Response for project 198805303: Hood River Production M&E - Ws
Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget
The council staff fiscal year 2006 budget of $516,646 identified for the Hood River Production Program Project (project no. 1988-053-03) is consistent with expectations and sufficient to implement the scope and nature of activities pertaining to on-going work. However, the Hood River Production Program co-managers will be proposing to make program wide changes as a result of recommendations made in the 2004 Hood River Program Review, and to account for the decommissioning of Powerdale Dam. The dam is the cornerstone to the project, and without it, management of fish in the basin will be different. The $516,646 figure does not take into account any of these changes.
Accomplishments since the last review
| BPA Environmental Compliance | The Hood River Production Program operates under an EIS drafted by BPA and completed in 1996. | |
| PIT Tags | PIT tagging operations started in 2005. All non-migrant winter steelhead were tagged and then released into the Columbia, at the confluence of the Hood River. This activity will be expanded in FY 2006. | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | Aquatic invertory habitat surveys and analysis were conducted on specific areas of the Hood River subbasin that had not been documented in the past. This work occurred primarily in 2002 and 2003. | |
| Coordination | Planning and coordination with co-managers, landowners, irrigation districts, and other resource partners has been on-going since the initiation of the project. | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | The Hood River Production Program was managed and administered annually. All requirements and deadlines were met. This planning and coordination consisted of: SOW packages, financial reporting, metrics reporting, and Pisces training and implementation. | |
| Produce Annual Report | Annual reports submitted to BPA. | |
| Produce Status Report | Monthly and status reports were submitted to BPA. | |
| Produce/Submit Scientific Findings Report | The Hood River Production Program Review was completed in 2004. The review was completed by an individual contractor however HRPP co-manager data, support, and review was crucial to the outcome and foundation of this document. | |
| Purpose of production program (S/H/R): S = Supplementation, H = Harvest Augmentation, R = Research | Supplementation | |
| # of fish released | Approximately 130,000 srping chinook, 40,000 summer steelhead, and 50,000 winter steelhead smolts were acclimated and volitionally released in the Hood River subbasin in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005. | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | Data collected and summarized/analyzed: biosampling migrant and non-migrant smolts, fin mark quality, CWT retention, habitat, water temperatures, Pelton Ladder mortality, spawning surveys, pesticide monitoring, telemetry, salvage, and tribal creel. | |
| Mark/Tag Animals | Spring chinook, summer and winter steelhead smolts checked for fin clip quality. Spring chinook smolts checked for CWT retention. |
2002: Acclimation of spring chinook, summer and winter steelhead, bio-sampling of migrant and non-migrant smolts, mark quality summaries, tag retention summaries, habitat survey and analysis, temperature monitoring for seven locations in the Hood River basin, pesticide monitoring, spring chinook spawning surveys, Pelton Ladder mortality study, fish salvage in irrigation canals, aid co-managers in biosampling fish that pass through the Powerdale Trap, monitoring fish rearing at Oak Springs and Round Butte Hatcheries, forecasting the Hood River spring chinook return, monitor the Hood River tribal fishery, program coordination, and reporting. 2003: Similar work as 2002 however the mortality study at Pelton Ladder ended, there was no tribal fishery to monitor, and the Hood River Program Review was initiated. An independent consultant performed the Program Review, however support and review was required for this work. 2004: Similar work as 2003, but there were no habitat surveys completed in 2004, and the Hood River Program Review was completed. 2005: Similar work as 2004, however there is currently a tribal fishery to monitor, telemetry work is being used to better understand the distribution of spring chinook in the Middle Fork Hood River, and PIT tagging was initiated to better understand the behavior of the smolts and to provide a comparison between migrant and non-migrant returns.
FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments
| PIT Tags | PIT tagging operations started in 2005. This included tagging non-migrant winter steelhead. More extensive PIT tagging is planned for 2006. Depending on the success of the expanded work in 2006, increased funding may be requested in 2007. | |
| Coordination | Coordinate with co-managers and other agency and interest groups in the Hood River basin regarding the Hood River Production Program and fish management issues in the Hood River subbasin. | |
| Produce Annual Report | Produce and submit the FY 2005 annual report to BPA. | |
| Produce Status Report | Produce and submit status reports to BPA. | |
| Purpose of production program (S/H/R): S = Supplementation, H = Harvest Augmentation, R = Research | Supplementation | |
| # of fish released | Acclimate and volitionally release approximately 130,000 spring chinook smolts, 40,000 summer steelhead smolts, and 50,000 winter steelhead smolts. | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | Data to collect/generate and summarize/analyze: biosampling migrant and non-migrant smolts, fin mark quality, CWT retention, habitat, water temperatures, spawning surveys, salvage, forecast the spring chinook 2006 return, and tribal creel. |
The Hood River M&E Project goals for FY 2006 include the following. Achieve adult fish returns consisting of: 850 spring chinook, 2,300 summer steelhead, and 2,700 winter steelhead. This work will include monitoring fish health while juveniles are reared in out-of-basin hatcheries, checking smolts for fin clips and CWT retention, biosampling migrant and non-migrant smolts, acclimating, and volitionally releasing approximately 130,000 spring chinook smolts, 40,000 summer steelhead smolts, 50,000 winter steelhead smolts. PIT tag a portion of the winter steelhead smolts prior to transport to the acclimation sites in Hood River. This will include both migrant and non-migrant winter steelhead. Assist ODFW with biosampling adults at the Powerdale Fish Trap. Monitor temperatures at seven locations in the Hood River subbasin. Monitor and evaluate spring chinook escapement and natural production above Powerdale Dam by surveying the West Fork Hood River for spawning activity and carcasses. Forecast the 2006 spring chinook return to the Hood River. Monitor the tribal fishery above Powerdale Dam if the chinook forecast is such that the fishery is opened on the Hood River. Conduct fish salvage operations on necessary irrigation canals. Conduct habitat surveys using the ODFW Aquatic Inventory protocol. Coordinate with co-managers and other agency and interest groups in the Hood River basin regarding the Hood River Production Program and fish management issues in the Hood River subbasin. Submit status and annual reports to BPA.
Subbasin planning
How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?
The Hood River M&E Project is consistent with the subbasin plan. The strategies listed in the subbasin plan for each anadromous species are directly reflected in the design of the M&E Project. The spring chinook salmon objectives (p.182-184) include achieving escapement goals of 125 natural origin fish, natural smolt production of 20,000, maintaining a locally adapted and naturally spawning population, increasing the smolt to adult survival, and providing harvest opportunities to the tribes and sport fishers. These objectives direct the activities of the M&E Project. For example run forecasts are estimated to anticipate the harvest opportunities and provide a basis for broodstock collection. Acclimating and volitionally releasing smolts in the subbasin address the population objective. Spawning surveys are conducted to monitor natural spawning activity in the West Fork, and creel surveys are done to monitor the tribal harvest when the fishery is open. The subbasin plan specifically mentioned reintroducing spring chinook to the Hood River (p.183). The M&E Project is part of this effort. The subbasin plan also gave reference to the Hood River Program Review and the many models used to estimate carrying capacity (p.183). It has been these reviews, plans, and models that have aided in developing the M&E Project. The summer steelhead objectives (p. 184-185) include achieving and maintaining a spawning population of 600. The M&E Project addresses this population objective by acclimating and volitionally releasing smolts in the West Fork Hood River adjacent to ideal steelhead spawning habitat. When possible, spawning surveys have been conducted to better understand the distribution of the spawning activity. The winter steelhead objectives (p.186-187) include achieving and maintaining a spawning population of 1,100. The M&E Project addresses this population objective by acclimating and volitionally releasing smolts in the Hood River subbasin.
How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?
The M&E Project is designed to take a basinwide approach to fish recovery. All species are considered, habitat is considered crucial, and adaptive management is employed. The M&E Project in addition to the other projects that make up the HRPP, use the best science available to make decisions. The spring chinook strategies (p. 194) in 6.3 Prioritized Strategies include: improving smolt to adult survival by disease control, controlling smolt size, incorporating naturally produced fish in the broodstock, and considering moving production so that rearing takes place in basin. These strategies are both directly and indirectly supported and addressed by the M&E Project. Smolt lengths, weights, and health are monitored for both migrants and non-migrants. Spawning surveys return the disposition of the fish that are successfully spawning in river. Generally, the M&E Project provides information for the comparison and background for these strategies. The summer steelhead strategies (p. 193) in 6.3 Prioritized Strategies are focused on habitat and genetic integrity. The M&E Project generally supports these issues, and the Harvest and Hatchery Supplementation Strategies (p.194-195) include the use of supplementation to achieve the population goals. The winter steelhead strategies (p. 194) in 6.3 Prioritized Strategies are focused on habitat and genetic integrity, similar to the summer steelhead. The M&E Project generally provides support to these issues, and the Harvest and Hatchery Supplementation Strategies (p.194-195) include the use of supplementation to achieve the population goals. Section 6.5 Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation includes strategies that monitor harvest (p.202), natural production (p. 203), wild and hatchery characteristics (p.204), physical habitat (p. 207), and wild and hatchery fish health (p. 207). All of these activities include work encompassed by the M&E Project. In addition PIT tagging is listed as monitoring work that should be included. The M&E Project started PIT tagging the winter steelhead non-migrants and expanded PIT tagging activities are planned for FY 06.
Other comments
This M&E Project is part of the larger Hood River Production Program (HRPP). Several other projects including the ODFW M&E Project, several O&M projects, and a habitat project help to encompass the HRPP from a larger perspective.