Poor Steelhead Returns Impact Treasure Valley Residents: No Boise River Steelhead Stock This Year
Poor Steelhead Returns Impact Treasure Valley Residents: No Boise River Steelhead Stock This Year
Treasure Valley residents will feel the impacts of low steelhead runs in their own backyard this year. For the first time in 20 years, Boise locals won’t have the chance to reel in a steelhead on the Boise River.
Echoing last year’s trends, the 2019 steelhead runs are reaching historic lows at roughly 40% of the 10-year average. Each year, Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) collects steelhead during the run, retaining 600 fish for fisheries broodstock and releasing a portion of the ‘extra’ steelhead caught are released into the Boise River for residents to enjoy. Due to this year’s low steelhead returns, IDFG was only able to capture enough fish for broodstock.
Steelhead are large, native, ocean-going rainbow trout that can reach 2ft in length. Historically, the Boise River had its own steelhead runs, but a series of dams built in the ’60s and ’70s removed access to upstream spawning habitat and collapsed the runs. Since then, Boise locals have relied on Idaho Fish and Game to stock the river for a local steelhead season.
Consecutive years of historically low steelhead runs have resulted in fishing closures throughout the Clearwater region, with devastating impacts on fishing guides, outfitters, and businesses that rely on fishing tourism. The plight of the fishing industry due to collapsing runs was a major focus of the recent annual Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association (IOGA) Conference, with the impact of the lower Snake River dams on fish populations at the core of the conversation. Since the construction of the dams, Idaho’s salmon and steelhead runs are only a fraction of historic numbers. Over 25 years of science has demonstrated that the four dams are the largest cause of human-related mortality for the salmon. The IOGA has renewed its support for removing the dams to restore the runs and Idaho’s outfitting industry.
Now, the impacts of low steelhead runs are reaching onto Treasure Valley. Boise River steelhead fishing has become a tradition for many residents and a boost for businesses. For people who cannot travel to areas like Riggins or Salmon that still harbor wild steelhead runs, the Boise River stock has offered the only accessible opportunity for steelhead fishing.
Idaho cannot continue to afford the ecological and financial impacts of disappearing steelhead runs. Collapsing runs threaten the livelihood and culture of Idahoans state-wide. Another year of low returns reaffirms that our lawmakers need to take bold action and be a voice for Idaho’s communities and fish. Restoring the Snake River to a free-flowing river system is the single most effective action we can take to restore Idaho’s wild fish runs. It is time for our leaders to step away from partisan politics and stand with Idahoans to restore our fish and fishing communities.