Salmon and steelhead monitoring programs are needed for ESA status determinations and to evaluate the response of fish populations to the implementation of the 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion.   The goal of this project is to develop a coordinated Viable Salmonid Population (VSP) monitoring program that address key regional (priority) monitoring questions and develop study designs of sufficient quality and quantity to determine status of Lower Columbia River (LCR) salmon and steelhead.  In this process we will provide entities tasked monitoring fish populations in the Pacific Northwest with a road map of the steps needed to develop an integrated, scientifically sound monitoring program that meet the needs of regional decision-makers and managers.  As a demonstration project we will apply this approach to develop a specific monitoring plan for ESA listed salmon and steelhead populations in the LCR, concentrating on the monitoring of VSP parameters.  This project is consistent with and is intended to complement the recent master sampling design currently being implemented in the LCR, and can integrate fish and habitat monitoring.   The objectives for this project include: 1) Develop a Regional list of fish monitoring priorities for LCR salmon and steelhead populations, 2) Establish species specific sampling frames for LCR juvenile and adult salmon and steelhead study designs, 3) Review current LCR salmon and steelhead monitoring programs and evaluate the bias, precision, and cost-effectiveness of different monitoring survey design and field protocol combinations based on monitoring priorities, and 4) Develop a suite of monitoring salmon and steelhead monitoring recommendations for the LCR based on Regional priorities, cost-effectiveness, and a range of budgets.

This is a new project but is the result of ongoing monitoring salmon and steelhead monitoring programs in the LCR, and of the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership’s (PNAMP) Integrated Status and Trend Monitoring (ISTM) project.  WDFW will work in conjunction with ODFW (Contract #44161) on this project.

PNAMP’s ISTM project has been developed over 3 years of collaborative effort involving PNAMP partners and other local (in the LCR) partners.  To date, the ISTM workgroup has held several workshops and produced 3 reports of progress (PNAMP 2008; draft PNAMP 2009a, 2009b).  This project has been reviewed and critiqued by the PNAMP Steering Committee throughout its history and has benefited from input of many technical experts around the region as well as past and ongoing monitoring projects.  Development of the ISTM project has been facilitated by the PNAMP Coordinator as part of PNAMP activities in conjunction with other PNAMP tasks in order to fully capitalize on partners’ in-kind contributions of staff time, which has been the primary mechanism to advance this work to date.  Facilitation for this project will also be provided by the PNAMP Coordination Team under contract #40087.

BPA has recently funded one key element to support the PNAMP ISTM project: OSU has been contracted provide statistical support and to develop a web-based master sample management system (contract #42697).  This system would allow users to know who else has selected sites from the master sample covering stream networks in their domains; to design individual or integrated monitoring programs; to know how existing sites relate to a common master sample; and to know what is being collected at the site over time.  In conjunction with the development and use of the web-based master sample management tool, there is a need for dedicated analytical support for design and utilization of results of the monitoring design based on the master sample. The results of this project will benefit the new work proposed here.

Currently, the PNAMP ISTM project has been designed, by the entities responsible for conducting monitoring, to demonstrate the approaches and utility of integrating the collection of information to address multi-scale questions about the status and trends of fish (salmon, steelhead, bull trout), and physical, chemical, and biological attributes in stream networks.  Specifically, this work will assist PNAMP’s members in developing a strategic action plan for monitoring in the bi-state lower Columbia (LC) River demonstration area, as well as to demonstrate the general approach to developing such plans for other areas in the Pacific Northwest.