| Proposal title | Snake River Native Salmonid Assessment |
| Proposal ID | 199800200 |
| Organization | Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) |
| Proposal contact person or principal investigator |
| Name | Kevin Meyer |
| Mailing address | 1414 East Locust Lane Nampa, ID 83686 |
| Phone / email | 2084658404 / [email protected] |
| Manager authorizing this project | Steve Yundt |
| Review cycle | FY 2001 Ongoing |
| Province / Subbasin | Upper Snake / Upper Snake |
| Short description | Investigate population status and trends, life histories, habitat needs, limiting factors, and threats to persistence of native salmonids in the Snake River and tributaries upstream of Hell's Canyon Dam in Idaho, and implement recovery/protection plans. |
| Target species | |
| Year | Accomplishment |
|---|
| 98 |
Conducted basin-wide population surveys for bull trout and redband trout in the 52 headwater tributaries of the North Fork Payette and Weiser river drainages. |
| 98 |
Conducted bull trout spawning surveys in selected portions of the upper Boise River subbasin in an effort to identify critical spawning habitat and establish a baseline for future trend analysis. |
| 9899 |
Collected data for two years on the effectiveness of a brook trout removal project in a tributary in the Boise River subbasin in an effort to increase bull trout numbers. |
| 9899 |
Coordinated with BLM, USFS, private consultants, University of Wyoming, and IDFG regional biologists to obtain available information in the middle and upper Snake River provinces, to share data, avoid data duplication, etc. |
| 99 |
Conducted basin-wide population surveys for bull trout, redband trout, and redband trout in 186 tributaries in several subbasins in the middle and upper Snake River provinces. |
| 99 |
Determined the age structure, maturity, sex ratio, and other demographic for several populations of redband trout and cutthroat trout in tributaries in the middle and upper Snake River provinces to assess at what age and size they become spawners. |
| 99 |
Collected genetic samples from several redband trout and cutthroat trout populations to characterize the purity of those populations. |
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
| Coordinate with other entities and ongoing projects. |
Conduct literature searches to determine what kinds of similar population assessments have been performed elsewhere, their findings and recommendations, any available published data, etc. |
14 |
$7,893 |
|
|
Coordinate with IDFG regional staff, BLM, USFS, DEQ, tribal organizations, and others to determine where sufficient sampling has occurred to avoid data duplication and prioritize field work. |
14 |
$3,946 |
|
|
Based on results from first two tasks of this objective, prioritize sampling locations and develop workplan for FY2001. |
14 |
$1,316 |
|
| Assess the current status, life history traits, limiting factors, and threats to persistence of native salmonids in the middle and upper Snake River provinces. |
Use electrofishing and snorkeling to estimate presence/absence and abundance of salmonids at 200 sites per year. |
4 |
$142,293 |
|
|
Identify, describe, and measure habitat characteristics at the fish sampling sites. |
4 |
$31,572 |
|
|
Analyze the effect habitat variables have on salmonid distribution and density using logic analysis and multiple regression. |
4 |
$10,392 |
|
| Compile fish and habitat data into a Basin-wide Native Salmonid Database. |
Enter data (and quality check entry) into database, add available data from other agencies, and share data with IDFG regional managers and other agencies that they can use in GIS analysis, etc. |
4 |
$40,428 |
|
| Determine genetic composition of salmonids from 10-15 representative or most important streams per year. |
Collect and preserve fins samples from purported native salmonid populations for mtDNA testing. |
4 |
$2,469 |
|
|
Send samples to lab for analysis. |
4 |
$15,372 |
Yes |
|
Use results to identify pure and introgressed populations to assist in developing recovery and protection plans. |
14? |
$263 |
|
| Assess whether, in the next five years, a concerted brook trout removal effort in a small stream can increase bull trout numbers to a density of 15 fish/km. |
Participate in multi-agency effort to remove brook trout with removal-depletion electrofishing over 10 km of stream above a man-made barrier. |
2 |
$2,901 |
|
|
Calculate densities of trout and removal efficiencies of brook trout to assess the recovery of native redband and bull trout and effectiveness of the removal effort. |
2 |
$2,496 |
|
|
Determine age, mortality, growth, sex ratio, age-at-maturity, and fecundity of brook trout to assess the compensatory capacity of any remaining brook trout that we failed to remove. |
2 |
$2,496 |
|
|
If bull trout re-introduction is implemented by the South West Native Fish Watershed Advisory Group, monitor the success of their re-establishment to bolster the existing population. |
2 |
$0 |
|
Needed more summer help to complete fish and habitat sampling across middle and upper Snake River provinces in timeframe originally outlined.
This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.