2000-2001 Final Hatchery Escapement Report

This report is published annually by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Fish Program/ Hatcheries Division. It is generated directly from the WDFW Adult Report Database. This database contains daily records of adult fish handling activities as reported by hatchery facilities on the Adult Record Form. It describes the total escapement or return of species of salmon and trout to WDFW and cooperative projects within Washington state. It enumerates the total number of fish returning to hatchery racks or traps in the rivers and streams of Washington state for the spawning activity cycle beginning in approximately March 2000 and ending in approximately March 2001.* We define escapement as the return of spawning fish to hatchery racks or traps. The data for this report is developed by WDFW hatchery staff and Olympia hatchery division staff who enumerate the runs of fish returning to their respective natal streams; these numbers are transferred to adult records which are sent to Olympia for compilation and analysis. These records provide information on run timing for statewide runs of fish; information on the results of selective fisheries, and critical data for coded wire tag (CWT) analysis. CWTs are a management tool used to determine the status of runs and the effect of various management strategies and research projects. (These CWT recovery totals are available at www.rmpc.org). This report represents the collective work of many people and as such captures the definitive data for that spawning cycle providing a summary of salmonids returning to WDFW facilities throughout the state of Washington and the eggs that were spawned in association with those returning fish. For example: the 2000-2001 return year produced 646,441 adult fish returning to hatchery racks and traps and 214,488,683 eggs were collected.

This annual hatchery escapement report is organized and divided into three geographical regions: Puget Sound(including the Straits of Juan de Fuca), Coast, and Columbia River. It is further divided by species and races. For example: chinook salmon are described in three geographic regions, Puget Sound(including the Straits of Juan de Fuca), Coastal, and Columbia River, as well as by their fall, spring, and summer races.