EMERGENCY RULES
FISH AND WILDLIFE
Effective Date of Rule: October 21, 2009.
Purpose: Amend personal use fishing rules.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 232-28-61900V; and amending WAC 232-28-619.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 77.12.047 and 77.04.020.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: Sufficient numbers of wild steelhead have moved upriver from this section, allowing anglers additional opportunity to harvest adipose fin-clipped steelhead with minimal impact to wild fish. The fishery will reduce the number of excess hatchery-origin steelhead and consequently increase the proportion of natural-origin steelhead on the spawning grounds. There is insufficient time to adopt permanent rules.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 1, Amended 0, Repealed 1.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Date Adopted: October 15, 2009.
Lori Preuss
for Philip Anderson
Director
(1) Effective immediately until further notice, a person may fish for steelhead in the Columbia River from Rock Island Dam to 400 feet below Chief Joseph Dam. Selective gear rules, except bait and motorized vessels allowed. Night closure in effect. Daily limit may contain up to four adipose fin clipped steelhead; minimum size 20 inches.
(2) Effective immediately until further notice, a person may fish for steelhead in the Entiat River upstream from the Alternate Highway 97 Bridge near the mouth of the Entiat River to 800 feet downstream of the Entiat National Fish Hatchery outfall. Night closure and selective gear rules apply, except motorized vessels allowed. Daily limit may contain up to four adipose fin clipped steelhead; minimum size 20 inches.
(3) Effective immediately through November 15, 2009, a person may fish for salmon and steelhead in waters of Icicle River from the mouth to 500 feet downstream of Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery Barrier Dam. Night closure and selective gear rules apply. Daily limit may contain up to four adipose fin clipped steelhead, minimum size 20 inches; and three coho salmon, minimum size 12 inches. Release all floy-tagged coho.
(4) Effective immediately until further notice, a person may fish for steelhead in waters of the Methow River from the Hwy. 97 Bridge in Pateros upstream to the confluence with the Chewuch River. Night closure and selective gear rules apply, except motorized vessels allowed from the Hwy. 97 Bridge in Pateros upstream to the second powerline crossing upstream of Pateros. Whitefish gear rules do not apply. Daily limit may contain up to four adipose fin clipped steelhead; minimum size 20 inches.
(5) Effective immediately until further notice, a person may fish for steelhead in the Okanogan River, except CLOSED WATERS from the Lake Osoyoos Control Dam (Zosel Dam) downstream to the first Hwy 97 Bridge below Oroville, Washington. Night closure and selective gear rules apply, except motorized vessels are allowed. Daily limit may contain up to four adipose fin clipped steelhead; minimum size 20 inches.
(6) Effective November 1, 2009, until further notice, a person may fish for steelhead in waters of the Similkameen River from the mouth to 400 feet below Enloe Dam. Night closure and selective gear rules apply. Daily limit may contain up to four adipose fin clipped steelhead; minimum size 20 inches.
(7) Effective immediately until further notice, a person may fish for steelhead in waters of the Wenatchee River from the mouth to the sign about 800 feet below the downstream side of Tumwater Dam. Night closure and selective gear rules apply. Daily limit may contain up to four adipose fin clipped steelhead; minimum size 20 inches.
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The following section of the Washington Administrative
Code is repealed effective October 21, 2009:
| WAC 232-28-61900V | Exceptions to statewide rules -- Columbia, Entiat, Icicle, Methow, Okanogan, Similkameen, and Wenatchee rivers. (09-227) |