FY07-09 proposal 199107100
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Section 1. Administrative
| Proposal title | Snake River Sockeye Salmon Habitat and Limnological Monitoring |
| Proposal ID | 199107100 |
| Organization | Shoshone Bannock Tribes |
| Short description | This project will monitor and enhance (if necessary) rearing conditions for juvenile Snake River sockeye salmon. We will also investigate competition, growth rates, and survival for progeny released from the captive broodstock program. |
| Information transfer | Annual progress reports are submitted to the BPA. Selected data will be used to write a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. |
| Proposal contact person or principal investigator | |
Contacts
| Contact | Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Form submitter | ||
| Doug Taki | Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall | [email protected] |
| All assigned contacts | ||
| Doug Taki | Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Fort Hall | [email protected] |
Section 2. Locations
Province / subbasin: Mountain Snake / Salmon
| Latitude | Longitude | Waterbody | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| [none] | Pettit Lake, Snake River sockeye salmon nursery lake. | ||
| Alturas Lake Creek | Alturas Lake, Snake River sockeye salmon nursery lake. | ||
| Redfish Lake Creek | Redfish Lake, Snake River sockeye salmon nursery lake. |
Section 3. Focal species
primary: Sockeye Snake River ESUSection 4. Past accomplishments
| Year | Accomplishments |
|---|---|
| 2005 | We continued fertilization of Pettit Lake and resumed fertilization of Alturas Lake. Survival to smolt was 55 & 57% in Pettit and Alturas lakes, respectively. To date, over 1,000,000 presmolts have been relased and over 340,000 have migrated to the ocean |
| 2004 | We resumed fertilization of Pettit Lake. Plankton levels continued to set records in Pettit, increased in Alturas, and declined slightly in Redfish. Survival to smolt was 35 & 51% in Pettit and Alturas lakes, respectively. |
| 2003 | Based on our carrying capacity model and the low density of captive brood fish released that year no lake fertilization took place. Survival to smolt increased to 48% in Pettit Lake and declined to 9% in Alturas Lake. Continued limnological monitoring. |
| 2002 | We resumed fertilization of Redfish Lake. Plankton results were similar to 2001 with the exception of Pettit reaching densities never recorded in the Sawtooth Valley. Survival to smolt was 16 & 29% in Pettit and Alturas lakes. We PIT tagged 1,000 fish. |
| 2001 | We presented results from the project at an International Nutrient conference. Zooplankton levels remained high in Redfish, reached record levels in Pettit, and decreased slightly in Alturas Lake. Survival to smolt was 16 & 42% in Pettit & Alturas lakes |
| 2000 | Two hundred and fifty-seven adult sockeye returned to the Valley. Zooplankton densities were the highest recorded in Redfish Lake, remained level in Alturas Lake, and increased in Pettit Lake. Continued other data collection efforts. |
| 1999 | Smolt monitoring at Pettit and Alturas lakes indicated an overwinter survival of stocked sockeye at 61% and 30%, respectively. Monitoring showed that chlorophyll and zooplankton declined and water transparency increased following the 1st year of no fert. |
| 1998 | Began annual monitoring of sockeye smolt emigration from Alturas Lake. The overwinter survival of 34.3% was the highest to date for captive broodstock progeny released in any Sawtooth Valley lake. Continued nutrient enhancement for all three lakes. |
| 1997 | Continued nutrient enhancement of Redfish Lake. Despite doubling the O. nerka density in the lake through supplementation, mean seasonal zooplankton biomass remained slightly above the five year mean. Applied nutrients to Pettit and Alturas lakes. |
| 1996 | Removed the rough fish barrier at the outlet of Pettit Lake. Constructed a juvenile/adult weir in same location. In addition to increasing sockeye rearing habitat, bull trout and northern pikeminnow became re-established. Began sockeye smolt monitoring |
| 1995 | Continued data collection. Conducted test fertilization of Redfish Lake. Primary productivity, phytoplankton biovolume, and peak zooplankton densities increased while water transparencies were only slightly shallower than previous years. |
| 1994 | Continued data collection. Conducted nutrient addition experiments in limnocorrals in Redfish and Alturas lakes. Results from those experiments indicated nutrient enhancements could increase lake productivity and juvenile sockeye salmon growth. |
| 1993 | Continued data collection. Initiated studies to determine nutrient budgets for the lakes and juvenile sockeye salmon growth potential using a bioenergetics model and a field test with kokanee salmon. Intensified fisheries sampling by life stage. |
| 1992 | Began collecting baseline physical and biological data from historic sockeye salmon nursery lakes in the Sawtooth Valley, ID. Data collected included a variety of limnological variables and fish species composition and population estimates. |
| 1991 | Project proposal submitted to the BPA. A competitive bidding process was initiated to secure a limnological sub-contractor. Field and office supplies were purchased. |
Section 5. Relationships to other projects
