Court orders hatchery steelhead smolts released into North Umpqua River

ROSEBURG, Ore. - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife released hatchery summer steelhead smolts from Rock Creek Hatchery into the North Umpqua River in compliance with a court order issued this week by the Marion County Circuit Court.

Douglas County and two other petitioners - Umpqua Fishery Enhancement Derby, Inc., and fishing guide Scott Worsley - sought a preliminary injunction seeking to prevent the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission’s April 22 decision not release hatchery summer steelhead smolts in 2022 and to eliminate the Rock Creek hatchery summer steelhead program.

Under the court order issued Thursday, ODFW says about 70,000 hatchery summer steelhead smolts are being “volitionally released” - meaning leave the raceway on their own.

"Any smolts that do not migrate out of the raceway will be transported outside the range of summer steelhead rearing habitat to minimize risk of competition to wild juvenile summer steelhead in the river," according to ODFW. "Volitional releases have been standard practice with summer steelhead at Rock Creek Hatchery."

According to ODFW:

The court order also requires the Petitioners and ODFW to work together and with others in the region to seek out and support implementation and funding of an effective trapping program at the hatchery to further mitigate any potential harm to wild summer steelhead.

The ODFW Commission’s decision to eliminate the Rock Creek Hatchery summer steelhead program is enjoined until the case is decided on its merits or is otherwise disposed of by the court.

The Commission decided at its May 13 meeting to hold a special meeting to discuss information received from various tribes and other comments related to the Rock Creek summer steelhead hatchery program. In light of the court’s decision, that meeting is delayed to a future (yet to be determined) date.