BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1998 Proposal

Section 1. Summary
Section 2. Goals
Section 3. Background
Section 4. Purpose and methods
Section 5. Planned activities
Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation
Section 7. Relationships
Section 8. Costs and FTE

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Summary

Title of project
NE Oregon Outplanting Master Plan and Facilities - ODFW

BPA project number   8805305

Short description
Develop the Imnaha and Grande Ronde Master Plans covering production, supplementation, genetics, etc. Develop facility designs and costs with schedule for implementation. Construct and startup new facilities as agreed between comanagers and BPA.

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

Section 2. Goals

General
Supports a healthy Columbia basin; maintains biological diversity; maintains genetic integrity; increases run sizes or populations; adaptive management (research or M&E); program coordination or planning

Section 3. Background

Stream area affected

Stream name   Imnaha, Lostine, Wallowa and upper Grande Ronde rivers and Catherine Creek
Stream miles affected   all
Hydro project   This program is intended to mitigate for Snake River salmon losses resulting from the construction and operation of Columbia and Snake river hydroelectric projects.
Subbasin   IMNAHA, GRANDE RONDE
Land ownership   both
Acres affected   various
Habitat types   none

History
This project was initiated as one of the Northeast Oregon Hatchery Projects to improve fish production in the Grande Ronde and Imnaha subbasins via hatchery and weir development.. The project was started in response to the Council's objective of doubling the numbers of salmonids in the system. Project development was delayed while comanagers and the Pacific Northwest considered how to deal with the recovery of Snake River chinook listed under the Federal ESA listing. Project was restarted in 1996.

Project reports and papers
Northeast Oregon Salmon and Steelhead Draft Master Plan, Imnaha River, Larson, March 1990. Northeast Oregon Salmon and Steelhead Draft Master Plan, Grande Ronde River, Bryson, March 1990. Feasibility for Reintroducing Sockeye & Coho Salmon in the Grande Ronde River and Coho and Chum in the Walla Walla River, S.P. Cramer, November 1990. Draft Siting Report for Northeast Oregon Hatchery Project, Montgomery Watson, February 1992. Draft Conceptual Design Report for Northeast Oregon Hatchery Project, Montgomery Watson, October 1992. Preliminary Report of Test Well Drilling Northeast Oregon Project, Montgomery Watson, October 1992. Genetic Risk Assessment of the Imnaha Master Plan, S.P. Cramer, December 1993. Genetic Risk Assessment of the Grande Ronde River Master Plan, S.P. Cramer, December 1994. Northeast Oregon Hatchery Project Grande Ronde River Master Plan Final Report, BRYSON, NPT, January 1993.

Adaptive management implications
We have attempted recovery of Grande Ronde stocks using non-indigenous stocks. Conclusions of the Grande Ronde panel convened by US v. Oregon parties found this approach to be inappropriate and recommended the initiation of endemic broods.
Recovery of Grande Ronde stocks using an endemic brood strategy will require hatchery satellite and adult capture facilities on the upper Grande Ronde and Lostine rivers and Catherine Creek . These facilities will be utilized with Captive Brood programs (already underway) as well as Conventional Brood supplementation programs in development. Monitoring and Evaluation of project activities will provide information to allow decisions to be made utilizing Adaptive Management to recover listed species and move toward delisting.

Section 4. Purpose and methods

Specific measureable objectives
Upward trend in spawning ground counts. Increased outmigration of wild smolts while avoiding unintended changes to population structure, fitness and genetics.

Critical uncertainties
Without intervention, loss of biodiversity and inbreeding depression due to small population size may put these stocks further at risk. Project implementation is expected to reduce those risks and hasten recovery and delisting.

Biological need
Recovery of weak populations within 2-4 generations (8-16 years), to population sizes supporting ESA delisting. Prevent loss of biodiversity and inbreeding depression due to small population size. Develop population sizes capable of sustaining Tribal and Non-Tribal Harvests.

Hypothesis to be tested
Supplementation with endemic stocks will improve returns of ESA listed salmon species and stocks.

