FY07-09 proposal 199703000

Jump to Reviews and Recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal titleChinook Salmon Adult Abundance Monitoring [Formerly - Listed Stock Adult Escapement]
Proposal ID199703000
OrganizationNez Perce Tribe
Short descriptionThis project collects data for long-term monitoring of trends in wild adult salmon stock abundance and productivity in a control or reference stream in the South Fork Salmon River for use in management and listed species recovery metrics monitoring
Information transferInformation transfer from this project occurs primarily through annual reports posted on the BPA web site and Tribal web site and through professional presentations at American Fisheries Society and other monitoring and evaluation technical meetings. Hard copies of annual reports are disseminated on an annual basis to a list of key recovery planning, researchers, and managers to make project information more readily available. The Department takes seriously the need to make primary data and meta data available within the region (ISRP 2005). We will utilize project specific and regional databases that have been developed to centralize data. The Nez Perce Tribe web site will house a standardized database for primary data, and description of metadata. Streamnet is a BPA funded project that may contain the resources to house regional information needs. One of the anticipated products of the Collaborative System-Wide Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (CSMEP) project is the potential development of a web site where project data can be stored for regional information sharing. Project information is available upon request from outside sources. Adult chinook abundance information is used by the Nez Perce Tribe for effective salmon resource management, and data is made available to NOAA Fisheries for listed species recovery metrics monitoring. Project information will provide a direct measure of the benefit of the NPPC Fish and Wildlife Program biological objectives and ESA recovery conservation actions. Biological performance is measured in terms of increased wild salmon population size and producivity in tributary streams. Project data will also be used to assess if wild salmon subpopulations have met recovery and delisting criteria identified by NOAA Fisheries, the Interior Columbia Basin Technical Recovery Team, and the salmon managers. The Secesh River is a reference stream used by several supplementation program monitoring and evaluation plans. Wild salmon stock adult abundance and productivity allows a comparison of population trends with supplementation treatment streams to rule out environmental effects from supplementation effects.
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
Contacts
ContactOrganizationEmail
Form submitter
Paul Kucera Nez Perce Tribe paulk@nezperce.org
All assigned contacts
Paul Kucera Nez Perce Tribe paulk@nezperce.org

Section 2. Locations

Province / subbasin: Mountain Snake / Salmon

LatitudeLongitudeWaterbodyDescription
45 12 40 115 48 40 Secesh River U.S. Forest Service Chinook Campground on the Secesh River, Loon Lake, R5E, T22N, Section 26

Section 3. Focal species

primary: Chinook Snake River Spring/Summer ESU

Section 4. Past accomplishments

YearAccomplishments
2005 1) Lake Creek adult salmon abundance preliminary est. = 137, 2) Secesh River DIDSON salmon est. in progress, 3) DIDSON validated with optical cameras day and night, 4) two DIDSON units used to estimate precision/bias of the technology to count salmon.
2004 1) Lake Creek salmon abundance = 394, 2) DIDSON technology est. Secesh River salmon abundance = 950 (+/- 52), 3) DIDSON salmon counts validated with optical camera validation zone counts and with count station, 4) Secesh River wild salmon abundance = 940.
2003 1) Lake Creek salmon abundance was 490 fish (+/- 0), 2) CSMEP uses Lake Creek data for regional RM&E plans, 3) Redd count expansion abundance est. were -6% lower to 59% higher than video determined abundance, 4) Secesh River wild salmon abundance = 1,180.
2002 1) Lake Creek adult salmon abundance was 410 fish (+/- 4), 2) Fish/redd = 2.06, 3) Redd count expansion abundance estimates were -1.4 lower to 55% higher than video determined abundance, 4) Secesh River wild salmon abundance = 992 fish.
2001 1) Lake Creek adult salmon abundance was 697 fish (+/- 5), 2) Fish/redd = 2.07, 3) Redd count expansion abundance estimates were -2% lower to 55% higher than video determined abundance, 4) Secesh River wild adult salmon abundance = 1,370 fish.
2000 1) Lake Creek adult salmon abundance was 325 fish (+/- 20), 2) Fish/redd = 1.82, 3) Redd count expansion abundance estimates were 11% to 76% higher than video determined abundance, 4) Secesh River wild adult salmom abundance = 594 fish.
1999 1) Lake Creek adult salmon abundance was 86 fish (+/- 11), 2) Fish/redd = 3.58, 3) At low population size redd count expansion abundance estimates were 10% to 65% lower than video determined abundance, 3) Secesh River wild adult salmon abundance = 231.
1998 1) Lake Creek adult salmon abundance was 52 fish (+/- 2), 2) Fish/redd number = 1.04, 3) At low population size redd count expansion abundance estimates were 100% to 208% higher than video determined abundance, 4) Secesh River wild salmon abundance = 115.
1997 Preliminary testing of underwater video cameras and implementation of Monitoring and Evaluation Plan for fish count station affect on adult salmon passage in Lake Creek. M&E plan put in place for first three years to assess impact to migrating salmon.

