MLW I agree the Deschutes, Metolius, and state of Montana are good examples to a degree. However we are comparing the old apples to oranges thing here.
Montana is a very large state with a population of less than a million people. Oregon's population is close to four million and we put a lot more pressure on our resourses. Montana is for the most part a trout fishery where here in Oregon we have a combination of an anadromous fishery and a trout fishery.
The Deschutes River is 252 mile long and for the most part wonders through unpopulated areas, the exception being Bend and Redmond. That population is nothing compared to the Portland Metro Area. They do have hatcheries on the Deschutes, Oak Springs hatchery, and Round Butte hatchery. The do plant hatchery steelhead and chinook in the Deschutes.
"The Round Butte fish hatchery, located at the base of Round Butte dam, is run by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and funded by PGE. It produces about 240,000 spring Chinook salmon and 160,000 steelhead every year. Fisheries personnel capture adult returning salmon and steelhead below the dams and transport them to the fish hatchery. There the eggs are removed and incubated on screen trays. Once the eggs hatch and the fry are big enough, they are transferred to small tanks and then to larger areas that more closely resemble natural conditions. The smolts (juvenile fish ready to migrate to the ocean) are released during the spring. After a few years in the ocean, the adult fish return to the river and the cycle begins again." quotes from ODFW webb page.
I do think they have done a darn good job of managing the trout on that river. I can remember when they used to stock it with trout and we would fish for them with worms and salmon eggs. (early 1960s) Now it's a trophy trout river with wild trout.
The Sandy River is only 56 miles long, with 2 million people living very close. It gets fishing pressure 365 days a year. There have been fish hatcheries on that river since prior to 1895. There was one on the Salmon River and there was one 6 miles ubove the Marmont Dam site. In the Sandy system we have already lost many miles of water to fish. That was a trade off, we could fish the lower river for hatchery fish and make the Salmon, Upper Sandy, Zig Zag and Still Creek off limits to fishing. We have also lost fishing water in the Clackamas system just over the hill from the Sandy system. Like I mentioned before if they close the hatchery I hope the just close the entire river system, because there won't be a fish left in the river if they dont.
The Metolius is another river that is located away from large population centers. It is 29 miles long and does not get the pressure that a metro area rivers get. There are some good things happening on that river as far as the attemps to reintroduce non hatchery anadromous fish runs. The Metolius also used to get a strong dose of hatchery fish from the hatchery located on that river. Now they have stopped the planting of hatchery fish in that river to allow the wild fish a better chance. The Wizard Falls hatchery fish now go into various lakes.
For rivers that have done well without hatcheries The John Day and the Crooked River are great examples. Neither river has a harchery on it. The Crooked is a central Oregon Jewell, but again it is located far and away form any large population center. The same goes for the John Day River in eastern Oregon. No large population centers near it unless you count Spray or Service Creek.
My main concern is that with the states population growth we need to manage the fisheries taking into account the totality of the circumstances. I have seen Oregon's population go from less than 1.5 million to 4 million in just my lifetime. I worry for the future of fishing, and want fish to be there for my grand kids. I believe we need a blended approach with some rivers having hatcheries and some not. I also believe that sports fishermen may see things differently but we all want the best for Oregons future fisheries.
I have seen what happened to Oregons hunting. I used to buy a deer tag and could hunt anywhere in the state with the last part of the season being doe season. It was similar with the elk hunting. You bought one tag and could hunt anywhere. It's not even close to that anymore and I no longer hunt. I figured if they have to manage it so tightly I would do my part and not put any hunting pressure on the critters. It's the same reason I no longer fish for sturgeon. I hope what happened to hunting does not happen to fishing. Tight lines