| Funding source | Related ID | Related title | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPA | 199107200 | Redfish Lake Sockeye Salmon Ca | We monitor and evaluate juvenile sockeye salmon produced from this project. We also collaborate work efforts in the field and data transfers occur often between these projects. |
| BPA | 199204000 | Redfish Lake Sockeye Broodstoc | We monitor and evaluate adult sockeye salmon produced from this project. This project also produces gametes that are later released into the lakes as eyed eggs and pre-smolts. |
| BPA | 199009300 | Genetic Analyses of Oncorhynch | This project assists in creating the spawning matrix design and analyzes other genetic samples we collect. |
Section 6. Biological objectives
| Biological objectives | Full description | Associated subbasin plan | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delevelop smolt to adult return ratios | Using juvenile and adult weirs to enumerate smolt abundance and returning spawners, produce smolt to adult ratios for sockeye salmon. | Salmon | 1.A2 Develop specific smolt-to-adult return rates (SAR) for anadromous salmonids… |
| Estimate adult kokanee escapement | Using multiple-pass spawning surveys we will estimate kokanee escapements for Fishhook, Alturas, and Stanley Lake creeks. | Salmon | Performance Measure -Adult Escapement |
| Estimate juvenile emigrant abundance | Using juvenile weir/trap we will estimate smolt migration abundance for Pettit and Alturas lakes. | Salmon | Strategy 3C1 - Quantify population specific adult and juvenile abundance in formation for focal species. Performance Measure - Estimate juvenile emigrant abundance |
| Estimate juvenile freshwater survival rate | For fish stocked in egg boxes we will estimate egg-to-fry survival. Using our juvenile traps we will estimate fry-to-smolt and presmolt-to-smolt survival. | Salmon | Strategy 3A1 - Use new and existing projects to further the knowledge of egg to smolt survival. Performance Measure -Juvenile freshwater survival |
| Estimate residual sockeye salmon spawner abundance | Using snorkel surveys we will estimate the number of residual sockeye salmon spawning in Redfish Lake. | Salmon | Performance Measure -Adult spawner abundance |
| Improve juvenile sockeye salmon survival. | Maintain or enhance nursery lake habitat to acheive a 30% or greater overwinter survival of captive broodstock progeny released into those lakes. | Salmon | 2.2 Guiding Principles - Protect, enhance, and restore habitats to sustain and recover native aquatic and terrestrial species diversity and abundance with emphasis on the recovery and delisting of Endangered Species Act listed species. |
| measure juvenile migration survival | PIT tag at least 500 juvenile sockeye salmon smolts. In addition to presmolts tagged prior to release, we will have approximately 1,000 fish to estimate survival to downstream dams. | Salmon | Performance Measure - Juvenile survival to first mainstem dam. |
Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)
| Work element name | Work element title | Description | Start date | End date | Est budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remove or Relocate Non-predaceous Animals | Control sockeye salmon competition. | Capture fish using horizontal and vertical gill nets. Stomach contents from these fish will be used to determine diet by fish species and size. Samples will come from different time periods and lake locations. Use a picket wier to capture spawning kokanee. To ensure a portion of the overall run is represented, we will use a four year running average to determine how many females will be allowed to pass each day during the run. Our goal is to allow no more than 1,200 spawning females in Fishhook Creek and 1,000 spawning females in Alturas Lake Creek. | 1/3/2007 | 9/20/2009 | $236,588 |
|
Biological objectives Estimate adult kokanee escapement Improve juvenile sockeye salmon survival. |
Metrics |
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| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | NEPA Clearance and NMFS Section 10 Annual Report | Assemble, gather, acquire, or prepare documents in support of obtaining environmental compliance from BPA and obtaining permits. Complete annual report for Section 10 Permit by 31 January of the following year. | 12/1/2006 | 9/30/2009 | $2,325 |
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Biological objectives |
Metrics |
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| Enhance Nutrients Instream | Nutrient Enhancement | Develop nutrient/fertilizer enhancement management plan. Obtain nutrients/fertilizer (agricultural grade liquid nitrogen/phosphorous) . Determine location(s) where nutrients/fertilizer should be added to system. Determine method(s) to add nutrients/fertilizer to system (by human or automated). Add nutrients to system. Environmental compliance requirements complete. Upon TOC consensus on which lakes to fertilize, apply agricultural grade nitrogen and phosphorous by boat at weekly intervals. | 1/31/2007 | 9/30/2009 | $164,480 |
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Biological objectives Improve juvenile sockeye salmon survival. |
Metrics |