Section 5. Relationships to other projects

Funding sourceRelated IDRelated titleRelationship
BPA 198909802 Salmon Studies Id Rvrs NPT The Idaho Salmon Supplementation project identifies the Secesh River as a control, stream. The adult abundance monitoring project provides a measure of chinook salmon abundance for the ISS project. ISS uses the adult abundance measure for spatial and temporal comparison of population trends between supplementation treatment streams to rule out environmental effects from supplementation effects. The ISS project provides index and extensive area salmon redd counts, and age structure and H fraction data from carcass recoveries. ISS also provides estimates of juvenile emigrant abundance which is used to develop stock recruit relationships and to derive other performance measures (juvenile/female and female/redd). Project staff assist with daily operations on an as needed basis because they work in close proximity with one another.
BPA 198909800 Salmon Studies Id Rvrs IDFC The adult abundance monitoring project provides a measure of chinook salmon abundance for the ISS project. ISS uses the adult abundance measure for spatial and temporal comparison of population trends between supplementation treatment streams to rule out environmental effects from supplementation effects.
BPA 199800702 Gd Ronde Supp Lostine O&M/M&E The monitoring and evaluation plan for the northeast Oregon hatchery Imnaha and Grande Ronde subbasin spring chinook salmon recognizes the Secesh River as a reference stream. The monitoring and evaluation plan will employ reference streams in a pair-wise fashion to provide inference on the gross level of impact/effectiveness absent supplementation (p. 26). Longer term productivity data sets (P:P ratios) in the Secesh River are identified to compare reference streams to treatment streams. A direct measurement of adult abundance in the Secesh River will also be used to test accuracy and precision of redd count expansion adult abundance estimates in Oregon streams.
BPA 200301700 Integrated Status/Effect Progr The Salmon River Pilot Studies project primary purpose is to determine whether innovative methods can be employed to increase the accuracy and precision of adult abundance estimates for summer chinook salmon at the subpopulation, population, and major population group scale. Comparison of this effort will be made to adult salmon abundance information collected by this project on the Secesh River. Pilot studies will also investigate the feasbility of adult salmon and steelhead abundance monitoring in the lower Secesh River which this project will coordinate with.
BPA 199604300 Johnson Creek Artificial Propa The Johnson Creek summer chinook salmon monitoring and evaluation plan recognizes the Secesh River as a reference stream. This project provides adult salmon abundance information from an unsupplemented for comparison of adult abundance trend over time betwenn reference and treatment streams.
BPA 200303600 CBFWA Monitor/Eval Program CSMEP is a collaborative regional research, monitoring and evaluation planning effort between the fisheries managers. Summaries of existing project objectives, methods, and data will continue to be incorporated into CSMEP products (data inventories/catalogs, data strengths and weakness assessments, study design templates). We will continue to implement CSMEP recommended sampling designs and protocols as appropriate. This project collects accurate and precise tributary specific adult salmon abundance information which is a key performance measure that the CSMEP planning effort has identified as being essential to address Tier 2 and 3 questions. Adult abundance data from this project has been instrumental in CSMEP data strengths and weakness analysis and in their modeling efforts.
BPA 200206000 Nez Perce Harvest Monitoring The Nez Perce Harvest Monitoring Project monitors anadromous fisheries conducted by the Nez Perce Tribe. Primary focal species are Snake River spring, summer, and fall chinook salmon, and steelhead to implement on the ground harvest monitoring in the Salmon River subbasin and in the Columbia River in Zone 6. Quantification of harvest is essential for tributary run reconstruction and evaluation of the effectiveness of supplementation.
[Funding Source left blank] [no entry] Interior Columbia Basin TRT The ICTRT (2005) recognizes the Secesh River chinook population for recovery planning purposes. The ICTRT recommended MPG viability guidelines require that two of the populations in the South Fork Salmon River should exceed VSP guidelines. The Secesh River is the only remaining wild salmon stock in the South Fork Salmon River, and as such may be a candidate for measurement of delisting criteria under the ESA to roll up to the larger ESU level. This project provides wild stock adult salmon abundance data at the population level to measure viability (delisting thresholds, and quasi-extinction threholds.

