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In 1977, the (then) Washington Department of Fisheries initiated a comprehensive, long-range research effort to address the specific needs of managing Washington’s naturally-produced salmon runs. The Wild Salmon Production Evaluation unit (WSPE) was created to measure production, survival, and fisheries contribution of natural salmon stocks. Since its creation, WSPE has continued to enumerate adult and smolt populations, and measure and survival at three long-term monitoring stations. In addition, downstream-migrant production evaluations are conducted in selected large and small stream systems throughout Washington State. It also currently participates in a broad-based multi-agency monitoring project, Intensively Monitored Watersheds (IMW). Headquartered in Olympia, WSPE monitors wild salmon populations in Puget Sound, the Washington coast and lower Columbia River. Regional biologists and the Hatchery/Wild Interactions Unit monitors the freshwater production of wild salmon populations at additional sites statewide.
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