BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1997 Proposal

Section 1. Administrative
Section 2. Narrative
Section 3. Budget

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Title of project
Yakima Fisheries Project Scientific and Management Services

BPA project number   9506400

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
WDFW

Sponsor type   WA-State/Local Agency

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   Kelly Kittel, EWN 503/230-5199

Biological opinion ID   None

NWPPC Program number   7.4K.1

Short description
This Intergovernmental Agreement is the master contract providing the administrative umbrella for participation by WDFW in the Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project (YKFP). The goal of this I.A. is to provide BPA with WDFW management and policy direction and scientific and technical services required to explicitly implement the adaptive management policy of the YKFP. Work associated with this agreement is assigned by Task Order. Task orders respond to critical uncertainties identified in the Project Status Report and to the Uncertainty Resolution Plan; planning documents that guide planning and uncertainty resolution activities. These documents are updated annually as the YKFP evolves and provide the adaptive management basis from which the project will be managed. These task orders collectively are a suite of integrated tasks necessary to implement and manage the YKFP. Each is either fundamental to project goals as defined by the NPPC or provides development of a necessary technical approach upon which successful evaluation of the project depends.

Project start year   1995    End year   2005

Start of operation and/or maintenance   

Project development phase   Implementation

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects
9506401 -"Refinement of Marking Methods for the Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project" is developing the marking technology necessary to identify project fish at the treatment replicate level and recover information about those fish by benign sampling. Evaluation of project success is dependent upon this assumption.

9506402 - "Upper Yakima Species Interactions Studies" established the biological baseline for spawning, rearing, and production of rainbow trout, steelhead, spring chinook salmon, and non-target species that may be important effectors or respond to supplementation. This task also develops monitoring techniques and specific monitoring plans that must be in place at the inception of YKFP supplementation and continue as the system responds. Evaluation of project objectives and success is dependent upon this assumption.

9506403 - "Development of the Genetic Management Framework for Upper Yakima Spring Chinook' provides the genetic management component, a complement to the ecological interactions component described above. Both are central to Project objectives as defined by the NPPC. Evaluation of project objectives and success is dependent upon this assumption.

950604 - "Policy/Technical Involvement and Planning in the Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project" provides for WDFW policy and technical planning and coordination for the Project.

9506405 - "Further Development of the "NIT" and "LNIT" Strategies for the Yakima Fisheries Project" provides field testing and final definition of the new innovative treatments to be used for fish rearing to produce individuals with traits similar to their wild counterparts. Evaluation of project objectives and success is dependent upon this assumption.

Project history
This contract combines two contracts (89-82 and 89-105) in force prior to the merger of Wa. Dept. of Fisheries and the Wa. Dept. of Wildlife into the Wa. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. WDF and WDW contract involvement began in 1989. Both agencies had been intimately involved in the project beginning in 1985. Project accomplishments have resulted in a Final EIS leading to construction of the Cle Elum Hatchery, related facilities, objectives, guidelines, monitoring, and other planning elements. Planning efforts have produced, among numerous other documents, the Project Status Report and the Uncertainty Resolution Plan which guide planning activities and task order development.

Biological results achieved
The Upper Yakima Species Interactions task of the YKFP has successfully characterized spawning, rearing, and production of target and non-target species in the basin. Genetic characterization of anadromous salmonids and resident rainbow trout throughout the basin has been accomplished through prior tasks. Electrophoresis and demographic analysis were applied to describe three discrete stocks of spring chinook, two stocks of fall chinook, and four stocks of steelhead. These data will influence the genetic and reproductive success components of the YKFP monitoring and evaluation plan.

Annual reports and technical papers
These reports are from task orders no longer in effect; other reports are presented with the specific task order form.

Busack, C., C. Knudsen, A. Marshall, S. Phelps, and D. Seiler. 1991. Yakima Hatchery Experimental Design, Annual Progress Report. Submitted to Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Oregon. DE-BI79-89BP00102

Washington Department of Fisheries. 1992. Yakima Hatchery Experimental Design, Annual Progress Report. Submitted to Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Oregon. DE-BI79-89BP00102

Hoffman, A., C. Busack, and C. Knudsen. 1995. Experimental Designs for Testing Differences in Survival Among Salmonid Populations. Final report to Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Or. IN PRESS

Kapuscinski, A. and L. Miller. 1993. Genetics hatchery guidelines for the Yakima/Klickitat Fisheries Project; Public review draft. Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Or.

Currens, K. and C. Busack. 1995. A Framework for Assessing Genetic Vulnerability. Fisheries 20(12): p. 24

Management implications
The suite of tasks conducted under this and previous project I.A.s have: produced a policy and technical management structure for implementation and use by project managers; provided the biological basis and monitoring capabilities to enable the cooperators to test the hypothesis that supplementation can be used to enhance fish runs while keeping genetic and ecological impacts within specified limits. The YKFP annual planning cycle is premised on an adaptive management approach that uses information produced through task work to resolve uncertainties.

Specific measureable objectives
Task-specific as directed by the Uncertainty Resolution Plan, the Project Status Report, and project managers.

Testable hypothesis
Task-specific as directed by the Uncertainty Resolution Plan, the Project Status Report, and project managers.

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints
Task-specific as directed by the Uncertainty Resolution Plan, the Project Status Report, and project managers.

Methods
Task-specific as directed by the Uncertainty Resolution Plan and project managers.

Brief schedule of activities
Task-specific as directed by the Uncertainty Resolution Plan and project managers.

Biological need
Task-specific as directed by the Uncertainty Resolution Plan, project managers, and the NPPC Fish and Wildlife Program.

Critical uncertainties
Task-specific as directed by the Uncertainty Resolution Plan and project managers.

Summary of expected outcome
Implementation of measure 7.4k.1 of the Fish and Wildlife Plan through development of production and evaluation facilities and application of the adaptive management process. Task-specific as directed by the Uncertainty Resolution Plan, the Project Status Report, and project managers.

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation
The cooperating fishery managers on the YKFP are the Yakama Indian Nation and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. A project management framework stipulates that project management is directed by a Policy Group consisting of representatives of the fishery managers. The USBOR is an interested party in the basin and several proposed monitoring facilities are operated by BOR. BPA is the funding entity and has the lead responsibility for NEPA document development and compliance. A Final EIS has been printed and announced in the Federal Register. A Record of Decision is scheduled for February 26, 1996. Biological Assessments are being processed by NMFS and USFWS. State of Washington SEPA requirements will be met by adoption of the NEPA EIS. Failure of one or more of these processes is unlikely but could delay construction of the Cle Elum Hatchery and delay implementation of the supplementation monitoring and evaluation plan.

Risks
Genetic and ecological risks are described in the Final EIS. The Project Monitoring Plan will proscribe monitoring protocols to assess and contain risk via the adaptive management structure of the YKFP.

Monitoring activity
An initial monitoring plan is included in the FEIS. A detailed monitoring plan is being developed to include the following biological variables; ecological interactions, reproductive success, long-term fitness, post-release survival.

Section 3. Budget

* For most projects, Authorized is the amount recommended by CBFWA and the Council. Planned is amount currently allocated. Contracted is the amount obligated to date of printout.

Funding recommendations

CBFWA funding review group   Bonneville Dam - Priest Rapids Dam

Recommendation    Tier 3 - do not fund