This project provides: 1) hatchery (supplementation and conventional) monitoring on B-run steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) released in the Clearwater River subbasin, 2) incorporation and validation of PIT tag array-based status and trend estimates of adult abundance, 3) descriptive biological data on natural-origin returns, and 4) facilitation of a run-reconstruction of Snake Basin steelhead to known and unknown areas (formally proposal 2010-04-800). Carried out by co-managers, the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) and the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), this project will play a critical role in increasing the existing understanding of two significant populations of B-run steelhead in the Clearwater River major population group (MPG), the Lolo Creek and the South Fork Clearwater River (SFCR) populations. Data generated through the implementation of this project is required under the FCRPS BiOp (RPAs 63.1, 71 and 72) and is consistent with the Coordinated Anadromous Workshop Snake Basin strategy for high precision abundance data, hatchery effectiveness monitoring, and data management.

The 2008-2017 U.S. vs Oregon Management Agreement designated 200,000 unclipped (supplementation) steelhead reared at Dworshak National Fish Hatchery (DNFH) released into Lolo Creek and 330,000 unclipped steelhead reared at the Clearwater Anadromous Fish Hatchery (CAFH) released into tributaries of the South Fork Clearwater River (SFCR). These releases are in addition to the 840,000 conventionally reared, AD-clipped, steelhead smolts released into the SFCR each year. The motivation behind the unclipped fish releases is escapement from down-river fisheries and increased contribution to natural production to bolster natural steelhead population abundances. The brood stock composition of the supplementation releases (e.g., integration of natural adults into the brood stock) and the increase of these releases from the current level of 60,000 into Lolo Creek to full production (200,000) will be decided by tribal, state, and federal co-managers. Therefore, this project is structured as an observational study of management actions, as per the recommendation of ISRP/ISAB.

This project aims to evaluate the efficacy of these actions by 1) monitoring the population abundances of Lolo Creek and SFCR steelhead, 2) assessing the relative productivity, survival and behavior of natural and hatchery fish in Lolo Creek, and 3) comparing the relative performance of supplementation and conventional hatchery steelhead in the SFCR. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of returning natural, supplementation, and conventional adults in the SFCR will be followed to determine spatial overlap in the spawning distribution of these fish and to verify or refute the believed presence of a velocity barrier (near Golden) to returning steelhead in the SFCR. Finally, working in coordination with all co-managers in the Snake River Basin, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Department Fish & Wildlife, and The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the data collected through the activities of this project will be intergrated with that of other monitoring projects to account for the final disposition of adults upstream of Lower Granite Dam for the purposes of run-reconstruction.

To perform these tasks the project will utilize existing resources and facilities as well as implement new monitoring activities. Within Lolo Creek, the permanent weir construction approved through the Fast Track proposal process (2010-038-00) will be used to monitor returning adults and to collect biological data such as age at return, size at return, and sex ratio. Genetic sampling conducted at the weir will be used to conduct relative reproductive success analyses. The weir will also serve to validate the passage data collected through the use of PIT tag arrays (installed and operated under Project 2003-017-00) located above and below the weir. Screw trap operation in Lolo Creek currently implemented under the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation Project (1983-350-03) will serve to collect data used to calculate juvenile abundance, assess size and condition at emigration, and sample individuals for age and genetic analysis. Under this project, a screw trap would be installed in the SFCR to monitor juveniles leaving that system and, similar to Lolo Creek, PIT tag arrays located near the mouth of the SFCR and downstream of release tributaries (installed and operated under Project 2003-017-00) would be used to collect data on returning adults.

In addition to these activities, this project will incorporate a suite of tagging technologies to improve the information currently available on the status of steelhead populations in the Clearwater River subbasin. Supplementation juveniles will be coded wire tagged to distinguish these individuals from natural fish as adults. Juveniles will be PIT tagged at the Lolo Creek and SFCR screw traps to determine juvenile abundance and survival through the hydrosystem using mark-recapture analyses. Finally, a subset of the adults returning to SFCR will be captured, utilizing Separation by Code at Lower Granite Dam of know SFCR destined fish, and with the assistance of volunteer anglers and radio tagged to evaluate the spatial distribution of these fish in the SFCR.

An important goal of this project is the timely reporting of science-based data. The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management (DFRM) now has the equipment infrastructure necessary to ensure that this will be achieved. With additional funding for a data steward, DFRM annual reports, metadata, and performance measure data will be available on the new DFRM website http://www.nptfisheries.org. Appropriate components of program data and results will also be provided to the following websites: Snake Basin Data Group; Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), including: PIT Tag Information System (PTAGIS), the Regional Mark Information System (RMIS); Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program (STEM); Fish Passage Center (FPC); StreamNet; and NOAA Northwest Science Center. This proposal seeks to enable DFRM participation in regional data management and sharing forums and processes (e.g. PNAMP) as required by RPAs 71 and 72.