size or volume capacity limits our ability to fully vet this option. The potential exists to build a relatively inexpensive earthen pond to utilize as a conditioning pond. While not the hatchery that was originally intended that the QIN supported it does recognize their desires and is an option that should be considered. This option would place the greatest number fish higher in the watershed and reduce delays in gathering of adults.


Marking: Under the recently announced WDFW proposal the 100,000 releases on the Wynoochee was not to be clipped but the 400,000 at Bingham Hatchery would. As our proposal has no releases of Wynoochee Mitigation Coho at Bingham several options exist. Under our proposed 500,000 releases on the Wynoochee if clipped the numbers of returning adults would be vastly greater than the current WDFW proposal substantially expanding the potential success of the effort to rebuild the wild stock with mitigation production. Also if marked it would allow for the mitigation fish to be passed upstream and only true wild adults taken to LAH for brood. Another thought is to not mark the 100,000 the current WDFW proposal has and do mark all 500,000 smolt of our suggested program production. The harvest considerations that revolve around mass marking are for the co-managers to decide as user group harvest preferences are not part of this proposal.

In closing our team has attempted to present a proposal that meets the requirements of the Mitigation Agreement that is genetically sound, uses the funds available, and recognizes the effort WDFW and QIN staff put into the original proposal that our team utilized to expand upon.




Acknowledgement- Our team would like to recognize the effort and values provided by all of those who contributed to the creation of this proposal requested by Representative Blake. If they had not invested their time to share their educational knowledge and personal experiences this project could never have been completed. Bill Osborn, Joe Durham, Dave Hamilton

Thanks, Rivrguy and Co., for what looks to be a much better alternative, with far more potential to increase wild returns to the basin. You get my vote.

Tribal and Commercial numbers are up. Before anyone ask no I do not know why it took so long for the tribal numbers. I emailed the new R-6 harvest manager and asked a bit back but he did not respond. So they are up now be it a little slow to posting. The link.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/tribal/landings#chehalis

Here is the link to Commercial landings.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/commercial/gillnet#grays-harbor

they had to cook the books!!!

These results are way short of the model predictions.

Based on the total harvest of three species the tribe caught about 28% of the model expectation in 2A/2D and the NT nets in their first four days caught 45% of the model.

2C was even worse. 24% for the tribe and 10% for the NT nets.

On top of that the fish seem to be much smaller in size this year.