The Idaho Supplementation Studies (ISS) is a Clearwater River and Salmon River sub-basin wide cooperative research project partitioned among four resource management entities including the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Nez Perce Tribe, Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game functions acts as the lead agency with respect to project development, coordination, and implementation. The project encompasses 30 streams throughout Idaho. Sixteen streams have received supplementation treatments and 14 are un-supplemented controls. Each agency is individually contracted through Bonneville Power Administration, but data collection and reporting duties are administered through a joint statement of work, which helps ensure that consistent protocols are used by each agency. This Statement of Work for contract year 2010 (Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2010) includes synthesis of research activities and tasks to be completed by all cooperating agencies.

The goals of the Idaho Supplementation Studies Project are to 1) assess the effectiveness of localized hatchery broodstocks to increase the size of naturally spawning spring and summer Chinook salmon populations in the Salmon and Clearwater river drainages, and 2) evaluate the long-term genetic and ecological impacts of supplementation on these populations.  Specific objectives of the program include monitoring and evaluating the effects of supplementation on natural production in Chinook salmon populations, monitoring and evaluating changes in productivity in these populations relative to supplementation, and developing recommendations for the use of supplementation.  

The ISS study uses a multi-phased approach to evaluate supplementation. In Phase I, local adult returns were collected to develop supplementation broodstock. Phase II (treatment phase) used the returning supplementation adults to augment natural reproduction in treatment streams. In Phase III, or evaluation phase, supplementation treatments will be terminated, but we will continue to monitor production and productivity in both treatment and control populations for one Chinook salmon generation (i.e., five years). Determining population response after supplementation ceases will provide valuable insight into the long-term effects of supplementation.  The project has just transitioned from Phase II (treatment) to Phase III (evaluation).  In 2007 the last supplementation adults (the five-year-old component from our brood year 2002 juvenile releases) returned representing the program’s final supplementation treatment.  

The cessation of adult treatments in 2008 (i.e., passing supplementation origin adults over weirs onto spawning grounds) represent the only significant change in program activities from the FY2007 and previous statements of work.  All other activities described within the FY2010 statement of work are a continuation of previous work,  The cessation of adult treatments does not, however, eliminate any work elements or any realized reduction in time or personnel commitment.  In most instances, adults were sorted by hatchery not ISS personnel, and in 2010 and into the future hatchery staff will still be required to sort fish to separate hatchery origin fish for broodstock from natural origin fish to be passed over the weir.  The Crooked Fork Creek weir is the one instance where IDFG ISS personnel operate a weir.  This activity will remain in place to minimize the number of hatchery origin fish that stray into this control stream.


FAST TRACK CHANGES (MAY 2010)

An additional activity was added to the project to better meet BiOp and ESA monitoring requirements.  This includes installing and operating a new juvenile screw trap on Marsh Creek below the confluence with Beaver Creek.  This trap will provide intensive, high precision fish-out monitoring for Chinook salmon spawning in the upper Marsh Creek population (including Marsh, Knapp, Beaver, and Cape Horn creeks).  Multiple pass redd counts and carcass surveys are currently being conducted in Marsh Creek (above Cape Horn Creek) and additional multiple pass redd counts and carcass surveys will be initiated in Cape Horn and Beaver creeks and in Marsh Creek (from Cape Horn Creek to the screw trap) in 2010 to provide the intensive, high precision fish-in data necessary for VSP monitoring.

This new activity resulted in the addition of a new Work Element (WE - Z) to install and run the trap and modifications to WE - G and WE - K to include the additional fish tagging and redd counts and carcass surveys.

Our proposal included $90,000 to perform this work, but IDFG received only ~ $50,000.  It appears the USFWS received an additional $37,000 in excess of what was in their proposed budget.  This additional USFWS money needs to be transferred to IDFG in order to complete this activity.