Grant County PUD plays key part in Lake Cle Elum sockeye release

LAKE CLE ELUM - The Grant County PUD played an integral part in an adult sockeye salmon release into Lake Cle Elum Wednesday.

The fish species is considered "locally extinct" there, but is slowly recovering because of the Yakama Nation Fisheries' efforts to reintroduce sockeye, according to a prepared statement from the tribe.

The efforts began in 2009 when 1,000 sockeye from Wenatchee and Osoyoos, British Columbia were brought to the lake.

The recovery continued Wednesday, when 218 sockeye were trucked in and dropped into the water during an invitation-only event.

Guests lined the shore to catch a glimpse of the salmon. Some onlookers even waded into the water to snap a close-up photo.

Of the 218 salmon, 191 were from Grant PUD's Priest Rapids Dam and 27 came from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Roza Dam, according to Emily Washines, a tribal spokesperson.

On Thursday, sockeye were still arriving at Roza Dam, which made 158 sockeye to reach that location.

Grant PUD Commissioner Tom Flint was among the event's speakers. He touched on other salmon recovery projects in which the district participates, the Hanford Reach Protection Agreement, Priest Rapids Steelhead and Settlement Agreement and the Yakama Nation/Grant PUD Settlement Agreement (a requirement of the district's federal license to own and operate its Columbia River dams).

"Success is based on working together," Flint said. "We celebrate the salmon coming back."

At Wanapum Dam, the PUD's $35 million fish bypass ladder was completed in 2008 to increase juvenile salmon survival rates. A fish bypass at Priest Rapids Dam, costing $27.4 million, is under construction with an expected completion date of April 2014.

The district is striving for a survival rate of 86 percent.

Tribal elder Virginia Beavert, 91, said sockeye were an important part of the Yakama's religion and were considered sacred. The fish was crucial to the tribe's food supply, trade and health.

Beavert grew up in Zillah eating all species of fish, not just salmon and trout, but also white fish and eel. That changed for the generations after her.

"You hardly see it anymore," she commented.

It is sad how people pollute water and air, Beavert said.

She said her great-grandmother was 120 when she died and before her death, would talk about the tribal prophet's predictions for the future.

"We need all the support we can get to care for our environment," Beavert said. "I'm very impressed with what you're doing here."

Russell Jim, a Yakama tribal elder, touched upon the health aspects of sockeye.

"When we bring back the fish, we also bring back the health of our people," Jim said. "Our DNA is tied to this river, and we need the resources it provides."

Yakama fish passage biologist Brian Saluskin recalled early efforts in 2009.

"We had a tough go at first when we brought them in," Saluskin said. "This area was sterile of nutrients for 100 years."

One day, fisheries' employees found radar tags at the south end of the lake. The fish were later found digging into the gravel, which was like cement to them, to spawn.

The sockeye that arrived at the lake Wednesday are the direct result of those first 1,000 fish.

"We have had favorable conditions for them," Saluskin said, referring to the cold springs and mild summers that have occurred since 2009.

During the recent state Legislative session, $136.4 million was approved for the Yakima River Basin Integrated Plan to provide water for the area.

To add to state funds, the tribe will ask federal legislators for support, explained Washines, a tribal spokesperson.