Wild Salmon & Steelhead
Restore Wild Salmon & Steelhead in the White Salmon River
With the removal of Condit Dam in 2012, anadromous fish such as steelhead, Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and Pacific lamprey have access to habitat that was inaccessible for about 100 years.
FISH Are The Pulse Of The River
Anadromous Fish Restoration After Dam Removal
Since the dam was removed, no hatchery fish have been released in the White Salmon watershed. To date, fisheries managers allowed anadromous fish to find their way into the White Salmon River and naturally recolonize the available habitat. (Read our Q&A for more information.)
2. White Salmon River: Key to Fish Resilience
Since no hatchery fish have been introduced, the White Salmon River is a rarity and thus invaluable to our knowledge about resilience and health of anadromous fish in the Columbia River Basin.
Sustainable Fish Populations in the White Salmon River
Both wild and hatchery fish are allowed into the watershed to spawn and potentially contribute to natural production of young fish. It remains highly feasible that the current management will lead to diverse, unique, and sustainable populations of anadromous fish in the White Salmon River.
White Salmon River: Key to Fish Resilience
Since no hatchery fish have been introduced, the White Salmon River is a rarity and thus invaluable to our knowledge about resilience and health of anadromous fish in the Columbia River Basin.
The Value of Natural Fish Recolonization
Providing hatchery fish to a system can be expensive and problematic, so the extent to which fish can repopulate on their own is a very important experiment in the making. The Friends of the White Salmon River would like to see this natural colonization experiment continue for the foreseeable future.
Adequate funding for intensive fish surveys has not been available, but fishery biologists have indications that a substantial and at least partly successful recolonization has occurred.
Without intensive surveying, however, the magnitude, breadth and success of the recolonization is unknown. This has made it impossible to assess whether the level of anadromous fish production reflects habitat capacity or meeting societal (or management) expectations.
What Drives Us
Our Mission
Protecting watershed health and biodiversity in Klickitat and Skamania counties and the Mt. Adams region; raising public awareness of threats and opportunities; speaking up for streams, forests, and wildlife; and supporting the Yakama Nation in their protection of cultural and natural resources.
For more information, see our Q&A session.
Additional Resources: Rewilding the White Salmon River (The Osprey)
Restore Wild Salmon & Steelhead
Wild salmon and steelhead are returning to the White Salmon River following the removal of Condit Dam. How many? Are they reproducing? Are they thriving? We don't know. But it's critical to find out. The White Salmon is one of the few rivers where hatchery fish were...
The Osprey: Rewilding the White Salmon River
The Future of the Wild Salmon & Steelhead FAQs
Critical Questions that will inform our research: Is the capacity and habitat for salmon and steelhead decreasing, stable or increasing? Can wild salmon be restored to the point of allowing a fishery with harvest of wild fish? We are losing precious time and data by...