Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget

We desire FY 2006 funding for Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery – Monitoring and Evaluation Project at the Council approved budget level at $1,816,000. This is static with FY2004 and FY2005 funding levels, and is not sufficient to implement the full scope and nature of activities described in the Action Plan (Hesse & Cramer 2000). An additional $159,000 is needed for a total of $1,975,000 for project activities in FY 2006 and to match funds identified as out-year costs during the 3-Step process approved by the Council. These funds are needed to keep up with inflationary costs associated with the project and includes increases in personnel costs, coded wire tags, GSA vehicles and fuel, travel, toilet rentals, indirect rates, general equipment, etc. Tasks associated with juvenile rearing densities and post-release densities will not be accomplished without the additional funding.

Accomplishments since the last review

Performed evaluation of natural and supplementation fish. Estimated juvenile spring chinook production and survival from Lolo Creek, Newsome Creek and Meadow Creek and fall Chinook survival from the lower Clearwater River and releases from the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery. Monitored Lolo Creek, Newsome Creek and Meadow Creek adult escapement and estimated adult production. Monitored fall Chinook adult returns and hatchery contributions to the lower Clearwater and Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery and assisted in fall Chinook run-reconstruction to the Snake River Basin. Collected tissue samples for DNA analysis, scale samples from juvenile and adult Chinook salmon for age composition and hatchery contributions. Conducted redd, carcass, and prespawning ground surveys for Chinook salmon. The synthesis of this data enabled the project to look at key performance metrics. Utilizing Work Elements 70, 118, 119, 132, 141, 157, 158, 159, 162, and 165 this project has provided the following performance metrics: Metric – Abundance. Abundance Performance Metrics: Chinook salmon adult escapement to Lower Granite Dam and tributaries, redd counts, fish per redd, spawner abundance, hatchery fraction, ocean harvest, tributary harvest, juvenile abundance, hatchery production abundance, smolt equivalents, and run predictions. Metric – Survival-Productivity: Survival-Productivity Performance Metrics: Chinook salmon smolt-to-adult return rate, progeny-per-parent ratio, recruit/spawner, pre-spawn mortality, juvenile survival to Lower Granite Dam and other mainstem dams, in-hatchery life stage survival, post-release survival, and relative reproductive success. Metric – Distribution: Distribution Performance Metrics: Chinook salmon adult spawner spatial distribution, stray rate, juvenile rearing distribution, and disease frequency. Metric – Genetic: Genetic Performance Metrics: Chinook salmon genetic diversity, reproductive success, and effective population size. Metric – Life History: Life History Performance Metrics: Chinook salmon age class structure, age at return, age at emigratio

FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments

Project Goal: Monitor and evaluate results of the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery so that operations can be adaptively managed to optimize hatchery and natural production, sustain harvest, and minimize ecological impacts. The project is designed to sample fish populations in the mainstem Clearwater River and its tributaries over the next 15 to 20 years to determine whether desired results are being achieved, and to enable adaptive management. The M&E program examines the performance and status of hatchery and natural fish, species interactions and impacts to non-targeted fish populations, sustainability of harvest, and communication and application of findings. The M&E Action Plan covers multiple aspects of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytcsha) life history in all treatment streams. Treatment streams include Meadow Creek (Selway River), Lolo Creek, and Newsome Creek for spring chinook salmon, the lower reaches of the South Fork Clearwater and Selway rivers for early-fall chinook salmon, and the main-stem Clearwater River below Lolo Creek for fall chinook salmon. Outcomes in these treatment streams will also be compared to those in similar non-treatment (reference) streams and other hatchery programs to help distinguish treatment effects from the effects of environmental variation between years. Future Accomplishments: Utilizing Work Elements 70, 118, 119, 132, 141, 157, 158, 159, 162, and 165 this project will provide the following performance metrics: Metric–Abundance: Chinook salmon adult escapement to Lower Granite Dam and tributaries, fish per redd, redd counts, spawner abundance, hatchery fraction, ocean harvest, tributary harvest, juvenile abundance, hatchery production abundance, smolt equivalents, and run predictions. Metric-Survival-Productivity: Chinook salmon smolt-to-adult return rate, progeny-per-parent ratio, recruit/spawner, pre-spawn mortality, juvenile survival to Lower Granite Dam, juvenile survival to mainstem dams, in-hatchery life stage survival, post-release survival, and relative reproductive success. Metric–Distribution: Chinook salmon adult spawner spatial distribution, stray rate, juvenile rearing distribution, and disease frequency. Metric–Genetic: Chinook salmon genetic diversity, reproductive success, and effective population size. Metric–Life History: Chinook salmon age class structure, age at return and emigration, size at return and emigration, condition of juveniles at emigration, adult spawner sex ratio, fecundity by age, adult run timing, spawn timing, juvenile emigration timing, and mainstem survival timing. Metric-Habitat: physical habitat, insream flow, water temperature, and fish assemblage.

Subbasin planning

How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?

