The Hood Canal Steelhead Project (HCSP) is a comprehensive study of wild steelhead supplementation techniques and steelhead life history in streams throughout Hood Canal. It seeks to answer the question: “Can artificial propagation be used to increase a wild population’s long-term abundance while preserving its genetic, demographic, and life history traits?”
Each year since its inception in 2007 by LLTK and seven partnering organizations, the Hood Canal Steelhead Project has increased understanding of steelhead life history in general, and of Hood Canal steelhead life history in particular; identified factors that limit the productivity of natural steelhead in Hood Canal; and worked toward the recovery of three Hood Canal populations (Duckabush, Dewatto, and Skokomish) to a point where they no longer require hatchery supplementation to persist and hopefully thrive.
Michael Schmidt, Director of Fish Programs, noted that, ”Among the important things we learned this past year, was that there is significant interaction between steelhead and cutthroat in many Hood Canal rivers—resulting in cross-breeding; we also discovered that there is a high level of steelhead mortality as they leave the Canal. We are trying to get a better handle on both of these issues so that we have a clearer understanding of how they affect the viability of the steelhead population.”
In 2010, the Hood Canal Steelhead Project met several new benchmarks, yielded new information , and presented opportunities to conduct associated research—like a small climate change study testing how well different fish populations can adapt to changed river conditions.
“One of the most significant milestones we achieved came just this past month with our first adult steelhead release,” said Michael. “This is a pivotal moment for the project as it marks the first time that we are releasing both smolt and adults back to their native streams.. We really are now in the thick of the supplementation phase of the project.”
The overall goal of a better understanding of the efficacy of hatchery supplementation for rebuilding threatened steehead populations will be reached as the project progresses. A 16-year effort, the Hood Canal Steelhead Project is slated to continue through 2022.
