Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery Project proposal 200737200

FY07-09 proposal 200737200

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal title	Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery Project
Proposal ID	200737200
Organization	Spokane Tribe
Short description	This project will coordinate progression through the NPCC three-step process with Lake Roosevelt co-managers in the development of a conservation hatchery dedicated to restoring the upper Columbia River white sturgeon in the Transboundary Reach.
Information transfer	The goal of the Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery Project is to coordinate progression through the NPCC three-step process with Lake Roosevelt co-managers in the development of a conservation hatchery dedicated to restoring the upper Columbia River white sturgeon in the Transboundary Reach. The project will coordinate to develop the Master Plan, which will be submitted to NPCC and BPA for peer review with the ISRP, and address any technical issues associated with the review (Step 1). The project will provide information and answers to technical questions from the review process and will submit a preliminary project design and cost estimation to NPCC and BPA for environmental and peer review with the ISRP (Step 2). Responses to technical questions from the review process will be addressed, and the final project design will be submitted to BPA and NPCC for review with the ISRP before construction begins.
Proposal contact person or principal investigator

Contacts

Contact	Organization	Email
Form submitter
Deanne Pavlik-Kunkel	Spokane Tribe of Indians	[email protected]
All assigned contacts
Deanne Pavlik-Kunkel	Spokane Tribe of Indians	[email protected]
Deanne Pavlik-Kunkel	Spokane Tribe of Indians	[email protected]

Section 2. Locations

Province / subbasin: Intermountain / Columbia Upper

Latitude	Longitude	Waterbody	Description
		Lake Roosevelt - Spokane Arm	Lake Roosevelt -Spokane Arm from the Confluence to Little Falls Dam (approximately 29 river miles)
		Lake Roosevelt	Lake Roosevelt from Grand Coulee Dam to approximately river mile 143

Section 3. Focal species

primary: White Sturgeon Upper Columbia River Population

Section 4. Past accomplishments

Year	Accomplishments

Section 5. Relationships to other projects

Funding source	Related ID	Related title	Relationship
BPA	199502700	Lake Roosevelt Sturgeon	This project is the full scale conservation aquaculture component identified as a critical need in the Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Plan. The Lake Roosevelt Sturgeon Recovery Project will complete research initiatives the Recovery Plan plan identified as critical to recovery of the upper Columbia River white sturgeon, including monitoring hatchery juvenile sturgeon.
BPA	199404300	Lake Roosevelt Data Collection	The Recovery Project will provide data on white sturgeon populations above Grand Coulee Dam which is critical to completion of the Lake Roosevelt Fisheries Evaluation Program objectives to guide management decisions for white sturgeon and to incorporate future direction for white sturgeon into the Lake Roosevelt Fisheries Guiding Document.
Other: BC Hydro, CRIEMP, CBFWCP, FFSBC, etc.	UCWSRI	Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative	The Upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative is funding projects to characterize white sturgeon population status, investigate spawning and recruitment, determine causes of recruitment failure, and develop supplementation alternatives. The Lake Roosevelt Sturgeon Recovery Project is part of these efforts and benefit by data sharing for the Transboundary Reach.
BPA	199104700	Sherman Creek Hatchery - O&M	The project and future hatchery will be overseen by the Spokane Tribe of Indians working in cooperation with the other Lake Roosevelt co-managers (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Colville Confederated Tribes) and will work in conjunction with the existing Lake Roosevelt artificial production program when possible. Specifically, the project will work in conjunction with Sherman Creek Hatchery (1991-047-00), as it has been proposed as the interim broodstock holding facility.

