Feb. 27, 2008

New Web site focuses on Cowlitz River fisheries planning

Media contacts
Sonja Hall, community relations specialist, (253) 502-8223
Tom Santee, Insight Northwest LLC, (541) 345-2088

Tacoma Power announces the launch of www.cowlitzfish.net, a new Web site dedicated to informing the public about Cowlitz River fisheries planning and management and providing information helping anglers plan their next fishing trip. 

Tacoma Power’s recent Cowlitz River Project license and its Fisheries and Hatchery Management Plan require many changes for the Cowlitz River fisheries.

“The Fisheries Technical Committee, which oversees and guides implementation of the fisheries and hatchery planning, wants people to have easy and timely access to information about what is happening and what is coming up,” said Mark LaRiviere, Senior Fisheries Biologist at Tacoma Power. “Cowlitzfish.net is aimed at meeting this need."

Along with information and links regarding fisheries plans and actions, cowlitzfish.net features a “Gone Fishing” section with up-to-the-minute information about weather and river flows. The site also describes fishing rules specific to the Cowlitz River basin and news from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife of interest to southwest Washington citizens.

“We will continue to add relevant and timely content to cowlitzfish.net,” said Tom Santee, of Insight Northwest LLC, who built and administers the site. “We invite site visitors to fill out the online feedback form. Comments, suggestions and questions will help us further develop the site and make it more valuable.”

Cowlitzfish.net is just one tool that will be used to inform the public about Cowlitz River-related news. A free-subscription newsletter is planned and public briefings will be on the docket for April, August and November 2008.

An in-depth technical briefing about strategies to enhance the effectiveness of salmon smolt collection in the upper Cowlitz River will be coordinated for the latter part of March and held at a Centralia-area location to be announced.

About Fisheries Technical Committee (FTC)
The FTC includes one representative each from Tacoma Power, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Washington Department of Ecology, and the Yakama Nation; and one individual representing Trout Unlimited and American Rivers.

The FTC is responsible for making recommendations to Tacoma Power on actions to maximize the effectiveness of fisheries mitigation, protection, and enhancement measures. The FTC also makes adaptive management recommendations.

For more information contact FTC at cowlitz@ci.tacoma.wa.us.