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Tongass Home » Districts
and Offices » Prince
of Wales Island » Projects & Plans » Fish
Island Steelhead Monitoring Project
Prince of Wales
Island rivers provide world-class steelhead fishing opportunities.
Over 70 of the 331 steelhead streams documented in Southeast
Alaska are found on the island. Concern has been expressed
about the health of these steelhead stocks, and allocation issues
have arisen between sport fishers (local & guided) and
subsistence users.
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We are working to obtain more information on steelhead populations; such as the total number of fish, age, sex, and length characteristics, run timing (when they are migrating into or out of fresh water), or how many rivers and streams they use on the island.
Without this information, it is difficult to judge the potential effects of sport and subsistence fishing on steelhead populations. Information is needed to develop effective regulations for the protection of steelhead. Our goal is to ensure there are enough fish to maintain the population and for people to harvest. |
| Fish staff at both the Thorne Bay and Craig Ranger Districts have been conducting snorkel surveys to count adult steelhead during their peak spring migration in selected streams. This provides a fish count on a given day, but does not provide a total population estimate. Fish biologists have also been monitoring reported subsistence steelhead harvest over the last two years. A creel census was conducted on the Thorne River during 2004 to sample local and guided sport fishermen. |
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In 2004, a weir was set up on 12-Mile Creek to monitor returning steelhead. During 2005 weirs were placed on the Harris River, Karta River, and Big Ratz Creek. The weirs will help establish steelhead numbers, ages, sex, length characteristics and run timing. |
The project goal is to identify long-term steelhead population trends and sport and subsistence use. We are working closely with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Federal Subsistence Board, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Organized Village of Kasaan on these steelhead monitoring project. We expect this project to continue over the next few years.
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