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| Coordination | Regional Coordination | Responsible and interested parties of the Stanley Basin Sockeye program exchange information, report on program implementation progress and issues, and achieve consensus on program implementation. Draft summary of the minutes will be approved at the following meeting. SBSTOC meetings are held at least four times per year. Participants provide written material (exhibits) that are discussed during the SBSTOC meetings. Minutes are kept of the meeting. The minutes plus the exhibits are the deliverable and document program status and are a basis for planning and coordination of program activities. | 12/1/2006 | 9/30/2009 | $42,200 |
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Biological objectives |
Metrics |
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| Manage and Administer Projects | Preparation of Pisces SOW | Covers work to manage project implementation, administrative work in support of of BPA's programmatic requirements such as metric reporting, financial reporting (e.g., accruals), and development of an SOW package for FY07 (includes draft SOW, budget, spending plan, and property inventory). Maintain records of Pisces metrics accomplished in FY06 for subsequent reporting. Metrics will include such information as measurable quantities of accomplishments, exact locations of the actions, and classification information. Participate in meetings/workshops held at the request of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and the Bonneville Power Administration. | 12/1/2006 | 9/30/2009 | $96,255 |
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Biological objectives |
Metrics |
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| Produce Annual Report | Produce annual report. | Produce progress report summarizing all activities, data analyses, and conclusions. Submit draft report to BPA by August 2006 for covering work performed in 2005. Incorporate comments and finalize report within 30 days of receiving comments. Annual Report: The Contractor must submit an Annual Report due no later than 180 days after the end of the annual performance period. Final versions of annual/technical reports should be submitted electronically, preferably as a portable document format (pdf) file, in one of the following ways: 1. Upload on-line (60MB maximum file size). The form with instructions for uploading files is located at: http://www.efw.bpa.gov/cgi-bin/FW/publications.cgi. 2. Copy to a CD or other portable storage device for mail or hand delivery (recommended for non-pdf files and documents over 60MB). 3. Attach to an email (for documents under 5MB). Other periodic reports (monthly, quarterly, etc.) should be submitted either by email or, for large documents, by CD. | 12/1/2006 | 8/15/2009 | $103,900 |
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Biological objectives |
Metrics |
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| Produce Status Report | Quarterly Status Reports on Work Element Milestones | Produce Pisces status report. | 11/1/2007 | 9/30/2009 | $3,100 |
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Biological objectives |
Metrics |
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| Produce/Submit Scientific Findings Report | Prepare submit Journal Article | Prepare draft manuscript - draft preparation before significant intra-contractor technical review. Internal technical review of manuscript - submission of the manuscript for in-house, internal technical review. External technical review of manuscript - this may include submission to interagency cooperators, a request for technical review by posting on the BPA website, sending the manuscript to the COTR for review or other such requests for technical review before submission to a peer-reviewed journal. Submit manuscript - submitted to a journal for peer review and publication. Revise manuscript - manuscript has been returned for major revision. Manuscript has not been accepted by the journal for publication. Use this until the manuscript has been rejected or accepted. | 12/1/2006 | 9/30/2009 | $9,258 |
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Biological objectives |
Metrics |
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| Analyze/Interpret Data | Provide recommendations on lake fertilization and fish stocking. | Analyze limnological data collected under Work Element E. Data will be summarized/updated for Technical Oversight Committe (TOC) meetings. See separate work element for TOC reporting. - Estimate Primary Productivity rates. - Estimate pico and phytoplankton densities and species composition. - Estimate zooplankton densities and species composition. - Input above metrics and total lake O. nerka (kokanee, resident, and anadromous sockeye) population estimates derived from hydroacoustic surveys into Carrying Capacity Model. - Based on our results, we will develop juvenile release strategies (lake allocations) to present to the TOC. These recommendations will be further refined when snowpack/runoff information becomes available. Results provided during bimonthly TOC meetings. See separate work element for TOC reporting. | 1/3/2007 | 9/30/2009 | $129,350 |
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Biological objectives Delevelop smolt to adult return ratios Estimate adult kokanee escapement Estimate juvenile emigrant abundance Estimate juvenile freshwater survival rate Estimate residual sockeye salmon spawner abundance measure juvenile migration survival |
Metrics Primary R, M, and E Type: Action Effectiveness Research |
