Goals:
Assess current fishery conditions in the Blocked Area, above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams, by conducting baseline habitat surveys of tributary streams, lakes, and reservoirs and assessing the stocks and status of all resident fish species known to exist in those water bodies.  

Compile fisheries, habitat, and water quality data into a unified database.  The Blocked Area fisheries information housed in a central location allows managers to view the entire system while making management decisions, rather than basing decisions on isolated portions of the system.

Recommend and implement management actions based on research results.

Background:  
The project Resident Fish Stock Status Above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams (also known as the Joint Stock Assessment Project; JSAP), developed in 1997, is a cooperative project designed and guided jointly by fisheries managers in the Blocked Area; the Kalispel Tribe of Indians, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Spokane Tribe of Indians, and the Colville Confederated Tribes.   The initial year of the project (1997) identified the need for a central data storage and analysis facility, coordination with the StreamNet project, compilation of Blocked Area fisheries information, and a report on the ecological condition of the Spokane River System.  These needs were addressed in 1998 by acquiring a central location with a data storage and analysis system, coordinating a pilot project with StreamNet, compiling fisheries distribution data throughout the Blocked Area, identifying data gaps based on compiled information, and researching the ecological condition of the Spokane River.

In order to perform joint stock assessment, the participants needed to develop a central database of fisheries related data for the Blocked Area that would be accessible to all Blocked Area managers.  Initial development of the database involved collecting all existing data, and storing them in various electronic formats at the Kalispel Tribe JSAP office in Spokane, WA.  Data gaps were identified and new investigations were initiated to fill those gaps.  A Unified JSAP Database (the UDB) was constructed in 2002, incorporating all data compiled for the Blocked Area to date into a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 database.  

In order to ensure that any additional information collected throughout the life of this project will be easily stored and manipulated in the Unified JSAP Database, it was necessary to develop standardized methodologies between the JSAP fisheries managers.  Common collection and analytical methodologies were developed in 1999, and revised in 2002.  Since 1999, the project has been addressing some of the identified data gaps throughout the Blocked Area.  

Projects developed and undertaken by JSAP fisheries managers include investigations of the Pend Oreille River and its tributaries, the Little Spokane River and its tributaries, and water bodies within and near the Spokane Indian Reservation.  Specific projects include migration patterns of adfluvial and reservoir fish in Box Canyon Reservoir and its tributaries, a baseline assessment of Boundary Reservoir and its tributaries, ecological assessment of mountain lakes in Pend Oreille County, and assessments of seven streams and four lakes on the Spokane Indian Reservation.  These projects were completed through 2000.  Assessments of the Little Spokane River and its tributaries, tributaries to the Pend Oreille River, lakes throughout Pend Oreille County, and water bodies within and near the Spokane Indian Reservation were conducted in 2001, 2002, and 2003.  

In 2004, WDFW and the Kalispel Tribe identified as a priority the need to assess the current warmwater fishery conditions of the Box Canyon Reservoir, Pend Oreille River.  A standardized electrofishing, gillnetting, and fyke netting survey was conducted following the WDFW Standard Fish Sampling Guidelines for Washington State Ponds and Lakes (Bonar et al. 2000).  Additionally, baseline stream habitat, fish distribution, and abundance were determined for the Skookum Creek watershed, remaining tributaries in the Middle Spokane and Little Spokane watersheds, and upper Tshimikain Creek in 2004.    

In 2005, The Kalispel Tribe initiated a radiotelemetry study of northern pike in the Box Canyon Reservoir, Pend Oreille River to determine seasonal distribution, migration patterns and timing, habitat use, and locate potential spawning areas.  Tracking 25 tagged fish will continue into the summer of 2006.  Littoral and limnetic surveys of Deer and Loon lakes were completed in 2005.  WDFW personnel aided the Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Recovery project conducting white sturgeon stock assessments in 2004 and 2005.  Spokane Arm Lake Roosevelt tributary surveys were completed to determine baseline stream habitat conditions, fish distribution, and critical low flow conditions.

