Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Plan B and other Reports Graduate Studies 5-2018 Supplementation and Community Involvement as Drivers of Salmon Recovery: Summer Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Populations in Union and Tahuya Rivers, Washington, United States Seth M. Elsen Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports Part of the Natural Resources and Conservation Commons Recommended Citation Elsen, Seth M., "Supplementation and Community Involvement as Drivers of Salmon Recovery: Summer Chum Salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Populations in Union and Tahuya Rivers, Washington, United States" (2018). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports. 1202. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/1202 This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Plan B and other Reports by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. SUPPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AS DRIVERS OF SALMON RECOVERY: SUMMER CHUM SALMON (Oncorhynchus keta) POPULATIONS IN UNION AND TAHUYA RIVERS, WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES by Seth Elsen May 2018 A capstone report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF NATURAL RESOURCES Committee Members: Chris Luecke, Ph.D. (Chair) Phaedra Budy, Ph.D. Brett Roper, Ph.D. UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 2018 ABSTRACT Between the 1970s and late 1990s, Summer Chum salmon abundance in the Hood Canal basin declined significantly to the point the population was listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (1999), with multiple subpopulations extirpated. The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, in partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, developed and implemented a supplementation program to increase spawner abundance in the Union River so that supplementation could eventually take place in the Tahuya River, where Summer Chum had been extirpated.