September 25, 2009
Action: Close the Methow River to all fishing.
Effective Dates: Sept. 26, through Sept. 30, 2009.
Species affected: All gamefish, including trout and steelhead.
Location: The Methow River from the Lower Burma Road Bridge (below town of Methow) to Foghorn Dam (1 mile upstream of Winthrop).
Reason for action: The maximum number of steelhead encounters set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s permit with NOAA Fisheries will likely have been reached by Sept. 25, 2009. The increasing presence of steelhead in the Methow River, coupled with increasing angler effort, have accelerated the number of steelhead encounters, necessitating a river closure to remain within incidental take limits set by NOAA Fisheries. The Endangered Species Act, Section 10, Permit 1554, addresses the incidental take of listed species separately for each fishery.
Information contacts: Bob Jateff, District 6 fish biologist, (509) 997-0316, Jeff Korth, Region 2 fish program manager, (509) 754-4624.
Effective Dates: Sept. 26, through Sept. 30, 2009.
Species affected: All gamefish, including trout and steelhead.
Location: The Methow River from the Lower Burma Road Bridge (below town of Methow) to Foghorn Dam (1 mile upstream of Winthrop).
Reason for action: The maximum number of steelhead encounters set by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s permit with NOAA Fisheries will likely have been reached by Sept. 25, 2009. The increasing presence of steelhead in the Methow River, coupled with increasing angler effort, have accelerated the number of steelhead encounters, necessitating a river closure to remain within incidental take limits set by NOAA Fisheries. The Endangered Species Act, Section 10, Permit 1554, addresses the incidental take of listed species separately for each fishery.
Information contacts: Bob Jateff, District 6 fish biologist, (509) 997-0316, Jeff Korth, Region 2 fish program manager, (509) 754-4624.