Puget Sound Energy (PSE) recently announced that this year a "record number" of sockeye salmon returned to Skagit Bay and the Skagit River on their annual spawning migration: from June through October 2025 more than 91,880 sockeye returned to the Skagit River system on their journey to Baker River and Baker Lake.

Sockeye populations in the Baker River system had declined to just 99 returning fish in the mid-1980s, bringing the species to near extinction in these waters near Mount Baker. This return marks a milestone in the 21-year collaborative effort that began with PSE's Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license negotiations in 2004.

The Baker Hydroelectric Project's license called for major PSE initiatives to further enhance fish populations in the Skagit-Baker watershed for tribal, commercial, and recreational harvest opportunities, as well as restoration of native salmon stocks to sustainable population levels. This effort has included the installation of new upstream and downstream fish-passage facilities, construction of a new fish hatchery, construction of a second Lower Baker powerhouse for better river-flow control, and riparian-habitat protection and enhancement.

"As the historical tribe of the Baker River Valley we are extremely pleased that PSE responded to our ask in 2003 to recover this run up to an annual average return of 75k-100k to enhance our culture, allowing our members to fish in the same locations as their ancestors did since time immemorial," said Scott Schuyler, Natural Resources & Cultural Policy Representative for Upper Skagit Indian Tribe.

A key component of the restoration effort was PSE's 2010 installation of an enhanced fish trap below Lower Baker Dam, which captures migrating adult sockeye and coho salmon for upstream transport around both Baker River dams - which PSE describes as essentially a "fish taxi" service that allows these salmon stocks to reach their historic spawning grounds.

"The rebound of the Baker sockeye population and 2025's record return of salmon is a testament to successful co-management between the state and treaty tribes as well as close collaboration with Puget Sound Energy," said Edward Eleazer, Regional Fish Program Manager for WDFW. "Together we've led operation of the Baker Hatchery and collaborated on fish passage and habitat restoration projects, resulting in successful seasons of fruitful fishing opportunities for the state and tribes, and a bright future ahead."

The success builds on PSE's 2024 final expansion and completion of the Baker River Fish Hatchery, which now includes eight raceways, and four "naturalized" spawning beaches that provide enhanced conditions for artificial propagation and fish development before their release as juveniles to the Baker Project reservoirs.

"Our biologists and fisheries technicians have worked for decades with the local Tribes along with government agencies to boost salmon and trout populations, particularly in rivers where we have hydropower operations," said Ron Roberts, Senior Vice Present of Energy Resources. "This partnership shows the great success and is a testament to the collaborative efforts of the various stakeholders."

While a proportion of the juvenile fish originate from the hatchery, PSE noted that natural production is also a key contributor, as a proportion of the fish released to Baker Lake are conserved for natural spawning in the Baker River system. These adults spawn in the feeder streams including the Upper Baker River, contributing to the overall juvenile out-migration numbers and helping maintain natural behaviors. The adult releases of sockeye have also provided a relatively new and expanding recreational fishing opportunity for salmon in Baker Lake.

Earlier this year, PSE's fish propagation and passage facilities achieved another milestone when over 1.5 million juvenile fish passed through the Baker Lake and Lake Shannon Floating Surface Collectors during their May outbound migration - also a new record. The young salmon will journey down the Skagit River to the Pacific Ocean, with some traveling as far as the Gulf of Alaska. After spending two to three years maturing in marine waters, they return to their natal Baker River waters to complete the spawning cycle.

How a 'fish taxi' helped lead to a record return of sockeye salmon near a Washington hydroelectric dam