Outdoors | Bringing the Elwha River back to life

Almost 100 years ago the Elwha River on the northern Olympic Coast had wild chinook salmon topping 100 pounds.

Then came the modern industrial era, and in 1913 this once pristine river that hosted all five salmon species was blocked by the first of two hydroelectric dams, leaving no path for fish migration to the upper 38 miles of mainstem and more than 30 miles of tributary habitat.

Along with the monster kings, other salmon populations above the Elwha dams have long since vanished, but a minuscule salmon run still knocks on the base of the lower dam each year.

State Fish and Wildlife biologists calculate that fewer than 5,000 wild fish return each year, which is 1.3 percent of its historic level.

As part of the Elwha River habitat restoration plan, the Lower Elwha Klallam tribal staff placed more than 600 frozen, spawned-out coho in the upper river back in January. The carcasses came from the 2006-07 returns to the tribe's hatchery.

Green mesh bags, holding two coho carcasses each, were staked into streambeds above one of the river's two fish-blocking dams. The bags will be removed once the fish decompose.

"We are looking at how it affects the freshwater food web, and is it stimulating algae growth and creating food for invertebrates," said Sarah Morley, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric research ecologist in Seattle who developed the project. "It [salmon carcass placement] is a new approach to restoration that has been overlooked in the past, and this subsidizes nutrients that is lacking from the system."

These spawned-out carcasses are a major contributor to the river's food chain web, including fish and other wildlife critters and aquatic bugs. They also generate nutrients like nitrates, carbon and phosphorus in the river.

"In the Elwha salmon haven't been in the upper river for almost 100 years, and the river is relatively infertile, so this is an important start to see how the river responds," said Mike McHenry, a tribal habitat program manager. "The study will give us an idea on how the whole aquatic ecosystem works with this sort of stimulation."

Fisheries officials will investigate the benefits of these carcasses to the river environment before dams are removed after 2010.

This type of placement of salmon carcasses in other Puget Sound rivers and creeks has played an important role in enhancing watersheds and restoration of salmon populations.

The 108-foot Elwha Dam and 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam were built to provide hydroelectric power to Port Angeles. The dams didn't have fish ladders, preventing salmon from migrating upriver to spawn.

The dams are owned by the federal government, and Olympic National Park is the leader in removing them. The total cost of the project is estimated at $308 million.

Notes

• The Oakley Uprising free snowboard competition is Saturday at The Summit at Snoqualmie's Central Park at Summit Central. The event, in which competitors ride jibs and a quarterpipe, is open to all ages. Registration is 7:30-9 a.m., and the event begins at 10 a.m.

• The Outdoors For All Spree is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at The Summit at Snoqualmie's Summit West Area. Cost is $89. Participants will get meals, lift privileges, giant slalom racing, a T-shirt and a chance to demo next year's skis and snowboards, plus an invitation to the after-party.

This fundraiser benefits the OutdoorsForAll Foundation, which provides people with disabilities a chance to participate in outdoor activities. Details: www.summitatsnoqualmie.com.

• The Muzzle Loading Arms and Pioneer Craft Show, hosted by Cascade Mountain Men, Inc., is March 8-9 at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe. Cost is $5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Details: www.cascademountainmen.com.

• The Everett Boat Show is Thursday through Sunday at Comcast Arena in Everett. Cost is $7 adults, $3.50 for youth ages 11-17. Hours: noon to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Details: 206-634-0911 or www.everettboatshow.com.

• The Puget Sound Anglers Sno-King Chapter meeting is 6:30 p.m. March 13 at the SCSC Building, 220 Railroad Ave. in Edmonds. John Keizer of Fishing Frontiers will discuss tuna fishing off the coast. Details: 360-794-6369 or www.psasnoking.org.

• Outdoor Emporium, 1701 4th Ave. S. in Seattle, is hosting a free spring chinook clinic 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. This year's fish return is expected to be one of the largest in the past three decades, and this is an opportunity to learn tips, tricks and techniques from experts like author Bill Herzog and guides Tom Nelson and Eli Rico. Details: 206-624-6550.

• The Cascade Bicycle Club and Group Health is hosting the Seattle International Bicycle Expo March 8-9 at Cruise Terminal 30 in Seattle.

The event will feature more than 150 exhibitors with cycling products and services, and a wide range of seminars. Cost is $8; children under age 15 are free. Details: 206-522-3222 or www.cascade.org.

• The Bellevue/Issaquah Chapter of Trout Unlimited meeting is 7 p.m. March 12 at the Issaquah Brew House, 35 Sunset Way. Dr. Ingrid Spies will discuss the history of sockeye and kokanee in the Lake Washington and Sammamish Basin. Details: 206-200-2840 or www.tu-bi.org.

• The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is offering free training to experienced boaters interested in becoming certified instructors to teach the Washington State Parks-approved "Adventures in Boating Washington" course.

The next training is 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. March 9 at the Northwest Marine Trade Association Office in Seattle. Deadline to apply is Monday.

Once certified, independent instructors may offer classes in their communities for free or they may charge a fee. A required boater-education course is currently being phased in, which boaters operating a motorboat of 15 horsepower or greater will need to pass. Details: 360-586-6592 or email boating@parks.wa.gov.

