Low Salmon Returns & Wolf Kill

Not since 2007 have the sockeye salmon returns on the Snake River been this low. The number this year was only 101 and that took some help. Only 44 fish managed to migrate from the mouth of the Columbia River to Redfish Lake. There was a combined effort of trapping at both Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River in Washington state and Sawtooth Fish Hatchery on the Salmon River in Idaho's Stanley Basin and trucking them to Idaho Fish and Game's Eagle Hatchery near Boise. More fish are going to be released into Redfish and Pettit lakes near Stanley, Idaho.

The Teanaway wolf pack calls the rolling hills north of Cle Elum home but have not been very nice neighbors. Last Saturday during routine research a second adult cow carcass was discovered. KayDee Gilkey has more.

GILKEY: Despite a livestock damage prevention agreement and a range rider to increase human presence the carcass of another adult cow was found surrounded by wolf tracks and scat. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife experts reviewed the evidence and confirmed that the kill had been made by at least one wolf. The carcass was found on U.S. Forest Service land where the cow had, evidently, left the producer's grazing area allotment.

Thanks KayDee.

That's today's Northwest Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network of the West.