This project, as a part of the larger Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project (YKFP), continues existing efforts to monitor status and trends and gather baseline information on the abundance, distribution, demographics, life history, and habitat of Klickitat spring Chinook salmon, steelhead, and other species of interest. This contract supports M&E activities that inform and support the status and success of natural-origin fish. Methods of evaluating and monitoring effectiveness of hatchery and habitat actions are also being applied. Assistance is provided to the YKFP Klickitat Data Systems Manager in efforts towards standardizing, consolidating, centralizing, and making accessible all data and information generated by the Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) project within the Klickitat Subbasin.

The YKFP Klickitat M&E Project contract supports the role of the Yakama Nation (YN) as the YKFP's Lead Agency. As Lead Agency, the YN is directly responsible for managing and/or implementing all M&E Project activities. Specifically, this contract covers the YN's M&E responsibilities of the following YKFP activities in the Klickitat Subbasin:

1. Spawning ground surveys (redd counts)
2. Adult salmonid monitoring at Lyle Falls and Castile Falls fishways
3. Juvenile outmigration monitoring
4. Juvenile and resident salmonid population surveys
5. Scale analysis
6. Temperature, water quality and streamflow monitoring
7. Habitat surveys
8. Genetic data collection, analysis and synthesis
9. Spring Chinook and Steelhead PIT tagging and monitoring
10. Lower Klickitat River juvenile survival and habitat assessment

The contract also provides for project management, administration, coordination, data analysis, local and regional technical review group participation, and status and final reporting.