Steelhead are genetically identical to rainbow trout that live their entire lives in freshwater, but steelhead go to the ocean where they grow to a much larger size.
Rainbow trout have been known to father up to 50% of the young steelhead in a given year. And 20% of adult steelhead in one population were found to have rainbow trout mothers.
All salmon die after spawning, but steelhead can spawn multiple times (up to 60% of steelhead in some rivers are repeat spawners). In addition, in any given year just a few prolific adults can produce most of the young steelhead.
Steelhead use many different life strategies to remain abundant. Juveniles spend one to five years in freshwater before going to sea. Adults spend a few months to five years in the ocean. This remarkable diversity buffers steelhead from large population fluctuations -- which are common with salmon.
Just ___ years after Mount St. Helens erupted sending massive amounts of debris down Washington’s Toutle River[RM1] , 7000[RM2] wild steelhead returned to spawn. When dams have been removed on the Rogue, Sandy, White Salmon and Elwha Rivers, wild steelhead quickly recolonized habitat that they had not had access to for many years.
This copy is filler, it needs to be replaced as soon as it comes in from TRT. Steelhead use many different life strategies to remain abundant. Juveniles spend one to five years in freshwater before going to sea. Adults spend a few months to five years in the ocean. This remarkable diversity buffers steelhead from large population fluctuations -- which are common with salmon.
Just ___ years after Mount St. Helens erupted sending massive amounts of debris down Washington’s Toutle River[RM1] , 7000[RM2] wild steelhead returned to spawn. When dams have been removed on the Rogue, Sandy, White Salmon and Elwha Rivers, wild steelhead quickly recolonized habitat that they had not had access to for many years.
This copy is filler, it needs to be replaced as soon as it comes in from TRT. Steelhead use many different life strategies to remain abundant. Juveniles spend one to five years in freshwater before going to sea. Adults spend a few months to five years in the ocean. This remarkable diversity buffers steelhead from large population fluctuations -- which are common with salmon.
We steelheaders share a common vision of the future of wild steelhead and we know what has to be done to bring them back. Together, we can make that vision a reality.
With millions of dollars, countless staff and volunteer hours invested in restoring wild steelhead habitat, Trout Unlimited is launching the Wild Steelhead Initiative to make sure those investments (along with the efforts of countless other organizations) pay dividends. For more information, go to tu.org.
