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Chapter 7: ONGOING RESEARCH AND NEEDS FOR 

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 



Attempts to address declines of the fisheries resource have not only been 

 based on research, but also on such obvious problems as declining catch, 

 visible pollution, and fish mortality. Therefore, "research" is broadly 

 interpreted here to include scientific studies as well as habitat information, 

 hatchery records, fish tag returns, annual catch reports, and professional 

 opinion. 



This analysis of ongoing research and needs for additional information will be 

 addressed relative to fisheries restoration possibilities. The concept of 

 restoration itself has changed, and will probably continue to change, as 

 fishery managers and concerned citizens weigh the risks and rewards of new 

 fisheries enhancement initiatives. Restoration has been, and can be, 

 approached through habitat management, hatchery production, and fishing 

 regulation, or some combination of these three general approaches. 



HABITAT MANAGEMENT 



Water Quality 



Inner Grays Harbor Water Quality 



Inner Harbor water quality has apparently been the most critical factor 

 influencing restoration of Chehalis salmon and steelhead; it contributed to 

 poor coho smolt survival at least until 1989 (Schroder and Fresh 1992). The 

 same conditions may have reduced chinook salmon and steelhead smolt survival. 

 Results of pulp mill effluent clean-up efforts will become known in a few more 

 years. Further study may be necessary but can be delayed pending the outcome 

 of ongoing (plus expanded) survival evaluation (Schroder and Fresh 1992). 



Current Additional Information Weeds 



Coho taoolno .- Ongoing Chehalis Basin wild and hatchery coho coded-wire 

 tagging programs should be continued to evaluate success in cleaning up inner 

 Harbor water quality (Schroder and Fresh 1992). 



Fall Chinook tagging .- Fall chinook from Satsop Springs and the Humptulips 

 Hatchery should be coded-wire-tagged to verify whether this species suffers 

 from a pollution block (Schroder and Fresh 1992). This would also allow more 

 accurate estimation of marine interception. Work should begin with the 1993 

 release and continue through 1996. Sufficiently large release groups of sero- 

 age chinook are available for tagging at both Humptulips and Satsop Springs, 

 but tagging has been precluded by lack of funding (Johnson, WDF, pers. comm. ) . 



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