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| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | Complete data collection for all limnological and biological variables. | Fish will be captured with a rotary screw trap in Alturas Lake Creek and a weir in Pettit Lake Creek. A subsample of fish captured will be weighed and measured to assess overwinter growth and PIT tagged to estimated downstream survival. The weir design was approved by NMFS (currently NOAA Fisheries) engineers (Schneider 1995). The trap and weir will be checked (cleaned and fish removed) immediately after sunrise and just before sunset during the majority of the trapping season. During initial and peak runoff, the trap and weir will be checked at a minimum of six (usu. four) hour intervals. Under extreme conditions the weir requires 24 hour surveillance. We will use standard 12 mm ISO PIT tags. We will follow tagging guidelines set forth by the PIT tag Steering Committee. We use the Maximum Likelihood Estimator program developed by the University of Idaho specifically for estimating populations and associated confidence intervals for mark recapture estimates during periods of differing capture efficiencies. We use three to four separate periods to calculate trap efficiency based on different discharge. Conduct ongoing limnological studies in the Sawtooth Valley nursery lakes during 2006 to provide continued information on physical, chemical, and biological characteristics relating to O. nerka habitat and production. This will also include a lake fertilization monitoring program. Sample lakes for temperature, oxygen, nutrients, chlorophyll, phytoplankton, zooplankton, bacteria, virus, and picoplankton (see previous annual progress reports for methods). Complete winter limnology sampling to estimate sockeye salmon production opportunities and constraints during this season. Conduct primary productivity investigations to enhance the evaluations of lake fertilization, interannual climatic conditions, and fish stocking. Estimate spawner distribution and stream residency time. Enumerate fecundity for each system by sacrificing 20 or more females from each system. If the escapement is small in Stanley Lake Creek we may chose not to enumerate fecundity. Survey Pettit Lake for shoal spawning locations. Coordinate with IDFG. Snorkel surveys will be conducted at Sockeye Beach and the south end of the lake for residual sockeye salmon. Boat surveys will be made on entire lake shoal areas in any lake where adult sockeye are present to estimate redds developed. Coordinate with IDFG. Results provided during bimonthly TOC meetings. See separate work element for TOC reporting. | 1/20/2007 | 11/30/2009 | $573,363 |
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Biological objectives Estimate adult kokanee escapement Estimate juvenile emigrant abundance Estimate juvenile freshwater survival rate Estimate residual sockeye salmon spawner abundance measure juvenile migration survival |
Metrics Primary R, M, and E Type: status and trend monitoring |
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| Install Fish Monitoring Equipment | Install screw trap on Alturas Lake Creek and juvenile weir on Pettit Lake Creek. | Install screw trap on Alturas Lake Creek and juvenile weir on Pettit Lake Creek to estimate sockeye salmon smolt migration abundance. A subsample of fish captured will be weighed and measured to assess overwinter growth and PIT tagged to estimated downstream survival. | 4/18/2007 | 4/21/2009 | $5,580 |
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Biological objectives |
Metrics |
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| Mark/Tag Animals | Assist IDFG personnel with PIT tagging of juvenile sockeye salmon. | Assist IDFG personnel, where needed (usually Sawtooth Hatchery), with PIT tagging of 3,000 sockeye salmon destined for nursery lake re-introduction. | 10/2/2007 | 10/6/2009 | $1,550 |
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Biological objectives Estimate juvenile emigrant abundance Estimate juvenile freshwater survival rate measure juvenile migration survival |
Metrics Primary R, M, and E Type: Uncertainties Research |
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Section 8. Budgets
Itemized estimated budget
| Item | Note | FY07 | FY08 | FY09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | [blank] | $135,940 | $141,378 | $145,619 |
| Fringe Benefits | [blank] | $32,394 | $36,758 | $37,861 |
| Supplies | [blank] | $25,000 | $23,640 | $25,500 |
| Travel | [blank] | $54,931 | $56,579 | $58,277 |
| Capital Equipment | [blank] | $7,500 | $14,000 | $7,000 |
| Overhead | [blank] | $47,135 | $48,236 | $49,201 |
| Other | sub-contractors | $148,000 | $136,000 | $137,000 |
| Totals | $450,900 | $456,591 | $460,458 | |
Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets
| Total itemized budget: | $1,367,949 |
| Total work element budget: | $1,367,949 |
Cost sharing
| Funding source/org | Item or service provided | FY 07 est value ($) | FY 08 est value ($) | FY 09 est value ($) | Cash or in-kind? | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||
Section 9. Project future
|
FY 2010 estimated budget: $458,000 FY 2011 estimated budget: $458,000 |
Comments: [Outyear comment field left blank] |
Future O&M costs: Estimate may be low as equipment (boat and snowmobiles) wears out and needs to be replaced.
