Response for project 199202604: Life Studies Of Spring Chinook

Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget

We will renew this project for FY 2006. The FY 2006 budget is consistent with our expectations.

Accomplishments since the last review

Start and end dates of lease (mm/dd/yyyy)03/01/2004 to 08/31/2013 for access to Lostine River Fish Trap Site (2004)
Install Fish Trap/Monitoring WeirInstalled and maintained Grande Ronde, Lostine, and Minam River and Catherine Creek traps. (2002 - 2005)
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab DataCaptured steelhead and Chinook salmon migrants at screw traps to determine age, size, and abundance (2002-2005)
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab DataCaptured steelhead and Chinook salmon in Catherine Creek and Chinook salmon in Lostine River to determine abundance of parr rearing in these streams during summer (2002-2004)
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab DataObserved juvenile Chinook salmon in winter in Catherine Creek and Lostine River and collected measures of habitat variables associated with observed fish (2002-2003)
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab DataDocumented habitat conditions in upper rearing areas of Catherine Creek (2002), upper Grande Ronde River (2003), and Lostine River (2004) to explore relationships between habitat conditions and survival and life history patterns of Chinook salmon in tribs
Mark/Tag AnimalsPIT-tagged Chinook salmon and steelhead (8,750 tags in 2002, 6,672 in 2003, and 8,056 in 2004) at rotary screw traps to determine migration patterns and survival rates (2002-2005)
Mark/Tag AnimalsPIT-tagged Chinook salmon in late summer in Catherine Creek, Lostine River, Minam River, Imnaha River (4,062 in 2002, 4,033 in 2003, and 3,992 in 2004) to determine population migration patterns and survival rates(2002-2005)
Mark/Tag AnimalsPIT-tagged Chinook salmon in winter in Catherine Creek, Grande Ronde River and Lostine River (1,037 tags in 2002, 1,303 in 2003, and 1,478 in 2004) to determine over-winter survival rates (2002-2005)
Mark/Tag AnimalsPIT-tagged Chinook salmon in Catherine Creek, Lostine River and Grande Ronde River (2,325 tags in 2002 and 1,803 tags in 2003)to determine use of winter concealment habitat (2002-2003)
Mark/Tag AnimalsMarked (PIT tags and fin clips) steelhead and Chinook salmon in Catherine Creek and Chinook salmon in Lostine River to determine abundance of parr rearing in these streams during summer (2002-2005)
Submit/Acquire DataUploaded PIT tag files to PSMFC’s regional PTAGIS database (2002-2005)
Submit/Acquire DataAcquired PIT tag observation data from PSMFC’s regional PTAGIS database (2002-2005)
Analyze/Interpret DataEstimated steelhead and Chinook salmon migrant abundance, described spring in-basin migration patterns, and compared among tributary populations (2002-2004)
Analyze/Interpret DataEstimated summer abundance of juvenile Chinook salmon in Catherine Creek and Lostine River, and steelhead in Catherine Creek and its tributary Milk Creek (2002-2004)
Analyze/Interpret DataEstimated survival and timing of PIT-tagged steelhead and spring Chinook salmon from various life stages to the Federal Columbia River Power System (2002-2004)

In addition to the metrics included, estimates of spring Chinook salmon abundance at various life stages and survival rates were provided to the Interior Columbia River Basin Technical Recovery Team. Estimates of abundance of spring Chinook salmon and steelhead were provided to the Grande Ronde subbasin planning team for use in the EDT modeling effort.

FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments

Produce Annual ReportWrite annual report of accomplishments of project
Install Fish Trap/Monitoring WeirInstall and maintain Grande Ronde, Lostine, and Minam River and Catherine Creek traps
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab DataCapture steelhead and Chinook salmon migrants at screw traps to determine age, size, and abundance
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab DataCapture steelhead and Chinook salmon in Catherine Creek and Chinook salmon in Lostine River to determine abundance of parr rearing in these streams during summer
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab DataDocument habitat conditions in rearing areas of Minam River to explore relationships between habitat conditions and survival and life history patterns of Chinook salmon in tributaries.
Mark/Tag AnimalsPIT-tag Chinook salmon and steelhead at rotary screw traps to determine migration patterns and survival rates.
Mark/Tag AnimalsPIT-tag Chinook salmon in late summer in Catherine Creek, Lostine River, Minam River, Imnaha River to determine population migration patterns and survival rates.
Mark/Tag AnimalsPIT-tag Chinook salmon in winter in Catherine Creek, Grande Ronde River and Lostine River to determine over-winter survival rates.
Mark/Tag AnimalsMark (PIT tags and fin clips) steelhead and Chinook salmon in Catherine Creek and Chinook salmon in Lostine River to determine abundance of parr rearing in these streams during summer.
Submit/Acquire DataUpload PIT tag files to PSMFC’s regional PTAGIS database
Submit/Acquire DataAcquire PIT tag observation data from PSMFC’s regional PTAGIS database
Analyze/Interpret DataEstimate steelhead and Chinook salmon migrant abundance, describe spring in-basin migration patterns, and compare among tributary populations.
Analyze/Interpret DataEstimate summer abundance of juvenile Chinook salmon in Catherine Creek and Lostine River, and steelhead in Catherine Creek and its tributary Middle Fork Catherine Creek.
Analyze/Interpret DataEstimate survival and timing of PIT-tagged steelhead and spring Chinook salmon from various life stages to the Federal Columbia River Power System

We will continue monitoring the steelhead and spring Chinook salmon populations and their responses to supplementation efforts in the subbasin.

Subbasin planning

How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?

The project is consistent with Aquatic Monitoring and Evaluation objectives 1a, 2c, and 3c (Subbasin Plan pages 276, 279-280, and 284-285). This project provides key performance measures for these three Monitoring and Evaluation objectives.

How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation is not prioritized in the Grande Ronde subbasin plan. However, this project is a key component to the monitoring and evaluation of the recovery of spring Chinook salmon in the Grande Ronde subbasin.

Other comments

This project coordinates activities with and provides support to the following projects: 1996-020-00 - through the tagging of wild spring Chinook salmon for the Comparative Survival Study; 1998-007-02, 1998-007-03, 1998-007-04, 1998-010-01, and 1998-010-06 - through migration monitoring of hatchery-produced spring Chinook salmon smolts from tributaries and comparison to wild smolt migration for the Grande Ronde Supplementation program and the Grande Ronde Captive Broodstock program.