This proposal includes some methods that are not appropriate and does not provide sufficient detail in other areas to enable an evaluation of scientific merit. The ISRP requests a response to the following items: 1. Provide more detail on the process that will be used to determine nutrient limitation. How will the information on nutrient concentration, trophic processes, etc. be used to determine whether there is a nutrient deficiency and, if so, what element is constraining production? Consider the use of nutrient diffusing substrates to augment this portion of the study. Additional background information on current carcass abundance in the system also would be useful. 2. Consider enhancing the methods to be used for measuring primary production. At a minimum, total periphyton biomass should be measured along with the measure of chlorophyll content. A measure of whole-system metabolism would considerably improve this aspect of the study. 3. The invertebrate sampling protocols are not fully described and in some cases appear to be inappropriate to answer the questions being asked. Indicate how the Hess samples will be processed and approximately how many samples will be taken, given the significant costs inevitably associated with sample processing. Why is there no measure of invertebrate density and biomass included? How will the information on invertebrate community composition be related to nutrient status and productivity? Fully describe how the Hess samples and kick-net samples will complement each other. 4. More fully describe the methods to be used in evaluating juvenile fish populations. Will density and biomass be measured? If so, how will these population attributes be measured? 5. Describe how adult abundance and smolt production will be measured at the Methow study sites. Without this information, determining the effect of nutrient addition on the productivity on salmon and steelhead will be either very difficult or impossible. 6. Describe how potential density-dependent effects of fish population response to food limitation will be addressed. How will the effects of water temperature, flow, and changes in other habitat attributes be accounted for when assessing the responses to nutrient addition? 7. Consider the application of a bioenergetics model to identify appropriate hypotheses and design experiments. 8. Include a more detailed description of the adaptive management process that will be used in moving this study forward. 9. Describe how the evaluation will deal with the presence of and confounding effects of hatchery fish and the role of hatchery fish carcasses in the study design and evaluation, including the identification of their marine-derived nutrient contribution.