Salmon Status in Washington
Today, 14 population groups6 of steelhead trout and Chinook, coho, chum, and sockeye salmon in Washington State are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
The chart below provides a snapshot of the abundance of these population groups relative to their recovery goals. Some populations are moving in the right direction and are approaching their goals, such as Hood Canal summer chum and Snake River fall Chinook, while others, such as Puget Sound Chinook and upper Columbia River spring Chinook, continue to fall further behind and are in crisis.
The chart only depicts salmon and steelhead listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. While some populations are not listed currently, they face many of the same threats and many are declining in number. Without concerted effort to protect and restore habitat, history suggests they also are at risk.
Today, 14 population groups of steelhead and Chinook, coho, chum, and sockeye salmon in Washington State are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
Salmon Recovery in Washington
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the federal agency responsible for overseeing salmon recovery. When reviewing the status of listed populations every 5 years, the agency evaluates threats, including degraded and disconnected habitat, dams, hatcheries, and fishing. While the number of returning adult salmon (abundance) is important, it is not the only measure of a population’s ability to survive over the long term. In addition to abundance, the agency evaluates each population’s risk of extinction due to threats from environmental changes and limited genetic diversity.
While the federal government is responsible for overseeing recovery under the Endangered Species Act, Washington has pioneered and embraced a decentralized approach, known as the Washington Way, that emphasizes local planning and decision-making. Listed salmon population groups have diverse needs and require specialized conservation strategies to achieve recovery. For Washington, this means that salmon recovery regional organizations developed specific recovery plans to address threats to different population groups. While some threats, such as climate change, impact all populations, many populations face more specific threats.
The regional organizations work with state agencies and the federal government to prepare and maintain locally based recovery plans, oversee and monitor implementation of the plans, and report on salmon recovery. developed specific recovery plans to address threats to different population groups. While some threats, such as climate change, impact all populations, many populations face more specific threats. The regional organizations work with state agencies and the federal government to prepare and maintain locally based recovery plans, oversee and monitor implementation of the plans, and report on salmon recovery. Each organization is responsible for maintaining and updating lists of priority actions to achieve regional recovery objectives. These prioritized lists inform funding decisions for state, federal, and private grant programs to ensure that funded projects are locally appropriate, supported, and provide benefits to fish at reasonable costs.
Some regions have multiple lead entities, which are local organizations guided by citizen committees and technical advisors that guide watershed-level recovery activities. Lead entities ensure that local expertise guides salmon recovery actions.
Banner photograph by John R. McMillan, NOAA/NWFSC, bottom photograph of the Chewuch River in the upper Columbia River region
