Lower Columbia Salmon Fishery One of Best in Years
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Lower Columbia Salmon Fishery One of Best in Years
According to statistics from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), this year’s recreational salmon fishery in the Lower Columbia River will go on record as one of the best in years.
In their 2013 Environment Assessment of the Columbia Basin hatchery programs, the National Marine Fisheries Service concluded that anglers spent an average of $86 per day. In the month of August alone, WDFW estimates there were a total of 44,063 angler trips in just the mainstem of the Lower Columbia River.
By the end of the season, the fall recreational fishery on the Lower Columbia River mainstem will provide well more than $10,000,000 in economic activity.
WDFW Forum on Thursday
The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife will be hosting a forum on Thursday, October 8 at 6pm at Saint Martins University in Lacey (Norman Worthington Conference Center, 5300 Pacific Ave. SE). WDFW Director Jim Unsworth will be on hand to hear from the public as part of his new initiative “Washington’s Wild Future.” Feedback from these forums will help determine the agency’s priorities for conserving and managing Washington’s fish and wildlife for decades to come.
Washington Number 4 State for Boat Theft
Washington had the fourth greatest number of boat thefts nationally in 2014, according to a new report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). The NICB says 201 total watercraft thefts were reported in Washington. Only Florida, California, and Texas had more boat thefts.
Nationwide, thefts of watercraft dropped 6-percent from 2013. Thefts peaked in July and saw their lowest point in February.
Beaver Lake to See Large Trout Release
Anglers will soon have an opportunity to catch large trout this fall in Beaver Lake near Issaquah, Washington, thanks to the release of about 2,500 hatchery rainbows averaging about two pounds each.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will release the fish on Oct. 14. To facilitate fish planting, the agency will close the Beaver Lake access site at sunset on Oct. 13 and reopen the site at sunrise on Oct. 15. Beaver Lake, however, will remain open to fishing while the access site is closed.
