Archive for March, 2011
Today, Thursday, March 31, is the deadline to buy drawing entries for the lottery that will award 4,000 deer and 850 elk multiple season permits.
Winners of this permit, while they are still only allowed one deer and one elk on an annualized basis, are allowed to purchase a special tag so they can pursue their quarry open seasons for all three of Washington’s three weapons types, archery, muzzleloader and modern firearms.
Their chase may continue, switching from one weapon to the next, until they bag their animal. Elk hunters, in addition, if they secure their multiple season tag before Aug. 31 may hunt in both eastern and western Washington.
Multiple season tag holders, while being able to switch weapons, must abide by the remaining rules including being limited to hunting only in game management units that are open for the general opportunities for a given weapon. In other words they cannot hunt just anywhere.
By rule, you may put only one entry in each drawing pool and you don’t need to buy a basic license beforehand to enter. The $6.50 application can be purchased over-the-counter at any license dealer or by calling 866-246-9453.
Lest, you think this a deal too good to be true, there is the added caveat that the permit only reserves the tag that must be purchased at $180.50 for residents.
For more information about Washington’s special hunting permits and their auctions and raffles log on to: http://wdfw.wa.gov/hunting/permits/
The Washington State Department of Transportation has just announced it will formally begin clearing snow from State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, Monday, April 11. The opening day of fishing season for many Okanogan bound anglers is Saturday, April 23.
This latest start in 20 years for SR 20 is due in part to the fact that avalanche control staff and heavy specialized snow removal impliments, used in the clearing effort, are still required for U.S. Highway 2 through Stevens Pass.
With the snow burden present, WSDOT maintenance staff say it could take up to six weeks for complete snow removal on the 34-mile section through the heart of the North Cascades.
The westside state highway crew headquartered in Skagit County is planning to get a bit of a head start on this year’s reopening by tackling avalanche accummulations on the west approach section on the north lower flanks of Ruby Mountain between Happy Flats and Panther Creek (mileposts 134.1 and 138).
However, the lion’s share of the problematic snowpack and avalanche chutes is on the highway’s east grade up Early Winters Creek between milesposts 169 (Lone Fir Campground) and 162.5 (Washington Pass).
Washington’s northern-tier route is closed annually, during the winter months, from Happy Flats above Ross Lake on the westside to Silver Star Creek near Mazama in eastside’s Methow Valley.
Source: Jeff Adamson, Washington State Department of Transportation, Wenatchee
P.S.: While street-legal motor vehicles are barred behind the locked gates at Silver Star and Happy Flats, it’s okay for foot, mountain bike and snowmobile traffic to use the route, however, as always, venturers should be well- prepared, equipped and trained for mountain conditions and consult both weather and avalanche information sources before heading out.
Prospects for fishing foray therapy via the North Cascades Highway may be some time off.
Between snowstorms Thursday, March 17, Washington Department of Transportation maintenance personnel and avalanche control specialists were able to do their recon of North Cascades Highway, a necessary precurser to commencing snow removal operations for the transmountain section of State Route 20′s annual spring reopening.
Surveyors found substantially more snow plus much deeper avalanche accumulations than in recent past years on the roadway under Cutthroat Ridge and Liberty Bell Mountain (mileposts 166-162).
The current snowpack depth registering on sensors at Washington Pass is 10 feet. In addition, WSDOT personnel found 50- to 60-foot deep avalanche plumes in the aforementioned troublesome locales along the grade up to Washington Pass. By comparison avalanche accummulations of just 10-12 feet were found in the spring of 2010.
Besides that, poised on ridgecrests ready to rumble down and add to the billowing snow blanket were a number of fresh new cornices. With the avalanche hazard high that day and snow pack conditions worsening, surveyors turned back even before reaching Washington Pass.
A quick look at conditions west of the crest by the WSDOT personnel based in Skagit County also found a blocking snow slide southeast of Ross Lake on the 5,000-foot tall avalanche chute on thenortheast side of Ruby Mountain. If their work schedule permits, the westside crew will attack that slide this week.
- Ahh… there’s a highway under us somewhere, right? WSDOT maintenance personnel encountered avalanche plumes 50-60 feet deep, such as this one at Liberty Bell Mtn slide chute 2 east of Washington Pass, on their Thursday, March 17 pre-opening recon of the North Cascades Highway. Last year the avalanche depths where only 12 feet. Courtesy photo Washington State Department of Transportation.