Section 6. Biological objectives

Biological objectives	Full description	Associated subbasin plan	Strategy
Spokane 1C3	Maintain and implement restoration activities consistent with the Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Plan.	Intermountain	Strategy a) implement Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Plan.
Spokane 2C2	Assess need for conservation aquaculture facilities to assist with enhancing or re-establishing healthy, self-sustaining native fish populations for reproduction, recreation, and subsistence.	Intermountain	Strategy a) enhance populations of white sturgeon through artificial production, in concert with Upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Recovery Plan, and b) develop technical and policy work groups to identify problems and implement solutions.
Support Work Element	There is no specific objective that fits this work element, rather all other work elements require this to be done to complete program objectives.	Intermountain	N/A
Upper Columbia 2A1	Protect the genetic integrity of all focal and native fish species throughout the Subbasin.	Intermountain	Strategy d) develop technical and policy work groups to identify problems and implement solutions.
Upper Columbia 2C1	Artificially produce enough fish to supplement consistent harvest to meet state and tribal management objectives.	Intermountain	Strategy c) enhance white sturgeon populations through artificial production in concert with the Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Plan, and f) develop technical and policy work groups to identify problems and implement solutions.

Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)

Work element name	Work element title	Description	Start date	End date	Est budget
Manage and Administer Projects	Manage and Administer Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery Project	Manage work associated with Project.	10/1/2007	9/30/2010	$10,386
Biological objectives Support Work Element			Metrics
Coordination	Coordination of Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery Project	Coordinate development of a conservation sturgeon hatchery dedicated to restoring upper Columbia River white sturgeon. We will coordinate progression through the NPCC three-step process with the Lake Roosevelt Management Team, the Lake Roosevelt Hatchery Coordination Team, the Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Recovery Project/Fisheries Evaluation Program participants, and the Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Initiative (comprised of United States and Canadian members).	10/1/2007	9/30/2010	$25,613
Biological objectives Spokane 2C2 Upper Columbia 2A1 Upper Columbia 2C1			Metrics
Other	Produce Status Reports (141)	Complete quarterly updates detailing project progress, including accomplishments, major purchases, and deviations from schedule, budget or work statement. Subcontractors quarterly status reports will be incorporated into a single Project Quarterly Status Report submitted to Bonneville Power Administration.	1/1/2007	7/15/2010	$3,462
Biological objectives Support Work Element			Metrics
Council 3-step Process: Step 1	NPCC Three Step Process (Step 1) for the Upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery.	Complete Step 1 of the NPCC Three Step process for the Upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery project.	10/1/2007	9/30/2008	$230,269
Biological objectives Spokane 2C2 Upper Columbia 2C1			Metrics
Council 3-step Process: Step 2	NPCC Three Step Process (Step 2) for the Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery.	Complete Step 2 of the NPCC Three Step process for the Upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery project.	10/1/2008	3/31/2009	$201,386
Biological objectives Spokane 2C2 Upper Columbia 2C1			Metrics
Council 3-step Process: Step 3	NPCC Three Step Process (Step 3) for the Upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery.	Complete Step 3 of the NPCC Three Step process for the Upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery project.	4/1/2009	9/30/2009	$28,884
Biological objectives Spokane 2C2 Upper Columbia 2C1			Metrics

Section 8. Budgets

Itemized estimated budget

Item	Note	FY07	FY08	FY09
Personnel	Manager (FTE)	$0	$8,316	$8,316
Fringe Benefits	Calculated at 18%	$0	$1,497	$1,497
Travel	Coordination Travel	$0	$816	$816
Overhead	Calculated at 17.6%	$0	$1,871	$1,871
Other	Subcontract-Co-manager Coordination	$0	$10,000	$10,000
Other	Subcontract-Engineering Consultants	$0	$200,000	$200,000
Other	Subcontract-Compliance	$0	$27,500	$27,500
Totals		$0	$250,000	$250,000

Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets

Total itemized budget:	$500,000
Total work element budget:	$500,000

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: $5,000,000
FY 2011 estimated budget: $5,000,000

Comments: Construction of Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery

Future O&M costs: Outyear projections encompass construction of the hatchery. Additionally, there will be startup costs and hatchery operations and maintenance costs following completion of construction of the Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery. Startup and O & M costs are not shown here.

