Nooksack river closed all summer... who knows the story behind this?
- Thread starter Josh
- Start date
Last weekend I got to thinking about this. WDFW's single largest budget line item is for raising hatchery salmon that are mostly caught in Canada, with a few to Alaska as well. I propose that instead of funding salmon hatcheries, WDFW use the money to send those who buy a salmon fishing license on a 3-day salmon fishing trip to BC or AK, where the salmon catch limits are more generous anyway. Only problem is, there would be a whole lot fewer salmon to catch in BC and AK if WA stops raising hatchery Chinook and coho. Hmmm, I gotta' work on this some more.
Question: The Nooksack River is glacial. The North Fork (and therefore the mainstem) runs turbid all summer. So it really isn't fishable anyway, is it? The South Fork, on the other hand, runs decently clear once spring runoff subsides. I only fished it a few times years ago and only caught what are now ESA listed species.
As for the Skagit being open, the open area is from the Memorial bridge in Mt Vernon to Gilligan Creek, which is OK for fishing conventional salmon gear from a boat, but not so conducive to wading and fly fishing. In a few days it opens from Rockport to Marblemount for spring Chinook. Naturally the area I want to fish is from Lyman to Rockport, which remains closed until further notice. I may have to pull a D.O. and become a CNR poacher. I ain't getting any younger, and WDFW is hell bent on working against me rather than for me.
As for the Skagit being open, the open area is from the Memorial bridge in Mt Vernon to Gilligan Creek, which is OK for fishing conventional salmon gear from a boat, but not so conducive to wading and fly fishing. In a few days it opens from Rockport to Marblemount for spring Chinook. Naturally the area I want to fish is from Lyman to Rockport, which remains closed until further notice. I may have to pull a D.O. and become a CNR poacher. I ain't getting any younger, and WDFW is hell bent on working against me rather than for me.
Here in Oregon, Hatcheries are part of the mitigation agreement between the Army Corps of Engineering for building dams on rivers. The COE is trying to wiggle out of that agreement. The problem in Alaska is the bottom dragging net trollers. Canada is a whole different ball of wax since it is an international agreement. I grew up with the man who started a fishery conservation group that also sees to the rights of fishermen. If I am wrong, please educate me, my ear is open.
JudyM, in WA most of the hatcheries on the Columbia River and its tributaries are funded with Mitchell Act money as mitigation for Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Some hatcheries are funded by public or private electric utilities as mitigation for their dams. But WDFW operates around 60 hatcheries (I think) with state money from fishing licenses and the state General Fund. Some federal DJ money may also be used for hatcheries; I'm not sure. Before the 1995 merger, the old WDG was primarily funded by license fees and was fairly responsive to constituents. The old WDF was funded by the state GF and mitigation money, managed salmon and marine species, and never thought much of fishing for salmon in freshwater, and that looks to have carried over in the merger. Either way, the money comes from taxpayers and license buyers; one might think that they would show some appreciation for the folks who pay their salaries and keep the doors open and lights on at their offices.
The problem in AK is at least twofold: the troll fishery, which is hook and line, targets salmon, mainly Chinook and coho, a fair number of which originate in WA and BC. The trawl fishery drags mid-water and bottom fishing nets targeting various non-salmon species, but takes a lot of salmon as incidental catch, most of which originate in AK. BC takes WA salmon in sport, commercial troll, gillnet, and a few in purse seine fisheries. A fair number of the sport caught salmon are caught by WA residents who fish in BC. It all adds up.
In WA, sport fishers have no fishing rights. We have the privilege to fish, regulated however the state sees fit. This is the conclusion of federal case law.
The problem in AK is at least twofold: the troll fishery, which is hook and line, targets salmon, mainly Chinook and coho, a fair number of which originate in WA and BC. The trawl fishery drags mid-water and bottom fishing nets targeting various non-salmon species, but takes a lot of salmon as incidental catch, most of which originate in AK. BC takes WA salmon in sport, commercial troll, gillnet, and a few in purse seine fisheries. A fair number of the sport caught salmon are caught by WA residents who fish in BC. It all adds up.
In WA, sport fishers have no fishing rights. We have the privilege to fish, regulated however the state sees fit. This is the conclusion of federal case law.
Pink Nighty
Legend
So hypothetically speaking, if one were to knowingly disregard this closure and go fish the north fork on the solstice cuz it's what his dad taught him is important in life and he hasnt missed one in 20 years, what would happen to him if he encountered a WDFW officer? Fines? Gear confiscation? Bludgeoning? Imprisonment?
Thinking about putting together the cheapest spey outfit I can in case they want to take my shit. Hypothetically speaking about someone else of course.
Thinking about putting together the cheapest spey outfit I can in case they want to take my shit. Hypothetically speaking about someone else of course.
agenda
noun
agen·da ə-ˈjen-dəSynonyms of agenda
1
: a list or outline of things to be considered or done
agendas of faculty meetings
2
: an underlying often ideological plan or program
Trawlers not trollers.
charles sullivan
Life of the Party
Probably a couple hundred bucks and maybe your gear.
