Conservation

In 1991, after the turtle population was found to be around 150, the Woodland Park Zoo and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife collaborated to start a program to increase the population of the turtle. The species became listed as endangered in Washington state in 1993 and since then the population has increased to around 1,500 in 2011.

This is one figure I made.There is a lack of studies on population 
prior to the early 1990's, so the pre 1992 data is just an estimate.
Post population numbers courtesy of Woodland Park Zoo

The recovery plan requires that there is at least five populations of turtles established in both the Puget Sound and Columbia River Gorge areas, and that each population must consist of at least 200 turtles. Of these 200 no more than 70 percent can be adults. The areas of release are to be protected from development and free of any major disturbances. This will allow the area for natural recruitment of juveniles with a goal of creating a self-sustaining population.

Many of the turtles released have been given a tracking device to enable scientists to study their movement patterns after release and to evaluate the survival rate of the turtles released into the wild. In 1991 the first turtles were released in the Columbia River Gorge are now reproducing and laying eggs in the wild. Since 1991 about 1,500 turtles have been released and scientists tracking them estimate a 95 percent first year survival rate.(Oregon Zoo)

Adult Turtle with tracking device

While this news is great, there is still more that could be done. "Actinemys marmorata is protected by law within its entire native range...none of these laws confer effective protection of the habitat."(Bury) Washington State protects the location of where the turtles are being released, but they do not protect all areas that these turtles inhabit. 

This is a figure I created using data from Washington State Department of Ecology for dam locations, and turtle sighting/known location information from www.pacificbio.org. This figure clearly shows that dams were present in many of the habitats during the period of time where the population was at the greatest risk.

There are many other things we can do to support the growth of the Western Pond Turtle population. If none of these pertain to you educate others about what they can do!

-Private land owners can refrain from building on wetlands
-Don't abandon pet turtles in lakes! These turtles tend to be more aggressive than the native turtles possibly allowing them to out compete the natives for resources.
-The floating eggs of the invasive bullfrog can be removed
- Large mouth bass fishing should be encouraged
-Carve paths making it easier for the female turtles to find nesting ground as well as the baby turtles to make it back to the water after hatching