WDFW plans public meeting June 21 to discuss Wind River fish management

VANCOUVER, Wash. - The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will conduct a public meeting June 21 in Stevenson to discuss steelhead management on the Wind River.

The meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. at the Rock Creek Hegewald Center at 710 SW Rock Creek Drive adjacent to the Skamania County Fairgrounds.

John Weinheimer, a WDFW fish biologist, will discuss the department's ongoing efforts to restore wild steelhead on the river and fishing prospects for hatchery fish. Planned topics include:

• The history of steelhead management on the Wind River.

• How current management strategies affect fishing regulations and contribute to recovery of Columbia River steelhead listed as "threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act.
• The statewide steelhead management plan.

"As most anglers know, the Wind River is managed above Shipherd Falls to perpetuate wild steelhead, while the lower river provides sportfishing opportunities for hatchery steelhead and salmon," Weinheimer said. "We'd like to discuss this strategy with anglers and hear what they have to say about fishery management on the river."

Weinheimer said production of wild steelhead above Shipherd Falls plays an important role in the region-wide effort to recover steelhead populations listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act. No steelhead are planted on that stretch of the river and no hatchery fish are passed up the fish ladder below the falls.