Friends of the Cowlitz, Fish Restoration, Habitat Restoration SW Washington

Another month gone by. We are headed for the Yakima Sportsmen Show Feb.17th,18thand 19th.
We pick up our new Willie Boat Mon.Feb.6th.
We just finished a project moving 3 net pens from Mossy Rock to Toledo sand and gravel ponds.
We had to put them together and get them in the pond. That was a chore. Thanks to Rod Eddy,
Dave Becker and Richard Earls Jr. for all their help. Was greatly appreciated.
Feb.7th we will be getting 50,000 summer run steelhead for the Toledo sand and gravel ponds,
Feb. 8th we will be getting 50,000 summer run for the Wallace ponds down on the Vader Flats.
The week of Feb. 13th we will be receiving 10,000 cut throat at our net pen just above the Toutle at Lou Reeds place. The week of the Feb. 20th we will be receiving the balance of our coho eggs-which will be a total of 230,000.We rear these eggs at different locations and are released in different areas in the Cowlitz River. As you can see, we have a huge work load for the next 4 months, by imprinting these eggs and fish in different areas, it will give everyone a chance to catch these fish in different areas on the
Cowlitz. This means you don't have to fish just at Blue Creek or Barrier Dam to get a limit or a nice
quality fish.
Any one wanting to volunteer help for our projects please call Don at 360-985-2495.

Friends of the Cowlitz was formed in 1988 by a group of concerned individuals who had watched the runs of salmon and steelhead become smaller and smaller each year after the hydroelectric dams were constructed by the City of Tacoma.

At the time Friends of the Cowlitz was formed, it was decided that the main goal of the organization would be to work to restore the runs of anadromous fish (salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout) to the Cowlitz River and it’s tributaries. To accomplish this they would work to make Tacoma live up to it’s obligations that had been agreed to the in 1967 mitigation agreement between Tacoma and the Washington Departments of Fisheries and Game.

The goal of the restoration effort would be to see that an opportunity to harvest these returning fish by sport fishermen was available each and every year (for all species). As part of our over all goal, FOC also decided to work to restore anadromous fish to the watershed above the dams. This effort is ongoing at this time, with coho, spring chinook, steelhead and cutthroat trout all being released into the watershed above the dams. This has been possible because of FOC being able to work successfully with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lewis County PUD and BPA.

We have worked hard to have a juvenile collection facility installed at Cowlitz Falls Dam where the juvenile salmon and steelhead are captured and then transported downstream by tank truck to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. At the Salmon Hatchery they are placed in stress relief ponds for a couple of days and then released into the Cowlitz River to continue their journey to the ocean.

Among our other goals that have evolved over the years has been our fish rearing projects. Our fish rearing started with a net pen in an old gravel pit below Interstate Highway 5 that was known locally as Wallace’s Pit. This endeavor was so successful with summer-run steelhead that some of the guides actually left the area around the Trout Hatchery to concentrate their efforts in the area out in front of our rearing facility. This portion of the river was and is known as the Vader Pump House drift.


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Winner of 2011 raffle boat Jon Vigre from Salkum WA President's Message The 2012 Women in Waders calendars are now in. If you are interested in purchasing one please call the Barrier Dam Store at (360) 985-2495 or the FOC office at (360) 864-2647. Another month gone by. We are headed for the Yakima Sportsmen Show Feb.17th,18thand 19th. We pick up our new Willie Boat Mon.Feb.6th. We just finished a project moving 3 net pens from Mossy Rock to Toledo sand and gravel ponds. We had to put them together and get them in the pond. That was a chore. Thanks to Rod Eddy, Dave Becker and Richard Earls Jr. for all their help. Was greatly appreciated. Feb.7th we will be getting 50,000 summer run steelhead for the Toledo sand and gravel ponds, Feb. 8th we will be getting 50,000 summer run for the Wallace ponds down on the Vader Flats. The week of Feb. 13th we will be receiving 10,000 cut throat at our net pen just above the Toutle at Lou Reeds place. The week of the Feb. 20th we will be receiving the balance of our coho eggs-which will be a total of 230,000.We rear these eggs at different locations and are released in different areas in the Cowlitz River. As you can see, we have a huge work load for the next 4 months, by imprinting these eggs and fish in different areas, it will give everyone a chance to catch these fish in different areas on the Cowlitz. This means you don't have to fish just at Blue Creek or Barrier Dam to get a limit or a nice quality fish. Any one wanting to volunteer help for our projects please call Don at 360-985-2495. Don Glaser FOC President About Friends of the Cowlitz Friends of the Cowlitz was formed in 1988 by a group of concerned individuals who had watched the runs of salmon and steelhead become smaller and smaller each year after the hydroelectric dams were constructed by the City of Tacoma. At the time Friends of the Cowlitz was formed, it was decided that the main goal of the organization would be to work to restore the runs of anadromous fish (salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout) to the Cowlitz River and it’s tributaries. To accomplish this they would work to make Tacoma live up to it’s obligations that had been agreed to the in 1967 mitigation agreement between Tacoma and the Washington Departments of Fisheries and Game. The goal of the restoration effort would be to see that an opportunity to harvest these returning fish by sport fishermen was available each and every year (for all species). As part of our over all goal, FOC also decided to work to restore anadromous fish to the watershed above the dams. This effort is ongoing at this time, with coho, spring chinook, steelhead and cutthroat trout all being released into the watershed above the dams. This has been possible because of FOC being able to work successfully with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Lewis County PUD and BPA. We have worked hard to have a juvenile collection facility installed at Cowlitz Falls Dam where the juvenile salmon and steelhead are captured and then transported downstream by tank truck to the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery. At the Salmon Hatchery they are placed in stress relief ponds for a couple of days and then released into the Cowlitz River to continue their journey to the ocean. Among our other goals that have evolved over the years has been our fish rearing projects. Our fish rearing started with a net pen in an old gravel pit below Interstate Highway 5 that was known locally as Wallace’s Pit. This endeavor was so successful with summer-run steelhead that some of the guides actually left the area around the Trout Hatchery to concentrate their efforts in the area out in front of our rearing facility. This portion of the river was and is known as the Vader Pump House drift.
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