Banner Year for Salmon Returns in Columbia

PORTLAND, Ore. - More than 920,000 chinook salmon passed the Bonneville Dam fish counters this year, breaking last year's record, reported the Federal Caucus the nine federal agencies engaged in salmon recovery efforts in the Columbia River Basin. The 2003 results are the largest returns since construction of the Bonneville Dam was completed in 1938 and far exceed the most recent ten-year average of 399,000.

Similar encouraging adult-return numbers were reported at Bonneville for other species: 364,000 steelhead, 126,000 coho and 39,000 sockeye, with both steelhead and coho well above their ten-year averages.

The fish count season at Bonneville ended on Nov. 15, although video counts continue.

Even though most of the returns are hatchery-reared fish, biologists said that numbers are increasing for almost all fish in the Columbia Basin, including naturally spawning salmon stocks protected by the Endangered Species Act. They attributed the increased returns to improved ocean conditions and regional salmon-recovery efforts.

"We know that ocean survival and fresh water survival are both critical to salmon," said Rob Walton, head of the salmon-recovery division at NOAA Fisheries. "We can't say for certain how much of the increased survival is due to our efforts, but it appears likely that a number of factors are at work in the region to account for the increasing numbers of salmon in recent years." For example, projects that have protected or improved salmon habitat and passage have undoubtedly contributed to increased survival of salmon.

"We can't lose sight of the fact," he continued, "that the historical record tells us that good ocean conditions won't last forever. We therefore need to continue to strive for improvements in salmon habitat, survival past the dams, and improved hatchery and harvest practices, in the most cost-effective manner possible."

Witt Anderson, chief of the Fish Management Office with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, pointed out that the increased returns will be further enhanced with the completion of technological improvements now under way at Columbia and Snake river dams.

"These state-of-the-art improvements - a channel that safely diverts young fish at Bonneville Dam and modified spillways at several dams that improve juvenile fish passage - will further increase survival of juvenile salmon and steelhead," Anderson said.

There is general agreement among fishery biologists that it is important to capitalize on these big returns by continuing to make conditions better in areas where salmon spawn and their young are reared.

The Federal Caucus members include the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service and NOAA Fisheries. More information is available on the Web at www.salmonrecovery.gov <http://www.salmonrecovery.gov> .