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 Kokanee Project   


Lewis Creek Kokanee - Photo by Bill Priest, King County

Lake Sammamish Kokanee

After taking a look around at all of our local waters, we have come to the conclusion that the fish needing the most help are the Lake Sammamish Kokanee. Their numbers have dropped to dangerously low levels in the last 2 decades, with the early run declared officially extirpated in 2001. Spawning in only a handful of tributaries, thee late run has dropped to less than 5000 fish in a given year. We have a lot of habitat and monitoring work ahead of us starting with Lewis Creek. In partnership with Save Lake Sammamish, the City of Issaquah, King County, and the Washington Dept. of Fish Wildlife, we will do everything we can to bring our fish back from the edge of extinction. To make this work we need your help. Whether it be grant writing, rock rolling, stream monitoring, project management, media exposure, community outreach or a cash donation a team effort will be required.

Good News - USFWS has decided to consider Lake Sammamish Kokanee for protection under the Endangered Species Act.  Read here ...

One of the first steps in getting this project started was to install the fish trap to catch the outmigrating fry.  Here's a  video of the trap being installed in Lewis Creek - Installing Kokanee fry trap in Lewis Creek (5.4Mb)


Project Update - 2009

During 2009, we are continuing with our efforts to enhance the Kokanee population in Lake Sammamish.  We have on-going involvement in the following areas:

  • Participate in the Kokanee Working Group.  This group, which was formed in 2007, is a multi-stakeholder group with representatives from the City of Issaquah, state of Washington agencies, private entities and concerned groups such as Trout Unlimited.  The Kokanee Work Group's goal is to find ways to conserve and enhance the population of Kokanee Salmon in Lake Sammamish.
  • Fry trapping.  We started fry trapping in Lewis Creek in 2007 (see the above video) and have continued since.  With assistance from the Lake Washington School district vocational arts program, we now have two fry traps, with the goal being to trap outmigrating Kokanee fry in Lewis Creek and one other creek in the Lake Sammamish basin.  Beginning in  late March of this year and continuing through mid-May, we have been trapping fry in Lewis Creek on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday evenings.  To view an up-to-date count of fry, click here.   We always need volunteers, so if you are interested in participating in this activity, please contact Mark Taylor, the Kokanee Project chair.
  • Fish tagging in Lake Sammamish.  In April and May, we are working with Hans Berge, an ecologist with the King County Watershed and Ecological Assessment Team, to gather data on the travels of fish (Kokanee, Cutthroat, Bass and others) within Lake Sammamish.  Our participation involves catching fish and delivering them to Hans, who inserts a tracking tag into each fish.  After the fish recovers, it is released into the lake and then its travels will be recorded on by a series of hydrophones which have been placed in the lake. To view a low-quality video of the fish tagging operation, click here.   To view a medium-quality video of the fish tagging operation, click here.


Project Update - 2007


The Lake Sammamish kokanee are one of the last truly native salmonids left in the Lake Washington/Sammamish basin. These kokanee are unique to Lake Sammamish and are currently at great risk due to habitat loss and worsening environmental conditions. They currently spawn in just a handful of streams in central/south Lake Sammamish including Lewis, Laughing Jacob, Ebright, and Pine Lake Creeks. The early run of these fish ran up Issaquah Creek, but was officially declared extinct in 2003. These are among the latest running of salmons, appearing in late November and running well into January.

The Bellevue/Issaquah Chapter of Trout Unlimited, in partnership with Boy Scout Eagle Scout candidate Colin Wick, Troop 677, Save Lake Sammamish, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the City of Issaquah have just completed the first ever survey of out migrating Lake Sammamish late run kokanee on Lewis Creek, a tributary of Lake Sammamish. This project spanned over 2 months and took up well over 500 hours of volunteer time. The baseline data collected will be used to assess the number of fry in the system, the timing of their run, and 4 years from now, percent that survived to return to spawn. It is critical information if we are to save this special fish.We plan on expanding this program to other spawning streams in the basin.

 

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About Us
This is the Bellevue/Issaquah Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
 
For a list of 2008 officers and to read meeting minutes,  go here ...
News
Read a write-up on the Lake Sammamish fish-tagging project.  Click here...

Visit the TU Action Center to help protect endangered Snake River salmon and steelhead! Click here...

Read Dallas Cross's article about Cutthroat Trout. Click here...

An article in Sound News discusses the plight of Kokanee in Lake Sammamish. Click here...

View a video showing King County DNRP biologists working with kokanee on Lewis and Ebright Creeks. Click here...

Read about illegal bridge work on Lewis Creek - may harm Kokanee! Click here...

 Read Dallas Cross's article about the decline in Lake Sammamish Kokanee Click here...

Read Dallas Cross's article about our awards banquet Click here...

Listen to Dr. David Montgomery and others discuss this year's massive flooding Click here...

Puget Sound killer whales appear to be more contiminated than northern orcas because the salmon they are earting are more toxic. Click here...

Read about what happen to a fisherman who exceeded his limit! Read here...

Check out KOMO News story about Andy Batcho's stream stewardship efforts! Click here...

Read an article about our project to Adopt-a-Salmon on Lake Sammamish. Read here...

Read about WDWF creel survey boxes on North fork, Middle Fork and South Fork areas of upper Snoqualmie watershed.  Read here...

Read about fishing enhancements included in Puget Sound Energy's new license for the Baker hydropower facility.  Read here...

Read Dallas Cross's article on closure of Tokul Creek hatchery.  Read here...

Comments by Snoqualmie Tribe and Trout Unlimited regarding review on Lake Sammamish Kokanee petition. Read here... 

USFWS decides to consider Lake Sammamish kokanee for protection under the Endangered Species Act.  Read here ... 

Coalition of conservation groups request scientific review of Pacific Salmon Treaty.  Read here...

Seattle Times op-ed on the Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act.Read here...

Issaquah Press article on fish ladder problems at the hatchery. Read here...

Projects
Find out what we're doing to ensure we can still fish in the future here.

Kokanee Project Weekly Updates here.

View a King5 report on Lake Sammamish Kokanee here

Read an op-ed in the Seattle-PI about Lake Sammamish Kokanee  here


Read about a new project whose goal is to enhance lower Bear Creek in Redmond Click here

Fishing Report
Where are the fishing hotspots? More importantly, where are the fish?! We're not telling! No, really, go here.
TU Youth
Read about Marvista  School's "Salmon in the Classroom" project...

Kids, do you have the Boy Scout fly-fishing merit badge
 More about fly-fishing merit badge
Here is Colin Wick's Eagle Scout Project Workbook describing his work on the Kokanee Project.


Cast for Kids Events - April 19 - Green Lake, May 17 - Seward Park and June 7 - Gene Coulon Park.  For more information,   click
here.
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