Restoring Kokanee Salmon in Lake Sammamish, Washington

Historically, kokanee in the Lake Sammamish Basin numbered in the tens of thousands, and included an early, middle, and late-run.  By the late 1980’s, annual escapement estimates plummeted to less than 100 adults returning only to Issaquah Creek, and in 2003, the early-run were declared extinct.  Following the loss of early-run, efforts to protect late-run kokanee in the Lake Sammamish Basin became a high priority for local jurisdictions, and in 2007 a Kokanee Work Group (KWG) was established to help guide efforts to recover kokanee in Lake Sammamish.  The KWG includes members from local, state, and Federal agencies, non-profit groups, elected officials, and interested citizens.  In the past five years, the KWG has funded a limiting factors report, identified habitat restoration projects for kokanee, contributed funds toward a supplementation program, and improved monitoring efforts.  The near-term goal of the supplementation plan is to increase the abundance of kokanee while habitat improvement projects are implemented to improve the productivity, abundance, and diversity of this population.