Response for project 198806500: Kootenai R White Sturgeon Inve
Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget
This budget appears to be consistent with our FY06 budget needs. At this time we do not anticipate any further budget needs.
Accomplishments since the last review
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | 2005: For nutrient restoobtained 124 permit from Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks; Short Term Activity Exemption from Idaho DEQ, Land Lease Agreement from , approval from MT State Historical Preservation Office, and Land Easement from Idaho Dept. of Lands. | |
| # of people reached in each of 3 classes (T/S/G): Teachers, Students, General public | In 2003-2004 we provided to the public and our peers oral and written news releases describing our studies and demonstrating our accountability. Many times this was done in a scientific forum. We produced at least one news item a month to the public. | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | 2003 Inventoried non-sportfish populations and burbot 2004 Inventoried non-sportfish populations and burbot 2005 Inventoried burbot pop 03 Completed creel survey of harvest 03-05 collected burbot tissue and ran mtDNA 03-05 M&E white sturgeon spawning | |
| Coordination | In 2003 and 2004 we continued to cooperate and plan with the Kootenai River white Sturgeon RT, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, MT Fish Wildlife and Parks, British Columbia and federal managig agencies in the activities to rehabilitate fish and restore ecosystem | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | 2003-2005 managed and administered BPA funding for Kootenai River studies as well as sub-contracts with British Columbia Ministry, USGS, University of Idaho, and Eco Annalysts. | |
| Produce Annual Report | 2003 produced three annual reports 2004 produced three annual reports 2005 produced four annual reports | |
| Produce Status Report | 2003 produced four quarterly repts 2004 produced four quarterly repts 2005 produced one quarterly repts | |
| Produce/Submit Scientific Findings Report | 2003 published one ms. in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society2004 published one ms. a Symposium sponsored by the American Fisheries Society2005 published two ms. in Transactions of the American Fisheries Society and one in J. Fish Biol. | |
| Enhance Nutrients Instream | In 2003 and 2004 we continued to maintain a large scale sampling system of zooplankton and sport and non-sport fish to maintain a data base to be used in nutirent restoration for M&E. In cooperation with the KTOI. | |
| Operate/Maintain Facility | 2003-2005 operation and maintenance of a field station for Kootenai River Fisheries Recovery Investigations at Kootenai Wildlife Refuge | |
| # of fish | 2003 Captured 10 white sturgeon and transported to suitable spawning habitat 2004 Captured 17 white sturgeon and transported to suitable spawning habitat | |
| Purpose of production program (S/H/R): S = Supplementation, H = Harvest Augmentation, R = Research | Research and conservation culture of Kooteni River white sturgeon. | |
| # of fish transported | In 2003 and 2004 IDFG provided to the KTOI and cooperated in the sampling of adult females for brrod stock and the collection of sperm for up to abot 10 fish. | |
| Install Fish Trap/Monitoring Weir | 2003 Maintained three drift nets and one screw trap for trout outmigrants | |
| Develop RM&E Methods and Designs | In 2003 and 2004 we eamined 10 years of telemetry data to develop a maximum flow scenario for burbot migration and statistical analysis of flows and temperature on burbot spawning migration. | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | 2003 Collected and generated data on white sturgeon, trout, burbot and non-sport fish populations2004 Collected and generated data on white sturgeon, trout, burbot and non-sport fish populations including population estimates in 2004 22 mtn whfish radio | |
| Mark/Tag Animals | 2003 We tagged over 50 white sturgeon and put transmitters on 12 2004 We tagged over 50 whitee sturgeon and put tramnsmitters on over 102005 we have tagged 40 wite sturgeon and put transmitters on about 12 | |
| Manage/Maintain Database | 2003-2005 Managed data base for wild and hatchery white sturgeon, burbot and rainbow and bull trout - tag number, capture data, length, weight, location other data bases for temporal zooplankton densities | |
| Analyze/Interpret Data | 2003 and 2004 Evaluated population statistcs for white sturgeon and burbot demographics and time to extinction and population increase in hatchery sturgeon. |
