This project provides the following:

1) juvenile Snake River summer steelhead abundance estimates from the South Fork Clearwater River and Lolo Creek using data collected at rotary screw traps
2) adult Snake River summer steelhead status and trend monitoring in Joseph Creek (lower Snake River), lower Salmon River tributaries, and the lower Clearwater River tributaries using temporary weirs and portable PIT tag arrays
3) participation in a regional run reconstruction process for adult Snake River summer steelhead populations above Lower Granite Dam
4) assessments of factors that may limit Snake River summer steelhead populations within the Snake River Basin.
5) Support for PIT array assessments for Steelhead and Chinook.

Juvenile Snake River summer steelhead abundance data generated through the implementation of this project is required under the CRSO 2019 BiOp and is consistent with the Coordinated Anadromous Workshop Snake Basin strategy for high precision abundance data, hatchery effectiveness monitoring, and data management.  

The collection of adult Snake River summer steelhead data implements reasonable and prudent  measure to maintain M&E for Viability assessments  of the 2019 Biological Opinion, and the Coordinated Anadromous Workshop (2010) regional research, monitoring, and evaluation (RM&E) strategies for Snake River basin steelhead.  Monitoring of Joseph Creek steelhead was originally designed to occur annually to implement the Grande Ronde Subbasin Plan (Cat Tracks Wildlife Consulting 2004) to provide status and trend data in adult abundance for focal species and comparison of adult life history characteristics between hatchery and natural fish, and to compare adult steelhead mark-recapture escapement estimates to PIT tag array escapement estimates.  This contract continues the monitoring of Joseph Creek Steelhead in 5 year intervals with a rotation of monitoring in lower Salmon and Clearwater river tributaries to provide larger scale status, trend, and ultimately distribution data for Snake River summer steelhead.

The participation in a regional run reconstruction process for adult Snake River summer steelhead populations above Lower Granite Dam involves coordinating the use and input of NPT Harvest data into a regional steelhead run reconstruction model.  The run reconstruction model will help to evaluate adult Snake River summer steelhead abundance status and trends within the Snake River Basin.

The project will evaluate status and trend data annually to assess factors that may limit Snake River summer steelhead abundance and plan for future assessments.  An example of a potential assessment would be the migration impediment the project identified in past contracts around mile post 28 of the South Fork Clearwater River. An example of planning for a future assessment for this limiting factor would be designing, or consulting on, a study to compare passage data before and after modification of in-stream habitat around mile post 28.  Future implementation of any study design developed would occur under a separately negotiated contract.