Activity:
This is a project for the Administration and System Operation of the Columbia River Basin PIT Tag Information System (PTAGIS).

Agency:
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC).

Goal:
The goal of this project is to operate and maintain the Columbia River Basin-wide database for PIT Tagged fish and to operate and maintain the established interrogation systems. The data collected by this system is accessible to the general public from the PTAGIS web portal.

The measurable goal for the system is to collect 100% valid data and provide that data  in “near-real” time with downtime of any system component of not more than one percent as measured during the period of peak out-migration.

Background:
In 1984, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) entered into an agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to research and develop a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag for use in the Columbia River Basin (CRB) Fish and Wildlife Program (FWP). The PIT tag system enables large amounts of data to be produced using relatively few tags, compared to traditional tagging and marking systems.

In 1988 and 1989, NMFS contracted with PSMFC to develop and operate a prototype database system to help NMFS meet, in a timely manner, its contractual and verbal agreements involving PIT tag data.  The database was designed to meet immediate needs as well as provide a framework for a formalized database system for the Columbia River Basin PIT tag program.

In April 1989, NMFS announced its intention to phase out of the operation, maintenance and management of the PIT tag systems in the Columbia River Basin. Subsequently, BPA contracted with PSMFC because it was the only agency experienced in data management with no vested interest in the interpretation of data generated from PIT tags, while being independent of water or fish and wildlife management responsibilities.

The actions that PSMFC was directed to implement under the PTAGIS contract include:
1. Management of a long term Columbia River Basin-wide database system accessible to all entities;
2. Maintenance and documentation of fish tagging and interrogation software;
3. Operation and maintenance of equipment at the remote sites;
4. Provision of technical support for the software and hardware;
5. Provision of training to users; and
6. Distribution of PIT tags and associated equipment.

Location:
The PIT Tag Operation Center (PTOC) has been established at the PSMFC office in Portland, OR to house PTAGIS and to utilize the PSMFC data facilities.
The PTOC field office in Kennewick WA, is primarily responsible for equipment maintenance of 21 key PIT Tag interrogation sites, with a total of 564  PIT tag detection antennae located throughout the BPA service area.

PSMFC provides operations and maintenance (O&M) support for the electronic data collection portion of the PIT tag interrogation systems at the Corps operated facilities, under a “Memorandum of Agreement” between BPA and the Corps. PSMFC maintains PIT Tag actuated separation (diversion) gates at various fish facilities. PSMFC also installs and maintains the programmable logic controllers (PLC’s) used by smolt monitoring and facility personnel to collect daily sub-samples. Information related to the sub-sample is incorporated into the PIT tag interrogation files.

Remote interrogation sites are owned and operated by other entities, such as the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) or Yakama Nation (YN). The major interrogation sites include:


Nbr. Site Code Location Description # Antennae Owner
1. GRJ Lower Granite Dam Juvenile Fish Facility 26 USACE
2. GOJ Little Goose Dam Juvenile Fish Facility 32 USACE
3. GRA Lower Granite Dam Adult Ladder and Trap 16 USACE
4. LMJ Lower Monumental Dam Juvenile Fish Facility 35 USACE
5. MCJ McNary Dam Juvenile Fish Facility 49 USACE
6. JDJ John Day Dam Juvenile Fish Facility 30 USACE
7. B2J Bonneville Dam Powerhouse 2 Juvenile Fish Facility 19 USACE
8. PRO Chandler Canal at Prosser Adult Ladders and Fish Facility 11 BOR
9. CFJ Clark Flat Acclimation Pond 4 YIN
10. ESJ Easton Acclimation Pond 4 YIN
11. JCJ Jack Creek Acclimation Pond 4 YIN
12. RPJ Rapid River Hatchery, Riggins, ID. Volitional Release Outfall 8 BPA
13 BO1 Bonneville Dam Bradford Island Adult Ladder 36 USACE
14. BO2 Bonneville Dam Cascade Island Adult Ladder 16 USACE
15. BO3 Bonneville Dam, Washington Shore Adult Ladder  and Adult Lab 32 USACE
16. MC1 McNary Dam Oregon Shore Adult Ladder and Counting Window 18 USACE
17. MC2 McNary Dam Washington Shore Adult Ladder and Counting Window 19 USACE
18. ICH Ice Harbor Dam Adult Ladder and Full Flow Bypass 20 USACE
19. BCC Bonneville Dam Corner Collector Juvenile 1 USACE
20.           BO4 Bonneville Dam Wa. Shore Slots Adult Ladder 4 USACE
21.           RZF         Roza Dam                                                Adult  Ladder                                          3                               BOR

TOTAL Antennae Operated and Maintained by PTAGIS 387


PTAGIS collects data and provides transceiver diagnostic information for almost 200 other detection antennas operated and maintained by others in the Columbia Basin:
Nbr. Site Code Location Description # Xcvrs Owner
1. WEA Wells Dam Wells Dam Adult Ladders 12 Douglas Co. PUD
2. RIA Rock Island Dam Rock Island Adult Ladders 12 Chelan Co. PUD
3. PRA Priest Rapids Dam Priest Rapids Adult Ladders 8 Grant Co. PUD
4. RRJ Rocky Reach Dam Rocky Reach Juvenile 4 Chelan Co. PUD
5. VCx Valley Creek 1 & 2 “In-Stream Detection” near Stanley, ID 2 BPA
6. WWx Walla Walla River 1 & 2. NBA “In-Stream Detection” near Milton-Freewater, OR 8 USFWS
7. AB1 Abernathy Creek USFWS USFWS Research & Development 3 USFWS
8. AB2 Abernathy Creek USFWS USFWS Research & Development 2 USFWS
9. CRx Chinook Creek 1, 2 and 3 USFWS Research & Development 6 USFWS
10. CCP Catherine Creek Pond ODFW 8 ODFW
11. GRP Grand Rhonde Pond ODFW 4 ODFW
12. HLX Hemlock Creek In-Stream USFWS 2 USFWS
13. LOP Lostine River Pond ODFW 4 ODFW
14. NBA Nursery Bridge Adult USFWS 3 USFWS
15. TWX Towed Array NOAA 2 NOAA
16. UM1 Umatilla River USFWS 1 USFWS
17. WWF Willamette Falls Fishway Adult Ladder ODFW 4 USFWS
18. Other facilities operated ad-hoc by others such as Snake River Trap (SNJ), Imnaha River Trap (IMJ), Salmon River Trap (SAJ), and others: 91

Estimated number of coils operated and maintained by Others with data collection and diagnostics provided by PTAGIS: 176