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.
Puget Sound Steelhead
The Puget Sound steelhead 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.
Species Status
ESA Listing Status: Threatened on May 11, 2007 (72 FR 26722); updated April 14, 2014 (79 FR 20802)
DPS Description: This distinct population segment, or DPS, includes naturally spawned anadromous O. mykiss (steelhead) originating below natural and manmade impassable barriers from rivers flowing into Puget Sound from the Elwha River (inclusive) eastward, including rivers in Hood Canal, South Sound, North Sound and the Strait of Georgia. This DPS also includes , steelhead from the following artificial propagation programs:
- Green River Natural Program
- White River Winter Steelhead Supplementation Program
- Hood Canal Supplementation Program
- Lower Elwha Fish Hatchery Wild Steelhead Recovery Program
- Fish Restoration Facility Program
Current Population Trends:
- Puget Sound Steelhead Status Reviews and Five-Year Updates
- Biological Status Analyses (to support the ESA Status Reviews and 5-Year Updates)
Critical Habitat: Designated February 24, 2016 (81 FR 9252)
Protective Regulations: Issued September 25, 2008 (73 FR 55451)
Recovery Plan: ESA Recovery Plan for the Puget Sound Steelhead Distinct Population Segment (Oncorhynchus mykiss), 2019
Species Recovery
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 the northern portion of the Olympic Peninsula (see map of recovery domains).This domain has three ESA-listed species of salmon and steelhead:
- Puget Sound Chinook
- Hood Canal Summer-run Chum
- Puget Sound steelhead
NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region manages recovery planning and implementation for this domain through its Oregon and Washington Coastal Area Office.
Recovery Plan
The Recovery Plan for the Puget Sound Steelhead provides guidance for the protection and recovery of Puget Sound steelhead, listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 2007.
Partnerships for Recovery
Salmon and steelhead 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 and steelhead 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 and steelhead recovery.
Key partners working to restore salmon and steelhead in Puget Sound are identified below.
Federal and State Partners
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Federal Highway Administration
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- U.S. Coast Guard
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
- U.S. Geological Survey
- U.S. Navy
- Washington Governor's Office
- Puget Sound Partnership
- Washington State Recreation & Conservation Office
- Washington State Conservation Commission
- Washington State Department of Fish & Wildlife
- Washington State Department of Agriculture
- Washington State Department of Ecology
- Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Tribal Partners
- Samish Indian Nation
- Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
- Hoh Indian Tribe
- Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
- Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
- Lummi Nation
- Makah Nation
- Muckleshoot Tribe
- Nisqually Indian Tribe
- Nooksack Tribe
- Port Gamble S’Klallam
- Puyallup Tribe of Indians
- Quileute Indian Tribe
- Quinault Indian Nation
- Sauk-Suiattle Tribe
- Skokomish Tribe
- Snoqualmie Tribe
- Squaxin Island Tribe
- Stillaguamish Tribe
- Suquamish Tribe
- Swinomish Tribe
- Tulalip Tribes
- Upper Skagit Tribe
- Other Washington Tribes
Local and Private Partners
- Building Industry Association of Washington
- Futurewise
- Hood Canal Coordinating Council
- Long Live The Kings
- Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council
- Washington Environmental Council
- Western Washington Agriculture Association
More Information
- Steelhead Status Reviews and Five-Year Updates
- Steelhead Federal Register Notices
- Salmon and Steelhead Federal Register Rules and Notices prior to August 2019
- Steelhead Maps & GIS Data
- Salmon Publications
- Steelhead Publications
- Salmon and Steelhead Hatcheries on the West Coast
- Learn about what you can do to help endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead recover
- Recent Stories
Contact
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 and Washington Coastal Area Office
David Price
Email: David.Price@noaa.gov
Phone: 360.753.9598
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.