WSDOT says that for snow clearing work to begin, the avalanche risk will have moderate and slide hazards may have to be preemptively reduced, perhaps by using explosive packs dropped from a helicopter or 105 mm rounds from the agency’s tube artillery piece.
Besides a lessening of the slide danger, crews will need a break in the general North Cascades weather pattern, so specialized snow removal equipment and avalanche control personnel assigned to the Stevens Pass Highway can be released for the SR 20 clearing operation.
In addition to the department’s vaunted Kodiak snowblowers, this year on SR 20, due to the snowpack and slide zone depths, more heavy snow-moving equipment (i.e. D8 bulldozer and front-end loader) also will be needed. Use of a big dozer must be obtained by contract from private vendors.
The bulldozer is required to lower the avalanche depths to heights that are managable for the snowblowers to cut their swathes. The big scoop-bucketed loader is used in places to feed snow to the blowers that jet it well off the roadway.
With the threat of late-season storms prolonging the road-clearing watch on U.S. 2 and adding even more snow to the SR 20′s burden, WSDOT does not expect to start uncovering pavement above Mazama until April 11.
Throw in the inevitable occassional equipment breakdown and stand-downs for spikes in avalanche danger to the timetable and a reopening of the North Cascades Highway in time for the last Saturday in April trout lakes opener seems unlikely.
The bottomline for anglers here is it looks as if you will have to budget extra time and fuel money for a Stevens Pass swing into the Okanogan for spring fishing.
See more photos of the WSDOT scouting trip at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/5538235540/in/set-72157626170712679/
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is accepting applications for statewide hiring and placement of permanent full-time, junior-grade conservation officer(s).
March 28, 2011 is the deadline for applying.
The job announcement and application information is at https://labor.idaho.gov/dhr/ats/statejobs/jobannouncement.aspx?announcement_no=00864021924
- A March 19-22 razor clam dig will take place on four of Washington’s five razor clam management beaches. Kalaloch Beach will be closed during this dig.
The March 19-22 A.M. tide personal use razor clam dig on Washington’s coast has been greenlighted by state health officials.
The Twin Harbors and Long Beach clam management sectors will be open all four days, while Copalis and Mocrocks beaches will be open only on days one and two. Also day one’s dig will be on a PM minus tide (digging legal from noon to midnight), while the next three are AM openings (digging legal from midnight to noon).
The northernmost razor clam management beach in Olympic National Park, Kalaloch, will be closed for these two digs.
All 2010-11 annual licenses that allow the taking of for razor clams are still valid and will be until March 31. There is a three-day razor clam license option available, too. Diggers are allowed 15 razor clams a day, but they must retain all razors unearthed, regardless of size or condition. High-grading (throwing back smaller clams) a harvest is illegal.
As of Saturday, March 12 at 8 p. m.
All median flow comparisons are for the March 12 history at each gauge. Individual hatchery steelhead reports are through Thursday, March 10 unless noted.
STILLAGUAMISH RIVER SYSTEM
SPORT FISHERIES: See pages 37-38 of Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet. The Stillagaumish is closed to fishing above the Marine Drive bridge south of Stanwood, but is still open for gamefish and sturgeon below to mouth. All steelhead must be released.
FLOW – Stillaguamish River Arlington Gage
- Recent: 5,500 c.f.s., steady.
- Forecast: steady through Sunday morning, March 12 then sharp raise Sunday evening, March 5 then sawtooth discharge through Tuesday, March 15.
SNOHOMISH RIVER SYSTEM
SPORT FISHERIES: See pages 38-40 of Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet for Snohomish system opportunities. The Snohomish system is closed to fishing down to the BNSFRR bridge between Everett and Marysville
FLOW – Snohomish River Snohomish Gage
- Recent: stage reading 14.69 feet, sharp raise on daily tidal fluctuations.
- Forecast: slight raise though Tuesday, March 15.
QUILLAYUTE RIVER SYSTEM
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach information on page 58-59 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet. The Quillayute is open for salmon, steelhead and trout. The Bogachiel, Dickey and Calawah rivers as well as the Hoh River and several other peninsula streams are open for steelhead (including eligible for the one per year wild fish retention) and trout.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Bogachiel Hatchery (Bogachiel winter steelhead): 2,924 adults. Same week total in 2010 – 3,069 adult winter steelhead.
- Bogachiel Hatchery (Quillayute summer steelhead): 1,237 adults as of Feb. 2 final report. Same week total in 2010 – 567 summer steelhead.
No gage.
