For the 2016, Upper Columbia Spring Chinook and Steelhead Acclimation Project will focus on continued development of key release locations that fit within the context of project objectives (release fish further away from know hatchery, single point releases and integrate hatchery fish with natural origin fish they are suppose to be supplementing) and conduct first time releases form Goat Wall.  Due to site restrictions within the Mid-Columbia Coho Reintroduction Program (MCCRP), Rohlfing's site will continue to only be available for the rearing of coho as part of the MC Coho Reintroduction Project.  A Nason Creek steelhead acclimation site is still in development (Powerline) and being incorporated into a project EA, expected to be completed winter '16 (Tetra Tech is the lead entity producing this document).  The Methow will continue to release spring Chinook, as a part of GCPUD mitigation for Methow spring Chinook but site location has changed to further upstream at Goat Wall.  This will be the first year of operations and based on a decision that mid-Valley wasn't far enough removed form current hatchery distribution occurring with current hatchery releases at Methow SFH and Winthrop NFH.  The intent here is to continue to gain valuable information regarding potential benefits, both biologically and from a cost perspective, of maximizing limited rearing space within the Upper Columbia (UC) region.  The treatment group will have comparable controlled release from Methow SFH.  Some of the performance metrics identified as part of YN's evaluation would be in-pond survival, release-to-McNary survival, and overall release timing/condition for each species.  A second year of acclimating up to 61,000 spring Chinook at Chewuch Acclimation Facility (AF); over-wintered at Carlton Pond on the mainstem Methow, will occur.  This is a variation of what had historically occurred with this release location in that fish had been over-wintered at Methow SFH and moved in the spring to the Chewuch AF.  A large amount of straying occurred as a result of this with approximately 40% of the adult returns form the Chewuch AF releases returning to the hatchery.  With the over-wintering occurring downstream of the Chewuch, straying may still occur but not compromise spawning composition in the vicinity of the state and federal hatcheries located in Winthrop. Acclimation would occur from mid-March through the end of April.

In addition to the on-the-ground activities, YN will be pursuing multiple site developments in both the Wenatchee (Trinity and Powerline) and Methow (Early Winters 3) for long-term implementation once the data has been summarized and accepted within the co-managers.  Initial reporting of results have been positive and this long-term implementation for both spring Chinook and steelhead would be consistent with future HGMPs as well as long-term implementation of recalculated release/production goals through mitigation discussions.  Other sites in the queue for future consideration to be vetted out for 2016 could include Gold Creek Ponds for steelhead originating from Winthrop NFH and are in discussions with USFWS on the logistics for this to occur.