Three Rivers Chapter of Trout Unlimited 
 
Check out the online auction items at the CX3 Conference in Spokane.  See below for more information. 
 
   
 
 Upcoming Events
 
The next month is a busy time for our chapter!  Here's some upcoming events -
 
  • October 6 - IF4 Film Festival -- North Bend Theater.  This is an opportunity to see some great fly fishing movies.  For tickets and more information, go to - https://www.showclix.com/event/if42023northbendwa.
  • October 7 & 8 - 54th Annual Salmon Days Festival.  As usual, we will have a booth to help educate people of all the things that we do!  Volunteers are needed.  If interested, send an email to - 3riverstu@gmail.com
  • October 22 - Run with the Kokanee.  This is a major fund-raising event for our chapter, so invite your family and friends to come and run around in Lake Sammamish State Park.  Volunteers are needed.  If you are interested, send an email to 3riverstu@gmail.com
 

 TU National CX3 Conference in  Spokane!
 
 What is CX3?  CX3 stands for Coldwater, Conservation and Community. This is Trout Unlimited's National Conference that will be taking place in Spokane on September 28 thru October 1.  This is the first time since 1987 that TU's national conference has been held in Washington state.  This is a great event and is an opportunity to meet fellow TU members and learn about conservation efforts taking place around the country.  This year's conference will focus on the campaign to remove the lower four Snake River dams.
 
Click on CX3 to get more detailed information on the conference
 
Our chapter will host an evening social on Thursday, September 28.  We will focus on our ongoing conservation activities and achievements. 
 
In addition, our chapter will be beneficiary of two three-day fishing/lodging packages donated by The Evening Hatch.  One package is for Upper Columbia River trophy trout and the other offers an option to fish for winter run steelhead on the Olympic Penninsula or summer run steelhead on the Klickitat River.  Bethany Frackrell of the Snoqualmie Tribe has created a spectacular original art piece that will be available via auction. 
 
The online auction for all items is available at - 
 
The online items that will directly benefit our chapter can be found at the following links -
 
Winter or Summer Steelhead three day guided trip for two anglers -
 
Three day guided fishing trip on the Upper Columbia River for two anglers - https://go.tulocalevents.org/cx3spokane/bid/uppercolumbiatrip 
 
 Also available is an original piece of art work titled "Kokanee of the Moon" by Bethany Frakel of the Snoqualmie Tribe.  This is avaible as either an original painting on canvas or a framed print.  Bids can be placed at - 
 
 
 

 Alternate Engagement Groups
 
One of Trout Unlimited goal's is to increase the diversity of its membership through the addition of younger members, women members and volunteers.  One way that has been found to accomplish this is to create Alternate Engagement Groups, that, in effect, act as a committee of the parent chapter.
 
These groups are typically compromised of members with a common interest and connection to a local area, combined with the support of ths "parent chapter' (Three Rivers Chapter in this case).
 
Our chapter currently supports two Alternate Engagement Groups as described in the following.
 
Puget Sound Women on the Fly (or PSWOTF)  
 
PSWOTF is a place where women anglers from the greater Puget Sound area can build a common community for sharing fishing stories, planning fishing adventures and networking with like-minded anglers. Additional information and schedules for upcoming events can be found at - https://www.pugetsoundwomenonthefly.org/ or on Facebook at - https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089244766370.
 
Urban Youth Program 
 
This is a new AEG that our chapter is supporting. This AEG is being established by Dave McCoy with Emerald Water Anglers and Gian Lawrence with Black Stonefly Guide Service.  This AEG will focus on getting urban youth involved in fly fishing.  As this becomes more established there will be additional information here.



Kokanee Recovery Lake Sammamish
 
Our chapter is working with several governmental and non-governmental agencies and organizations to restore the last remaining native run of kokanee salmon in Lake Samammish. There is always a need for volunteers for kokanee-related projects. For more information on events and projects that we are working on go to - Lake Sammamish kokanee.
 
