OAR 635-500-3440: Summer Steelhead

Policy and objectives for hatchery summer steelhead management in the Sandy River basin. (1) Policy: Consistent with achieving the desired status identified in the Lower Columbia River Conservation and Recovery Plan for Oregon Populations of Salmon and Steelhead (OAR 635-500-6575), the Sandy River basin shall be managed for hatchery summer steelhead: Hatchery summer steelhead smolts shall be released in the lower Sandy River basin, where suitable adult holding habitat is available throughout the summer and where adult returns will provide optimum recreational opportunity. (2) Objectives: (a) Release an annual 75,000 summer steelhead smolts into the lower Sandy River basin. (b) Maximize native fish production in the Sandy basin by eliminating potential genetic and ecological impacts of introduced hatchery summer steelhead in the basin above Marmot Dam by sorting hatchery summer steelhead and preventing their passage into the upper basin. (c) Determine if a native population of summer steelhead exists in the Sandy River basin. (d) Provide a fishery on hatchery summer steelhead in the Sandy River below Marmot Dam until such time as the sorting facility is removed. When date certain has been determined for removal of Marmot Dam, the Department shall return the issue of continued releases of salmon steelhead into the Sandy Basin to the Commission for review and additional rulemaking, if appropriate.