EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

the ordinary high water line. In areas where the ordinary high-water line is not defined the
lateral extent is defined as the bankfull elevation. In estuarine areas the lateral extent is defined
by the extreme high water because extreme high tide areas encompass those areas typically
inundated by water and regularly occupied by juvenile salmon during the spring and summer,
when they are migrating in the nearshore zone and relying on cover and refuge qualities provided
by these habitats, and while they are foraging. Of the 50 watersheds reviewed in NMFS'
assessment of critical habitat for Northern California steelhead, nine watersheds received a low
rating of conservation value, 14 received a medium rating, and 27 received a high rating of
conservation value for the species. Two estuarine areas used for rearing and migration
(Humboldt Bay and the Eel River estuary) also received a rating of high conservation value.
Final Protective Regulations
On June 28, 2005, as part of the final listing determinations for 16 ESUs of West Coast salmon,
NMFS amended and streamlined the 4(d) protective regulations for threatened salmon and
steelhead (70 FR 37160) as described in the Protective Regulations for Threatened Salmonid
Species section of this document. Under this change, the section 4(d) protections apply to
natural and hatchery fish with an intact adipose fin, but not to listed hatchery fish that have had
their adipose fin removed prior to release into the wild. The amended June 2005 4(d) rule
applies to the Lower Columbia River steelhead DPS.
Puget Sound Steelhead
Distribution and Description of the Listed Species
The Puget Sound DPS for steelhead includes all naturally spawned anadromous winter-run and
summer-run steelhead populations in watersheds of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Puget Sound and
Hood Canal, Washington. Boundaries of this DPS extend to and include the Elwha River to the
west, and the Nooksack River and Dakota Creek to the north. Hatchery production of steelhead
is widespread throughout this DPS, but only two artificial propagation programs are part of this
DPS: the Green River natural and Hamma Hamma winter-run steelhead hatchery populations.
The remaining hatchery programs are not considered part of the Puget Sound steelhead DPS
because they are more than moderately diverged from the local native populations (Hard et al.
2007).
The oceanic distribution of Puget Sound steelhead is not well understood. Winter and summer
runs from multiple DPS’ comingle in the North Pacific Ocean and some may undergo extensive
migrations as a result of the location of their natal streams and oceanic “centers of abundance”
(Light et al. 1989). Tagging and genetic studies indicate that Puget Sound steelhead migrate to
the central North Pacific ocean (see French et al. 1975, Hartt and Dell 1986, and Burgner et al.
1992 in Hard et al. 2007). Oceanic residence times varies among populations within the DPS,
with some populations spending only one season in the ocean and others spending three years in
marine waters before returning to their natal stream for spawning. Generally, winter-run
steelhead enter their natal freshwater systems later (November to April) in the year than summerrun
steelhead (May to October), and thus have a shorter freshwater residence time just prior to
spawning. The result is that winter-run steelhead have a lower pre-spawn mortality rate than
summer-run steelhead (Hard et al. 2007). Winter-run steelhead are also more prevalent than
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