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Protecting Native Winter Steelhead in the North and South Santiam Rivers

Federal hatcheries keep releasing non-native summer steelhead into Oregon's Santiam rivers — undermining the ESA-listed wild winter steelhead these waters are supposed to protect.

By The Conservation Angler Staff

Staff
The Conservation Angler
Published
July 26, 2024
Read Time
3 min
A close-up black-and-white photograph of a wild winter steelhead's head and gill plate seen through the rippled surface of the North Santiam River

A wild winter steelhead beneath the rippled surface of the North Santiam. This is the ESA-listed native run that the Endangered Species Act was meant to protect — and the run that hatchery summer steelhead releases continue to undermine.

In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed native winter steelhead in the upper Willamette River basin as threatened with extinction under the Federal Endangered Species Act. Twenty-five years later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to pay for and allow hatcheries to release non-native summer steelhead into the North and South Santiam Rivers.

Summer steelhead compete with, prey upon, and interbreed with the native winter run — and they are contributing to its decline. The Conservation Angler is challenging the Corps in federal court for its role in pushing these imperiled fish closer to extinction.

What the Science Says

NOAA Fisheries recently released its five-year status review of Upper Willamette River (UWR) Steelhead. The review concludes that UWR Steelhead are at "moderate-to-high" risk of extinction, with a declining viability trend.

The same review explains that releases of non-native hatchery summer steelhead are causing genetic introgression with UWR Steelhead, and that the resulting losses in diversity and spatial structure "limit" recovery of the species.

A hatchery summer steelhead in shallow grassy water with a red fly in its jaw, lateral band showing pink and lavender

A hatchery summer steelhead — the non-native run released into the North and South Santiam Rivers by federally funded facilities. NOAA's review identifies these releases as a direct driver of genetic introgression with the ESA-listed winter run.

The Legal Action

Thanks to your support, The Conservation Angler is fighting in court to protect UWR Steelhead from these hatchery threats — and to ensure they receive the protections they deserve under the ESA.

Our Motion for Summary Judgement, filed in April, and our follow-up motion opposing the defendant's reply form the foundation of this legal action. The Conservation Angler and Willamette Riverkeeper are represented by the Western Environmental Law Center.

We expect a hearing on these motions in late fall, with a decision to follow. The Conservation Angler is a nimble and effective advocate for wild fish and wild rivers.

Representation. The Conservation Angler and Willamette Riverkeeper are represented in this matter by the Western Environmental Law Center. We are grateful for their continued partnership in defending the Endangered Species Act and the wild salmon and steelhead it was written to protect.

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