The Kootenai River Investigations is comprised of four projects. Recruitment of sturgeon to the Kootenai River has been limited since Libby Dam began operation with regulated flow. M&E of the spawning by white sturgeon during mitigated flows is important. White sturgeon often spawned during decreasing flows. Analysis suggests optimum white sturgeon spawning is above 630 m3/s, ideal flows 1,131 m3/s, an ideal temperature range of 9.5 to 12oC. White sturgeon spawning has improved but location is a bottleneck that is being addressed in 2005 and 2006 with habitat enhancement. Sturgeon continue to spawn over sand substrate, which is unsuitable for adequate survival of eggs and larvae. This Workplan proposal also addresses the need to evaluate winter flows to allow migration passage of burbot to traditional spawning locations in Idaho. Burbot in the Kootenai River may be near demographic extinction and a 2004 population estimate indicates there may 60 fish present. Analysis of a six year data of telemetry indicated flows of about 200 m3/s from Libby Dam for a period of 90 d or more would be ideal for burbot spawning migration. A Conservation Agreement has been completed. A systems operation request of Libby Dam for burbot spawning migration for 2005 and 2006 and evaluation will be in progress. Declines in other fish populations such as kokanee, bull trout, and redband rainbow trout populations have also been documented. Research conducted on bull trout will be valuable in directing management strategies aimed at conservation and recovery of the species in Idaho. Redband rainbow trout research is being conducted on life history, distribution, and abundance to enhance effective management. Recent trout research from 2001-2003 concentrated on determining recruitment sources to the Kootenai River upstream of Bonners Ferry. We have tracked radio-tagged rainbow trout to determine spawning tributaries, and measured juvenile rainbow trout out-migration from tributaries. Our data suggest that Boulder Creek is the largest source of recruits to the Kootenai Rive
FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | Nutrient Restoration will include any reports due to permiting agencies in addition to a Sec.10 report for handling ESA listed Kootenai River white sturgeon. | |
| # of people reached in each of 3 classes (T/S/G): Teachers, Students, General public | We will continue to educate the public and our peers by oral and written news releases describing our studies and demonstrating our accountability. | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | Rainbow trout population will be inventoried to monitor recruitment and population numbers as will Sport and non-sportfish and zooplankton inventories at specific sites(large scale sampling)for the planning of continued nutrient rest. and coop. w/KTOI | |
| Coordination | In 2006 we will continue to cooperate and plan with the Kootenai River white Sturgeon RT, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, MT Fish Wildlife and Parks, British Columbia and federal managig agencies in the activities to rehabilitate fish and restore ecosystem | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | In 2006 we will manage and administer BPA funding for Kootenai River studies as well as sub-contracts with British Columbia Ministry, USGS, University of Idaho, and Eco Annalysts. | |
| Produce Annual Report | We will produce four annual reports for each of the next fiscal years; white sturgeon M&E, Salmonid studies, Burbot investigations, and Nutrient Restoration | |
| Produce Status Report | We will continue to produce four quarterly reports | |
| Produce/Submit Scientific Findings Report | We have four ms. in progress of which two Rainbow trout recruitment and Dual tagging of white sturgeon and tag loss differences have been accepted for publication by Northwest Science and two burbot ms. in preparation burbot demographics and temp.cues | |
| Enhance Nutrients Instream | In 2005 and 2006 we will M&E nutrient resoration by examining changes in the growth and abundance of secondary producers and evaluate benefits to sport and non-sport fish including rainbow trout, sturgeon burbot and mountain white fish pop. vital statisti | |
| Operate/Maintain Facility | The Kootenai River Fisheries Investigations field station will be maintained on the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge. Besides maintenance the building and grounds have an annual state and federal inspection. | |
| Purpose of production program (S/H/R): S = Supplementation, H = Harvest Augmentation, R = Research | Research and conservation culture of Kootenai River white sturgeon | |
| # of fish transported | We will assisst the KTOI with hatchery operations by helping them with the collection of brood fish while we are sampling adult sturgeon. Up to 12 females may be delivered to the hatchery and sperm from 12 to 20 males. | |
| Install Fish Trap/Monitoring Weir | In 2006 we will deploy matts to sample sturgeon eggs and M&E sturgeon spawning and rearing substrates placed by a Pilot project. We will M&E rainbow trout regulations in place to improve recruitment and M&E the Burbot Conservation Strategy | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | In 2006 we will collect and generate data on white sturgeon, bull, cutthroat, and rainbow trout, mountain white fish, burbot and non-sport fish populations including population estimates, recruitment,. Success of the Pilot habitat study. | |
| Mark/Tag Animals | In 2006 we will tag up to 50 white sturgeon and put depth sensitive VEMCO transmitters on 12 males and females each year and mark and recapture up to 300 juvenile white sturgeon, cont. tagging burbot and put trans. on up to 10 bull and rainbow trout | |
| Manage/Maintain Database | Long term data bases on white sturgeon hatchery and wild will be maintained and burbot to monitor demographic changes and age and hatchery wild composition. | |
