Cowlitz Fisheries Programs

Our Cowlitz River Project license calls for continual improvements to fish passage and survival. The Fisheries Technical Committee, which includes biologists and representatives from Tacoma Power, state and federal agencies, the Yakama Nation, Trout Unlimited and American Rivers, helps guide scientific studies and actions to improve fish passage and support fish restoration throughout the Cowlitz River Basin.

Guided by the Fisheries Technical Committee, the Cowlitz Monitoring and Evaluation subgroup identifies and prioritizes monitoring efforts that provide fisheries managers with up-to-date information to make informed management decisions. The group evaluates natural and hatchery fish populations to help improve fish management and support the restoration and recovery of natural populations throughout the Lower and Upper Cowlitz River Basin. 

Because Mayfield and Mossyrock dams prevent natural fish passage in portions of the Cowlitz River, Tacoma Power uses several systems to help salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout migrate through the watershed. 

Cowlitz Falls Fish Facility

Trap-and-Haul

Adult fish migrating upstream are collected at the Cowlitz Salmon Hatchery, sorted by species and destination, and transported to release sites on the Tilton, Cowlitz and Cispus rivers to continue their spawning journey. A portion of these returning adults are also retained for hatchery broodstock that support the hatchery programs. 

Juvenile salmon and steelhead migrating downstream are collected at the Cowlitz Falls North Shore Collector and Mayfield Juvenile Collector and transported below the dams so they can continue toward the ocean. 

Diversion Screens & Fish Ladders

Diversion screens help guide juvenile salmon entering Mayfield Lake from the Tilton River into a passage channel that allows them to reach the lower river without traveling through powerhouse turbines. 

Tacoma Power stocks Mayfield Lake, Swofford Pond, and South Lewis County Park Pond with rainbow trout to supplement fish populations and provide recreational fishing opportunities. 

Mayfield Lake is also stocked with tiger muskies by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Nearby Swofford Pond provides additional fishing opportunities for several trout and warmwater fish species. 

The Cowlitz River Project’s federal license requires Tacoma Power to maintain two funds that support fish habitat restoration and recovery in the Cowlitz River basin.

The Fish Habitat Fund supports projects that protect, restore and enhance fish habitat in the Lower Cowlitz River. Funding may also support the acquisition of property or easements needed to complete habitat restoration projects.

The Cowlitz Restoration and Recovery Fund supports projects that protect and promote the recovery of endangered salmon and steelhead populations in the upper Cowlitz River basin.

Looking for the Fish Habitat Fund Allocation Plan (Article 10) or other Cowlitz River Project documents? Visit our Cowlitz License Documents page for instructions on finding project documents in the FERC eLibrary.

The annual Cowlitz Science Conference and Annual Program Review (APR) provides updates on fish passage, hatchery operations, habitat improvements, monitoring and other work supporting fish populations and river health in the Cowlitz River basin.

For questions or to request past presentation materials, contact Jenise Bauman at jbauman@tacoma.gov.