A. PROJECT BACKGROUND

     ODFW requested a modification to Permit 1011 to allow the take of adult spring chinook salmon in 1997.  Adult salmon from the Lostine River, Catherine Creek, and the Upper Grande Ronde River were needed to begin a conventional supplementation program in the basin.  A special condition in the permit required the development of a long term management plan for the spring chinook salmon of the Grande Ronde Basin. The Nez Perce Tribe, ODFW, and CTUIR completed a formal long-range plan entitled "Grande Ronde Basin Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program". The program proposes to increase the survival of spring Chinook salmon in the Grande Ronde Basin through hatchery intervention.  The Nez Perce Tribe received its own ESA Section 10 Permit (#1149) in 2000. The program now operates under this ESA permit.

     The Nez Perce Tribe currently cultures Lostine River Chinook salmon at Lookingglass Hatchery.  The hatchery was constructed in 1982 as part of the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan.  Future fish culture and monitoring and evaluation activities have been planned for by the NEOH Master Plan (198805301) at a new proposed facility.  The Lostine River Monitoring and Evaluation's 2005 work schedule will produce some performance measures needed for future monitoring and evaluation of NEOH production.  When and if all the recommendations of the NEOH Master Plan are funded the monitoring and evaluations conducted by this program will be incorporated into the monitoring and evaluation study design proposed by the NEOH Master Plan.

     The Nez Perce Tribe is responsible for supplementation activities and monitoring and evaluation on the Lostine River. A weir and trap are operated on the Lostine River for the collection of Chinook broodstock and the collection of biological data. Monitoring of the weir coincides with its operation along with the collection of environmental data. The performance of hatchery produced fish is evaluated against the standards set by natural production. The Nez Perce Tribe also conducts spawning ground surveys with co-managers.

B. PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

GOAL

     To establish baseline information on the Lostine River spring chinook salmon population prior to supplementation and to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of supplementation under the Grande Ronde Basin Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program.

OBJECTIVES

Objective 1:  Project planning and coordination.

Approach
     The Nez Perce Tribe participated in the planning and development of the Grande Ronde Basin Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program as a salmon co-manager.  The Nez Perce Tribe also participates in the Technical Oversight Team (TOT) with members from federal, state, and tribal agencies. The purpose is to coordinate ongoing monitoring and evaluation activities in an effort to achieve a greater understanding of supplementation and its effectiveness for recovering endangered species.

Objective 2:  Continue collection of baseline environmental data for the Lostine River.

Approach
     Water temperature effects on salmon physiology, growth and survival are well documented (Reiser and Bjornn 1979).  Habitat in the Lostine River has been adversely impacted by irrigation diversions and channelization (R2 Resource Consultants 1998).  The future monitoring and evaluation plan for NEOH requires monitoring of in-stream flow and water temperatures. The Nez Perce Tribe has compiled historical and contemporary hydrological data pertinent to salmon passage. Water temperature profiles will be developed to determine if and when thermal regimes exceed chinook tolerance limits.  In-stream flow and water temperature will be correlated with smolt and adult migration timing.

Objective 3:  Determine abundance, and distribution of Lostine River natural and hatchery spring Chinook salmon.

Approach
     Estimates of abundance are needed to assess whether the population is responding to supplementation.   Indices of relative abundance provide valuable management information (Botkin et al. 2000).  Population status monitoring for the future NEOH program seeks to monitor abundance and distribution for adaptive management and to "monitor abundance in relation to escapement thresholds to guide harvest opportunities of spring Chinook salmon" (Hesse et al. 2004).  Abundance will continue to be indexed by adult escapement and estimated via redd counts and enumeration at the weir.  

Operation of weir facilities and collection of data from returning adults will continue to be accomplished by the Lostine River Operation and Maintenance project.  The Lostine River Monitoring and Evaluation program will provide the technical assistance with data entry software and continued development of a database to assist with data analysis.


Objective 4:  Collect and analyze genetic and life history characteristics of Lostine River natural and hatchery spring Chinook salmon.

Approach
     It is through life history traits and genetic variability that salmon populations are able to exploit unique habitats (Gross 1985).  The phenotypes and the underlying genetic characteristics of hatchery fish should mimic those of the locally adapted natural spring Chinook salmon.  Genetic samples from natural and hatchery adults have been collected by the Lostine River Operation and Maintenance program since 1997 and collection of genetic samples will continue in 2005.  Genetic samples are also collected from unmarked spring Chinook salmon carcasses found during spawning ground surveys.  The diversity of the natural fish will be used as a performance standard against which hatchery fish will be compared.  

