2011-2012 Final Hatchery Escapement Report

The Hatchery Escapement Report is published annually by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Fish Program/Science Division and is generated directly from the WDFW Adult Report Database. The database contains daily records of adult fish handling activities as reported by hatchery facilities on the Adult Report form. It describes the total escapement, or return of species of salmon and trout, to WDFW facilities and cooperative projects within Washington State. It also 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 2011 and ending in approximately March 2012.

For this report, escapement is defined as the return of spawning fish to hatchery racks or traps. The data for this report are collected from WDFW hatchery staff that enumerates runs of fish returning to their respective streams; these numbers are recorded on adult records, which are sent to Olympia for compilation and analysis. These records provide information on run timing, information on the results of selective fisheries, and critical data for coded-wire tag (CWT) analysis. CWT's are a management tool used to determine the status of runs and the effect of various management strategies and research projects.

Bull trout are a listed species. This report is not a comprehensive record of bull trout found in Washington State by WDFW staff.

The 2011-2012 return year produced 545,659 anadromous and 106,768 resident adult fish returning to hatchery racks and traps for a total adult escapement of 652,427. These returning adults produced an anadromous eggtake of 193,216,866 and a resident eggtake of 37,943,667 for a total eggtake of 231,160,533.

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 race, or run. For example, chinook salmon are described in the three geographic regions as well as by their spring, summer, and fall races.