Section 6. Biological objectives

Biological objectivesFull descriptionAssociated subbasin planStrategy
Communicate project results and information Project results are reported through the annual reporting mechansim to the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). BPA posts annual reports on their web site which allows full access to the results. Information is also shared through presentations at professional fisheries conferences, symposiums, and other technical groups. Salmon No specific ones. However, this is the vehicle which reports results which include all of the strategies listed in this section.
Coordinate project with federal, state, and Tribal This project is coordinated with other federal, Tribal, and state agencies and with independent scientists in the region. The project coordinates technically with other escapement monitoring research projects and supplementation projects for interchange of information and new adult monitoring applications. We share updated data with NOAA Fisheries for ESA related reports and Section 10 permits. Salmon No specific ones.
Measure viability (delisting) and quasi-extinction One of the major reasons this project collects tributary specifc adult salmon abundance data is for effective resource management and conservation of threatened spring and summer chinook salmon in the Snake River basin. Information from this project, and others that collect actual escapement data, may allow movement toward developing the data sets necessary to provide a scientifically sound basis for salmon conservation and allow evaluation of recovery thresholds. NMFS (2002) has developed interim abundance and productivity targets for delisting of chinook salmon. The ICTRT (2005) has reviewed these interim targets and recommended minimum abundance thresholds as part of a set of criteria to assess viability at the population level. The ICTRT established population size categories for basic, intermediate, large, and very large size salmon spawning aggregates. The Secesh River is rated as an intermediate size category which has a minimum abundance threshold of 750 fish (ICTRT 2005). The ICTRT identified this as a viability (delisting) threshold to assess using a geometric mean approach. A quasi-extinction threshold of 50 adults was also suggested by the ICTRT. This threshold was to be evaluated by examining if the average five year population abundance was 50 fish or less. Estimation of wild adult salmon abundance in the Secesh River from 1998 to 2005 allows assessment of one ICTRT recognized salmon population for use in listed species recovery metrics monitoring. When rolled up to the ESU level it allows an analysis on a regional level. It is acknowledged that the list of index streams called for in the Salmon Subbasin Plan (2004) and other regional research, monitoring and evaluation processes have yet to be identified for any focal species. The Salmon Subbasin Plan (2004, Strategy 3C5) identified the need to use information obtained from strategies 3C1 through 3C4 to assess delisting criteria when it becomes available. That information exists at the population level for Secesh River spring and summer chinook salmon from 1998 to 2005. Salmon 3C5. Use information obtained from strategies 3C1 through 3C4 to assess delisting criteria when it becomes available.
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and Collection of adult salmon abundance information in the Secesh River from 1998 to 2005 has identified the lack of a time series of data on chinook salmon population size in this stream system. Lack of this time series has limited effective resource management, recovery planning efforts, extinction risk analysis, and assessment of listed species recovery metrics monitoring. Salmon 2A4. Identify where there is a lack of knowledge pertaining to the population size of anadromous and resident focal species.
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and An objective of this study is to calculate adult-to-adult (spawner to spawner) ratios for wild/natural chinook salmon in the Secesh River. Spawner to spawner ratios will be calculated by brood year and used for comparison to hatchery supplementation treatment streams and for recovery metrics monitoring. Determination of chinook spawner to spawner ratios will be a coordinated activity between this project and the Tribal ISS project. Each project contributes key performance measure data that is required for calculation of spawner to spawner ratios. The need for productivity measures is identified in the Salmon Subbasin Plan (2004) under strategies 2A1 and 3C3, respectively. These strategies call for collecting information on wild stock productivity and productivity on a representative set of index streams. Salmon 2A1 - Protect and monitor abundance and productivity of wild stocks in the subbasin that have not been influenced by hatchery intervention. 3C3 - Determine population productivity (spawner to spawner ratios and/or lambda) on a repres. set of index stream
