 | RMECAT-2008-470-00 | Proposal Version 1 | Existing Project | Pending BPA Response | 2008-470-00 | Yakama Nation Ceded Lands Lamprey Evaluation and Restoration | The goal of the Yakama Nation Pacific Lamprey Project is to restore natural production of Pacific lamprey within the Yakama Nation Ceded Lands to a level that will support ecologically functioning systems and tribal harvest. These efforts are focusing on the Wind, White Salmon, Klickitat, Yakima, Wenatchee, Methow and Entiat rivers Pacific lamprey are of central cultural importance to the Yakama Nation and populations within the Columbia River Basin are plummeting to historic low numbers. In many watersheds, Pacific lamprey are highly suspected to be extirpated. Very little is known about this species within the Ceded lands and it is the overall and immediate objective of this Project to gain baseline information sufficient to develop Pacific Lamprey Recovery Plans for each of these subbasins.
This work is being initiated by conducting preliminary habitat surveys within one or two subbasins annually. These surveys, being completed primarily by the Yakama Nation Pacific Lamprey Project staffs, will begin characterizing presence of juvenile lamprey using electro-shocking techniques and will provide a qualitative estimate of usable habitat for both spawning and rearing. In addition, the Yakama Nation is actively involved with other state and federal resource agencies to develop cost share relationships to advance radio-telemetry studies in the Yakima, and potentially the Entiat subbasins for 2010 - 2011. These studies (habitat and telemetry) will eventually be expanded to other Ceded lands subbasins. A specific outcome of this work is to begin identifying and inventorying potential limiting factors for lamprey productivity and prioritizing needed actions to arrest population declines. These initial surveys will also establish baseline information to support the monitoring of status and trend over time.
Over the next year (2010 – 2011), the Yakama Nation Pacific Lamprey Project will focus efforts in continued program development, regional coordination and initiating surveys in the Yakima Basin for lamprey relative abundance and distribution and identification of potential primary limiting factors. Other key objectives within this time frame are to evaluate potential use of artificially propagating juveniles and translocation of adult lampreys from the mainstem Columbia River to tributary streams. These latter objectives would be used as a tool to support needed research about the biology and ecology of this species and research associated with potential passage and entrainment issues. If populations continue to plummet, these tools may be needed to re-initiate natural production in selected watersheds.
The long-term objectives of this Project are as follows:
-Consolidate and summarize current and historical information related to Pacific lamprey distribution and relative abundance within the Yakama Nation Ceded lands.
-Identify lamprey adult and juvenile migration characteristics.
-Identify current habitat strongholds for ammoceote rearing. Quantify and index relative densities of ammoceotes.
-Describe known and / or potential factors that contribute to relatively strong or weak ammoceote production in key (or index) watersheds.
-Describe key habitat characteristics that may contribute or are related to juvenile growth and productivity.
-Identify the key limiting factors that prevent juveniles from successfully hatching, staging and achieving high levels of productivity in preferred habitats.
-Identify key areas where adults hold and/or spawn. Identify environmental / physiological conditions that trigger spawning to occur.
-Describe key habitat characteristics that may contribute or are related to adult holding and/or spawning.
-Identify the key limiting factors that prevent adults from successfully migrating and/or spawning. | Bryan Mercier (Inactive) | | | 07/06/2010 | 07/11/2011 | Bryan Mercier (Inactive) | Yakama Confederated Tribes | Habitat | None | RME / AP Category Review | RM&E Cat. Review - RM&E | Fish Accord |
| NPCC19-2008-470-00 | Proposal Version 2 | Existing Project | Pending Council Recommendation | 2008-470-00 | Yakama Nation Ceded Lands Lamprey Evaluation and Restoration | The goal of the Yakama Nation Pacific Lamprey Project is to restore natural production of Pacific Lamprey to a level that will provide robust species abundance, significant ecological contributions, and meaningful tribal harvest throughout the Yakama Nation Ceded Lands and all usual and accustomed areas. These efforts are focusing on the Yakima, Wenatchee, Entiat, Methow, Klickitat, White Salmon, Wind, and Rock subbasins. Pacific Lamprey are of central cultural importance to the Yakama Nation and populations within the Columbia River Basin have recently plummeting to historic low numbers. In many watersheds where they were historically present, Pacific Lamprey have become extirpated (until translocation reintroduction efforts began in 2012).
