Steelhead Counts

Steelhead Counts in the Columbia River and Deschutes River

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Sherars Falls Steelhead Counts on The Deschutes River
Month	2009 Hatchery	2009Wild	2008 Hatchery	2008 Wild
July	13	4	5	7
August	182	76	50	32
September	2,031	497	980	242
October	874	323	552	224
Totals	3,100	900	1,587	505

Columbia River Steelhead Numbers for Perspective
The 2009 summer steelhead run in the Columbia Basin was far better than average. Counts are incomplete for 2009, as there are still nearly two months left in the year. However, in most years few steelhead pass over Bonneville Dam in November and December. At 602,306 it is doubtful that we will beat the 2001 total of 633,464. The best news is that at 171,538, the 2009 run of wild summer steelhead is the largest ever recorded over Bonneville Dam. The numbers below are offered for your contemplation.
The chart below draws no political or biological conclusions. It is only a table of raw data collected at one Columbia River dam for 71-years (about the length of one average human life). It does appear that within this short period of time that steelhead run numbers fluctuate significantly from year to year. Probably over a longer period of observation they would fluctuate even more. It would also appear that during the last ten year period we are on the high end of these fluctuations. We thought you would like a share of this good news.
The period of 2000-2009 saw 3,989,868 steelhead cross Bonneville Dam.
This compares to the ten year period of 1990-1999 when 2,180,512 steelhead passed through the same fish ladders. Trends might be seen more clearly when these numbers are compared to even earlier ten year periods. The 2000-2009 period has over twice the number of steelhead as any ten-period 1940-1979. Wild steelhead were not counted prior to 1994. The 2009 wild steelhead count exceeds 85% of the total steelhead counts prior to the 33-year period before 1970.
2000-2009 = 3,989,868
1990-1999 = 2,180,512
1980-1989 = 2,295,710
1970-1979 = 1,267,834
1960-1969 = 1,343,832
1950-1959 = 1,645,113
1940-1949 = 1,304,445

Year	Dam	Steelhead	Hatchery	Wild
2009*	BON	602306	430768	171538
2008	BON	356186	251093	105093
2007	BON	320931	239978	80953
2006	BON	333250	249360	83890
2005	BON	314721	225827	88894
2004	BON	311122	213580	97542
2003	BON	361412	249065	112347
2002	BON	481203	338158	143045
2001	BON	633464	483882	149582
2000*	BON	275273	199053	76220
1999*	BON	206488	151424	55064
1998	BON	185094	149393	35701
1997	BON	258385	224805	33580
1996	BON	205213	187838	17375
1995	BON	202448
1994	BON	161978	132804	29174
1993	BON	188386
1992	BON	314974
1991	BON	274535
1990*	BON	183011
1989*	BON	287802
1988	BON	279277
1987	BON	300351
1986	BON	376752
1985	BON	330170
1984	BON	315795
1983	BON	218419
1982	BON	157640
1981	BON	159270
1980*	BON	129254
1979*	BON	114010
1978	BON	104431
1977	BON	193437
1976	BON	124177
1975	BON	85540
1974	BON	137054
1973	BON	157823
1972	BON	185886
1971	BON	193966
1970*	BON	113510 **
1969*	BON	140782
1968	BON	106974
1967	BON	121872
1966	BON	143661
1965	BON	166453
1964	BON	117252
1963	BON	129418
1962	BON	164025
1961	BON	139719
1960*	BON	113676
1959*	BON	129026
1958	BON	131437
1957	BON	139183
1956	BON	131116
1955	BON	198411 +
1954	BON	176260 +
1953	BON	223914 +
1952	BON	260990 +
1951	BON	140689
1950*	BON	114087
1949*	BON	119285
1948	BON	139062
1947	BON	135444
1946	BON	142807
1945	BON	120133
1944	BON	100518
1943	BON	92133
1942	BON	151800
1941	BON	118089
1940*	BON	185174 +
1939*	BON	122032
1938	BON	107003

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1(800) 266-3971

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