The White Salmon Spawning Survey Project

After 100 years of blockage from the Condit Dam, the White Salmon River is flowing freely again! But what does that mean for our native salmon, trout, and steelhead?

Motivated by passion for conservation, community, and a love of coldwater fisheries, J. Michelle Swope worked with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop this monitoring project in 2020. The WCTU was able to begin supporting the project in early 2024 when it lost funding. Rallying community members, local businesses, and those curious about engaging with their natural environment, J Michelle has built an amazing wealth of information, insight, and camaraderie in learning about these incredible fish.

We are excited to share the progress of this project and we are so, so grateful for our community scientists, partners, and volunteer leaders in making this effort such a wonderful success! Visit the White Salmon Spawning Project page to learn more about the project, contact J. Michelle, and keep an eye out for future volunteer opportunities there alongside our Instagram and Facebook pages!

Please enjoy and join us in thanking the Clark-Skamania Flyfishers, pFriem Family Brewers, Washington Depart of Fish and Wildlife, Wild Steelheaders United, Grundéns, and the Friends of the White Salmon as well as every person who donated their time, spotting skills, and enthusiasm in making this project an on-going success!

An Overview of Who we are…

The Washington Council Trout Unlimited (WCTU) is Washington’s grassroots volunteer movement of the national non-profit organization Trout Unlimited, which is currently headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. Trout Unlimited was founded on the banks of Au Sable River in Grayling, Michigan in July of 1959. A group of concerned Michigan anglers banded together to protect the health of native trout and their habitat, wanting to ensure fish would be plentiful for generations to come. Trout Unlimited today consists of more than 350 staff members across the US along with 300,000 members making up over 400 chapters nationwide.

The Washington Council is a volunteer non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation that supports the conservation efforts of over 4,500 members in 10 regional chapters across the state, from all ages, backgrounds, and professions. We have many staff working across our state working on large-scale habitat and water projects to protect and restore wild salmon, steelhead and trout in their native ranges. Our staff members also lead our policy and advocacy efforts on a state and national level, helping unify the impacts of our efforts as both an organization and grassroots movement. Together, we work as ONE TU.

The WCTU is dedicated to improving and restoring fish habitat while celebrating the joy and wonder of wild fish. We work to strengthen and empower our volunteers across the state by creating a welcoming environment for people of diverse backgrounds and experiences to join us. By establishing inclusion as a critical part of our success, our involvement in communities is giving rise to unique projects, studies, and partnerships, strengthening our ability to make a lasting difference. We hope to inspire passion by showing people the awe-inspiring journey and hardships our fish face, while raising awareness about the issues surrounding water that could effect us all. Through hard work and dedication, we can preserve and reconnect vital habitat, advocate for political protection, and lay the groundwork for future generations to live alongside our innumerable waterways in harmony. The only prerequisite for joining TU is that you care about the future of America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds – and want to do something about it.