On October 12, Sammamish Councilmembers joined the Snoqualmie Tribe and members of the Kokanee Work Group at Lake Sammamish State Park for the annual release of
Kokanee fry. The fry are part of a strategy to restore the native kokanee population back to healthy levels after decades of decline.
The event included speeches by local elected officials, including Sammamish Councilmember Kent Treen, and representatives from other agencies that participate in the Kokanee
Work Group. Snoqualmie Tribe leaders lead a blessing of the kokanee fry and shared a song as the fry were released from boats in Lake Sammamish.
In his remarks, Councilmember Treen thanked the Snoqualmie Tribe and the late Chief Andy de los Angeles for their leadership in preserving and protecting the Kokanee salmon.
He also thanked the City's partners in the Kokanee Work Group for "bringing their creativity, expertise, and donations of time and money to the recovery of the Kokanee salmon."
The fry released as part of this event are a small fraction of the more than 14,200 kokanee that will be released by the Kokanee Work Group and its partners this year.
About the Kokanee Work Group
The Kokanee Work Group is an ad hoc collaborative group formed in 2007 to identify the causes for the decline of native kokanee in Lake Sammamish and the key actions to turn
around that decline. Membership includes watershed residents, the five local jurisdictions in the Lake Sammamish watershed (including the City of Sammamish), the US Fish and
Wildlife Service, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Parks, the Snoqualmie Tribe, Trout Unlimited, Friends of Issaquah Salmon Hatchery, Save
Lake Sammamish, Friends of Pine Lake, and additional stakeholders.
Read More
Further coverage of this event is available by visiting the following links:
KING-5: Kokanee salmon population rising in Lake Sammamish
Fox-13: Kokanee salmon released into Lake Sammamish in Issaquah
KUOW: Transported 'by land, by sea, by air,' endangered kokanee salmon released into Lake Sammamish
Seattle Times: A Lake Sammamish salmon species has dwindled. Can this emergency hatchery effort save them
Original source can be found here.
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