This project is a Zone 6 fisheries CRITFC Accord project which was given consideration for the relevance to the John Day Mitigation Reprogramming Plan that is being developed by the U.S. v. Oregon parties and lead by the Corps of Engineers. In year 3 of the CRITFC Accords contract the sponsor will develop a draft and final project plan; a feasibility study to further evaluate the project preferred alternative; a Statement of Work for FY13; an annual report; and quarterly status reports. CRITFC will coordinate with BPA and the Council on the appropriate level of scientific review necessary to implement a production or supplementation plan including necessary environmental clearances.

The Treaty Tribal fishery benefits directly from John Day Mitigation production, as the majority of returning adults must transit the entire Zone 6 fishery on their way back to release sites at Priest Rapids and Ringold Springs. Sustaining the John Day mitigation fish production for the benefit of the Treaty Tribal fishery is a high priority for all of the Treaty tribes.  The CRITFC Commission has requested action on this Accords project to contribute to benefits of the Treaty Tribal fishery in Zone 6.

A Request for Quotations (RFQ) was developed in December 2011 to provide technical and planning support to the tribes through assistance provided by an engineering firm.  Because several concurrent projects had been developing independently, there was a need for a consulting engineering firm to assist CRITFC in disseminating information from these concurrent feasibility studies for the Zone 6 fisheries CRITFC Accords project. Proposals include:

*  Build an adult handling/acclimation site in the lower Yakima River. The Yakama Nation (YN) completed a feasibility study for fall Chinook lower river (Yakima R.) acclimation and adult holding under their Yakima River Master Plan.  This study was conducted by MacMillan Engineering, LLC, and it compares acclimation and adult holding strategies for fall Chinook in the lower Yakima River basin.  Results from this study will provide input for the current Accords project as well, given that reprogramming fall Chinook in the lower Yakima River is a shared objective of both the YN Master Plan and the Accords project.  The current MacMillan feasibility study developed concept designs to 15%.  

*  Implement the first phase of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWSRO) proposal addressing implementation of a summer run component of the Deschutes fall Chinook population. The CTWSRO needs to further define what will be included in a feasibility study to meet the objective. The issue is highly politicized and potentially contentious. The planning phase was extended by five months to allow time for the CTWSRO proposal to develop. Depending on the level of development it may be included in this contract cycle or occur in a later contract.  

At the beginning of 2012, CRITFC also received a request from the The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) to develop a feasibility study assessing potential locations for sturgeon and lamprey propagation facilities and to provide designs for those facilities. The alternative species issue has not been vetted through the CRITFC and will be evaluated during the extended planning phase. It is included under the coordination and planning work element, and will consist of meetings.  The CTUIR proposal would mean adding additional project objectives to the draft Accords project plan to accommodate all interested tribal parties in a project carrying a capital budget of $4M. The tribes are currently consulting with each other at the policy level to determine next steps in the Zone 6 fisheries CRITFC Accords project planning process.