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and One of the primary objectives of this project is to quantify adult spring and summer chinook salmon abundance and migration timing in the Secesh River on an annual basis. Secesh River chinook salmon are recognized by the ICTRT (2003) as a subpopulation for recovery planning in Idaho. The Idaho Salmon Supplementation study (ISS) uses the Secesh River as a control or reference stream in their study, since it represents the only unsupplemented chinook salmon producing stream in the South Fork Salmon River. ISS operates a rotary screw trap in the Secesh River and estimates juvenile chinook salmon emigrant abundance annually. The ISS study does not PIT tag sufficient numbers of juvenile chinook to estimate smolt-to-adult return rates (SARs) in the Secesh River. With the measurement of these two key performance measures, adult abundance and juvenile emigrant abundance, calculation of juvenile to adult or SAR's is possible in the Secesh River. Neither project alone, this one or ISS, can estimate chinook salmon SAR's in the Secesh River at the population level. Together, these two projects complement each other. Using carcass information that the ISS also collects, age at return for the various brood year adults can be determined for calculation of the SAR for a particular brood year of fish. Calculation of a SAR is directly related to aquatic strategies listed in the Salmon Subbasin Management Plan (2004). Strategy 1A2 and 3C2 both identify the need for population specific smolt-to-adult return rates (SARs) for chinook salmon on a representative set of index streams. We acknowledge that the specific set of index streams have not, as yet, been identified in the Salmon River subbasin. However, the Secesh River has both adult salmon abundance and juvenile emigrant abudance information since 1998 and is an obvious candidate as a potential index stream for calculation of chinook salmon SAR rates. Salmon 1A2. Determine population specific smolt-to-adult return rates (SARs) for anadromous salmonids on a representative set on index streams. 3C2. Determine population specific smolt-to-adult return rates (SARs) for chinook salmon on a representative.....
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and One of the primary objectives of this project is to quantify adult spring and summer chinook salmon abundance and migration timing in the Secesh River on an annual basis. The Secesh River represents the only remaining unsupplemented chinook salmon producing stream in the South Fork Salmon River. The Secesh River does receive a small percentage of adult hatchery chinook strays presumably from the McCall Hatchery program in the upper mainstem South Fork Salmon River. The composition of hatchery adults is relatively small and is determined on an annual basis from carcass collections conducted by the Tribal ISS project. The proportion of hatchery adults on the spawning grounds in the Secesh River, identified through carcass collections, can be applied to the total Secesh River adult salmon abundance estimate to get a wild/natural salmon estimate for the stream. Adult salmon abundance is identified in several strategies in the Salmon Subbasin Plan (2004). Aquatic strategy 1B4. identifies the need to monitor and evaluate program effectiveness in meeting adult return goals identified in Table 6 of the plan. Information on adult salmon abundance in the Secesh River can be aggregated with other salmon subpopulations to ascertain if the identified goals are being realized. The biological objective of this study is also directly related to strategy 2A1. Strategy 2A1. Identifies the need to protect and monitor abundance and productivity of wild stocks in the subbasin that have not been influenced by hatchery intervention. The objective of this project also relates to strategy 3C1 . This strategy identifies the need to quantify population specific adult and juvenile abundance information for focal species on a representative set of index streams. Salmon 1B4; 2A1; and 3C1.
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and As mentioned previously, one of the primary objectives of this project is to quantify adult spring and summer chinook salmon abundance and migration timing in the Secesh River on an annual basis. Adult abundance is a key performance measure that is used to derive other primary performance measures such as juvenile or smolt per female data, and spawner to spawner ratios. The Salmon Subbasin Plan (2004) identified the need for abundance information which this project collects. It does not call for indices of relative abundance (redd counts). The adult abundance estimate is used together with the estimated female composition from carcass recoveries to reconstruct the number of females in any individual years spawning population. This would in turn be used with the juvenile emigrant abundance data from the Tribal ISS project to estimate this performance measure. Strategy 3A2 from the Salmon Subbasin Plan identified the need to determine juvenile or smolt per female measurement to further knowledge of freshwater productivity. Use of adult salmon abundance data from this project would be useful to calculate an accurate number of females in the spawning population to then estimate this performance measure. Strategy 3C3 identifies the need to determine population productivity (e.g., spawner to spawner ratios and/or lambda) on a representative set of index streams. Adult abundance data would be used in concert with redd count information and fin ray ageing of adults on the spawning grounds, collected by the Tribal ISS project, to estimate a more accurate brood year spawner to spawner ratio. Salmon 3A2, and 3C3

Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)

Work element nameWork element titleDescriptionStart dateEnd dateEst budget
Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation Ensure environmental compliance requirements have been met Submit FY 2007 Statement of Work and supporting documents for BPA's environmental compliance group to determine environmental compliance status, and maintain current NOAA Fisheries Section 10 permits. The Nez Perce Tribe does not regognize that the Endangered Species Act takes precedence over or precludes tribal sovereignty or rights in any manner. However, the Tribe does recognize that salmon are listed as a threatened species, and strongly believes in coordination efforts to monitor, conserve, protect and recover populations at low levels of abundance and high risk of extirpation. In that regard, the Columbia River InterTribal Fish Commission maintains a Section 10 permit, by and through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, coordinating Tribal activities relative to listed salmon and steelhead populations. Activities are thus undertaken to coordinate with the NOAA Fisheries under the Endangered Species Act. 1/1/2007 12/31/2009 $1,131
Biological objectives
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and
Metrics
Coordination Escapement Monitoring Coordination The DIDSON acoustic imaging camera is the newest application of hydroacoustics to be used for adult salmon abundance monitoring in fisheries science. This project is the only one in the Snake River basin which is evaluating the use of DIDSON technology to determine wild salmon stock abundance. Reports from users, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and the current project have been very positive. It is important that the results from this project be coordinated with other agencies as it occurs. NOAA Fisheries and other salmon managers are interested in the accuracy and precision of this technology and its application to abundance and productivity determination, and Biological Opinion recovery metrics monitoring. Meetings, conferences, and workshops will be attended to learn and present the latest developments in the use of DIDSON technology for abundance determination. Networking with other researchers will occur to exchange information. Annual meetings with the Payette National Forest will occur to update them on current project operations and future plans. 1/1/2007 12/31/2009 $92,598
Biological objectives
Coordinate project with federal, state, and Tribal
Metrics
Manage and Administer Projects Manage and Administer the Chinook Salmon Adult Abundance Monitoring Project Management and administration of the project entails a number of contractual and other tasks. The contractual aspects of project management include: attending pisces training and/or having current knowledge of BPA contract requirements; preparing and submiting BPA mandated accrual reports to BPA; and submiting the pisces FY 2007 Statement of Work, budgets, propery inventory, and spending plans to BPA. Research, management, and policy level project coordination meetings are attended with multiple state and regional agencies as required for successful operation of the project. Department research and management staff also meet with the BPA and NPPC as needed to coordinate BPA funded projects in the region. Emergency DIDSON sonar repair needs are planned as a contingency to prevent unacceptable periods of downtime in adult salmon abundance monitoring. Commercial flights to Seattle with equipment is less expensive than shipping the equipment there. Nez Perce Tribe policies and procedures (Human Resources, Finance, Resolutions, Administrative Actions, etc.) and all policy and personnel directions are abided by in the day to day operation of the project. Meetings and training are attended as necessary to ensure policy and management consistency. 1/1/2007 12/31/2009 $73,359
Biological objectives
Coordinate project with federal, state, and Tribal
Metrics
Produce Annual Report Annual Report - Reporting Work Elements The draft final annual report for 2006 summarizing major project findings will be completed and submitted for internal Department review and for BPA COTR review. The final report will be completed submitted electronically as a pdf file to the BPA web site. This will communicate the wild stock adult salmon abundance and productivity project information necessary to meet NPPC biological performance measures, Salmon Subbasin Plan strategies, and recovery metrics monitoring data. 1/1/2007 5/1/2010 $159,641
Biological objectives
Communicate project results and information
Metrics
Analyze/Interpret Data Summarize and Analyze project data The ICTRT (2005) recognizes the Secesh River chinook population for recovery planning purposes. The Secesh River is the only remaining wild salmon stock in the South Fork Salmon River. The ICTRT recommended MPG viability guidelines that require two of the populations in the South Fork Salmon River exceed VSP guidelines. The Secesh River chinook salmon population has been deemed an intermediate population size category by the ICTRT with a 750 wild fish viability threshold. Viability threshold would be measured on an annual and 5 or 10 year geometric mean basis for comparison to the ICTRT recommendations. The quasi-extinction threshold was identified as 50 fish per year averaged over a five year period. This project would utilize annual wild salmon adult abundance data from the Secesh River to compare with these thresholds. Specific application to ICTRT proposed criteria also involves productivity and spatial distribution considerations which is not planned to be conducted as part of this project. Productivity data collected from this project would be provided to NOAA Fisheries for that analysis. Management goals (recovery) would also be directly measured with project information. Accurate information on wild stock abundance at the population level would allow for better determination of population trends, threatened species risk assessment, and direct measurement of delisting criteria once the time series of data was accumulated. It allows an assessment of the effectiveness of conservation actions and whether additional actions are necessary. Adult abundance information from this project can also be aggregated to the larger ESU level for delisting decisions in the Snake River basin. 10/1/2007 12/31/2009 $16,030
