The Columbia River Compact convened by teleconference at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, March 29, 2010 to consider non-Indian mark-selective commercial fisheries for spring Chinook on the mainstem Columbia River. The presence of large numbers of winter steelhead, including significant abundance of wild winter steelhead, precluded setting fishing openers during the previous two weeks. The results of test fishing on Sunday, March 28 indicate that abundance of spring Chinook is increasing, while abundance of steelhead is declining, at least to some degree. However, the numbers of steelhead going over Bonneville dam are running well over 50% ahead of the 5-year average.

Test fishing was conducted in Zones 2 & 3. In total, 21 drifts were made, with a catch of 66 spring Chinook, of which 65% were upriver fish. The mark rate was 92%.  In addition, 14 steelhead were caught, including 4 wild winter steelhead. The staff recommendation is for a 12-hour opener, noon to midnight, from the mouth upriver to the I-205 bridge.

Winter Fact Sheet No. 8 and the subsequent Compact Action Notices as distributed by WDFW and ODFW are appended as PDF files.

Winter Fact Sheet No. 8

WDFW Compact Action Notice, 03-29-10

ODFW Compact Action Notice, 03-29-10

Written by SFA at 12:16 pm. Filed under Columbia River Compact | 0 Comments »