The Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon is a threatened species. NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region, along with the Science Centers, work to protect and conserve this species under the Endangered Species Act.
ESA Listing Status: Threatened on March 25, 1999 (64 FR 14508) and June 28, 2005 (70 FR 37159); updated April 14, 2014 (79 FR 20802)
ESU Description: This evolutionarily significant unit, or ESU, includes naturally spawned summer-run chum salmon originating from Hood Canal and its tributaries as well as from Olympic Peninsula rivers between Hood Canal and Dungeness Bay (inclusive). This ESU also includes summer-run chum salmon from the following artificial propagation programs:
Current Population Trends: ESA Status Reviews and Five-Year Updates for Hood Canal Summer-Run Chum Salmon
Critical Habitat: Designated September 2, 2005
Protective Regulations: Issued June 28, 2005 (70 FR 37159)
Recovery Plan: Recovery Plan for Hood Canal and Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca Summer-run Chum Salmon (2007)
NOAA Fisheries delineated eight recovery domains, or geographic recovery planning areas, for the ESA-listed salmon and steelhead populations on the West Coast. The Puget Sound Recovery Domain is located in the northwestern corner of Washington State. It includes several large river systems flowing from the western slopes of the Cascade mountains, multiple estuaries, the San Juan Islands, Hood Canal, and a northern portion of the Olympic Peninsula (see map of recovery domains).This domain has three ESA-listed species of salmon and steelhead:
NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region manages recovery planning and implementation for this domain through its Oregon and Washington Coastal Area Office.
In June 2005, the Hood Canal Coordinating Council presented its recovery plan for Hood Canal summer-run chum salmon to NOAA Fisheries. The Northwest Region adopted and expanded the recovery plan to meet its obligations under the Endangered Species Act. The agency's supplement was adopted in May 2007. Together the Hood Canal Coordinating Council plan and NOAA Fisheries supplement comprise the final Recovery Plan for Hood Canal and Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca Summer-run Chum Salmon.
Salmon recovery requires action at all levels of government and by all stakeholders to be effective. Partnerships among federal, state, local, and tribal entities, together with non-governmental and private organizations, are key to restoring healthy salmon runs and ensuring the cultural, economic, and environmental benefits they provide. Implementing recovery actions is especially critical at the local level. NOAA Fisheries supports this by providing scientific and policy support, providing funding as available, and working with our partners to improve regulatory mechanisms for salmon recovery.
Key partners working to restore salmon and steelhead in Puget Sound are identified below.
If you have questions, would like to learn more about recovery efforts in your watershed, or would like to get involved directly, please contact:
West Coast Region - Oregon Washington Coastal Office
Jennifer Quan
Email: Jennifer.quan@noaa.gov
Phone: 360.753.6054
An oceanic whitetip shark swims near the surface of the water. Photo courtesy of John Carlson.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife employee reintroduces salmon into a Central Valley river.
Aerial view of restored floodplain habitat and agricultural property near Sacramento, California.