• Peter Potterfield, author of "Selected Climbs in the Cascades and Classic Hikes of the World," is hosting a slide show and book signing that features his favorite hikes in New Zealand at 7 p.m. March 10 at the Seattle REI Store, 222 Yale Ave. N., and 7 p.m. March 11 at the Issaquah REI Store, 735 N.W. Gilman Blvd. Details: 206-323-1944 or 425-313-1660 or www.rei.com.

• The North Cascades National Park Visitor Center near Newhalem (State Route 20) has reopened, and will remain open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays through May 4. Starting May 5, the Visitor Center will be open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Visitor Center was closed last month due to a break in the main water line that shut down all water resources to the visitor center, and repairs were further delayed by heavy snowfall.

The visitor center offers educational exhibits and theater programs, and day-hikers can explore the network of snow-covered short trails. Scenic drivers are also invited to head east from the center to view the 14 miles of the park's mountain scenery to where State Route 20 remains closed for the winter at milepost 134. Details: 360-854-7200 or www.nps.gov/noca.

• The Fidalgo Island Chapter of the Puget Sound Anglers is hosting the Anacortes Salmon Derby March 29-30 at the Cap Sante Boat Haven.

This event offers $20,000 in prize money and thousands more in merchandise, with a $10,000 first place prize for the largest fish. The derby is limited to 800 anglers. Cost is $50.

Last year, the derby raised $24,000 for scholarships, which benefited students pursuing careers in fisheries and related sciences. Details: www.anacortessalmonderby.com.

• The Summit for Salmon climb of Mount Rainier is Aug. 22-25, and Save Our Wild Salmon is looking for participants that raises funds to help protect and restore healthy, sustainable wild salmon in the Columbia and Snake river basins. Experienced guides from Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. will lead the group. Details: 206-286-4455 or www.wildsalmon.org.

• The Lake City Chapter of Ducks Unlimited banquet is 5:30 p.m. March 19 at the Lake City Elks Lodge, 14540 Lake City Way N.E. in Seattle. Details: 206-660-9334.

• The Washington State Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society banquet is 5:30 p.m. March 22 at the Red Lion Bellevue Inn, 11211 Main St. Cost is $60. Details: 425-649-5194.

• Mount Rainier National Park is offering guided 1.2-mile snowshoe walks with park rangers every weekend through March 30 from 12:30-2:30 p.m. The walks are on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign ups start one hour before the walks begin at the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise. The walks aren't recommended for children under age 8.

Organized groups of 13 or more people may reserve a snowshoe walk in advance. Group snowshoe walks begin at 10:30 a.m. on weekends.

The Paradise snowplay area is now open, and only "soft" sliding devices such as flexible sleds, inner tubes and saucers may be used.

The Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center at Paradise is open weekends and holidays 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

The Ski Touring Center, operated by Guest Services, Inc., at Longmire offers cross-country skiing including touring and telemarking. Details: 360-569-2211 or www.nps.gov/mora.

• The Stehekin and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area are open and offer a range of snowshoe and backcountry ski routes.

The National Park Service will offer ranger programs through March 8 covering various natural and cultural history topics on Fridays at 7 p.m. at the Stehekin Landing Resort, and guided snowshoe walks on Saturday mornings at the end of the plowed Stehekin Valley Road.

The Golden West Visitor Center is open 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Rangers can provide details and maps of area trails, trip planning assistance and naturalist information.

The Stehekin Landing Resort offers fully equipped kitchenettes, equipment rentals, vehicle rentals and transportation service to ski and snowshoe trails on the weekends. Details: www.stehekinlanding.com. For more information on Stehekin and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, call 360-854-7365 or www.nps.gov/noca.

• The Nature of Winter Tour Series in the Methow Valley, hosted by the Twisp River Pub, will be held through March 1. The snowshoe trek from Jack's Hut at the Wilson Ranch or Sun Mountain Lodge is 11 a.m. every Saturday with a local naturalist. Learn about winter ecology, wildlife and animal tracking. All participants need a $3 snowshoe pass, and snowshoe rentals are available. Details: 509-996-3287 or www.mvsta.com.

• The National Alpine Ski Camp is offering a summer snow camp for children and young adults of all ages at Mount Hood in Oregon.

The camp offers six- and ten-day sessions in the summer for children of all ages. There is also a masters program for those over age 20. Race training is the foundation for the camps, with an emphasis on free skiing and free skiing drills. Designated for intermediate and advanced skiers, campers must have basic ski skills to attend.

Ski training is conducted in the morning, followed by windsurfing, rock climbing, rafting, swimming, hiking, mountain biking and go-cart racing in the afternoon. Details: 800-453-6272Cor www.skicamp.com.

• The state's Winter Sno-Parks are open for operation. Those planning a trip need to register their snowmobiles and purchase Sno-Park permits and cross-country ski trail guides.

Permits are available at more than 125 retail dealers statewide; one-day permits may be purchased on-line at www.parks.wa.gov/winter/. A one-day permit costs $10, seasonal permits are $30 and a special groomed-trails permit is $30.

