OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology is providing the Tri-State Steelheaders with $50,000 for a streamside restoration project on the Touchet River in Walla Walla County.
The conservation group will install four engineered log jams along a stretch of the river to stabilize an eroding bank, slope the bank back in between the log jams, and plant willows and cottonwoods to help maintain the integrity of the stream bank, according to Ecology.
Money for the project comes from Ecology's Terry Husseman account, which is named for a former Ecology leader and is funded by fines levied against those who violate water quality laws, Ecology said. The engineered log jams also will improve stream habitat by providing resting pools and cover for fish.
State's anti-snagging rules to help anglers
A modification to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's anti-snagging rule will allow anglers to use a broader range of lures in freshwater areas where anti-snagging rules are in effect, the department said.
The redefined anti-snagging rule, which went into effect Tuesday, says that anglers must follow specific gear requirements, including the use of one, single-point hook, unless they are fishing with a buoyant lure or trolling from a floating device in waters where anti-snagging rules are in effect.
Details on the modified rule and gear requirements are available online at https://fortress.wa.gov/dfw/erules/efishrules/erule.jsp?id=813.
The change alters an anti-snagging rule adopted earlier this year that required anglers to use lures (buoyant or non-buoyant) with single-point hooks while fishing for salmon and steelhead in the mainstem Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam, or fishing for any fish species in other affected rivers.
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Chinook salmon fishery opens near Chelan
Chinook salmon fishery opens near Chelan
OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Fish and Wildlife will test whether anglers can successfully catch summer chinook salmon in the tailrace of the Chelan County PUD's hydroelectric powerhouse in Chelan.
The new fishery is scheduled to run through Oct. 15.
"This opening will test whether we can conduct a fishery in such a small area," Jeff Korth, regional fish manager for the WDFW, said in a news release Friday. "Starting this year, a lot of hatchery-reared fish will be moving through the tailrace, and we'd like to give anglers a chance to catch some."
Washington wildlife officials set sights on northern pike
Washington wildlife officials set sights on northern pike
SPOKANE -- State wildlife officials will ask fishermen to help control the advance of northern pike toward the Columbia River.
Fishery managers in the next few months plan to enlist anglers to remove as many northern pike as possible from the Pend Oreille River, which is the route the voracious species is following from Idaho and Montana.
Studies conducted with the Kalispel Tribe and Eastern Washington University show a dramatic decline in native minnows, largemouth bass, yellow perch and other fish species that inhabit the 55-mile Box Canyon Reservoir.
Yakama Nation shutters Boundary Reach to anglers
Yakama Nation shutters Boundary Reach to anglers
YAKIMA -- Rule-breaking anglers certainly don't like it and even some law-abiding fishermen may not like it, but state fisheries biologists are quite pleased with the Yakama Nation's decision to close to sport fishing the stretch of the Yakima River that borders the reservation.
For years, tribal and state fisheries and enforcement officials have been alarmed about the number of winter and early-spring anglers that, while fishing for whitefish, have reeled in and in some cases illegally harvested steelhead.
"Our enforcement guys watched it, and in some cases, if people thought they could get away with it, they would keep steelhead," said John Easterbrooks, regional fish program manager for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Meeting to address water needs in Columbia Basin
Meeting to address water needs in Columbia Basin
An almost completed forecast of the long-term need for water in the Columbia Basin and where it will come from will be discussed Wednesday in Richland.
The Washington State Department of Ecology is developing the 20-year forecast with assistance from Washington State University and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.
"For the first time, we'll have a comprehensive evaluation of what our water needs will be in the Columbia Basin," said Derek Sandison, who heads the Department of Ecology Office of the Columbia River. "This report provides a blueprint for how we invest in water supply projects."
Waste water treatment bill gets unanimous OK
Waste water treatment bill gets unanimous OK
OLYMPIA -- With a unanimous vote Friday, members of the Washington State Senate approved Senate Bill 6027 to help the city of Sunnyside return clean, cool water to the Yakima River.
The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Jim Honeyford, said his bill would provide access to low interest loans for a project vital to the community's continuing economic growth.
"Agriculture and food processing are essential to the economic viability of our region," said Honeyford, R-Sunnyside, after the bill's passage. "My constituents, their businesses, workers, and families will all benefit from enhanced economic development made possible by this waste water capacity expansion. It will be a strategic investment for our region."
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