Beginning in 2019, the Nez Perce Tribe's Department of Fisheries Resources Management will deploy a pilot ofSmall Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS)  to conduct spawning ground surveys to gather information from returning anadromous adult salmonids (e.g. Chinook salmon, steelhead, Coho salmon). Operations will be consistent with BPA, DoE and FAA operating regulations and take place from the mouth of the Clearwater River upstream to the confluence of the NF Clearwater River.

Collected Information is used for life history, abundance and productivity monitoring in the Snake River Basin. Data are utilized for hatchery effectiveness and status and trends evaluations. Population status and trend monitoring of natural and hatchery origin fish is used for effective population management, assessing effectiveness of conservation actions, viability, and recovery metric monitoring. Objectives for this Protocol 1.Spawning Ground surveys are single or mult-ipass surveys conducted by helicopter in all areas where adults are likely to spawn to obtain an index of abundance, spawner distribution, life history characteristics. 2.Surveys to provide spawner density and distribution information to inform VSP viability attributes to guide restoration or hatchery actions. 3.Collection of carcass information provide a means to calculate Chinook adult life history characteristics.