Biological objectives
Measure viability (delisting) and quasi-extinction
Metrics
Primary R, M, and E Type: Status and trend monitoring in a tributary stream
Analyze/Interpret Data Summarize and analyze project data This data analysis phase allows for final determination of key performance measures such as adult salmon abundance, productivity (adult-to-adult ratios), migration timing, fish per redd values, validation of DIDSON abundance data with optical camera data, comparison od DIDSON abundance data with redd count expansion abundance estimates, and estrimated of wild salmon abundance in the Secesh River for recovery metrics monitoring. 10/1/2007 12/31/2009 $141,440
Biological objectives
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and
Metrics
Primary R, M, and E Type: Status and trend monitoring in a tributray stream.
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data Collect chinook salmon adult return data Wild stock adult salmon abundance, productivity, migration timing, fish per redd values, and comparison of variation between DIDSON abundance data and redd count expansion abundance estimates will be collected in the Secesh River. Season-wide adult salmon escapement monitoring with DIDSON will be conducted for the fourth consecutive year. DIDSON generated salmon counts will be validated by an independent method, namely underwater video optical cameras. Data will be recorded in quality checked computer files. Eight years of wild salmon abundance information for the Secesh River system are now available from this project (through 2005). 1/1/2007 12/31/2009 $392,294
Biological objectives
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and
Metrics
Primary R, M, and E Type: Status and Trend Monitoring in a tributary stream.
Create/Manage/Maintain Database Maintain and protect project data Information collected by this project will be maintained in a quality checked spreadsheet format for all years of study. Database information includes chinook salmon date of movement, time, direction of movement, between observer file reader error, validation data, validation comparison, stream temperature, staff gauge, and derived information. All database information is backed up and maintained in separate locations. Original DIDSON file data is also maintained. 1/1/2007 12/31/2009 $18,200
Biological objectives
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and
Metrics
Disseminate Raw/Summary Data and Results Share results/findings and fulfill data requests The DIDSON acoustic imaging camera is a new class of identification sonar that is being used in fisheries science to determine tributary specific adult salmon abundance information. This is the first project in the Snake River basin that has used DIDSON technology to collect spring and summer chinook salmon abundance. It is important that the results of this research be coordinated with other agencies as it occurs. The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resources Management (Department) is looking for the appropriate mechanism to share meta data from research projects to make it available on a regional basis. The CSMEP project is one such project that may provide the salmon managers with such an approach. 1/1/2007 12/31/2009 $7,730
Biological objectives
Communicate project results and information
Metrics
Install Fish Monitoring Equipment Install the Secesh River Adult Salmon Abundance Monitoring DIDSON System This project deals with wild stock adult salmon abundance and productivity monitoring of ESA listed spring and summer chinook salmon. This wild salmon subpopulation is attempting to recover from a long-term decline. The DIDSON acoustic imaging technology is a non-invasive system that allows unimpeded upstream and downstream movement of salmon. There is no trapping or handling of adults associated with this project. Before any structures are placed for instream monitoring we ensure that all environmental compliance documents are in place with the BPA. In 2007 the DIDSON acoustic imaging camera will be installed to enumerate migrating adult salmon between May 15 and June 15 dependent on stream conditions. Temporary tripod supported structures, with stringers, pickets, and gravel bags will be installed in the spring and removed at the end of the salmon migration period; usually September 15. A wall tent will be set up which houses an integrated topside box with laptop computer to operate and store DIDSON data, multiplexed DIDSON and optical camera validation recordings, DC power supply system, and project equipment. Up to six underwater optical cameras will be installed along with high intensity red LED arrays for night time optical camera salmon passage recording. These will be used for comparison with the DIDSON salmon count information for validation purposes. 5/15/2007 6/15/2010 $40,074
Biological objectives
Quantify adult salmon abundance, productivity, and
Metrics