Prior to the Accords, very little information was known about lamprey abundance and distribution throughout the Ceded lands and essentially no information has been collected concerning known or potential limiting factors. Baseline information related to lamprey distribution, abundance, and threats, as well as long-term restoration goals, plans and strategies were virtually absent. Regional coordination and programmatic support for the management and conservation of Pacific Lamprey were significantly lacking in the Mid and Upper Columbia as well as throughout the Columbia Basin. Pacific Lamprey (commonly called “eels” or “asum”) has been a valuable food, medicine, and cultural icon for the tribes and bands of the Yakama Nation. Local traditional harvest sites have disappeared (i.e. became ineffectual) as a result of the rapid decline in Pacific Lamprey numbers, and tribal members have been forced to travel long distances for lamprey harvest. The opportunity for tribal members to interact with lamprey have diminished significantly over the last few decades, and the “lamprey culture” is slowly but surely disappearing (especially for the younger generation).
As a result of the previous 10 years of research and restoration within the Ceded Lands, we now have reliable baseline information regarding their distribution and relative abundance (at least for the larval life stage through index site monitoring). In addition, key threats and recovery action plans have been identified for each of these subbasins as a result of coordinated planning efforts through the Pacific Lamprey Conservation Plan for the respective Regional Management Units.
The primary deliverables for this Project include the following: (1) provide regional leadership in the implementation and promotion of lamprey restoration, (2) implement and lead re-introduction and supplementation, (3) conduct research to support the development of management actions associated with adult and juvenile productivity, (4) rigorous exploration of solutions and resolution of critical uncertainties that are known or likely to limit productivity, and (5) actively pursue a strong outreach and education program.
Future Plans (10 Years) are described below:
-Implement adult translocation in the Yakima, Wenatchee, Methow and other subbasins of interest for reintroduction and supplementation of depressed subpopulations.
-Develop artificial propagation science and pursue and evaluate applications for restoration (such as reintroduction/supplementation and conservation hatchery) as well as research (such as juvenile survival studies and limiting factors analysis). Implement the Master Plan starting in 2018-2019.
-Document the status and trends of larvae using long-term index sites (electrofishing surveys) for baseline information within tributary streams. Document status and trends of juvenile using long-term index sites, screw traps, and other juvenile monitoring stations. Characterize habitat capacity (existing and potential) relative to larval/juvenile use and productivity.
-Assess limiting factors and refine solutions for existing threats to lamprey, such as adult passage, larval/juvenile entrainment in irrigation diversions, river management impacts on adult and larval migration and rearing, toxics in larval tissue and habitat, and predation by invasive species. Use all tools available to achieve these goals, including genetic analyses, eDNA, radio and acoustic telemetry, PIT and VIE tagging, artificially propagated larvae/juvenile, etc.
-Develop and implement solutions through matching funds and strong and creative partnership. Focus will be on adult passage (tributary dams, such as Horn Rapids, Prosser, Sunnyside, Wapato, Roza dams on Yakima River and Tumwater Dam in Wenatchee River as well as Lower and Upper Columbia River dams) and juvenile/larval passage and entrainment (Dryden Diversion in Wenatchee Subbasin and various diversions within the Yakima Subbasin).
-Document adult returns within tributary streams using adult lamprey passage structures and adult passage counts at dams. Monitor spawn timing and success and recruitment abundance primarily in translocation streams. Develop population models that guide our understanding and management for Pacific Lamprey species based on life stage specific survival rates and biology.
-Execute rigorous outreach and education for youth/students, teachers, general public, as well as agency biologists and managers. Also, incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge into our program through interviews with tribal elders and ensure that our management direction is in accordance with the historical perspectives stemming from YN tribal members in the Ceded Lands.
In addition to active restoration acitivies, RME (research, monitoring, and evaluation) is a key element of this Project to accurately identify the existing threats and limiting factors as well as solutions that will be most effective and low-cost. Some of the long-term monitoring objectives for this Project include:
1. Consolidate and summarize current and historical information related to Pacific Lamprey distribution and relative abundance within the Yakama Nation Ceded lands.
2. Identify lamprey adult and juvenile/larval migration characteristics.
3. Identify current habitat strongholds for larval rearing. Quantify and index relative densities of larvae.
4. Describe known and / or potential factors (including habitat characteristics) that contribute to larval growth and productivity in key (or index) watersheds.
5. Identify the key limiting factors that prevent lamprey from successfully hatching, staging and achieving high levels of productivity in preferred habitats in the early life stage.
6. Identify the key limiting factors that prevent larval and juvenile lamprey from successfully migrating downstream.
7. Identify key areas where adults hold and/or spawn. Identify environmental / physiological conditions and characteristics that are critical for holding or spawning to occur.
8. Identify the key limiting factors that prevent adults from successfully migrating and/or spawning. | Rasa Keanini (Inactive) | | $739,592 | 11/14/2018 | 05/30/2019 | Rasa Keanini (Inactive) | Yakama Confederated Tribes | Programmatic | None | 2019-2021 Mainstem/Program Support | 2019-2021 Mainstem/Program Support | |
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