friends of the issaquah salmon hatchery

July 10, 2024

6-PPD Update

Remember 6PPD-q, the second most toxic to coho chemical ever tested? It is still with us, and is frequently in the news. A few highlights to bring you up to date:

Washington State has added 6PPD-q to the list of “Priority Chemicals” that will help incent tire manufacturers to find a safe substitute for this anti-oxidant used in almost all automotive tires, but it will take years to get this chemical out of the installed base.
The State Department of Ecology has established a “safe level” of 6PPD-q of 8 nanograms/liter, which is about a tenth of the concentration known to kill coho in a matter of hours. A good step, but has yet to be enforced.
In the meantime, it is critical to get this virulent poison out of stormwater, but unfortunately, a great deal of stormwater is flushed straight from roadways into salmon-bearing streams. The highest concentrations will hit streams immediately after precipitation, so timing is everything when it comes to sampling. A statewide Stormwater Work Group has sponsored a model that takes this timing into account, so sampling protocols can be set up to come up with accurate measurements.
Thankfully, 6PPD-q is not a ‘forever chemical’, and has a half-life, meaning that it breaks down over time. This has been measured to be dependent on what it is mixed with, and can be as short as days or as long as many months.
6PPD-q can be removed from run-off by simple filters, referred to as Best Management Practices, or BMP’s, which range from simple straw, sand and compost rolls to sophisticated activated carbon matrixes.
6PPD is a major component of artificial turf, and is being investigated as yet another source of 6PPD-q in athletic field runoff. 6PPD-q has not been linked to any human impacts. Yet.
A recent trade article forecasts a 5% per year growth in the sales of 6PPD to tire manufacturers. Wow! Hard to believe that the chemical manufacturing industry just sees the sales of this chemical as ‘business as usual’.

So, what can YOU do about 6PPD? Tell your elected officials you care about this risk to our salmon. I guarantee that our LD 5 electeds know how to spell it correctly. ;~) Yes, they are concentrating on getting elected, but they need to know you want action here. Second, drive less. Carpool. Walk. Use public transportation. Anything that reduces rubber wear on pavement.

Dying Coho

July 2, 2024

Phil Hamilton: Salmon Fishing is a Birthright

For Phil Hamilton of the Muckleshoot Tribe, salmon fishing is a birthright. He remembers when his grandmother was the tribal chair during the “fish wars” of the early 1970s, until the federal court Boldt Decision affirmed tribal rights to half of the harvestable salmon. He remembers how his father worked on the legal issues surrounding fishing rights guaranteed by 100-year-old treaties.

Today, after 43 years working with the Muckleshoot Tribe, Phil serves as a member of the tribal Fisheries Commission, overseeing management of the Fisheries Department. That includes raising salmon at tribal hatcheries as well as supporting the state-owned Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. The chinook and coho raised in Issaquah populate the Greater Lake Washington Watershed and historic fishing grounds for the Muckleshoot Tribe. Read more here

June 21, 2024

Spring Project: Wetlands Restoration

Spring Project Report: Wetlands Restoration

In 2023, FISH volunteers determined that the wetland ‘rain garden’ was suffering drought from a damaged irrigation. The plan consisted of maintaining the original design with some subtle changes to the drainage and irrigation. Green Issaquah and The Grange Supply visited to assist with determining the plan of action and offered native plants to fill in gaps. The broken irrigation line was a priority. With assistance from Lakeside industries, the wetland was encircled with a one foot trench, allows the water vault to set in, with a perforated pipeline multiple points of flow into the wetlands. Lakeside industries also supplied a large amount of drainage rock which was used to level out the perforated line and cover the trenched area. Now that the groundwork is completed repairing the water pump remains the final step to restoring the wetland and bringing it back into a natural water filter of the abatement ponds. Keep the salmon coming home!
Gary Fish

June 14, 2024

Three Generations of FISHing in Issaquah

When Jake Magill decided a couple of years ago to move back to the community where he grew up, it really was a homecoming.

After living in Seattle for several years following graduation from the University of Washington, he found just the house he wanted on Squak Mountain. “When I was looking for a house, I thought Issaquah would be my dream location,” he said, mostly because it would be closer to family and to nature. “I found this great house, and it’s in the forest, and it’s a 10-minute walk into downtown.” He put down the deposit.

June 6, 2024

A Salmon Journey: Story Stroll at the Hatchery

The story stroll is free and run throughout June.

The 55 kids at Fall City Family Co-op invite you to come for a story walk at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. These kids illustrated, wrote, and published their book, “A Salmon’s Journey: A Tale of Two Adventures,” after learning about salmon at their homeschool co-op. The story walk starts at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery fish statues and then travels around the whole campus. Just follow the arrows!