Section 8. Budgets

Itemized estimated budget
ItemNoteFY07FY08FY09
Personnel Project personnel include a full time project leader and fisheries technician for project operations. Full time trained staff are necessary for DIDSON operations which collect information seven days per week, 24 hours a day on a rotating shift schedule. One fisheries technician is employed for 3.5 months for assistance in reading DIDSON files and multiplexed validation videotapes in the laboratory. Staff costs include two months office manager time which is cost shared by all projects in the McCall Field Office. The Fisheries Research Director and Deputy Research Director are both budgeted for two weeks for research sufficiency, research coordination, management coordination, annual report review, and state and regional meetings. Approximately one week is budgeted for the program manager for management coodination. Total project personnel equals 2.5 FTE's. $136,912 $141,020 $145,250
Fringe Benefits Fringe benefit costs are associated with employee health insurance, life insurance, SUTA, FICA, FICA-Medi, workman's compensation, and retirement benefits. $58,537 $60,293 $62,100
Supplies This includes office and field supplies, communications, repair and maintenance, computer services, and equipment lease for the project. $17,146 $17,660 $18,190
Travel The travel line item includes GSA vehicle lease and lileage costs, travel and perdiem, and training which includes professional meeting presentations. $10,224 $10,530 $10,850
Capital Equipment This is for equipment replacement and upgrades for sonar, underwater video, integrated system components, underwater LED arrays, solar panels, and/or field laptop computers. $5,000 $5,000 $5,000
Overhead This reflects the current indirect rate of 29.65%. $68,624 $70,683 $72,800
Other This category is rent. It reflects a cost shared office rent for the Department's McCall Field Office. It also reflects rent for equipment storage, and copier costs. $8,628 $8,890 $9,160
Other This category is consultant contracts. It reflects the costs for statistical analysis conducted for project results. $0 $0 $0
Totals $305,071 $314,076 $323,350
Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets
Total itemized budget: $942,497
Total work element budget: $942,497
Cost sharing
Funding source/orgItem or service providedFY 07 est value ($)FY 08 est value ($)FY 09 est value ($)Cash or in-kind?Status
[organization left blank] [provision left blank] $0 $0 $0 Cash Confirmed
Totals $0 $0 $0

Section 9. Project future

FY 2010 estimated budget: $333,050
FY 2011 estimated budget: $333,050
Comments: These are estimated costs and reflect a 3% per year inflationary rate, and necessary personnel cost of living adjustments.

Future O&M costs: It is unknown what affect (if any) that the coordinated Pilot Studies in the South Fork Salmon River may have on the approach that this project takes in the future. Similarly, regional monitoring and evaluation plans may provide clarity in terms of scale, approach, and location for population status monitoring of adult salmon abundance and productivity for assessment of recovery metrics. Every effort will be made to keep project costs as low as possible. If future improvements in automated counting of DIDSON sonar files are made it may reduce personnel and project equipment costs.

