Redd Surveys, Egg Collection, and Fish Releases: Lilliwaup staff began redd surveys in mid-February on the Duckabush and Hamma Hamma River and then in March on the Little Quilcene. In total, 70 redds (steelhead nests) were counted on the Duckabush, 37 redds on the Hamma, the areas where steelhead population rebuilding efforts are or have taken place.
Fourteen redds were counted on the Little Quilcene River, the control river for our experimental rebuilding program, where no population enhancement is occurring. “Beautiful, wild adult steelhead were observed on the Hamma, " reported LLTK Steelhead Biologist Joy Lee Waltermire, a sign that natural production is again regaining strength. The Hamma Hamma River is where current steelhead population rebuilding efforts in Hood Canal were pioneered by NOAA Fisheries and LLTK. Population enhancement has concluded on the Hamma and now steelhead born and reared in the wild are returning to the river to spawn.
Collaborating with eight other groups participating in the Hood Canal Steelhead Project, LLTK is now in its fifth year of the sixteen year effort to rebuild steelhead populations in the Duckabush, Dewatto and Skokomish rivers. LLTK is in charge of collecting eggs from the Duckabush River as well as rearing Duckabush and Dewatto river steelhead at Lilliwaup Hatchery.
"We started collection on the Duckabush in mid-April. 1,027 eggs were collected," continued Joy. "The grand total of 5,967 eggs is the highest in our history of egg collection on the Duckabush and we left many more eggs incubating in the river. We are very happy with our 2011 egg collection!" The steelhead releases for 2011 occurred in March, when 226 and 163 adults were released into the Dewatto and Duckabush rivers, and then again in April when 6,622 and 140 smolts were released into the Dewatto and Duckabush rivers, respectively. Very few steelhead adults were returning to and spawning in the river before this year when fish from our rebuilding program began contributing to the population. Few spawning steelhead in previous years resulted in few eggs collected, and, thusly, small releases such as the 140 smolts released this year. Eggs will be collected from the Duckabush, Dewatto and Skokomish rivers for three more years, after which the remaining steelhead will be reared and released from the project’s hatcheries and population enhancement will discontinue.
In addition to LLTK steelhead program efforts, 140,000 summer chum fry were released into Lilliwaup Creek in an attempt to preserve the Lilliwaup summer chum population while we work to restore Lilliwaup Creek itself. In May and June, 84,900 Chinook were released into the Hamma Hamma River after acclimating for 3 weeks at the remote Johns Creek Conservancy site. Chinook are released into the Hamma Hamma River to restore a naturally spawning population there.
Smolt Trapping: "Smolt trapping began on the Hamma Hamma and Duckabush Rivers in January," said Joy. "Both traps have been catching chum, coho, Chinook and steelhead migrating out of the rivers and to the ocean." LLTK operates the trap on the Hamma Hamma River and assists the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with trap operations on the Duckabush River. The smolt traps are operated to monitor the survival of salmon and steelhead from the time they are laid as eggs to the point where they are preparing to leave the freshwater environment. It also provides information about the health and condition of the juvenile salmon captured.
Visitors: Lilliwaup hosted a group of Hood Canal sixth graders, with a trip to the smolt trap allowing them to see the fish, count the fish, and learn some basics about the life of salmon.
LLTK Board member Gaylor Kellogg assisted with collecting steelhead eggs from the Duckabush River in late-May.
In January, Rick, Jed and Joy presented the preliminary findings from the Lilliwaup Creek Restoration Project to the Lilliwaup Community Club. The community is eager to support LLTK to see this project through completion.
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