Join a salmon on its journey from Fall City, WA, to the ocean and back. Along the way, the salmon shares its perspective on various predators and environments it encounters. The salmon also meets a new friend who came from a different river (Issaquah Creek) and learns some unique parts of its journey.

June 6, 2024

Stars in the hatchery Native Plant Garden

The Native Plant Garden has hosted some local stars this Spring – after crossing the bridge, take a hard left, walk past the spawning ponds and water tower, and find yourself in the Native Plant Garden (NPG). Trilliums have made their brief appearance, holding forth, then yielding to more colorful offerings, such as Camas, the bulb of which is a staple food for the Salish Coast tribes. No, YOU can’t dig them up! Drop by and see what natives are on offer, any time of the year.

NPG Team

June 5, 2024

Kokanee Education Day

Kokanee Education Day 2024 was brimming with sunshine, celebration, and service at Confluence Park. This year, the event was able to host 100 students in 4 classes from Elizabeth Blackwell Elementary School in Sammamish. The students explored a variety of topics among the stations including lake habitats, fish passage, anatomy, reciprocity, tribal connections, and more. It was heartening to see these students walk away with a sense of responsibility, pride, and excitement about the Kokanee.

The event is hosted annually by the Kokanee Work Group, comprised of a suite of local entities that are committed to the recovery of this magnificent species. This engaging and creative day for youth was designed to highlight stewardship of kokanee in the Lake Sammamish Watershed, increase awareness of actions residents and youth can take to support existing recovery efforts in their community, and celebrate new and ongoing contributions of the community and stakeholders toward the recovery of Lake Sammamish Kokanee. The organizations represented as stations and organizers include King County, Washington State Parks, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership, Wolf Camp, FISH, US Fish & Wildlife, Trout Unlimited, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, and the City of Sammamish. Huge thanks to Larry, Grace, Zeta, Mary-Beth, and Jenifer for their help!

June 5, 2024

Storming the Sound!

Over 1700 students from 24 schools in Federal Way descended on West Hylebos Park over the course of four days to release the smolts they raised in their classrooms and celebrate the lives of salmon. The collaboration between the city public works department and public schools creates an opportunity for students to dive deeper into the environmental, cultural, and economic significance of salmon to enrich the release of the ones they grew to know and love! We had the pleasure of introducing students to the ins and outs (literally) of coho salmon anatomy with a dissection. Alongside the students, it was a fantastic space for organizations to come together and connect. Just to name a few, some of the represented organizations included King County, Orca Conservancy, Long Live the Kings, Puget Sound Wildcare, among many others. Thanks to Katie, Grace, and Louise for their effort and support.

May 31, 2024

Salmon Story Stroll at the Hatchery

The story stroll is free and run throughout June.

May 29, 2024

Stars in the hatchery Native Plant Garden

NPG Team

May 23, 2024

FISH Volunteer of the Year Award

Proud to attend the 44th Annual Issaquah Community Awards Dinner and present Grace Reamer with the FISH Volunteer of the Year Award. Grace Reamer, embodies the very spirit of FISH’s mission. A month into my job as the new executive director, the FISH volunteer coordinator left on short notice, understaffed, and heading directly into the hatchery’s busy season, Grace stepped in with remarkable composure and expertise, seamlessly taking charge of coordinating more than 400 educational tours, ensuring critical projects stayed on track and trained existing staff and volunteers amidst unforeseen challenges.

Whether it’s leading a tour of school kids, explaining a fish dissection at a science fair, or onboarding new volunteers, Grace approaches each task with a level of enthusiasm and detailed attention that is truly remarkable. Her ability to connect with visitors at the gift shop, to gently refocus a misbehaving student on a tour or to advocate for salmon at an outreach event, Grace clearly shows her dedication to FISH. And if you haven’t had a chance to read the 30 years profiles that Grace has interviewed, compiled and written: Check out the page.

Thank you Grace, for your outstanding service and for being a shining example of what it means to give back to a community and helping to ensure Issaquah’s iconic salmon’s survive for future generations.

May 15, 2024

Terminal Fisheries, Chinook & Orcas

A recent publication describes a strategy that could make an immediate positive impact on Resident Orca populations: terminal fisheries. According to data, 80%+ of salmon caught off British Columbia and SE Alaska are of Washington and Oregon origin. This includes the Puget Sound Chinook populations (and from among others, Issaquah Salmon Hatchery), all of which are still under the EPA “threatened” designation. The concept of a terminal fishery is to wait until the returning fish have sorted themselves out, and design a harvest strategy on a run by run basis (Coho arrive at the hatchery a month later than the Chinook), rather than harvesting a mix of threatened and non-threatened runs on the high seas. This study suggests that switching to a terminal fishery strategy would make 25% more Chinook (the mainstay of the Resident orca diet) available to them. It may also increase the average size of the Chinook caught, by reducing the harvest of immature fish on the high seas.