Termination date: None.
Comments: This project is being conducted to monitor long-term trends in wild adult salmon stock abundance and productivity in an ICTRT (2005) recognized population. Managers and policy makers in the region need this information to assess investments of the NPPC and BPA Fish and Wildlife Program, and to assess delisting and recovery of threatened spring and summer chinook salmon.

Final deliverables: This project maintains the infrastructure for long-term monitoring of trends in wild adult salmon stock abundance and productivity in a control or reference stream in the South Fork Salmon River, Idaho. Information from this project will provide a direct measure of whether the investments of the NPPC Fish and Wildlife Program and Endangered Species Act conservation planning and actions have benefitted wild salmon through increases in abundance in tributary streams. It will also assess if wild salmon subpopulations have met recovery and delisting criteria identified by NOAA Fisheries and the salmon managers.

Section 10. Narrative and other documents

[Attached Document] Jul 2006
[Attached Document] Jul 2006

Reviews and recommendations

FY07 budget FY08 budget FY09 budget Total budget Type Category Recommendation
NPCC FINAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Oct 23, 2006) [full Council recs]
$305,071 $305,071 $305,071 $915,213 Expense ProvinceExpense Fund
NPCC DRAFT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Sep 15, 2006) [full Council recs]
$305,071 $305,071 $305,071 $0 ProvinceExpense

ISRP PRELIMINARY REVIEW (Jun 2, 2006)

Recommendation: Response requested

NPCC comments: The project proponents provide data and evidence of their past work. It is not always clear, however, how and why they have chosen to modify their project in the ways they have. Is this project reaching completion (termination time)? The ISRP does not see funding the project for another cycle as high priority. How many years are required here to evaluate the monitoring technology being tested? What precision is required/desired, and based on results to date what is the projected potential for gaining that precision and at what cost? Please provide responses to clarify the following questions and statements: 1. How will you partition wild from hatchery fish, and how will you determine age classes? It is not clear how any hatchery strays can be identified by the DIDSON technology. Determining adult-to-adult replacement (lambda etc) requires determining the year class that each returning spawner originated from. How is this accomplished in this project? Proponents indicate that this replacement rate data is one of the needed outcomes from the project. 2. Why are they discontinuing Lake Creek video monitoring that is important to other studies? If it is sediment problems, will they have similar problems with DIDSON? What are the consequences for other projects and evaluating the status of summer Chinook in general? 3. What is the second validation method for DIDSON? According to the proposal the DIDSON sonar is being validated by two methods - but only one is in their text - video cameras. Is DIDSON the best approach for systems like the Secesh? 4. They plan on using DIDSON - 250K to install to monitor 100 fish - is this cost effective? 5. The Secesh River serves as a reference for Johnson Creek, Imnaha, and Action Effectiveness RME projects. This is critical monitoring, but the case wasn't strongly made in the proposal. Discussion of how South Fork Salmon River results fit with other NPT monitoring was not evident. Is there to be a pilot project as recommended by ISRP? The proposal said it would work with a "PILOT" project, but no details were evident. The authors mention that work to monitor the ISS reference site will not be continued unless ISS funding is made available. Since the Secesh is to provide reference for both the ISS and the Johnson Creek project, what assurance is there that required monitoring will continue? 6. The results, obtained to date for steelhead, are difficult to find. Finally, the ISRP would hope that publication in peer-reviewed literature is forthcoming -- nothing to date.


ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)

Recommendation: Fundable

NPCC comments: The response was excellent in resolving both some rough spots in the original proposal and clarifying for the ISRP our misconceptions. They clarify that the project is not nearing termination, but intend for it to provide enumeration of adult summer Chinook in the Secesh River over the long-term. They explained the pilot project the ISRP referred to, and noted it was being completed with collections in 2006. They provided a succinct summary of the challenges of enumerating adult salmon using redd counts and discussed a timeframe to establish the precision and accuracy of estimates using DIDSON technology. The sponsors also clarified the methods they use to validate estimates using DIDSON, that hatchery and natural spawners and spawner ages are determined from carcass surveys, not from the DIDSON technology. Finally they clarified the status of video counts at Lake Creek, and the relationship between monitoring Lake Creek, Secesh River, and their roles as reference streams for Snake River spring and summer Chinook abundance and productivity. The roles of Lake Creek and Secesh monitoring provide good justification for continuation of the project.