The project is consistent with and implements Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 1A1, 1A2, 1A3, and 1A4 (Clearwater Subbasin Mgmt. Plan p.14). These strategies relate to Objective 1A; to monitor and evaluated naturally spawning adults. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 2B1, 2B2, 2B4, and 1B7 (Mgmt. Plan p.18). These strategies relate to Objective 2B; to monitor and evaluate fish productivity, production, and life stage specific survival through habitat improvements. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 3C1, 3C2, and 3C3 (Mgmt. Plan p.19). These strategies relate to Objective 3C; to monitor and evaluate the use of hatchery fish to meet recovery and harvest objectives. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 3D1, 3D2, 3D3, 3D4, and 3D5 (Mgmt. Plan p.21). These strategies relate to Objective 3D; monitor and evaluate hatchery and natural production strategies. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 4E1, 4E2, and 4E3 (Mgmt. Plan p.22). These strategies relate to Objective 4E; to monitor native resident populations of westslope cutthroat and bull trout. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 4F1, 4F3, and 4F4 (Mgmt. Plan p.22 & 23). These strategies relate to Objective 4F; to monitor native resident populations of westslope cutthroat and bull trout. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 4H1, 4E3, and 4E6 (Mgmt. Plan p.24 & 25). These strategies relate to Objective 4H; to monitor populations of brook trout and bull trout. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 7O2 and 7O7 (Mgmt. Plan p.31). These strategies relate to Objective 7O; to monitor instream flows. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 7P1 and 7P5 (Mgmt. Plan p.32). These strategies relate to Objective 7P; to monitor fish migration. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 7Q1 and 7Q6 (Mgmt. Plan p.33). These strategies relate to Objective 7Q; to monitor stream temperature. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 7R1 and 7R2 (Mgmt. Plan p.34). These strategies relate to Objective 7R; to monitor and evaluate thermal impact of Dworshak Dam operations on life history characteristics of fall chinook salmon. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 10BB1 and 10BB6 (Mgmt. Plan p.42 & 43). These strategies relate to Objective 10BB; to evaluate riparian habitats in relation to spawning and rearing habitat. Biological Anadromous Fish Species Strategy 16JJ4 (Mgmt. Plan p. 22). These strategies relate to Objective 16JJ; to monitor fish populations in relation to road impacts.

How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?

The Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan prioritization process utilizes an environmental framework approach to prioritization and does not address biological characteristics explicitly. The Research Monitoring and Evaluation Plan section (Mgmt. Plan p.61) states “the terrestrial and aquatics portion of the proposal describe high priority RM&E needs.” The Plan further states that: “These needs are defined as programs that gather data or conduct research that furthers our understanding of specific populations, their habitats, and their ecosystems, fills existing knowledge or data gaps, answers questions critical to successful management of species or communities, tests or develops innovative restoration/management activities, thereby facilitating adaptive management.” Within the Aquatics section this project (NPT Hatchery M&E) is in coordination with other state and federal agencies for the following Proposed Research: General 1. Investigate effects of potential loss or lack of nutrients due to declines in anadromous salmonid populations (p.63). General 2. Determine migration characteristics and timing of smolts outmigrating from the subbasin and assess hatchery:wild ratio (p.63). General 3. Develop appropriate intensity and spatial distribution of monitoring to estimate parr carrying capacity (p.63). Water Quality 1. Define and treat spatial and temporal gaps in temperature M&E at the subbasin scale (p.64). Water Quality 2. Assess temperature-amelioration restoration project (p.65). Water Quality 3. Develop temperature standards (p.65). Water Quantity/Passage 1. Designate minimum flow requirements (p.66). Water Quantity/Passage 2. Evaluate habitat connectivity and existing or potential migration barriers to focal salmonid species (p.67) Habitat - General 1. Define sediment budget, rates, restoration efforts, and restoration opportunities (p.68). Habitat - General 2. Develop/expand index areas (p.69). Hatchery-Wild Interactions 1. Quantify salmon and steelhead stray rates and potential genetic consequences (p.70). Hatchery-Wild Interactions 2. Assess competitive interactions between reintroduced and native salmonid populations (p.70). Resident Fish - General 1. Definition of fluvial cutthroat and bull trout habitat utilization, population dynamics and potential for genetic interchange with resident forms (p.71). Resident Fish - General 3. Assess population status, limiting factors, and rehabilitation potential for Pacific lamprey in the Clearwater subbasin (p.72). Resident Fish - General 4. Assess population status, limiting factors, and genetics of redband rainbow trout in the Clearwater subbasin (p.72). Resident Fish - Dworshak 1. Assess flow augmentation on bull trout in the North Fork and Lower Clearwater Rivers (p.73). Anadromous Fish 1. Investigate population status of chinook, coho, and summer steelhead (p.75). Anadromous Fish 2. Profile anadromous salmonid genetics (p.75). Anadromous Fish 3. Assess out-of-subbasin factors affecting smolt outmigration success (p.76). Anadromous Fish 4. Assess effectiveness of hatchery production to sustain or rebuild natural production (p.76). Anadromous Fish 6. Evaluate unclipped hatchery steelhead released in the Clearwater and Salmon River subbasins (p.77).

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