The Dock That Got Away

Fish First has been having problems with individuals cutting the cables the secure the net pens in the river. The pens are pulled to shore and used to fish of of. This summer, the pens were weakened. When the water level rose in December, one dock broke loose and floated a few miles downriver until it hung up in some trees. Board members and volunteers removed the dock and parked it temporarily at Gary's!

See the net pens HERE

Fish First is a non profit group dedicated to the restoration of wild and native salmon steelhead to the Lewis River system. We are 100 percent volunteer based, with no paid staff. We have invested hundreds of thousands of hours working in streams to recover fish since 1995.

Our Mission

WE BELIEVE IN IMPROVING AND INCREASING HEALTHY FISH RUNS

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What We Do

We do this by:

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• Working alongside hatchery partners to improve the quality and quantity of fish to achieve higher returns

• We believe this works in concert with nature by helping to

• Replace nutrients to the upper watershed

• Restoring habitat

• In-Stream restoration by reintroducing native genetics through egg boxes, net pens, and live plants

Fish First Programs

To make rivers and streams fish friendly - to enable salmon and steelhead to spawn, grow, and thrive-Fish First uses proven science, design, and years of experience in restoring habitat. The technology Fish First uses has been sanctioned and used by federal and state agencies and is being adopted in various regions of Canada. It has been approved by National Marine Fisheries through our NOAA 10a1A permit.

• Remote Site Incubators (RSI) "Egg Boxes"

• Net pens

• Fish Rescue to Rearing Ponds

• Nutrients

• Projects

                - Opening blocked migration routes​

                - Constucting side channels