In 2006, the project completed the Harvey Creek kokanee spawning run monitoring.  Monitoring of the spawning run (2002-2006) was conducted to establish trend data for the population, which was identified as a priority by regional managers due the relatively high variability in run sizes observed in previous years.  The run is monitored annually using a weir-style trap from early October through mid to late December.  Data collected during kokanee spawn monitoring includes species, length, weight, sex, reproductive condition, and fecundity.  The Kalispel Tribe continued investigating the status of northern pike in the Pend Oreille River by conducting a diet analysis, a mark-recapture population estimate, and a recruitment study, in addition to continuing the tracking study sampled.  A statistical model of redband rainbow trout presence as a function of stream habitat was be developed to help managers prioritize conservation and enhancement activities.  Work continued on adfluvial spawner use of tributaries to the Spokane Arm of Lake Roosevelt and baseline habitat conditions of those tributaries.  Data from all collection activities, as well as the compilation of current and historical Colville Tribe fisheries, habitat, and water quality data was submitted to the JSAP database manager for inclusion in the JSAP UDB.  

In 2007, the JSAP project changed from having the Kalispel Tribe contract with BPA, with the other participants sub-contracting with the Kalispel Tribe, to a format where all of participants contract directly with BPA.  Thus, the project description will focus on WDFW activities only.  WDFW conducted burbot stock assessment sampling on Bead and Sullivan lakes to establish trend data for monitoring the population using CPUE.  This was the second year of assessments.  WDFW also conducted a mark-recapture experiment on the upper Spokane River to estimate redband trout abundance and begin to establish trend data to improve management of this population.  A baseline assessment of the fish populations in the middle Spokane River was conducted to determine indices of species composition, abundance, size, condition, and growth to improve management in this stretch of the river. Data from all collection activities were submitted to the JSAP database manager for inclusion in the JSAP UDB. In addition, a new MS Access database system for housing and managing the WDFW annual data was completed, tested, and loaded with data from 1999 through 2007. WDFW assisted with developing a simplified data load tool for easier populating of the UDB. Finally, the StreamNet Independent Datasets page was updated with WDFW 2006 JSAP data.

In 2008, WDFW conducted burbot stock assessment sampling on Bead and Sullivan lakes to establish trend data for monitoring the population using CPUE.  It was the third consecutive year of assessments using protocols established afterin 2006 and 2007.  Conducted a second mark-recapture experiment conducted on the upper Spokane River to estimate redband trout abundance which will help establish the data trend to improve management of this population.  Data from all collection activities will be submitted to the JSAP database manager for inclusion in the JSAP UDB.  The data will also be loaded into the WDFW JSAP MS Access database system.  Finally, the StreamNet Independent Datasets page will be updated with WDFW 2007 JSAP data.

In 2009, WDFW conducted burbot stock assessment sampling on Bead and Sullivan lakes to establish trend data for monitoring the population using CPUE.  This was the fourth consecutive year of assessments and was conducted according to protocols established in 2006 and 2007.  A third mark-recapture experiment was conducted on the upper Spokane River to estimate redband trout abundance which continues to add to the data trend to improve management of this population.  Data from all collection activities will be loaded into the WDFW JSAP MS Access database system.  The StreamNet Independent Datasets page will be updated with WDFW 2008 JSAP data.  WDFW data will not be added to the JSAP UDB until the issues with data loading and extraction have been rectified.

In 2010, WDFW conducted burbot stock assessment sampling on Bead and Sullivan lakes to continue to establish trend data for monitoring the population using CPUE.  This was the fifth consecutive year of assessments and was conducted according to protocols established between 2006 and 2008.  The mark-recapture experiment was conducted on the Spokane River, below Spokane Falls, to estimate redband trout abundance to help establish the data trend to improve management of this population. This was a cooperative effort with Avista Corporation.  We developed a draft sampling design and protocols for redband trout stock assessment in tributaries of the upper Columbia River that included a pilot juvenile redband trout trapping study.  Data from all collection activities were loaded into the WDFW JSAP MS Access database system.  The StreamNet Independent Datasets page was updated with WDFW 2010 JSAP data and prepared for submission to the Upper Columbia Resident Fish Stock Status project Database, once it is developed. We provided existing WDFW JSAP database to the contractor to assist with development of the new project database.

In 2011, WDFW conducted a mark-recapture experiment conducted on the Spokane River, below Spokane Falls, to estimate redband trout abundance which will help establish the data trend to improve management of this population, in coordination with Avista Corporation.  We will also began implementing and refining the sampling design and protocols for redband trout stock assessment in the upper Columbia River tributaries by continuing the pilot juvenile redband trout trapping study on Big Sheep Creek near Northport, WA. Additionally, WDFW JSAP completed year two of a three year baseline fish assessment in the middle Spokane River in coordination with Avista Corporation.  Data from all collection activities will be loaded into the WDFW JSAP MS Access database system.  Once the Geospatial Enabled Database Management System (GEDMS) has been completed and the loading tool validated, all WDFW JSAP data will be submitted  to the JSAP data manager for loading into the database.