COWLITZ RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information starting on page 51 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery (Cowlitz hatchery winter steelhead): 1,572 hatchery adults. Same week total in 2010 – 1,561 hatchery winter steelhead.
- Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery (Cowlitz hatchery spring chinook): two hatchery adult. Same week total in 2010 – eight hatchery spring chinook.
FLOW – Cowlitz River Castle Rock Gage
- Recent: 14,700 c.f.s., dropping, now 5,500 c.f.s. above median flow for date under hydroelectric generation regime.
- Forecast: slight drop through Sunday morning, March 12 then significant steady raise through Thursday, March 17.
KALAMA RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information on page 55 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Kalama Falls Hatchery (Kalama hatchery winter steelhead): 460 hatchery and 95 wild adults. Same week total in 2010 –768 hatchery and 182 wild winter steelhead.
- Kalama Falls Hatchery (Kalama hatchery summer steelhead): 1,440 hatchery adults. Same week total in 2010 – 1,235 hatchery summer steelhead.
- Kalama Falls Hatchery (Kalama hatchery/wild summer steelhead): 2,048 hatchery adults. Same week total in 2010 – 2,288 hatchery/wild summer steelhead.
No gage.
LEWIS RIVER SYSTEM
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information on page 55 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Merwin Dam FCF (Lewis hatchery winter steelhead): 2,383 hatchery and 19 wild adults. Same week total in 2010 – 2,956 hatchery and 12 wild winter steelhead.
FLOW – Lewis River Ariel Gage
- Recent: 11,400 c.f.s., steady, now 5,730 c.f.s. above median flow under daily power generation flow fluctuations.
- No forecast.
UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: Greater Okanogan streams now closed for salmon but there are special openings on sections of the Okanogan, Methow and Similkameen rivers for hatchery steelhead only. Additionally, special steelhead openings are underway on the Wenatchee and Entiat rivers. See page 82 of the 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet for the winter whitefish season. The Columbia River is open for steelhead (see pages 77-78 of the regulations pamphlet) above Priest Rapids Dam.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Wells (Wells summer steelhead): 1,339 adults with 1,009 released; egg-take at 819,500. Same week total in 2010 – 1,277 summer steelhead with 910 released; egg-take at 599,500.
FLOW – Okanogan River Tonasket Gage
- Recent: 1,160 c.f.s. steady, now 50 c.f.s. below median flow for date. Water temperature: 40.46 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Forecast: steady raise through Saturday, March 19.
FLOW – Methow River Winthrop Gage
- Recent: 303 c.f.s. steady, 3 c.f.s., above median flow for date.
- Forecast: steady to slight drop through Saturday, March 19.
FLOW – Methow River Pateros Gage
- Recent: 502 c.f.s. steady, now 61 c.f.s. above median flow for date.
- Forecast: steady to slight drop through Saturday, March 19.
FLOW – Entiat River Ardenvoir Gage
- Recent: 133 c.f.s. steady.
- Forecast: dropping through Monday, March 14 then raise to crest Wednesday, March 16, then dropping through Saturday, March 19.
FLOW – Wenatchee River Plain Gage
- Recent: 1,000 c.f.s. slight drop, now 131 c.f.s. above median flow for date.
- Forecast: steady through Tuesday evening, March 15, then sharp raise to drop by Saturday, March 19.
GRANDE RONDE RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information on page 55 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Cottonwood Trap (Wallowa hatchery summer steelhead): no report. Same week total in 2010 – no report.
FLOW – Grande Ronde River Troy Gage
- Recent: 3,870 c.f.s., sharp raise to steady, now 1,010 c.f.s. above median flow for date.
- Forecast: storm raise starting Sunday evening, March 13 to near flood action stage Wednesday, March 16 then dropping through Saturday, March 19.
TUCANNON RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information on page 55 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Tucannon/Rainbow Lake (Tucannon summer steelhead): 10 hatchery and 22 wild adults. Same week total in 2010 – eight hatchery and one wild winter steelhead.
FLOW – Tucannon River Starbuck Gage
- Recent: 409 c.f.s., raising, now 218 c.f.s. above median flow under daily power generation flow fluctuations.
- No forecast.
Sources: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Hatchery Program; U.S. Geological Service National Water Information System and Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service.
Provided it doesn’t snow much more on Stevens Pass, Washington Department of Transportation avalanche experts and maintenance personnel will make a reconnaissance trip Monday, March 14 up from Mazama to evaluate State Route 20 through Washington and Rainy passes for its regular spring reopening.
