This contract will cover activities during the third year of on-going project aimed at restoring chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) populations that utilize Washington State tributaries and mainstem Columbia River spawning areas below Bonneville Dam to viable/self-sustaining abundance levels using an integrated program of habitat restoration and enhancement/reintroduction programs.  The project is a result of actions called for in the 2008 FCRPS BiOp; specifically RPA 42: Implement Conservation Programs to Build Genetic Resources and Assist in Promoting Recovery (sub-action 42.9 - CR Chum-Fund program to re-introduce in Duncan Creek and sub-action 42.10 - CR Chum-Fund projects in tributaries below BON) and RPA: 63 Monitor Hatchery Effectiveness (sub-action 63.1 - Measure effect of safety-net & conservation hatchery programs).

WDFW identified a phased approach for the implementation of this proposal (attached at project level - Revised Proposal 6/5/09):
Phase 1: Development of an integrated program for chum salmon habitat restoration and enhancement/reintroduction programs (FFY2009-10).
Phase 2: Implementation of the integrated program (FFY 2011 and beyond).  


Phase 1 - Program development in FFY 2009-10
1)  An assessment of priority habitat restoration and/or chum channel sites.
2)  An updated stock status review of LCR chum salmon population structure and abundance necessary to prioritize restoration and guide future implementation of enhancement/reintroduction programs.
3)  Adaptive management of existing supplementation programs.
4)  Development of a stepwise enhancement program that utilizes supplementation/reintroduction to rebuild LCR chum populations.
5)  Development of a comprehensive program to monitor LCR chum salmon populations and evaluate the effectiveness of habitat restoration and supplementation/reintroduction actions.


With the activities completed from Phase 1, the project has moving into Phase 2 (implementation) beginning in FFY 2011 and 12.
1) Generation of designs and feasibility studies will be initiated for habitat restoration projects and spawning channel sites that ranked out high in the priority assessment.
2) Implement the comprehensive adult and juvenile chum salmon monitoring program that was developed.  To accomplish this, new tasks and tasks associated with two pre-existing BPA projects that focused on chum salmon monitoring (BPA Project #'s 1999-003 and # 2001-053) will now be accomplished under this project.  Monitoring will focus on generating values for VSP parameters (abundance, diversity, spatial and temporal distribution) as well as data needed to measure effects of existing and future enhancement/reintroduction programs.
3) Continue the two existing chum salmon artificial production programs; a safety-net program on the Grays River for an "at-risk" population and the reintroduction of chum salmon into Duncan Creek.  A three-pronged approach has been used to produce a self-sustaining chum salmon population in Duncan Creek. This approach included modifying the dam at the mouth of Duncan Creek (completed), enhancing spawning habitat (completed), and using local brood stock to reintroduce chum salmon back into the basin (ongoing). Methods employed and associated results can be used as a template for future reintroduction efforts for Columbia River chum salmon.
4) Continue to maintain infrastructure to implement a "salvage" if deemed necessary.  BPA requested that WDFW generate a chum salmon "salvage" plan outlining potential options for emergency intervention in 2001.  The plan was developed (Chum Salmon Salvage Plan:  Fall 2001) with the goal of preserving genetic diversity within the population by ensuring adequate numbers of chum salmon survived to spawn successfully, either naturally or artificially.  The plan outlines options for expanding the Duncan Creek reintroduction brood stock collection protocol to encompass other areas determined to be at risk (Table 1).  The plan was submitted as an addendum to the Duncan Creek reintroduction project (BPA # 2001-053) and was incorporated into the Hatchery Genetic Management Plan (HGMP) for Washougal Hatchery chum salmon.  This activity can only be done if additional funding is added to the project, left as a placeholder only.

Table 1.  Summary of strategies for Columbia River Chum Salmon salvage plan.

Case   Columbia River   Tributaries     Spawning Area                              Strategy
  1             low         low                   low        Juvenile supplementation in the mainstem Columbia River and  tributaries
  2             low         low            adequate        Adult supplementation in tributaries and juvenile supplementation in the mainstem Columbia River
  3         adequate        low                 low        Juvenile supplementation in tributaries, and no action in the mainstem Columbia River
  4             low adequate          adequate        Juvenile supplementation in the mainstem Columbia River, and no action in tributaries
  5         adequate adequate          adequate        No intervention, rely on natural production, and monitor



The BPA requested reduced project/contract cost in FFY13.  In response to this request, some ongoing habitat investigation and evaluation work that was started in FFY12 will not be continued (deferred) until FFY14.  These habitat project sites are located in the two strongest/healthiest populations (the Grays River basin and near Bonneville Dam populations) so deferment should have little impact on the near term survival probability of chum salmon in the Lower Columbia River basin.  In addition, we’ve reduced the VSP monitoring in several locations that currently have very low annual returns of chum salmon and are not the target of current chum salmon enhancement or reintroduction programs.