Green Acre Radio: Wild steelhead are in decline

The steelhead are listed as threatened, and several factors could seal their unfortunate fate.

Martha Baskin

Martha Baskin Jul 6, 2025

Feb 6, 2018

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          <article>
            <header>
              <hgroup>
                <h1>Green Acre Radio: Wild steelhead are in decline</h1>
                <h2><p>The steelhead are listed as threatened, and several factors could seal their unfortunate fate.</p></h2>
              </hgroup>
               <p>By <a href="/author/mobaskin-earthlink-net/">Martha Baskin</a></p> 
              <p><time datetime="2025-02-04T05:00:00-08:00">Feb 6, 2018</time></p>
            </header>
            <p>The steelhead are listed as threatened, and several factors could seal their unfortunate fate.</p><p><strong>In rivers throughout the Northwest,</strong> from the mighty Columbia to Seattle’s gritty Green River, wild steelhead populations are desperately hanging on. Listed  as threatened, even hatchery efforts to increase their numbers are failing.  Habitat loss, dams, and warming waters caused by climate change, appear to be  sealing their fate. Green Acre Radio visits the  Soos Creek Hatchery on the Green River and  talks with wild steelhead advocates including veteran fisheries biologist, Don  Chapman, who’s been monitoring the situation for 50 years.</p><p>Click on the audio player above or <a href="http://crosscut.com/static/static_file/2011/04/04/Green_Acre_Radio_The_Decline_of_Steelhead.mp3?ref=dev.cascadepbs.org">here to listen</a>.</p>
          </article>

The steelhead are listed as threatened, and several factors could seal their unfortunate fate.

In rivers throughout the Northwest, from the mighty Columbia to Seattle’s gritty Green River, wild steelhead populations are desperately hanging on. Listed as threatened, even hatchery efforts to increase their numbers are failing. Habitat loss, dams, and warming waters caused by climate change, appear to be sealing their fate. Green Acre Radio visits the Soos Creek Hatchery on the Green River and talks with wild steelhead advocates including veteran fisheries biologist, Don Chapman, who’s been monitoring the situation for 50 years.

Click on the audio player above or here to listen.

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By Martha Baskin

Martha Baskin is an environmental reporter, whose work on the subject began with a project for the King Conservation District. Green Acre Radio was born shortly afterward. Her work is currently suppor