The annual recon trip has been delayed while WSDOT’s limited force of snowpack technicians deal with recent prodigious late winter snow-pack build-ups on U.S. 2, one of Washington’s three trans-Cascade that must be kept open for commerce and public travel.
WSDOT’s Jeff Adamson also reports that State Route 20 east of the Methow Valley through the Loup Loup in particular sustained winter pavement damage from a phenomonon known as frost heave (from repeated freeze/thaw episodes this winter).
Until roadbed repairs can be made, motorists need to be alert for rough pavement patches where the asphalt is crumbling. Spot frost heave damage also occurred on state highways in other Northeast Washington locales.
The first spring A.M. tide personal use razor clam dig of the year on Washington’s coast has been scheduled for March 19-22. It only remains to be greenlighted by state health officials who will conduct tests for marine toxin levels about one week before the first day.
A second three-day stint also is in the books for April 7-9.
There is a bit of a twist for the March opening, in that day one (Saturday) will still be on the P.M. minus tide cycle, but it will have a double back to the Sunday morning A.M. minus that reaches slack at 7:36 A.M.
The Twin Harbors and Long Beach clam management sectors will be open all four days, while Copalis and Mocrocks beaches will be open only on days one and two. The northernmost razor clam management beach in Olympic National Park, Kalaloch, will be closed for these two digs.
All 2010-11 annual licenses that allow the taking of for razor clams are still valid and will be until March 31. There is a three-day razor clam license option available, too. Diggers are allowed 15 razor clams a day, but they must retain all razors unearthed, regardless of size or condition. High-grading (throwing back smaller clams) a harvest is illegal.
Following these two openings, state shellfish managers will evaluate clam takes and decide on more spring openings that also will be A.M. or morning digs.
Midnight Thursday, March 10 is the deadline for submitting e-applications for Washington’s spring black bear hunt permit drawing.
Some 579 permits in nineteen hunt areas in Northeast, Southeast and Western Washington are up for grabs in this limited-entry opportunity.
Hunt area details and a rules summary are available on page 61 of the 2010 Big Game Hunting Seasons and Regulations.
If Western Washington is your intended destination, be sure to find out who the landowner is and secure your permission for access to their property. Be prepared to pay a fee.
Applicants also must first buy a 2011 Washington hunting license with black bear as a take option and also get a black bear transport tag. Then log on-line and buy a $6.50 e-special permit drawing application and complete the filing either online or by telephone. There is no longer a hard-copy mail-in option.
Instructions for filing a special permit drawing are on pages 80-81 of the 2010 hunting pamphlet.
Be sure to get a confirmation at the close of the filing transaction, if one is not issued your application did not go through. Try again.
Also if you don’t want a chance to hunt black bear this spring but want to improve your future drawing odds apply with a ghost number to draw a preference point. It will cost only $6.50.
As of Friday, March 4 at 10:30 a. m.
All median flow comparisons are for the March 5 history at each gauge. Individual hatchery steelhead reports are through Thursday, March 3 unless noted.
STILLAGUAMISH RIVER SYSTEM
SPORT FISHERIES: See pages 37-38 of Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet. The Stillagaumish is closed to fishing above the Marine Drive bridge south of Stanwood, but is still open for gamefish and sturgeon below to mouth. All steelhead must be released.
FLOW – Stillaguamish River Arlington Gage
- Recent: 2,490 c.f.s., slight drop.
- Forecast: continued slight drop through Friday evening, March 4 then raise Sunday evening, March 5 then dropping through Tuesday, March 8.
SNOHOMISH RIVER SYSTEM
SPORT FISHERIES: See pages 38-40 of Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet for Snohomish system opportunities. The Snohomish system is closed to fishing down to the BNSFRR bridge between Everett and Marysville.
FLOW – Snohomish River Snohomish Gage
- Recent: stage reading 12.77 feet, steady with daily tidal fluctuations.
- Forecast: slight raise though Friday evening, March 4 then steady.
QUILLAYUTE RIVER SYSTEM
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach information on page 58-59 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet. The Quillayute is open for salmon, steelhead and trout. The Bogachiel, Dickey and Calawah rivers as well as the Hoh River and several other peninsula streams are open for steelhead (including eligible for the one per year wild fish retention) and trout.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Bogachiel Hatchery (Bogachiel winter steelhead): 2,924 adults. Same week total in 2010 – 3,070 adult winter steelhead.
