Pacific Lamprey Research and Restoration Project

CONTRACT BACKGROUND:

Introduction
Since its inception in 1995, the Lamprey Research and Restoration Project has focused on two major components: 1) restoration activities involving outplanting broodstock from the mainstem Columbia to increase larval lamprey abundance in the upper Umatilla River; and 2) understanding the biology and ecology of Pacific lamprey.  In the coming year we propose to expand both of these efforts to bring us closer to the ultimate goal of the project: restoring the natural production of Pacific lampreys in the Umatilla River to self-sustaining and harvestable levels.  
The CTUIR project has been instrumental in developing a restoration plan for Pacific lamprey in the mid-Columbia drainage by collecting information on: past and current lamprey abundance; factors limiting production; habitat requirements for each life phase; donor stock availability; population genetics; disease; migratory pheromones; migratory timing; and homing information. In addition, research conducted by CTUIR staff has provided valuable information on the biology and ecology of Pacific lamprey within the basin.
The project began in 1995 to explore why the once-abundant Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata) populations were declining in mid-upper Columbia and Snake River tributaries (Close et al. 1995). As a valuable food and cultural resource for Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the declining populations of lamprey impacted treaty-secured fishing opportunities by forcing the four Columbia River treaty tribes to gather this traditional food fish in lower Columbia River locations (Close et al. 1995).

The Umatilla River basin was chosen by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) as the initial pilot restoration project for several reasons: 1) the Umatilla River historically produced a fishable population of lampreys, 2) restoration efforts for salmonids in the basin may help with overall Pacific lamprey restoration, and 3) current population level of Pacific lampreys in the Umatilla River were extremely low. In 1998, CTUIR began developing a restoration plan. Historical abundance and distribution data were summarized from tribal and ODFW interviews, and larval abundance and distribution surveys were completed in the John Day, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Tucannon, and Grand Ronde rivers. In cooperation with NWPCC, Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), U.S. Geological Survey (Columbia River Research Laboratory, (CRRL)), USFWS, and ODFW, CTUIR staff developed the restoration plan for the basin. Knowledge on historical abundance, lamprey handling, transport, spawning, and outplanting of larvae were collected, and experiments conducted to maximize the potential for the restoration of lampreys in the Umatilla River.
In 2000, CTUIR implemented a pilot project in the Umatilla River. Outplantings of adult lampreys in the Umatilla River began in May 2000, and the monitoring of several metrics of lamprey (larval densities, number of upmigrating adults and outmigrating larvae) has continued annually. Now in its sixth year, the pilot project continues to outplant sexually mature adult lamprey in an effort to increase larval densities in the upper basin.

In 2009, we will continue efforts to broaden the research and restoration priorities of Pacific lamprey by continuing to out-plant broodstock to the upper Umatilla basin and monitor various population metrics. We will broaden our research work by learning and improving techniques to PIT tag juvenile Pacific lampreys.  Once PIT tagging has been tested and proofed, we will look to begin tagging and releasing outmigrant Pacific lamprey in the Umatilla River. Monitoring of PIT tagged individuals at irrigation diversions within the basin will attempt to determine outmigration passage and survival past the major diversions within the basin, and provide insight throughout the middle to lower Columbia River hydroprojects..  Overall, we hope to get an idea of outmigration and survival from within the Umatilla River basin through Bonneville Dam.

Additionally, we will continue efforts (commenced in 2005) to understand spawning behavior of adult Pacific lampreys by following ~ 60 radio tagged individuals from May - October. We will release radiotagged lampreys above and below Threemile Falls Dam, near Cottonwood Bend, and between Westland and Feed (Cold Springs) irrigation diversions.

The project has the following objectives for 2009:
1.  Increase larval abundance in the Umatilla River by outplanting adult lampreys.
2.  Estimate lamprey abundance at index sites in the Umatilla River, and Meacham Creek.
3. Estimate the number of adult upmigrants entering the Umatilla River.
4. Estimate the number of outmigrating lamprey (larvae and metamorphosed) from the Umatilla River.
5. Monitor spawning behavior and passage routes over low-head irrigation diversions of Pacific lamprey using radio telemetry.
6.  Test the ability to tag and monitor juvenile outmigrant lamprey using PIT tag technology.
7.  Report results to the funding agency.
8.  Publish findings in peer-reviewed journals and attend professional conferences.

GOAL
The overall goal of this research is to provide essential information through implementation of a recovery plan for Pacific lamprey in the Umatilla River. In addition, research conducted by CTUIR staff has provided valuable information on the biology and ecology of Pacific lamprey within the basin. These objectives will provide information that will be useful for restoration efforts elsewhere in the Columbia River Basin where lamprey may be declining or extirpated.