Termination date: unknown
Comments: The Technical Recovery Team for Snake River sockeye salmon may influence the duration of this project. In the interim, the project is following the recovery goals established by the earlier Recovery Plan (Schmitten et al. 1995) proposed for Snake River salmon that called for multiple generations of captive broodstocks to help maintain and enhance Redfish Lake sockeye salmon while recovery efforts are under way. The proposed plan provided the following delisting criteria for Redfish Lake sockeye salmon:
“For sockeye salmon, the numerical escapement goal is an eight-year (approximately two generation) geometric mean of at least 1,000 natural spawners returning annually to Redfish Lake and 500 natural spawners in each of two other Snake River basin Lakes.” These recovery targets were also identified in the Interim Abundance and Productivity Targets documents produced by NOAA Fisheries in 2002.
Final deliverables:
Section 10. Narrative and other documents
| [Attached Document] | Jul 2006 |
Reviews and recommendations
| FY07 budget | FY08 budget | FY09 budget | Total budget | Type | Category | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPCC FINAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Oct 23, 2006) [full Council recs] | ||||||
| $291,096 | $291,096 | $291,096 | $873,288 | Expense | ProvinceExpense | Fund |
| NPCC DRAFT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Sep 15, 2006) [full Council recs] | ||||||
| $291,096 | $291,096 | $291,096 | $0 | ProvinceExpense | ||
|
Comments: Need to prioritize work elements to support Redfish Lake Sockeye at this budget level. For example: priorities may be fertilization, carrying capacity, juv outmigration |
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ISRP PRELIMINARY REVIEW (Jun 2, 2006)
Recommendation: Not fundable
NPCC comments: General comments on the suite of Stanley Basin sockeye proposals are provided under proposal 199107200. Additional information regarding the Stanley Basin sockeye salmon and captive rearing strategies is discussed in the report’s programmatic section. Project #199107100 was established to contribute to the overall program of protecting and increasing abundance of Stanley Basin sockeye salmon by managing nursery lakes in the Basin to improve survival of planted juveniles to the smolt stage. The proposal's readability and clarity are improved, and data showing results through 2004 are included. Some benefits seem to accrue to overall survival in these lakes, but benefits to population are not described. No evidence is presented to show that the program is making a significant contribution to the broad objective of protecting these salmon. The project is directed to creating productive conditions for juvenile sockeye salmon; impact on, and conditions for, other species are not described.
ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)
Recommendation: Fundable
NPCC comments: The preliminary review recommendation for 199107100 (Snake River sockeye salmon habitat and limnological monitoring) was Not Fundable. This recommendation was based largely on this project’s interrelationship with 199107200, the primary proposal to conduct the Redfish Lake sockeye salmon captive propagation program, which received a Not Fundable recommendation. The ISRP also found deficiencies in the reporting of results in the proposal; however, this deficiency alone could have been resolved with a response. Together with the other Redfish Lake sockeye salmon proposals, the ISRP carefully considered the response from the project sponsors. The response addressing the reporting of results and activities for this specific proposal was brief, but adequate. Early results of productivity enhancement show increased survival of juveniles stocked in the test lakes, and residual sockeye have been observed spawning. Consequently, researchers now believe that with enhancement of habitat productivity, it may be possible to develop self-sustaining populations of residual sockeye salmon in the Stanley Basin lakes. If the above hypothesis and its basis are true, the ISRP believes that with a rigorous monitoring program, assessment of the role of predators and competitors, and a defined end-point for testing the hypothesis, the project has scientific merit. Preserving the Snake River sockeye salmon ESU will likely hinge on the status of residual sockeye in the Stanley Basin lakes. Whether the residual sockeye is preserving the population needs to be further explored. Consequently the ISRP finds the project is justified and the final recommendation is Fundable. Contingent upon the final outcome of stocking activities under proposal 199107200, some work elements may need to be modified. Juvenile and adult monitoring and lake fertilization remain essential components of this project.