White Salmon Project
Photos by TJ Westre
Overview
Since the removal of the Condit Dam, wild Steelhead and Coho have been returning to spawn after over 100 years of zero fish passage. The White Salmon is not a current WDFW Steelhead gene bank but was one of the 14 originally considered by WDFW and partners. The project was created to expand to the Little Wind (a tributary to the Wind River, which is a Steelhead gene bank) and invited to significantly expand on two tributaries of the White Salmon, both by private landowners, just prior to the project's abrupt halt on November 2nd, 2023; the creator of the project, J. Michelle Swope, and the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited have revived the project and are seeking volunteers.
Project Goals
Re-engage Klickitat/White Salmon/Bingen area in place-based volunteer activities to revitalize local TU chapter(s)
Continue the data gathering on wild Coho and Steelhead spawning critical to further re-wilding the White Salmon and other waters with ESA-listed species, including wild Coho and wild Steelhead.
What to expect
These surveys involve walking the identified section of the stream, observing wild fish spawning, and recording data such as the species, redds, temperature, visibility, water height, and other factors.
Surveys follow WDFW protocol and use equipment on loan from WDFW
Volunteers enter data in iPads provided by WDFW and also use flagging methods to track the physical locations of spawning fish
Currently, spawning surveys are conducted for Coho and Steelhead
The Coho rotation runs from October through January 31st and is conducted every 10 days
The Steelhead rotation runs from February 1st through June 30th and is conducted every 14 days
There are 3 tributaries where these surveys are currently conducted (Spring, Mill, and Buck Creek). A 4th tributary (Rattlesnake) is potentially available if J. Michelle and others continue to work with the landowners.
At the end of the survey season, we host volunteer feedback and appreciation events