Despite concerns that 90 days was too rushed for a smooth transition of operations at the Methow and Wells fish hatcheries, the switch is nearly complete, with 10 people hired by the Douglas County Public Utility District (PUD) to run the two facilities…
Washington Department of Fish & WIldlife
Recovery of Atlantic salmon continues after net failure near Anacortes
Cooke Aquaculture, which raises Atlantic salmon at eight locations in the Puget Sound, has 60 days to repair net pens near Bainbridge Island, the Washington Department of Resources (DNR) told the company last week.
The discovery of problems at these net pens comes two months …
Douglas PUD hiring fish hatchery staff
The Douglas County Public Utility District (PUD) is making substantial progress in its plans to assume management of the Methow and Wells hatcheries by the end of November.
The PUD has hired a supervisor for each hatchery and received enough résumés for hatchery specialists that it is …
Conservation groups challenge wolf killings
Two conservation groups have filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and its director, James Unsworth, from killing any more gray wolves, which are listed as an endangered species by the state.
The suit, filed …
WDFW investigates apparent poaching of cow elk in Fawn Creek area
State wildlife officials are investigating the apparent poaching of a cow elk, after finding a severed head on Sept. 22 that appeared to be deliberately placed next to a U.S. Forest Service road in the Fawn Creek area.
“The disembodied head was neatly placed on the …
Douglas PUD hiring its own staff to take over Methow, Wells hatcheries
The Douglas County Public Utility District (PUD) is recruiting for 10 jobs at the Methow and Wells hatcheries, part of a plan to replace state workers with its own employees following the PUD’s decision to manage the hatcheries.
The PUD is …
Douglas PUD may end hatchery contract with WDFW
Staffing and management of the state Methow Hatchery in Winthrop and the larger Wells Hatchery near Pateros are up in the air since the Douglas County Public Utility District sent a letter to the Washington Department …
State agencies on alert for Atlantic salmon heading to Columbia River
Although the thousands of Atlantic salmon released when commercial nets ruptured are a long way from the mouth of the Columbia River — the portal to headwaters in the Methow Valley — state agencies responding to the crisis are proceeding as if it’s a real possibility that some fish could enter the Columbia.
Rivers and lakes still open for trout; steelhead outlook grim
With cooler temperatures, much of the Methow River remains open for catch-and-release trout fishing, and anglers can still fish for summer Chinook in the Columbia River near Brewster.
“This is the first time in years that the state has opened a season for …
Take a tour of Methow River floodplain restoration site Saturday
Work has been underway for several years to restore a natural floodplain on state-owned land off of the Old Twisp Highway between Winthrop and Twisp.
The community is invited to visit the site on Saturday (June 3) during a free event highlighting the connection between …