- Bogachiel Hatchery (Quillayute summer steelhead): 1,237 adults as of Feb. 2 final report. Same week total in 2010 – 567 summer steelhead.
No gage.
COWLITZ RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information starting on page 51 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery (Cowlitz hatchery winter steelhead): 1,572 hatchery adults. Same week total in 2010 – 1,561 hatchery winter steelhead.
- Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery (Cowlitz hatchery spring chinook): one hatchery adult. Same week total in 2010 – one hatchery spring chinook.
FLOW – Cowlitz River Castle Rock Gage
- Recent: 12,400 c.f.s., substantial step drop, now 3,010 c.f.s. above median flow for date under hydroelectric generation regime.
- Forecast: slight raise Friday evening, March 4 then slight steady to slight drop centering on 12,000 c.f.s. through Wednesday, March 9.
KALAMA RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information on page 55 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Kalama Falls Hatchery (Kalama hatchery winter steelhead): 453 hatchery and 89 wild adults as of Feb. 16. Same week total in 2010 –767 hatchery and 109 wild winter steelhead.
- Kalama Falls Hatchery (Kalama hatchery summer steelhead): 1,440 hatchery adults as of Feb. 2. Same week total in 2010 – 1,235 hatchery summer steelhead.
- Kalama Falls Hatchery (Kalama hatchery/wild summer steelhead): 2,048 hatchery adults as of Feb. 2. Same week total in 2010 – 2,738 hatchery/wild summer steelhead.
No gage.
LEWIS RIVER SYSTEM
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information on page 55 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Merwin Dam FCF (Lewis hatchery winter steelhead): 2,383 hatchery and 19 wild adults. Same week total in 2010 – 2,879 hatchery and 12 wild winter steelhead.
FLOW – Lewis River Ariel Gage
- Recent: 5,400 c.f.s., steady, now 310 c.f.s. below median flow under daily power generation flow fluctuations.
- No forecast.
UPPER COLUMBIA RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: Greater Okanogan streams now closed for salmon but there are special openings on sections of the Okanogan, Methow and Similkameen rivers for hatchery steelhead only. Additionally, special steelhead openings are underway on the Wenatchee and Entiat rivers. See page 82 of the 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet for the winter whitefish season. The Columbia River is open for steelhead (see pages 77-78 of the regulations pamphlet) above Priest Rapids Dam.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Wells (Wells summer steelhead): 1,339 adults with 1,009 released; egg-take at 742,500. Same week total in 2010 – 1,277 summer steelhead with 910 released; egg-take at 517,000.
FLOW – Okanogan River Tonasket Gage
- Recent: 1,030 c.f.s. steady from sawtooth raise episode, now 131 c.f.s. below median flow for date. Water temperature: 35.24 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Forecast: slight steady drop through Friday, March 11.
FLOW – Methow River Winthrop Gage
- Recent: gauge reporting malfunction, last report about 310 c.f.s., which is above median flow for date.
- Forecast: slight steady drop through Friday, March 11.
FLOW – Methow River Pateros Gage
- Recent: 534 c.f.s. steady, now 121 c.f.s. above median flow for date.
- Forecast: slight steady drop through Friday, March 11.
FLOW – Entiat River Ardenvoir Gage
- Recent: 144 c.f.s. sawtooth episode.
- Forecast: slight steady drop through Friday, March 11.
FLOW – Wenatchee River Plain Gage
- Recent: 1,040 c.f.s. uneven drop, now 264 c.f.s. above median flow for date.
- Forecast: slight steady drop through Friday, March 11.
GRANDE RONDE RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information on page 55 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Cottonwood Trap (Wallowa hatchery summer steelhead): no report. Same week total in 2010 – no report.
FLOW – Grande Ronde River Troy Gage
- Recent: 2,920 c.f.s., step raise, now 20 c.f.s. below median flow for date.
- Forecast: rolling raises through Friday, March 11.
TUCANNON RIVER
SPORT FISHERIES: See reach closure information on page 55 of 2010 Fishing in Washington regulations pamphlet.
FACILITY (Stock/Species)
- Tucannon/Rainbow Lake (Tucannon summer steelhead): nine hatchery and 22 wild adults. Same week total in 2010 – six hatchery and 1 wild winter steelhead.
FLOW – Tucannon River Starbuck Gage
- Recent: 218 c.f.s., raising, now 35 c.f.s. above median flow under daily power generation flow fluctuations.
- No forecast.
Sources: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Hatchery Program; U.S. Geological Service National Water Information System and Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service.
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