BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1997 Proposal

Section 1. Administrative
Section 2. Narrative
Section 3. Budget

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Title of project
Sherman Creek Hatchery - O&M

BPA project number   9104700

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
WDFW

Sponsor type   WA-State/Local Agency

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   Marcella Lafayette, EWP 503/230-3781

Biological opinion ID   Long term O&M agreement

NWPPC Program number   10.8B.2

Short description
The Sherman Creek Hatchery is one of two kokanee facilities provided to partially mitigate for loss of anadromous fish habitat due to the construction of Grand Coulee Dam. As a part of this program, the BPA, Spokane Indian Tribe, Colville Confederated Tribe and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife work collectively towards the goal of the fishery enhancement on Lake Roosevelt and Banks Lake. The role of the Sherman Creek Hatchery in this program is to: {a} establish a kokanee broodstock for future egg requirements; {b} create and enhance the kokanee fishery within Lake Roosevelt and {c} assist in rainbow trout rearing through the use of net pen operations on Lake Roosevelt.

Project start year   1991    End year   N/A - Ongoing O&M

Start of operation and/or maintenance   1991

Project development phase   Maintenance

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects
# 91-47 - Provides the fish to the Sherman Creek Hatchery. This project M and E is covered by Project # 88-063 and # 94-043.

Project history
The Sherman Creek Hatchery (SCH) was designed to rear 1.7 million kokanee fry for acclimation and imprinting during the spring and early summer. Additionally, it was designed to trap all available returning adult kokanee during the fall for broodstock operations and evaluations. Since the initiation of this program, the operations of the SCH have been modified to better achieve program goals. These strategic changes have been the result of recommendations through the Lake Roosevelt Hatcheries Coordination Team (LRHCT) and were implemented to enhance imprinting, improve survival and operate the facilities more effectively. The primary change has been to replace the kokanee fingerling program with a kokanee yearling program and to rear rainbow trout to enable the Spokane Tribal Hatchery (STH) to rear additional yearling kokanee.

Biological results achieved
Since the start of operations in April 1992 the following numbers of fish have been released in to Lake Roosevelt from the SCH:
1992 - 976,925 fingerling and 45,714 yearling kokanee
1993 - 902,749 fingerling and 85,321 yearling kokanee
1994 - 946,762 fingerling and 126,159 yearling kokanee
1995 - 275,609 yearling kokanee
Additionally, the SCH reared 10,000 kokanee captive broodstock during 1993 and assisted in the STH and Lake Roosevelt Development Association production of 100,000+ catchable rainbow trout annually at the Kettle Falls Net Pen site. Since July 1995 the SCH has reared approximately 110,000 rainbow trout annually for stocking into net pens on Lake Roosevelt. This aspect of the SCH program is done to assist the STH (project 91-47) meet its rearing program.
During 1995 the SCH collected 970 adult kokanee. Observations made during adult kokanee collections indicated that additional numbers of adult kokanee were present in the vicinity of Sherman Creek.

Annual reports and technical papers
Monthly reports are submitted and an annual report detailing work accomplished during that specific funding period is prepared and submitted.

Management implications
Major hatchery programming changes are discussed among the participating members of the Lake Roosevelt Hatchery Coordination Team. This team, comprised of one voting member each from the Colville Confederated Tribe, the Spokane Tribe and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife who work together to coordinate hatchery programs between the SCH and the Spokane Tribal Hatchery.

Specific measureable objectives
Acclimate and imprint a maximum of 225,000 kokanee yearlings at the SCH and an additional 70,000 kokanee yearlings in the Kettle Falls Net Pen site. Rear approximately 110,000 rainbow trout fingerlings at the SCH to supply for net pens on Lake Roosevelt. Capture all available returning adult and jack kokanee through the utilization of the hatchery ladder and trap, Oneida floating traps and potentially electrofishing in Sherman Creek Bay.

Testable hypothesis
NA

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints
The SCH was designed to serve as the acclimation and imprinting facility. Kokanee are reared at the SCH to enhance the upper Lake Roosevelt fishery and return as adults to provide an egg bank for the Lake Roosevelt and Banks Lake kokanee programs. It is assumed that fish released at the SCH will remain in Lake Roosevelt.

Methods
Utilize standard fish culture methods and enhance imprinting through the use of chemical treatments to the water during rearing and fall return periods. Coordination with Projects 88-063 and 94-043 is also an integral part of this program.

Brief schedule of activities
Kokanee rearing at SCH occurs March through July and at the Kettle Falls net pen site October through June. Rainbow trout are reared July through October. Adult kokanee returns start in September and continue through November. Imprinting chemical treatments to the water occur during the rearing phase and immediately prior and during adult returns. This schedule is anticipated to remain fairly constant for out-years..

Biological need
The SCH and STH are operated in tandem to enhance the fishery of Lake Roosevelt as partial mitigation for the loss of anadromous fish habitat due to the construction of Grand Coulee Dam in 1941.

Critical uncertainties
One area of uncertainty is that the operation of the Lake Roosevelt will not provide sufficient water retention time to allow sufficient food production for released kokanee to develop.

Summary of expected outcome
Recent changes at the SCH in the release size of the kokanee have shown promising results. Tag return data indicates that the kokanee catch by recreational anglers has increased. It was estimated that jack returns to the Sherman Creek Bay during the fall of 1995 may have been as high as several thousand fish. Adult capture concerns at the SCH are being addressed.

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation
Both the SCH and STH are operated under the guidance of the Lake Roosevelt Hatchery Coordination Team. This group has provided a unique forum for the parties to discuss concepts and make decisions regarding these hatchery programs.

Risks
Concerns have been expressed about interactions between hatchery origin rainbow and wild rainbow spawning in tributaries upstream of Sherman Creek on Lake Roosevelt. Fish pathogens are not of concern since all fish are imported into the hatcheries as eggs and come from certified viral free broodstocks with long histories of sampling for fish pathogens.

Monitoring activity
Program evaluations are being handled through cooperative efforts between the participating parties and the Upper Columbia United Tribal Research (UCUT) as funded by BPA.

Section 3. Budget

* For most projects, Authorized is the amount recommended by CBFWA and the Council. Planned is amount currently allocated. Contracted is the amount obligated to date of printout.

Funding recommendations

CBFWA funding review group   Resident Fish

Recommendation    Tier 1 - fund

Recommended funding level   $178,000

BPA 1997 authorized budget (approved start-of-year budget)   $178,000