| Proposal title | Monitor and Evaluate Salmonid Production in the Asotin Creek Subbasin of Washington |
| Proposal ID | 200116 |
| Organization | Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) |
| Proposal contact person or principal investigator |
| Name | Mark L. Schuck |
| Mailing address | 401 South Cottonwood Dayton, WA 99328 |
| Phone / email | 5093821004 / [email protected] |
| Manager authorizing this project | James Scott |
| Review cycle | LSRCP |
| Province / Subbasin | Blue Mountain / Asotin |
| Short description | Monitor the status of salmonid populations within the Asotin subbasin in the absence of hatchery supplementation. Recommend hatchery related actions which may aid recovery of ESA listed populations. |
| Target species | Summer steelhead and spring chinook salmon |
| Year | Accomplishment |
|---|
| 1984-2001 |
Juvenile fish density electrofishing surveys, and chinook and steelhead spawning ground surveys conducted in all major salmonid bearing tributaries of the sub-basin except George Creek |
| 1985 |
Baseline habitat and water temperature data collected. |
| 1983-1996 |
Mitigation releases of hatchery reared summer steelhead documented |
| 1989 |
Documented statistically significant steelhead population increases as a result of instream habitat improvements conducted with USCOE funds as part of the LSRCP program. (Viola and Schuck 1990) |
| 1996 |
Recommended cecessation of hatchery steelhead releases based on data collection and lack of population response to hatchery releases. |
| 1996 |
Documented habitat effects on artificial habitat structures as result of 100 year level flood. |
| 1984-2000 |
Documented steady decline of spring chinook spawning within the basin |
| 1994-1995 |
Provided population, habitat and water quality data for the development of Asotin Model Watershed Plan |
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2002 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
| 1. Determine natural production and estimate freshwater survival rates for spring chinook and summer steelhead. Compare natural survival rates to hatchery survival rates for spring chinook and summer steelhead in other Washington LSRCP rivers. |
a. Estimate egg deposition in Asotin Creek based on redd counts (see obj. 2 below), and fecundity estimates from endemic broodstock.(Tucannon and Touchet rivers) |
ongoing |
$700 |
|
|
b. At index sites, conduct electrofishing or snorkel surveys to calculate population sizes and densities of 0 and >0 age classes of natural steelhead and spring chinook juveniles. |
ongoing |
$11,000 |
|
|
c. Compare juvenile densities, populations sizes and spawning escapement with previous years' information from these areas. |
ongoing |
$1,100 |
|
| 2. Estimate adult returns, collect life history and genetic characteristics, and document distribution of adult spring chinook salmon, and summer steelhead to southeast Washington streams and facilities. |
a. Conduct spawning ground surveys to count numbers of redds, determine distribution of spawners, and collect carcasses to document life history characteristics of spring chinook and steelhead in Asotin Creek |
ongoing |
$4,000 |
|
|
b. Sample adult spring chinook carcasses in Asotin Creek for length, age, sex, fecundity, scales, and genetic (electrophoretic and/or DNA) data. |
ongoing |
$1,500 |
|
|
c. Sample adult steelhead (natural and hatchery origin) in Asotin Creek for length, age, sex, fecundity, and genetic (electrophoretic and/or DNA) data. |
ongoing |
$1,000 |
|
|
d. Process scales and, when available, CWT’s from salmon and steelhead for age composition and origin. |
ongoing |
$500 |
|
|
e. Assess the nature and extent of straying of LFH origin hatchery steelhead within the Snake River basin and provide recommendations to minimize straying. |
ongoing |
$0 |
|
| 3. Assess evaluation actions to determine potential effects on ESA listed species. Coordinate Washington's anadromous research with the Section 7 LSRCP Biological Assessment, subsequent Biological Opinions and Management plans. |
a. Obtain quantitative data necessary to evaluate LSRCP funded programs. |
ongoing |
$1,800 |
|
|
b. Assess effects of all proposed actions and estimate direct and indirect takes of listed species using tasks and results listed in proposal and any relevant literature. |
ongoing |
$700 |
|
|
c. Develop and recommend alternatives to reduce deleterious effects on all listed species within the program. |
ongoing |
$1,400 |
|
|
d. Integrate appropriate LSRCP-funded actions described in Biological Assessments and Biological Opinions into a WDFW and/or NMFS salmon recovery strategy. |
ongoing |
$700 |
|
| 4. Complete annual reports to summarize results of all LSRCP funded work conducted during the contract period |
a. Summarize results from objective tasks, assemble into species specific reports. Make available in printed and electronic formats. |
ongoing |
$3,200 |
|
The LSRCP is a Congressionally mandated BPA reimbursable program. Budget figures are provided here for comparison purposes only.
This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.
Although they have taken considerable action to prevent their program from causing further jeopardy for wild stocks, and will continue to do so, they inform the ISRP that they will not stop mitigation actions authorized under the LSRCP. They blame NMFS in one instance, for not providing guidance on the amount of reduction needed to preclude deleterious effects in wild fish, but WDFW should take responsibility in determining what steps to take to avoid potential harm caused by the fish they release. The intent of this program is to use LSRCP authorization to produce fish for harvest, but a primary intent of other basin programs is to conserve native species and increase abundance to useful and persistent levels. These differing views of "basin management" may have several incompatibilities.
If hatchery production (Project 200114) was reduced by 7,000 lb annually to redirect some money into habitat structure construction (p 4), does that habitat structure work continue today?
This is a relatively small ($30K/year) project to monitor wild steelhead and salmon production for comparison with hatchery-origin stream production elsewhere, and to help assess effects of habitat restoration. The tour in August indicated that steelhead have been the focus to date but chinook spawning was occurring in 2001. The tour also showed reviewers that this project is linked to a very active and apparently extremely successful habitat restoration program. This proposal provides an interesting history and many of the goals and objectives are supportable.