Check out this underwater video of spawning Kokanee -https://www.facebook.com/KCWLRD/videos/347820499325504/
 
The Kokanee Work Group (KWG) is an ad hoc group formed in 2007 to investigate the causes of the decline of kokanee within Lake Sammamish. For more information on KWG, go here. 
 

Lake Sammamish Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership

The Lake Sammamish UWRP is inspiring people from diverse local communities in the Seattle Metro area to appreciate nature and to become stewards of the Lake Sammamish watershed. In April 2022, with the support of the US Fish & Wildlife Service and Washington Parks, Trout Unlimited hired Alix Lee-Tigner as the Lake Sammamish UWRP Coordinator. Since then, Alix has been developing additional funding sources through new grants to support her outreach efforts.

The focus of Alix’s work is building partnerships to increase engagement, expand capacity, and create opportunities for our community members to learn and get involved. 

Survival of our iconic salmon species and other wildlife depends directly on community awareness, involvement, and support for conservation efforts. To learn more about UWRP and local events and activities, visit https://www.lakesammamishrefuge.org/upcoming-events

 
For more information about this project and how it can support out Kokanee project, click here.
 

Merge with Seattle Cascade Chapter
 
The Three Rivers Chapter has now completed the merger with the Seattle Cascade Chapter. The mailing lists from both chapters are now combined, so that former members of the Seattle Cascade chapter should be receiving e-mails from our chapter.
We welcome all members of the Seattle Cascade chapter to attend our meetings, engage in our projects and participate in our activities and events. Any suggestions of additional activities and projects that would be of interest to Seattle Cascade members can be sent to our chapter email address at 3riverstu@gmail.com.
 
 

 Donate Now!

Our chapter can always use your help! We are always looking for volunteers to help with our projects, outings and fundraising. We understand that not all of you can give us your time. You can, however, help us with a donation. The cost of our kokanee recovery projects - stream surveys, fry counting, stream restoration, accoustical tagging, etc are mounting. Please do what you can to save our little red fish!

 

 

 Chapter Activities
 
 
Our chapter is involved in many activities that range from social events, meetings, fishery enhancements and environmental improvement.  Some of these activities are listed below -
  • Monthly Chapter Meetings 
  • Monthly board meetings (all members welcome!)
  • Annual Fun Run at Lake Sammamish State Park
  • Annual Perch Derby at Lake Sammamish
  • Issaquah Salmon Days booth
  • Fishing Outings
  • Kokanee Fry Trapping/Counting
  • Fishout in support of Project Healing Waters
  • Annual Fly Casting Clinic
  • Habitat restoration events, in cooperation with the Snoqualmie Tribe and others
  • Sponsor showing of Fly Fishing Film tour movies
  • Cedar River cleanup
  • Cedar River signage
Volunteers are needed in order to make these activities successful. Come to the monthly meetings to learn more about these activities and how/when to volunteer!
 

 Wild Steelhead Initiative
 
 
Trout Unlimited's Wild Steelhead Initiative and Wild Steelheaders United is an ambitious and hopeful effort to protect and restore wild steelhead. Keep up-to-date on this important project at this web site - Wild Steelhead Initiative.  You can also follow on Facebook - Wild Steelhead
 
The  Puget Sound Steelhead Advisory Group (which was formed in 2017) has held a number of meetings over the past three years in order to asses the steelhead situation in the Puget Sound area and has come up with a set of recommendations that could lead to restoration of populations as they were in the past.  The finished product is a an adaptive and experimental approach for the future of Puget Sound steelhead fisheries and a path toward recovery.  Read the Quicksilver Portfolio to learn about the proposed approach.
 

 
Join Trout Unlimited
 
People joining Trout Unlimited for the first time, can join at a reduced rate of only $17.50.  For more information and to sign up, click here.
 

