Protecting Native Steelhead in the North and South Santiam Rivers

In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service listed native winter steelhead trout in the upper Willamette River basin in Oregon as threatened with extinction. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pays for and allows hatcheries to produce and release non-native summer steelhead into the North and South Santiam Rivers in April for anglers who want to fish in warmer weather. Summer steelhead compete with, prey upon and/or interbreed with winter steelhead, and contribute to its decline. We’re challenging the Corps for contributing to the decline of imperiled steelhead.