The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) share fish and wildlife co-management responsibility with the Federal Caucus, regional authorities, and local governments in the Walla Walla Subbasin.  In December of 2005, WDFW, ODFW and CTUIR agreed to collaborate on a fish monitoring project proposal to BPA.  BPA funded CTUIR and WDFW for this collaborative project in June 2007.

Project goals for WDFW are to describe salmonid life histories, assess current salmonid abundance, productivity and spatial diversity, and evaluate management implications from project results.  This project will monitor and evaluate salmonids within the Walla Walla Subbasin across life histories, taxa, and geographic areas to provide population status and trend information, as well as begin evaluation of effectiveness of habitat modifications, in support of management and recovery planning.  Primary focal species are spring Chinook salmon, and ESA-listed summer steelhead, and bull trout.  Project monitoring and evaluation work will focus on providing critical “Viable Salmonid Population” metrics for fish abundance, productivity and population status as recommended in the Walla Walla Subbasin Plan and Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan for Southeast Washington.  WDFW will assist with monitoring and evaluation of the CTUIR spring chinook reintroduction efforts.  Project “Work Elements” include Adult Enumeration, Spawning Surveys, Out-migrant monitoring, PIT-tagging, Fish Salvage, water temperature and discharge monitoring, Project Management, and Project Reporting.  We believe these monitoring and evaluation actions meet the highest priorities for fish population monitoring as identified by the Walla Walla Subbasin Plan and Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan.  Project biological metrics include estimates of adult returns, run timing and distribution, spawning escapement; redd counts and distribution; out-migrant condition at emigration, abundance, survival and timing; smolt survival and timing to Columbia River interrogation sites, and smolt to adult returns; and adult to adult returns; number of fish salvaged.  Monitoring will occur in areas of the Walla Walla, Touchet, and Mill Creek drainages.  

The Walla Walla M & E project is a State and Tribal collaboration between two BPA funded studies (BPA Project # 199802000 and 200003900).  WDFW and CTUIR project partners retain their individual contracts with BPA: however, we collaborate on Project proposal, budget, statement of work and reporting.  Project work is conducted throughout the basin.  CTUIR project offices are located at the William A. Grant Water and Science Center at the Walla Walla Community College; while the WDFW SE Washington District Fish Management Office is located in Dayton, WA.  Project findings will inform the Walla Walla Basin Fisheries Restoration Program and aid in adaptive management.  Results generated by this project will be useful to many stakeholders and processes including:  The Snake River Salmon Recovery Board, Lower Snake River Compensation Plan  Hatchery Evaluation, Walla Walla Watershed Council, Bi-State Water Management Initiative, Little Walla Walla River Habitat Conservation Plan, Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, US Forest Service, Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, CTUIR Rainwater Habitat Project, CTUIR Hatchery Genetic Master Plan, CTUIR Walla Walla Spring Chinook Master Plan, WDFW Hatchery Genetics Management Plan, the upcoming Washington State Steelhead Management Plan, and evaluation or implementation of the recommendations from the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG), The Tri-state Steelheaders (Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group) and local irrigation and Conservation Districts,  plus many other entities and forums.  Project data will be archived in established databases and findings presented in the form of annual reports via the internet at efw.bpa.gov, www. umatilla.nsn.us, and www.wa.gov.