Comment:

This proposal and project are models for how other projects could be described and conducted.

1. Objectives, Significance to Regional Programs, and Technical Background

This proposal clearly describes statistical analysis of fish tagging data and data from monitoring and evaluation projects that are critical for making management decisions for the Columbia River hydrosystem. The proposal clearly describes what analyses and results will be produced each year, as well as the type of other studies anticipated to aid in monitoring and evaluation. Overall, the objectives, significance, and technical background are clearly presented.

This project is important for regional programs that need to have the best available science for protecting, mitigating, and enhancing fish and wildlife management of the hydropower projects. This project helps address critical uncertainties such as how hydrosystem operations could be changed to benefit fish. The success of spill augmentation to enhance smolt outmigration depends on knowing smolt run timing in real time.

Monitoring methods developed by this project focus on collecting and using non-tagging data to make management decisions. The proposal clearly differentiates the focus of this project from that of project 1989-107-00, Statistical Support for Salmonid Survival Studies, that involves the design and analysis of tagging studies. Both projects emphasize that for data to be useful it must be both accurate and precise.

The Fish and Wildlife Program calls for status and trend monitoring for the hydrosystem, tributaries, estuary, and harvest. Dissemination of monitoring information is important and dissemination of in-season data via the internet is an effective way of providing access to useful data for management decisions. Forecasts of run timing are posted on the UW DART website.

BPA has requested that this project provide information to support BPA's ability to make independent decisions. The analytical support and technical skills provided by this project are highly useful.

2. Results and Adaptive Management

This project clearly met its objectives to provide real-time monitoring of smolt outmigration by stock and location for hundreds of stocks, and estimates of juvenile and adult survival needed to assess fish passage and life-cycle information for many salmonid stocks. The project also meets the objectives of increasing the rigor of sampling and analysis for monitoring and evaluation projects throughout the Columbia River Basin and of providing the best available scientific information on which management decisions, including adaptive management, depend. The lessons learned and results provided are broadly applicable inside and outside the Basin, and are routinely used to fine-tune or even alter management policies. Results are shared widely through easily accessible and easily understood websites. Evidence about the impact of the availability of results should be provided in future reports and publications.

Predictive performance of smolt migration is generally good; however, questions arise such as how could predictive performance be made better? Is the current performance adequate, inadequate, or better than needed for managing spill augmentation?

The project has an excellent record of producing peer reviewed publications. The project proponents note in the proposal that collaboration with field investigators has resulted in the joint publication of 28 journal articles and 82 technical reports over the life of this project.

3. Methods: Project Relationships, Work Types, and Deliverables

The proposal clearly describes the activities conducted and planned, and it has met its objectives. The proposal describes the research products produced, and the proponents have an excellent track record of producing peer-reviewed publications of the highest quality, in addition to timely technical reports and real-time information disseminated via websites.

This project uses statistical methods developed by Project 1989-107-00 for analyzing tagging data to produce status and trend performance measures. This project generates analyses of historical tagging data that is used in Project 1989-107-00 to improve the design and analysis of tagging studies. This project uses data from Project 1990-080-00 (PTAGIS) for PIT-tag data and from Project 1982-013-01 for CWT data.

The work type for this project is 100% RM&E and Data Management. Deliverables are closely aligned with the four main objectives of the project.