Build a cheap stick and getting caught costs less than a day with a guide.
Dr. Magill
Life of the Party
Great point
Dr. Magill
Life of the Party
You have standards
I think you’d feel guilty AF while fishing stealing the enjoyment of fishing
Dr. Magill
Life of the Party
Chances of getting carded pretty slim
DanielOcean
Fart! : )
Nooksack is way to far of a drive to break the law. Atleast for me. I am lucky to still have plenty of opportunities down here.
Article in the Cascadia Daily News (paywall) has some quotes from a WDFW spokesperson. Sounds like the main concern prompting it (at least publicly) is the low water summer we're about to have. Which, other debates aside, probably has some truth to it. Now, is that enough truth to close a river all summer? I have no idea.
Slightly more ominous is the last line of the article:
Slightly more ominous is the last line of the article:
Occupy The Nooksack coming soon
HauntedByWaters
Life of the Party
Those articles never mention the nearly constant in river netting that will continue. I wonder why?
charles sullivan
Life of the Party
I would venture that it is because the article is little ore that a press released designed to inform the public that there is a closure. I would also guess that the reason is that WDFW is not in charge of the natives net schedule or fishing seasons.
Given that there is no quote from the a Lummi Nation representative, I would guess that the author of the article either did not seek or was not able to get a quote from a Lummi Nation representative.
Mr. Gunnell could, I suppose, have made his feelings known about the netting. The outcome of that is likely a negative one regardless of what he would say.
The author, Annie Todd, also could have opined or just explained why the article did not hit on Lummi nets. She gives her e-mail at he bottom of the article. I have pasted it below.
The Nooksack River will remain closed to fishing ahead of the statewide game fishing opening day.
An emergency fishing rule was issued by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife on Tuesday, May 21. The river and its forks have been closed to all fishing since February.
The reason for the closure is to continue protecting the spring Chinook salmon and wild steelhead trout populations.
“You have these spring Chinook runs that come in the spring and then hold over in the river throughout the summer before they spawn in the fall,” said Chase Gunnell, a communications manager for WDFW. “That makes them very vulnerable to low and warm water conditions.”
The department was concerned about how a drought forecast and a predicted low return of spring Chinook might impact the river in the summer. By closing the river to all fishing, anglers hoping to hook a trout can avoid inadvertently catching a spring Chinook, Gunnell said.
“Maybe they release it and have no intention of killing it, but if that salmon is tired or stressed from that bycatch, it has the potential to either die or have less fitness for spawning,” Gunnell said.
Closure of the river to all fishing starts on Saturday, May 25, and will last through at least July on the mainstem of the Nooksack River. The north, middle and south forks will be closed through September. The locations of the closures are:
- Mainstem Nooksack River: from the Lummi Indian Reservation boundary to the confluence of North and South Forks. Closed from May 25 through July 31;
- North Fork Nooksack River: from the Highway 9 bridge to Nooksack Falls. Closed from May 25 through Sept. 30;
- Middle Fork Nooksack River: from the mouth to the former City of Bellingham diversion dam. Closed from May 25 through Sept. 30;
- South Fork Nooksack River: from the mouth to Skookum Creek. Closed from May 25 through Sept. 30.
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
Pink Nighty
Legend
I looked up the chinook forecast for puget sound this year. 2024 nooksack springers are conveniently M/A. Last year shows 10k adults returning to the two hatcheries, with likely higher returns this year as the effects of inslees orca campaign.
This to me says they did not bother to publish the estimates (or didnt bother to do them) because a rec fishing closure was a foregone conclusion. Having the numbers posted likely makes it harder to justify the closure.
This to me says they did not bother to publish the estimates (or didnt bother to do them) because a rec fishing closure was a foregone conclusion. Having the numbers posted likely makes it harder to justify the closure.
charles sullivan
Life of the Party
I am guessing that the number of North Fork hatchery fish is not truly important. I am sure that there is a harvestable surplus there. I am not one to assume that the department is being deceptive by not publishing the estimates. It could be the case. I don't know.
The wild steelhead impacts are supposed to be limitted to 4% per the puget sound steelhead plan. On a run size of 2,000-2,500 that is less that 100 fish. In itself, this could justify a closure through June on all forks and no fishing in the S. Fork (it has wild summers) to stay underneath those impacts.
Then there is the wild S. Fork spring/ summer kings. There are not too many impacts available there. I'm guessing it's less than 50.
I think we also have to understand that there are cowboy impacts in the saltwater. These have been reduced with the elimination of blackmouth season and the 3 day July saltwater season but I suspect hey still factor some impacts in.
There is a complete lack of will on the part of WDFW to be creative when it comes to sportfish seasons in the PS. This is the same scenario as we see play out on the N. Fork Stilly. It is frustrating and I don't really have a good idea as to how to change it.
I can only assume what the tribal perspective and infuence is. I dislike making assumptions. The lack of information about it leaves it as my only option though.
Dustin Chromers
Legend
We don't even really have game wardens. Your chances of being caught are slimmer than your chances of hooking a decent summer fish.