Activity:
This is a project for the Administration and System Operation of the Columbia River Basin PIT Tag Information System (PTAGIS). A comprehensive overview of the project is described online at http://www.ptagis.org/learn.

Agency:
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC).

Goal:
The goal of this project is to operate and maintain the Columbia River Basin-wide database for PIT Tagged fish and to operate and maintain the established interrogation systems. The data collected by this system is accessible to the general public from the PIT Tag Information System (PTAGIS) web portal. The measurable goal for the system is to collect 100% valid data and provide that data in 'near-real' time with downtime of any system component of not more than one percent as measured during the period of peak out-migration.

Background:
In 1984, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) entered into an agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to research and develop a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag for use in the Columbia River Basin (CRB) Fish and Wildlife Program (FWP). The PIT tag system enables large amounts of data to be produced using relatively few tags, compared to traditional tagging and marking systems.

In 1988 and 1989, NMFS contracted with PSMFC to develop and operate a prototype database system to help NMFS meet, in a timely manner, its contractual and verbal agreements involving PIT tag data. The database was designed to meet immediate needs as well as provide a framework for a formalized database system for the Columbia River Basin PIT tag program.

In April 1989, NMFS announced its intention to phase out of the operation, maintenance and management of the PIT tag systems in the Columbia River Basin. Subsequently, BPA contracted with PSMFC because it was the only agency experienced in data management with no vested interest in the interpretation of data generated from PIT tags, while being independent of water or fish and wildlife management responsibilities.

The actions that PSMFC was directed to implement under the PTAGIS contract include:
1. Management of a long term Columbia River Basin-wide database system accessible to all entities;
2. Maintenance and documentation of fish tagging and interrogation software;
3. Operation and maintenance of equipment at the remote sites;
4. Provision of technical support for the software and hardware;
5. Provision of training to users; and
6. Distribution of PIT tags and associated equipment.

Locations:
The PSMFC office in Portland, OR houses the PTAGIS systems utilizing PSMFC data facilities.

The field office in Kennewick, WA is primarily responsible for operations and equipment maintenance of 29 key PIT Tag interrogation sites:

Code Site Name # Antennas
B2J Bonneville Dam PH2 Juvenile Bypass and Sampling Facility 19
BCC Bonneville Dam 2nd Powerhouse Corner Collector Outfall Channel 1
BO1 Bradford Island Adult Fishway at Bonneville Dam 38
BO2 Cascades Island Adult Fishway at Bonneville Dam 18
BO3 Washington Shore Adult Fishway and AFF at Bonneville Dam 32
BO4 Washington Shore Fishway Vertical Slots at Bonneville Dam 6
CFF Castile Falls Fishway 3
CFJ Clark Flat Acclimation Pond Outfall 4
ESJ Easton Acclimation Pond Outfall 4
GOA Little Goose Dam Adult Fishway 2
GOJ Little Goose Dam Juvenile Fish Facility & Full Flow Bypass 32
GRA Lower Granite Adult Fishway and Fish Trap 16
GRJ Lower Granite Dam Juvenile Fish Bypass/Transportation Facility 29
ICH Ice Harbor Dam Adult Fishways (both), Full Flow Bypass and SbyC Trap Antenna 21
JCJ Jack Creek Acclimation Pond Outfall 4
JDJ John Day Dam Juvenile Fish Bypass and Sampling Facility 30
JO1 John Day South Fish Ladder 8
JO2 John Day North Fish Ladder 8

LFF Lyle Falls Fishway 15
LMA Lower Monumental Dam Adult Fishways (both) 4
LMJ Lower Monumental Dam Juvenile Fish Bypass/Transportation Fac. 35
MC1 Oregon Shore Adult Fishway at McNary Dam 18
MC2 Washington Shore Adult Fishway at McNary Dam 19
MCJ McNary Dam Juvenile Fish Bypass/Transportation Facility 48
PRO Prosser Dam Adult Fishways and Juvenile Bypass/Sampling Fac. 11
ROZ Roza Diversion Dam Spillway and Adult Fishway detectors 5
RPJ Rapid River Hatchery Outfall 8
TD1 The Dalles East Fish Ladder 2
TD2 The Dalles North Fish Ladder 2

TOTAL Antennas Operated and Maintained by PTAGIS: 442

PSMFC provides operations and maintenance (O&M) support for the electronic data collection portion of the PIT tag interrogation systems at the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) operated facilities, under a 'Memorandum of Agreement' between BPA and the Corps. PSMFC maintains PIT Tag actuated separation (diversion) gates at various fish facilities. PSMFC also installs and maintains the programmable logic controllers (PLC’s) used by smolt monitoring and facility personnel to collect daily sub-samples. Information related to the sub-sample is incorporated into the PIT tag interrogation files.

PTAGIS also provides a repository for automated detection data collected at 276 interrogation sites operated by other entities throughout the Columbia Basin:

Biomark, Inc.: 31
Bureau of Reclamation: 4
Chelan County Public Utility District: 4
Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce: 1
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission: 1
Colville Confederated Tribes: 21
Confed. Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reser.: 6
Confed. Tribes of the Warm Springs Reser.: 10
Douglas County Public Utility District No. 1: 3
Grant County Public Utility District: 1
Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game: 17

Midas Gold Stibnite: 1
Nez Perce Tribe: 5
NOAA Fisheries: 7
Okanagan Nation Alliance: 7
Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: 33
PacifiCorp Energy: 3
Portland General Electric: 2

Shoshone-Bannock Tribes: 4
Snake River Salmon Recovery Board: 4
Tacoma Public Utilities: 2
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 22
U.S. Geological Survey: 5
Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife: 54
Yakama Nation: 23

Total Active Sites Maintained by Other Organizations: 271