Termination date: 2010
Comments: Termination will occur when construction of the Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery is complete.

Final deliverables: Complete the NPCC three-step process and construction of the Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Conservation Hatchery.

Section 10. Narrative and other documents

Sturgeon Recovery Plan Append Nov 02	Jul 2006
Sturgeon Recovery Plan Nov 2002	Jul 2006
ISRP Response LRWSCH Proj 2007-372-00	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]
$0	$250,000	$250,000	$500,000	Expense	ProvinceExpense	Fund
NPCC DRAFT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Sep 15, 2006) [full Council recs]
$0	$250,000	$250,000	$0		ProvinceExpense
Comments: Funding contingent upon favorabe step review.

ISRP PRELIMINARY REVIEW (Jun 2, 2006)

Recommendation: Not fundable

NPCC comments: This proposal is to initiate a Three-Step Review for a sturgeon conservation hatchery for Lake Roosevelt in the upper Columbia River. An adequate justification for beginning a three-step review to construct a hatchery for white sturgeon for the upper Columbia River (Lake Roosevelt) is not presented. A more thorough presentation of the current population size, its rate of decline, and evidence that this can reasonably be replaced by artificial production is needed. The proposal sponsors provide an adequate summary of the evidence that sturgeon larvae are only occasionally recruiting to a yearling age, and that in the long run, the population will become extirpated if the situation is not remedied. However, a convincing argument that conservation aquaculture is needed is lacking, as is a suitable solution. The only rationale for the aquaculture project is a recovery plan that does not appear to be peer-reviewed, and the proposal only cites the plan, without providing insight into its contents. Sound justification for artificial production does not appear in an ISRP inspection of the plan. What is needed is compelling evidence that the population is small and old, and will not remain viable while the cause of the recruitment failure is addressed. There is stock assessment and distinct population segment work that needs to cited or completed. The contents of the analysis for the Three-Step Review are not present, so they cannot be evaluated. Specifically, in work element 4 the sponsors state that, "We will include a Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan for any aspect of the conservation aquaculture program that is not currently addressed under the Upper Columbia White Sturgeon Recovery Plan." The assessments in the sturgeon recovery plan need to be available for ISRP review to evaluate the suitability of the artificial production program.

ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)

Recommendation: Not fundable

NPCC comments: The response to the ISRP preliminary comments reviews the problem of poor recruitment of white sturgeon from post-hatch juveniles to yearling age fish. Using a generalized simulation of natural recruitment from spawning by individuals released from artificial production, the sponsors suggest this could be an important solution to making sure white sturgeon are not extirpated before the cause of recruitment failure is solved. Sponsors refer to, and provide, a white sturgeon recovery plan developed for the upper Columbia River (above Chief Joseph Dam) in the United States / Canada trans-boundary region. In addition to the comments the ISRP provided in the preliminary review, the ISRP stresses here that artificial production actions for white sturgeon, other than those in the historically isolated Kootenai River which is a recognized Distinct Population Segment under the ESA, should consider the species in the Columbia River Basin as a whole, not just isolated reservoir populations. In the upper Columbia River White Sturgeon Plan attached to the proposal, there is a summary of genetic data that suggests that historically gene flow was likely contiguous among the anadromous reaches and that there is currently reduced gene diversity in the upper regions today. The brief culture plan presented in the proposal is a modest increase in the number of families reared currently in Canada from parents captured in the trans-boundary region. The ISRP is not convinced that this adequately addresses all the issues of gene diversity and population viability that arise in this type of endeavor, and consequently do not conclude that it is scientifically defensible. If the sponsors develop future proposals for using artificial culture of white sturgeon, the ISRP urges that even though a proposal may focus on a solution to a problem in a single segment of the mainstem Columbia, it should incorporate a broader perspective on the historic and desired future interrelationships (interbreeding) of sturgeon from across the basin.