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From Native Fish Society March 2022
North Umpqua Summer Steelhead returns have declined significantly over the previous five years. In 2021, a record low run of only 450 wild Summer Steelhead returned to the North Umpqua basin.
This historically low return, combined with hatchery fish on the spawning grounds and recent environmental conditions affecting Summer Steelhead in the basin (wildfires, drought, low flows, high stream temperatures, ocean conditions), prompted ODFW staff to reassess the viability of the population and factors that could be limiting their abundance.
And now, ODFW wants to know what the public thinks should be done to help restore wild steelhead. The information collected in this survey will be shared with decision-makers before they convene in April to consider the future of North Umpqua wild steelhead management. Please follow the link to this survey to give your feedback on the future of North Umpqua Wild Summer Steelhead. Remember the following:
–We would like to see a pause in the summer steelhead hatchery program until wild abundance is restored.
–Multiple factors are contributing to the decline of these fish, but we need to focus on those factors we can control, hatcheries and harvest.
–A majority of the folks fishing for North Umpqua Summer Steelhead would rather fish for and restore wild summer steelhead.
North Umpqua Summer Steelhead are one of only three populations of wild Summer Steelhead remaining on the Oregon coast. If we don’t restore this run now, we may very well have nothing left. Let’s share our voices to restore these fish to abundance for future generations of Oregonians and anglers following in our footsteps.
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