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.

The Walla Walla Monitoring and Evaluation Project is funded per the 2008 Columbia Basin Fish Accords Memorandum of Agreement between the Treaty Tribes and FCRPS Action Agencies.  The goal of the Monitoring and Evaluation Study is to strengthen the overall effectiveness of fisheries restoration efforts by evaluating the status of spring Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and ESA-listed summer steelhead (O. mykiss), and bull trout (Salvelinus Confluentus) in the Walla Walla basin.  Study objectives are to monitor and evaluate salmonid abundance, survival and productivity.  Study results will be used to evaluate the natural production of smolts and adults from CTUIR’s initial spring Chinook supplementation experiment.  Pit-tag data will be used to estimate smolt-to-adult and adult-to-adult return rates, adults per redd,  for both naturalized production and  US v. Oregon smolt releases.  This study will provide a baseline assessment of natural production and hatchery potential such that project sponsors may make informed decisions regarding the feasibility of CTUIR’s stated program goal of expanded spring Chinook hatchery supplementation per the Walla Walla Spring Chinook Hatchery Master Plan.

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 in the
Walla Walla Subbasin Plan and Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan for Southeast Washington. Project “Work Elements” include Adult Enumeration, Spawning Surveys, Out-migrant monitoring, PIT-tagging, Fish Salvage,  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 reports.  Work is done by project partners throughout the basin.  CTUIR project offices are located at the William A. Grant Water and Science Center at Walla Walla Community College; while, the WDFW South East Washington District Offices are located in Dayton Washington.  Project findings will inform The Walla Walla Basin Fisheries Restoration Program and aid adaptive management.  Results generated by this project will be provided to many stakeholders including: The Snake River Salmon Recovery Board, Lower Snake River Compensation Plan Plan Hatchery Evaluation, Walla Walla Watershed Council, Bi-State Water Management Initiative, Little Walla Walla Habitat Conservation Plan, Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA Fisheries, U.S. 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, The Tri-states Steelheaders and local irrigation and conservation districts.  Project data will be archived to established databases and findings presented in the form of annual reports via the internet at efw.bpa.gov, www.umatilla.nsn.us, and www.wdfw.wa.gov.