River Establishes Members-Only Cold Section; Fish Approve

STEVENSON — The Columbia River now has a members-only cold section, and the fish are on the list.

The state closed sockeye retention after July 5, with this year’s run forecast at 274,900 — below the ten-year average — in a record-low snowpack year. To help migrating salmon survive the warm river, agencies have designated cold-water thermal sanctuaries: refuge zones where the fish may rest and anglers may not follow.

“Forty years I’ve fished this river, and I’ve been demoted below the fish,” said Carson angler Dale Ruff, who accepts the ruling. “They’re working. I’m recreating. I understand the hierarchy.”

A state biologist described the sanctuaries as “exclusive cold-water amenities offering members seasonal relief,” adding that access is limited, the gate is temperature, and humans do not qualify.

Applications to become a fish are not being accepted. There is a waiting list.