The groomed-trails permit must be purchased along with a seasonal sno-park permit for the following Sno-Parks: Cabin Creek, Chiwawa, Crystal Springs, CS Road 54, Hyak, Lake Easton State Park, Lake Wenatchee State Park, Mount Spokane State Park and Nason Ridge. Individuals who purchase a one-day permit are not required to buy the special trail permit.

The snowmobile sno-park permit including the yearly snowmobile registration fee is $30 a year per sled ($12 a year per vintage sled), plus additional dealer fees. Snowmobile owners may register through county auditors or local state licensing office.

Nason Ridge Sno-Park near Lake Wenatchee State Park will be closed this season due to winter logging.

Downriver Golf Course Sno-Park in Spokane and Hardtime Sno-Park along the Wind River Highway in southwestern Washington are no longer available.

Several new Sno-Parks have been added: Ape Cave and Government Mineral Springs (South Cascades area), CS Road 54 and Lake Keechelus (I-90 corridor/Mt. Snoqualmie area) and Silver Springs (Crystal Mountain area).

For a list of permit dealers email winter@parks.wa.gov or 360-586-6644. For winter recreation information, including trail grooming reports go to www.parks.wa.gov/winter.

• A four-year, $10 million repair project on damaged roads and bridges of the Mountain Loop Scenic Highway has been completed, and the highway is now open to vistors with access through the Darrington Ranger District of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

The highway follows the South Fork Stillaguamish River over Barlow Pass and into the South Fork Sauk River drainage, and reconnects the towns of Darrington and Granite Falls.

The 2003 flood damaged more than 40 roads, closing of many of them, and restricting public access to popular spots. For details on road closures in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, see www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/conditions/road_conditions_report.shtml.

• Washington State Parks has announced their winter schedule, but that doesn't mean all outdoor activities have cone to an end.

In fact more than 100 parks will remain open daily through the winter offering campsites and other facilities. There are 19 parks closed until March and April, and six parks are remaining open during the winter on weekends and holidays only.

Tolmie State Park is open Wednesdays through Sundays through April 2, and the Goldendale Observatory is open 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays through Sundays and by appointment Wednesday through Thursdays through March 30.

Winter camping means smaller crowds, and campers may park their RVs or pitch tents on a first-come, first-served basis at most state parks open during the quiet season.

The parks also offer comfortable cabins at Camano Island, Kitsap Memorial or Wallace Falls state parks, a yurt at Cape Disappointment, Grayland Beach and Seaquest or a vacation house at Millersylvania, Fort Flagler, Fort Worden or Moran. These facilities may be reserved year-round.

Year-round camping reservations are available at Cape Disappointment, Deception Pass Dosewallips, Grayland Beach, Ocean City, Pacific Beach and Steamboat Rock. Pearrygin Lake and Riverside. Reservations can be made through Oct. 31. Details: 888-CAMPOUT or 888-226-7688. To view the winter schedule for state parks, go to www.parks.wa.gov.

• Those planning on visiting the Klickitat Wildlife Area should be aware of three road closures now through April 14 to protect roadbeds and to avoid disturbing wintering deer and elk.

The closures are in the Soda Springs Unit, including Anderson Road, 1.3 miles south of the intersection with Soda Springs Road; Old Headquarters Road, 1 mile south of the intersection with Soda Springs Road; and South Breaks Road, 0.1 miles west of the intersection with Soda Springs Road.

The 12 miles of unpaved roads were badly damaged by vehicle traffic last fall and spring.

The roads will be open during the early deer-hunting season in October, and will reopen in time for the spring turkey season. The roads will remain open to pedestrian access.

• The Wilderness Awareness School in Duvall holds numerous outdoors events, including a monthly "Tracking Club," that meets in Sultan on the third Saturday of each month now through May from 9 a.m. to noon.

The program is open to naturalists, hunters and people curious about learning to identify, follow and understand stories written in tracks left by animals on the Skykomish River shoreline. Details: 425-788-1301 or www.wildernessawareness.org.

• The Washington Trails Association offers statewide trip reports and trail conditions. Details: www.wta.org.

• The Northwest Fly Anglers offers various public classes through the year. The public also is invited to club meetings on the third Thursday of each month, at the Haller Lake Community Center, 12579 Densmore Ave N., in North Seattle. Details: 206-684-7524.

• The Emerald Sea Dive Club offers year-round activities including the big buddy program and weekly and monthly dives. The club meets on the first Wednesday of every month, 7-9 p.m. at Alfy's Pizza, 4820 196th S.W. in Lynnwood. Details: 425-775-2410 or www.emeraldseadiveclub.org.

• The Seattle Audubon Society offers field trips and classes every month. Details: 206-523-4483 or www.seattleaudubon.org.

• Northend Bassmasters is accepting new members who want to learn more about bass fishing. The group meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Crystal Creek Cafe, 22620 Bothell-Everett Highway (Canyon Park) in Bothell. Details: 206-789-4259 or e-mail Gary Millard at glmillard@comcast.net.

Mark Yuasa: 206-464-8780 or myuasa@seattletimes.com