Concerns about the decline of native salmon and trout populations have increased among natural resource managers and the public in recent years. As a result, a multitude of initiatives have been implemented at the local, state, and federal levels of government. These initiatives include management plans and actions intended to protect and restore salmonid fishes and their habitats. In 1998 bull trout were listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as 'Threatened,' for the Walla Walla River and its tributaries. Steelhead trout were listed as 'Threatened' in 1999 for the mid-Columbia River and its tributaries. The ESA listings emphasize the need for information about these threatened salmonid populations and their habitats.