Douglas PUD Partners With WDFW for Chinook Increase

Douglas County PUD recently linked up with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to increase Chinook abundance over the span of two years.

"Chinook salmon are the primary food source for Southern Resident Orcas," said Meaghan Vibbert, Douglas County PUD Public Information Officer. "Douglas County PUD was approached by the Department of Fish and Wildlife to identify ways to increase the number of Chinook we put out from our hatchery."

Douglas PUD offered WDFW a proposal to release 500,000 summer Chinook smolts at the Wells Hatchery for two years. According to Vibbert, the PUD will be paid $175,000 per year for the agreement.

"We were able to do this because we just remodeled our Wells Hatchery. We have additional capacity available that we would be able to rear these fish and release them to help out the Southern Resident Orcas," said Vibbert.