Environmentalists wait to learn fate of Lake Sammamish kokanee
February 23, 2010
Hans Berge, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks biologist, holds kokanee salmon retrieved from Lewis Creek during a restoration project. Contributed
Conservationists continue to await a decision by the federal government about the status of the dwindling Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon — years after rules required the federal government to act.
Environmentalists and local government officials estimate the population of adult kokanee at a few hundred. Before a species can receive protection under the Endangered Species Act, the animal or plant must be placed on the federal list of threatened endangered species.
County Council urges protection for Lake Samm kokanee
July 7, 2009
Conservationists seeking to protect threatened Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon received a boost last week from King County leaders. Read more
Trout Unlimited, others ‘tagging’ lake fish to better understand endangered salmon
June 16, 2009
Dallas Cross
Fish Journal
If you listen carefully with your head underwater or place a sonic microphone in Lake Sammamish, you might hear some clicking fading in and out.
No, it isn’t freshwater submarine sonar. The clicks are from acoustic tags emitting information from fish recently caught and released. Tagging was conducted by a task team led by the Bellevue-Issaquah chapter of Trout Unlimited working with the King County Department of Resources, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Save Lake Sammamish organization.
In a continuing effort to understand different life-cycle elements of the possibly endangered kokanee salmon-trout, Trout Unlimited volunteers and members of the public initiated a program to tag several fish species in the lake. Although partially supported by a grant, funds still are needed to complete the project. The local Trout Unlimited chapter has initiated an “Adopt a Kokanee” fund raising program described on its Web site, www.tu-bi.org. Read more
Spawning Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon decline
February 2, 2009
Dallas Cross
Fish Journal
A census of the number of remaining kokanee salmon on their way to spawning in creeks feeding Lake Sammamish has been announced. The total number of spawning adult kokanee was 90, significantly less than the 147 counted last year and 713 counted two years ago.
The counts were made in the Lewis, Laughing Jacobs, Pine Lake and Ebright creeks, the last known spawning creeks for the remaining runs of the threatened species. Read more
Preservation group honors local members
December 22, 2008
Several local people were given awards at the Dec. 10 Bellevue-Issaquah Chapter of Trout Unlimited annual awards banquet at the Issaquah Brew House.
