McKenzie River Guides Association Press Release
April 17, 2018
The US Corps of Army Engineers (Corps) will no longer approve distribution of hatchery fish evenly throughout the McKenzie River where fish stocking is permissible. Wednesday April 18, stocking will occur only at 3 locations in 10 miles of the river between Leaburg and Hendricks Landings.
Today, Steve Mealey, president McKenzie River Guides Association (MRGA) learned that a planned release of hatchery trout into the McKenzie River via a “plant boat” operated by MRGA volunteer guides had been cancelled. Mealey was informed by Jeff Ziller, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) South Willamette District fisheries biologist. Failure of the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the ODFW to reach agreement on a process for transfer of trout for placement in the McKenzie was cited as cause for the cancellation. Direct release of hatchery fish into the river at Leaburg, Deerhorn and Taylor landings, supervised by the Corps, will replace the plant boat operation which would have distributed fish evenly throughout the 10-mile stretch of river between Leaburg and Hendricks. The major point of disagreement concerns the role of the McKenzie Guides as ODFW Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) volunteers operating the plant boat. The Corps disagrees with ODFW that the MRGA guide volunteers meet the Corps’ requirement that hatchery fish be delivered to “an ODFW boat operated by an ODFW employee.” MRGA guides have been volunteer partners with ODFW operating the McKenzie plant boat for nearly 70 years.
Direct release of fish at only the 3 landings means that hatchery fish will likely remain concentrated near the points of release until harvested. Fishing pressure is certain to be concentrated at these locations with likely adverse consequences for parking, sanitation, garbage, poaching and law enforcement. With the loss of the plant boat to evenly distribute fish between Leaburg and Hendricks, the long-standing legacy and tradition of guided and non-guided drift boat fishing for hatchery fish on part of the McKenzie is in jeopardy. Mealey noted “with most fish concentrated around a few crowded landings, people who love to fish the McKenzie—especially those with kids—from their own or guided drift boats, with a high expectation of catching hatchery fish on long reaches of the river, will be highly disappointed. Eventually folks could quit fishing because of reduced experience quality. That would hurt everyone including the local economy. This all doesn’t line up with the Corps meeting its mitigation responsibility for replacing lost recreation fishing opportunity caused by Cougar and Blue River dams”.
The MRGA has offered to fund an ODFW employee that meets ACOE requirements.
Contact Steve Mealey (stevemealey@msn.com); 541-896-3871, for further information.