Alternative approaches
See Finding of the US v. Oregon Grande Ronde panel and ODFW's Application for Emergency for Permit for Scientific Purposes and To Enhance the Production or Survival of Endangered Grande Ronde River Basin Spring Chinook under the Endangered Species Act.

Justification for planning
ODFW is involved as a comanager to plan, coordinate and participate in the operation of facilities which will release fish to reduce the likelihood of Extinction and progress toward recovery and delisting. ODFW, CTUIR and NPT are comanagers and will be funded under this and other projects to participate in the continued planning, construction, operation & maintenance and monitoring related to these facilities. This coordination and planning is required to ensure that this project is well thought out and has the highest potential for success.)

Methods
Supplementation using one or more of the following products; adults, gametes, eggs, fry, parr, presmolt, smolts, captive broodstock. The priority is to rear and release endemic smolts from a local facility. Captive broodstock began in 1995 with collection of juvenile chinook under LSRCP. In 1997 conventional production for these stocks may be initiated.

Section 5. Planned activities

Constraints or factors that may cause schedule or budget changes
Difficulties in reaching agreement on program specifics, land purchase, funding, construction scheduling and NEPA analysis.

Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation

SUMMARY OF EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Expected performance of target population or quality change in land area affected
Reducing stress and improving imprintation of native stock smolts from the Captive Brood program and the conventional brood program that will use these facilities is expected to assist in the recovery and delisting of these stocks.

Present utilization and convservation potential of target population or area
The present utilization potential is very limited due to depressed status and low productivity of these stocks under current conditions. The conservation potential including measures in this proposal is excellent assuming improvements anticipated in other tributary and mainstem projects are realized.

Assumed historic status of utilization and conservation potential
According to Grande Ronde River Subbasin (NPPC 1990), "Fishery managers estimated that 12,200 spring chinook salmon escaped to the mouth of the Grande Ronde in 1957." By comparison, only 1800 adults escaped to the entire Snake River Basin in 1995.

Long term expected utilization and conservation potential for target population or habitat
We believe the potential for recovery, delisting and return to harvestable levels is excellent.

Contribution toward long-term goal
This program will improve egg to adult survival of the target stocks while protecting stock integrity.

Indirect biological or environmental changes
none

Physical products
A Master Plan, trapping and acclimation facilities, increased smolt production and adult returns.

Environmental attributes affected by the project
NA

Changes assumed or expected for affected environmental attributes
NA

Measure of attribute changes
NA

Assessment of effects on project outcomes of critical uncertainty
The initial Monitoring and Evaluation is described in Project Number 9604400. Additional M&E needs will be described in the Master Plan.

Information products
Monthly, quarterly and Annual reports.

Coordination outcomes
This project had been deferred until several fishery comanagement issues were resolved.

MONITORING APPROACH
Specifics developed in the Master Plan will include: Evaluate success of returning adults from the Captive Brood and conventional hatchery programs, their resultant natural smolt production and adult returns. Success will be measured by progress toward recovery, delisting and healthy populations capable of supporting Tribal and Nontribal harvest.

Provisions to monitor population status or habitat quality
See Project numbers 9202604, 8909600 and LSRCP Research.

Data analysis and evaluation
This issue will be dealt with in detail in the Master Plan.

Information feed back to management decisions
Already in place is an Annual Operating Plan that includes all comanagers and research.

Critical uncertainties affecting project's outcomes
Will be resolved through Monitoring and Evaluation outlined above.

Evaluation
see MONITORING APPROACH

Incorporating new information regarding uncertainties
Already in place is an Annual Operating Plan that includes all comanagers and research.

Increasing public awareness of F&W activities
Through periodic reports, presentations and press coverage.

Section 7. Relationships

Opportunities for cooperation
Opportunity to integrate LSRCP, Captive Brood and NEOH production, Acclimation and Adult Collection and Holding Facilities in the Grande Ronde and Imnaha subbasins.

Section 8. Costs and FTE

1997 Planned  $200,001

How does percentage apply to direct costs
Applies to all costs except capital purchases and contractual services

Supplemental anadromous fish evaluation factors
Project addresses specific Council Program measures.