In 2012, WDFW continued with a third year of a mark-recapture experiment conducted on the Spokane River, below Spokane Falls, to estimate redband trout abundance which will help establish the data trend to improve management of this population, in coordination with Avista Corporation.  We continued implementing and refining the sampling design and protocols for redband trout stock assessment in the upper Columbia River tributaries by continuing the pilot juvenile redband trout trapping study on Big Sheep Creek near Northport, WA. Additionally, WDFW JSAP completed a three year baseline fish assessment in the middle Spokane River in coordination with Avista Corporation.  Data from all collection activities will be loaded into the WDFW JSAP MS Access database system.  WDFW IT staff worked with Kalispel Tribe staff toward completion of the Geospatial Enabled Database Management System (GEDMS) and validation of the loading tool.  Once complete alll WDFW JSAP data will be submitted  to the JSAP data manager for loading into the database.

In 2013, WDFW continued with a fourth year of a mark-recapture experiment conducted on the Spokane River, below Spokane Falls, to estimate redband trout abundance which will help establish the data trend to improve management of this population, in coordination with Avista Corporation.  We continued implementing and refining the sampling design and protocols for redband trout stock assessment in the upper Columbia River tributaries by continuing the pilot juvenile redband trout trapping study on Big Sheep Creek near Northport, WA. Redband trout abundance estimates were conducted through multi-pass electrofishing surveys in Big Sheep Creek and baseline habitat data were collected. WDFW JSAP coordinated with regional fisheries managers and WDFW Genetics lab to develop a regional redband trout genetics plan. Data from all collection activities will be loaded into the WDFW JSAP MS Access database system.  WDFW IT staff worked with Kalispel Tribe staff toward completion and updating of the Geospatial Enabled Database Management System (GEDMS) and validation of the loading tool.  WDFW IT staff coordinated with Kalispel Tribe staff to load WDFW data into the GEDMS database.

In 2014, WDFW conducted a fifth year of a mark-recapture experiment on an index area of the Spokane River between Spokane Falls and TJ Meenach bridge. Efforts were conducted to estimate redband trout abundance and establish population data trends to improve management of redband in the Spokane River.  The study was conducted in coordination with Avista Corporation. WDFW conducted redband trout abundance estimates on Big Sheep Creek through multi-pass electrofishing surveys and baseline habitat surveys in lower Big Sheep Creek (below the first fish passage barrier) and upper Big Sheep Creek (above the passage barrier).  WDFW  coordinated with Lake Roosevelt co-managers and the WDFW genetics lab to develop a genetics study plan and coordinated in the completion of a genetics report for redband stocks in Lake Roosevelt. WDFW began assessment of redband trout in Onion Creek, Stevens County, WA through adult and juvenile trapping. Genetic samples were collected and sent to the WDFW Genetics Lab for analysis. We coordinated with Eastern Washington University (EWU) to acoustic tag redband trout from Big Sheep Creek and Onion Creek as part of a study to track movement of redband within and out of Lake Roosevelt. WDFW coordinated activities with co-managers and EWU through the Lake Roosevelt Redband Technical Group meetings. Data from all surveys will be loaded into the WDFW JSAP MS Access database system.  WDFW IT staff worked with Kalispel Tribe staff toward completion and updating of the Geospatial Enabled Database Management System (GEDMS) and validation of the loading tool.  WDFW IT staff coordinated with Kalispel Tribe staff to load WDFW data into the GEDMS database.


Location:  
The Joint Stock Assessment Project area (Blocked Area) covers 9.3 million acres with elevations ranging from 1000 feet above mean sea level to 7200 feet above mean sea level.  The project boundary is defined as all water body areas lying upstream of Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River System within the State of Washington.  Although the Blocked Area extends north and east into Canada and Idaho, respectively, the project area includes only the portion in Washington State at this time.  The northern and eastern boundaries lie within the Northern Rocky Mountains, while the southern and western boundaries lie within the volcanic soils of the Columbia Plateau.