| Analyze/Interpret Data | Data collected during the FY 2005 and 2006 will be managed and interpreted to determine changes and contributions due to in river habitat restoration or enhancement and to measure progress. Statistics will be used to interpret level of change. |
In 2006 the Kootenai River Fisheries Recovery Investigations will be comprised of four projects that involve two ESA listed species; white sturgeon and bull trout and two petitioned species Columbia Redband Rainbow and burbot: White sturgeon M&E and habitat rehabilitation, Salmonid studies, Burbot stock status and limiting factors, and nutrient restoration. The objectives of the white sturgeon recovery efforts will have several related investigations. M&E of habitat enhancement and restoration sponsored by the USACE 1135 program. Improved spawning and rearing habitat will be evaluated at the present sturgeon spawning location and what may be the historic reach. The value of the white sturgeon embryo release project to sturgeon recovery, and further resolution to the importance of cobble substrate to larval survival and rearing will be measured. Also, the movement of hatchery sturgeon juveniles and wild will be studied and compared to density distributions. Salmonid studies will focus on the improvements to recruitment because of nutrient restoration and the incresinmg densities of adults. Rainbow trout redd size and distribution within rearing tributaries will be compared to available habitat as a limiting factor to recruitment. Bull trout spawning locations and will be determined with radio or sonic telemetry. The burbot studies will focus on M&E of measures from the Burbot Conservation strategies, e.g. a winter SOR to promote winter migration and spawning, genetic resolution to the prospects of a donor stock and captive spawners. The population abundance and recruitment will be monitored. The continuation and M&E of nutrient restoration will occur in 2006. The benefits of nutrient restoration to the white sturgeon and burbot rehabilitation, sport and non-sport native fishes will be measured and combared using the large scale data base. Also the benefits to the sport fisheries and contribution to the angler harvest will be assessed. Public and peer outreach will continue with news releases, TV, and publications in scientific journals.
Subbasin planning
How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?
Subbasin planning How is this project consistent with subbasin plans? This project addresses the following Urgent and High Priority aquatic habitat objectives: Mainstem Objectives (Pages 21-28) M1 - Restore normative mainstem hydrograph M3 – Monitor turbidity and fine sediment M4 – Restore thermal regime M5 – Improve habitat diversity (in-river spawning habitat) Tributary Objectives (Pages 29-35) T3 – Reduce fine sediment T4 – Improve channel stability T5 – Improve thermal regime T6 – Increase habitat diversity This project addresses the following Urgent and High Priority aquatic biological objectives for Bull Trout (BT), Redband Trout (RBT) Westslope Cutthroat (WCT), Kokanee (KOK), white sturgeon (WST), and Burbot (BUR). Page numbers for the objectives are listed in parentheses. Restore productivity and nutrients – BT5 (47), KOK1 (56), BUR1 (65), and WST1 (60) Restore and maintain population size – BT2 (43), RBT2 (49), WCT2 (53), KOK3 (58), WST3 (63), and BUR4 (70) Restore and maintain population stability – BT3 (44) Restore natural recruitment – WST2 (62), BUR3 (68) Rehabilitate native community composition – KOK2 (58), BUR2 (67) Maintain or increase number of local populations – BT1 (41), RBT1 (48), WCT1 (52) This project also addresses the following high priority harvest objective (HAR1 – page 72) – Maintain or increase harvestable sportfish while protecting native species.
How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?
How do goals match subbasin plan priorities? This project addresses the following Urgent and High Priority aquatic habitat objectives found in the Kootenai Subbasin Management Plan: listed in the section above and also listed in the Table 10.5 on page 123. The objectives address restoration of habitats and focal species. This project meets all Tier 1 criteria and the following Tier II criteria (1,3,5,6,7,8,9, and 10) found in Section 10.5 (starting on Page 125) of the Kootenai Subbasin Plan. Additionally, it is stated in the Subbasin Plan that "after applying and meeting Tier I criteria, ongoing projects that address urgent objectives will be afforded the highest priority for funding" (Page 126 - paragraph after Tier I criteria). This project falls in the above- mentioned category.
Other comments
The Kootenai River Recovery Investigations closely follows M&E of measures in the Kootenai River White Sturgeon Recvery Plan, the IDFG Fisheries Management Five Year Plan and the measures of the Burbot Conservation Strategy as well as the Subbasin Plans. There is a high degree of coordination with other managing agencies including BPA, USACE, and USFWS. Also, the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks. Some bathymetric studies are contracted to the USGS under Joint Funding Agreements. The nutrient restoration is a cooperative and joint effort with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho and under the guidance of the International Kootenai River Ecosystem Recovery Team.