EPA's Vessel General Permit and Small Vessel General

especially in the southern Puget Sound populations. Significant positive trends have occurred in
the Samish and the Hamma Hamma winter-run populations. The increasing trend in the Hamma
Hamma River appears to be the result of a captive rearing program, rather than due to natural
escapement. The predominant downward trends in escapement and run size of natural steelhead
in the Puget Sound DPS, both over the long-term and short-term, is of concern particularly given
that despite widespread reductions in direct harvest since the mid 1990s (Hard et al. 2007).
Critical Habitat
NMFS has not designated critical habitat for Puget Sound steelhead.
Final Protective Regulations
On March 29, 2006, NMFS proposed to list the Puget Sound steelhead DPS as a threatened
species (71 FR 15666) and on February 7, 2007 (72 FR 5648), NMFS proposed protective
regulations for Puget Sound steelhead under section 4(d) of the ESA. On May 11, 2007, NMFS
issued a final determination listing the Puget Sound steelhead DPS as threatened, and announced
that it would finalize protective regulations in a subsequent Federal Register notice (72 FR
26722). In this final rule NMFS applied the 4(d) protective regulations adopted for other Pacific
salmonids, as amended in June 2005 (70 FR 37160) described in the Protective Regulations for
Threatened Salmonid Species section of this document, to Puget Sound steelhead. These 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.
Snake River Steelhead
Distribution and Description of the Listed Species
The Snake River Basin steelhead DPS includes all naturally spawned populations of steelhead in
streams in the Snake River basins of southeast Washington, northeast Oregon and Idaho. Six
artificial propagation programs are considered part of this DPS: The Tucannon River, Dworshak
National Fish Hatchery, Lolo Creek, North Fork Clearwater, East Fork Salmon River and the
Little Sheep Creek/Imnaha river hatchery programs.
Snake River Basin steelhead are distributed throughout the Snake River drainage basin,
migrating a considerable distance from the ocean to use high-elevation tributaries (typically
1,000-2,000 m above sea level) (Good et al. 2005). Generally, classified as summer-run fish,
Snake River steelhead enter the Columbia River from late June to October. (Good et al. 2005)
After remaining in the river through the winter, Snake River steelhead spawn the following
spring (March to May) (Good et al. 2005). Managers recognize two life history patterns within
Snake River steelhead primarily based on ocean age and adult size upon return: A-run steelhead
are typically smaller, have a shorter fresh water and ocean residence (generally 1 year in the
ocean) , and begin their up-river migration earlier in the year; whereas B-run steelhead are larger,
spend more time in fresh water and the ocean (generally 2-years in ocean), and appear to start
their upstream migration later in the year (Good et al. 2005).
Status and Trends
NMFS listed Snake River steelhead as threatened in 1997 (62 FR 43937), and reaffirmed their
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