This contract will cover activities during the fourteenth year of an on-going project aimed at restoring chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) populations that utilize Washington State tributaries and mainstem Columbia River spawning areas below Bonneville Dam to viable/self-sustaining abundance levels using an integrated program of habitat restoration and enhancement/reintroduction programs.  Achieving recovery (i.e., delisting) of the ESU will require sufficient improvement in its abundance, productivity, spatial structure, and diversity.

WDFW identified a phased approach for the implementation of this proposal (attached at project level – Revised Proposal 6/5/09):
Phase 1: Development of an integrated program for chum salmon habitat restoration and enhancement/reintroduction programs (FFY2009-10).
Phase 2: Implementation of the integrated program (FFY 2011 and beyond).

Phase 1 - Program development in FFY 2009-10
1) An assessment of priority habitat restoration and/or chum channel sites.
2) An updated stock status review of LCR chum salmon population structure and abundance necessary to prioritize restoration and guide future implementation of enhancement/reintroduction programs.
3) Adaptive management of existing supplementation programs.
4) Development of a stepwise enhancement program that utilizes supplementation/reintroduction to rebuild LCR chum populations.
5) Development of a comprehensive program to monitor LCR chum salmon populations and evaluate the effectiveness of habitat restoration and supplementation/reintroduction actions.

With the activities completed from Phase 1, the project has moved into Phase 2 (implementation).
1) Generation of designs and feasibility studies will be initiated for habitat restoration projects and spawning channel sites that ranked out high in the priority assessment.
2) Implement the comprehensive adult and juvenile chum salmon monitoring program that was developed. To accomplish this, new tasks and tasks associated with two pre-existing BPA projects that focused on chum salmon monitoring (BPA Project #'s 1999-003 and # 2001-053) will now be accomplished under this project. Monitoring will focus on generating values for VSP parameters (abundance, diversity, spatial and temporal distribution) as well as data needed to measure effects of existing and future enhancement/reintroduction programs.
3) Continue the two existing chum salmon artificial production programs; a program on the Grays River for an "at-risk" population and the reintroduction of chum salmon into Duncan Creek. A three-pronged approach is being used to produce a self-sustaining chum salmon population in Duncan Creek. This approach included modifying the dam at the mouth of Duncan Creek (completed), enhancing spawning habitat (completed), and using local brood stock to reintroduce chum salmon back into the basin (ongoing). Methods employed and associated results can be used as a template for future reintroduction efforts for Columbia River chum salmon.
4) Continue the development of the LCR chum salmon Integrated Population Model (initiated under FFY19 contract).
5) Continue the work started under the FFY21 contract to update program HGMPs and participate as needed in the consultation process.  A Three-Step review (completed) and HGMPs are requirements needed in order to provide ESA coverage for the take of adult individuals as part of broodstock collection and population estimation activities.