Take Action: Protect wild steelhead from suction dredge mining

An important action alert from the Wild Steelhead Coalition:

Wild steelhead depend on cold, clean, undisturbed gravel in creeks and rivers to spawn. But a growing kind of hobby mining that uses gas-powered vacuums to literally suck up the riverbed is posing a serious threat to habitat that wild steelhead, salmon and trout depend on.

This suction dredge mining produces only small amounts of gold, even the miners admit you can’t make a living on it. But in the process, it obliterates salmon and steelhead redds, kills off important aquatic insects and fish fry, and contributes to harmful sedimentation, erosion, stream channel alteration, and pollution.

Currently, there is almost no regulation on suction dredge mining in Washington’s salmon, trout and steelhead habitat. Even in waters closed to all angling to protect ESA listed runs, suction miners can continue vacuuming up the streambed.

Thankfully, a strong cast of state legislators have proposed House Bill 1162, which would require WDFW to initiate and complete a scientific study that evaluates the effects of motorized mining on native fish species and related habitat.

Submit a comment online to tell your legislators you support HB 1162!

Or email committee chairman Representative Brian Blake (D-Aberdeen) and tell him you want this bill moved forward.

Sensible regulations on suction dredge mining to protect our iconic wild steelhead, salmon and trout is, well, common sense. HB 1162 is a step in that direction. Show your support and speak up for wild fish!