Chapter Fundraising Opportunities
 
If you shop at Fred Meyer, you can donate to our chapter by signing up at the Community Rewards Program.  Just provide your Fred Meyer card number (not a credit card) or the alternate ID you use to  get their reward and fuel points.  You will be asked for the number of the organization that you want to support.  Use QE215 for our chapter.
 

Board Meetings 

Board Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month. At the board meetings, business of the chapter is discussed including budgets, projects, outings and spending items.
  

 NGO Partners
 
Lake Sammamish Kokanee                               Kokanee Work Group
 
 
Snoqualmie Tribe                              Orvis
 
Ellensburg Anglers                              
 
   Creekside Angling
 
MidSound Fisheries                  Friends of Issaquah Salmon Hatchery
 
Save Lake Sammamish            Friendss of Lake Sammamish State Park

 
Connect with us! 
 
             
 

 
 
 

NEWS 

King County glaciers are disappearing!  Read abut the demise of the Hinman Glacier and its effect on the Skykomish River.
 
Good news on Issaquah Alps Trail Club's Cougar Mountain Connection Project o save Coal Creek!  Read the latest news here.
 
Alaska govenor asks US Supreme Court to overturn EPA decision regarding Bristol Bay.  Read about it on Yahoo News.
 
The EPA is using a veto authority in the Clean Water Act to halt the Pebble Mine.  KUOW has more details.
 
 Largest dam removal project in history!  Four Klamath River dams will be removed.  Yahoo News has more details.
 
Washington DNR declines to renew net pens in Puget Sound!! Our Sound, Our Salmon
has more details.
 
New NOAA report says that breaching the lower 4 Snake River dams is needed to save the salmon runs. More information on KUOW.
 
 
Read about the decline of Salmon and Steelhead in the Columbia River in this article from Fly Fisherman.
 
Check out the Bear Creek Oral History on either Redmond Historical Society or  Eastside Heritage Center.
 
Money allocated for improved fish passage on Green River. Read   Kent Reporter article.
 
TU Town Hall - TU CEO Chris Woods talks about the  Priority Waters project
 
Here's a King5 TV story about flying Kokanee from Orcas Island back to King County.  Read the story - here.
 
NW Energy Coalition report shows that Snake River Dams can be removed. Read here -  NW Energy Coalition.
 
View the Salmon Orca Project Speaker Series for February 2022 - click here.
 
Kokanee are returning to Zackuse Creek for the fist time in nearly 40 years! More information in this article in the Issaquah Reporter.
  
Muckleshoot Tribe has begun a "warm water" test fishery on Lake Washington.  Read about it in Northwest Sportsmen.
 
16 miles of salmon and steelhead habitat opened up by removal of dam from Middle Fork of the Nooksack River.  Read about it in this NOAA Article.
 
37 miles of salmon habitat opened up by removing dam from the Pilchuck River.  Read about it in Seattle Times.
 
EPA and Corps of Engineers releases Final EIS for Snake River dam removal. Read this article in Save Our Salmon News.
   
Chemicals from tires are suspected in causing deaths of Coho Salmon in Puget Sound area streams. 
 
 
 Kokanee
 
To view a video describing the problems caused by culverts on salmon spawning streams - click here
 
.Our chapter is a member of the Kokanee Work Group (KWG), a collaborative group trying to identify the causes of the decline of native Kokanee in Lake Sammamish.  To see what the KWG  is doing , click here.
 
David Kyle, along with Chris Gregerson from King County have installed Remote Stream Incubators on Zackuse and Idylwood Creeks.  To read David's summary of this project, click here. 
 
 
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the State of Washington must remove or repair culverts that are blocking fish passage.  To see what culverts in our area are involved, click here.
 
 
Steelhead
 
 For information on TU's Wild Steelhead Initiative, click here.
 
 
Here's an animated video that vividly describes the difficulties that three steelhead encountered as they attempted to return to their native stream.  To view,