Umatilla Basin Natural Production M&E
FY 2005

BPA Project Number:  199000501
BPA Project Title:
Contract Number: 00020655
Contract Title: Umatilla Basin Natural Production M&E
Performance/Budget Period: 1/1/05-12/31/05

Technical Contact Name: Gary James
Technical Contact Title: Fisheries Program Manager
Company / Agency Name: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
P.O. Box 638

Pendleton, OR  97801
GaryJames@ctuir.com

Contracting Contact Name: Michelle Thompson
Contracting Contact Title: Manager/Administrative Operations
Company / Agency Name: Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
P.O. Box 638

Pendleton, OR  97801
MichelleTompson@ctuir.com

Our primary goal is to provide information to tribal, state and federal fisheries managers by monitoring the status and trends in the abundance, distribution, movement and survival of bull trout, mountain whitefish, redband trout, summer steelhead and spring Chinook salmon during adult migration, spawning, rearing and juvenile migration in the Umatilla River Drainage and evaluate these trends in relation to environmental, ecological, and anthropogenic factors.  Other project goals include coordination and cooperation with other restoration and monitoring projects, assisting in fish salvage efforts, and other activities such as technical review, results dissemination, and proposal development when circumstances dictate.
Historically, native spring and fall Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and summer steelhead were present in the Umatilla River Basin.  All anadromous species except summer steelhead were extirpated by agricultural development in the basin in the early 1900's (BOR 1988).  The most notable events were the construction and operation of Three Mile Falls Dam (TMD) and other irrigation projects.  The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) developed the Umatilla Hatchery Master Plan to restore salmon to the basin (CTUIR 1984 and ODFW 1986).
The Master Plan was completed in 1990 and included the following objectives:
1) Establish hatchery and natural runs of Chinook and coho salmon.
2) Enhance existing summer steelhead populations through a hatchery program.
3) Provide sustainable tribal and non-tribal harvest of salmon and steelhead.
4) Maintain the genetic character of salmonids native to and re-established in the Umatilla River Basin.
5) Produce almost 48,000 adult returns to TMD annually.  The goals were reviewed in 1999 and were changed to 31,500 adult salmon and steelhead returns (Table 1).
Table 1. Current natural and artificial production goals for the Umatilla River Basin as established in 1999 by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Species/Race Hatchery Production  Natural Production Total
Adult Spring Chinook 6,000 2,000 8,000
Adult Fall Chinook 6,000 6,000 12,000
Adult Summer Steelhead 1,500 4,000 5,500
Adult Coho Salmon 6,000 Undetermined 6,000
Total   31,500
The monitoring and evaluation project evaluates the Umatilla River Basin Fisheries Restoration Project with respect to natural production and tribal harvest.  Monitoring the natural production of salmonids in the Umatilla Basin began during the fall of 1992, eleven years after the hatchery program started.  Regular releases of hatchery summer steelhead, fall Chinook, spring Chinook and coho juveniles began in 1981, 1982, 1986 and 1987 respectively although there had been sporadic releases of steelhead smolts (various stocks) from 1967 to 1975 as well as coho from 1966 through 1969 (Rowan, 2002).
The Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E) program in the Umatilla River Basin was developed during the master planning processes and modified during subsequent adaptive management actions by local fisheries mangers (1985 through 2001).  The original monitoring and evaluation approach utilized in the Umatilla River Basin included three phases (Lichatowich, 1992).  Phase 1 included collecting baseline data about salmonid life histories, survival, and natural production potential (1991-1997).  Phase 2 involved adaptive management and the development of a more streamlined monitoring program (1995-1997).  Phase 3 consisted of deploying a smaller monitoring program (1997 to 2001).  Under the previous plan, monitoring and evaluation efforts were coordinated and directed through the Umatilla Management, Monitoring and Evaluation Oversight Committee (UMMEOC).  Currently, this project is in its fourth phase where oversight and management has expanded to include staff from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC), the Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP) and the Oregon Salmon Plan.
The new RM&E program has been influenced by the newer political and regulatory climate of fisheries management in the Pacific Northwest.  We work with managers, funding agencies, regulatory agencies and others to prioritize RM&E needs so that the RM&E program can provide the most critical information with available resources.  The current focus, scope of work, and fiscal resources associated with Umatilla RM&E activities are under review by the ISRP, NPPC, and BPA in the form of a comprehensive salmonid RM&E plan and Umatilla Subbasin Plan.