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condition. The lack of large-scale, main stem dams, as found on the Columbia, 

 also increases the prospects for successful restoration. 



Healthy fisheries are an important component of the Basin's economic 

 infrastructure. Rebuilding salmon and steelhead habitat can help rebuild the 

 Basin's economic vitality. When depressed runs are restored, harvest 

 constraints can be eased, allowing harvest of not only the restored rune, but 

 intermingled, healthy runs as well. Moreover, good recreational fishing 

 opportunity can attract new industry to an area. The recommendations proposed 

 in this report will create jobs for local workers both during restoration and 

 after healthy fish populations are rebuilt. 



PROPOSED FISHERY RESTORATION GOAL 



The findings have led to formulating a general goal: 



"to optimize natural salmon and steelhead production while maintaining 

 the existing genetic adaptation of wild spawners and allowing the 

 highest compatible level of hatchery production". 



Natural production will be restored when the total estimated wild catches 

 consistently lie within the range of historical estimates, and when wild 

 escapement goals are consistently met. This means: 



(1) Expanding spring chinook salmon wild production to its full potential 

 range. 



(2) Sustaining the recent increase in Chehalis River System fall chinook 

 salmon by improving water quality throughout the Chehalis River System. 



(3) Doubling Chehalis River System coho salmon smolt-to-adult survival, 

 compared to the 1989 level, so that Chehalis River System smolt survival 

 equals Humptulips River System smolt survival. 



(4) Increasing chum salmon run sizes to historical levels, 



(5) Ensuring that wild winter steelhead fully and consistently use the 

 spawning habitat in each available Chehalis River Basin sub-basin. 



(6) Evaluating existing wild summer steelhead populations in Chehalis Basin 

 tributaries. 



RESTORATION CRITERIA 



Habitat Condition 



Habitat restoration projects in the Chehalis watershed may not produce results 

 unless recent effluent treatment upgrades at the two inner Crays Harbor pulp 

 mills result in significant improvement of survival. If survival has improved 

 sufficiently, then habitat restoration throughout the basin should be 

 successful, and projects using promising and cost-effective techniques should 



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