     Biological data needed for run reconstruction and analysis of life history characteristics is collected by the Lostine River Operation and Maintenance project and analyzed by the Lostine River Monitoring and Evaluation project.  Analysis of the data provides specific life history performance measures needed for the future NEOH monitoring and evaluation.

Objective 5: Monitor and evaluate operation of adult collections at the weir for adverse impacts to resident and/or anadromous fish populations in the Lostine River.

Approach
     The weir facility is a monitoring tool for biological data as well as a method for broodstock collection.  Two types of weirs have been used.  A picket style weir, placed at a 45 degree angle with pickets spaced to allow juvenile passage, was used from 1997 to 2000.  And a panel weir with approximately one inch spacing between pickets has been used from 2001 to present.  The weir is managed and operated in accordance with an Annual Operation Plan developed with co-managers. Weir management and broodstock collections are also regulated by a sliding scale that was also developed with co-mangers.  The following tasks were developed to assess potential impacts on adult fish passage and monitor compliance with existing agreements.

Objective 6: Monitor and evaluate conventional and captive broodstock smolt production.

Approach
     Monitoring of salmon hatchery production reared under the conventional and captive broodstock programs allows for a measure of comparison across years. Collection of biological data during the rearing process assists proper evaluation of the hatchery product used in supplementation. An identifying group mark is required of hatchery fish by US vs Oregon.  Mark type will be coordinated by co-managers to ensure compatibility with other programs. In addition, a percentage of the total production will be PIT tagged to monitor the volitional departure from the acclimation facility and to examine downstream migration. Rearing and release strategies can then be evaluated according to smolt emigration survival and adult return.

Objective 7: Technology Transfer

Approach:
     Results will be communicated with co-managers for practical adaptive management in the Grande Ronde Subbasin.  Results will also be compiled into an annual report to allow colleges to independently assess our results and conclusions.  Our intent is to produce work that contributes to scientific literature pertaining to supplementation.

C.  AUTHORIZATION

     The Northwest Power Planning Council's (NPPC) Fish and Wildlife Program identifies supplementation as a high priority to achieve its goal of increasing runs of anadromous fish in the Columbia Basin. The monitoring and evaluation research proposed by the Nez Perce Tribe relates directly to the needs addressed in the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NPPC 1994).  Measure 7.4L.1 of the Program mandated that appropriate research accompany any proposed supplementation. Measure 7.3B.2 of the Fish and Wildlife Program stressed the need for evaluating supplementation projects to assess their ability to increase natural production. And section 7.4D.3 encouraged the study of hatchery rearing and release strategies to improve survival and adaptation of cultured fish.  

     The Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP) reviewed the Lostine River Monitoring and Evaluation project and recommended funding as a high priority project in December of 2001.  The ISRP's recommendation was consistent with the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority's recommendation.  The recommendations led to the NPPC recommendation for funding for 2005 in August of 2004.

     RPA Discussion: The Lostine project is part of the safety net program identified in the Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion.  RPA Hatchery Action #184 - Establishes research and monitoring and evaluation needs to determine whether hatchery reforms reduce the risk of extinction and whether conservation hatcheries contribute to recovery.  

D.  COORDINATION

     The Nez Perce Tribe, in recognition of the above, has coordinated chinook salmon supplementation activities and related research on the Lostine River with the Bonneville Power Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Forest Service.

     The Nez Perce Tribe also worked cooperatively with ODFW and CTUIR in the planning and development of the Grande Ronde Basin Endemic Spring Chinook Salmon Supplementation Program.  This project continues to participate in management meetings regarding this program. Cooperative efforts with ODFW, CTUIR, and NMFS are required to establish synergistic relationships between this and the projects listed below.

     Artificial Production projects funded under the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program that are or will be associated with this project are: 199801006 - Captive Broodstock Artificial Propagation (NPT), 199703800 - Listed Stock Gamete Preservation (NPT), 8805301 - Northeast Oregon Hatchery (NEOH) Master Plan (NPT), 198805305 -NEOH Master Plan and Facilities (ODFW), and 199604400 - Grande Ronde Basin Spring Chinook Captive Broodstock Program. Monitoring and evaluation of hatchery products will occur through this M&E project.

     Monitoring and Evaluation projects funded under the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program that will complement the Lostine M&E Project are: 8712700 - Smolt Monitoring by Non-Federal Entities, 199801006 - Captive broodstock Artificial Propagation and 199202604 - Spring Chinook Salmon Early Life History (ODFW).