Sauk Chum Broodstock Collection

This one year broodstock collection project is targeting native Sauk River Chum, one of three recognized populations in the Skagit River system. Captured Chum will be held at Sauk-Suiattle Hatchery no more than one day then transferred to Marblemount Hatchery to be held, fertilized, and early incubation. Eyed-eggs are transferred to Sauk-Suiattle Hatchery for incubation, rearing, and release.

Presently, we have only obtained 28% or less of our broodstock collection objective in any given year. The Sauk Chum HGMP1 states a broodstock collection goal of 50 males and 50 females. The Sauk River is a complex of high bench riffles, runs, and boulder fields. Consequently, this river is very difficult to navigate by motorized watercraft. This project will supply the necessary additional equipment and resources to meet our chum hatchery program objectives into the future.



This project will help develop tribal capacity for a SSIT fish propagation program. Lessons learned and developing fish propagation competence will give SSIT the ability to explore other enhancement opportunities. The most important element of all this, is to establish a Sauk Chum broodstock collection expertise that achieves hatchery reform guidelines and ESA compliance.

The biological data collected from brood stock will contribute to Skagit chum run reconstruction and pre-season forecasts. Any successful enhancement will be realized by all Skagit tribes in the form of fishing opportunities. Developing in-house tribal fish propagation expertise will go a long way to exploring other enhancement opportunities.



The Sauk River experiences bed load movement and high turbidity events. Climate Change models are predicting more pineapple express events resulting in more frequent high flows. A monitored side channel experienced the above-mentioned events. In 2014, approximately two dozen redds were buried by a high flow event from bed load movement. The RSI will increase egg-to-fry survival for this segment of the population spawning in the area. The overall success of the project will be the return of adults to seeded areas that increase distribution range.