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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)


Final Report on Lake Sammamish Project


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 Dallas Cross's article in the Issaquah Press about sturgeon fishing.  
Read here...

Read WDFW news release of upcoming lowland lakes opener.  Read here...

Read about Tacoma area salmon fishing prospects for 2008.  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.
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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