FY 2003 Columbia Estuary proposal 30003

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal titleEvaluation of Two Captive Rearing Methods for Assisting with Recovery of Naturally Spawning Populations of Steelhead and Coho Salmon
Proposal ID30003
OrganizationU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
NameDonald E. Campton
Mailing addressAbernathy Fish Technology Center (AFTC), 1440 Abernathy Creek Road Longview, WA 98632
Phone / email3604256072 / Don_Campton@fws.gov
Manager authorizing this projectCarl V. Burger, Director, AFTC
Review cycleColumbia Estuary
Province / SubbasinColumbia Estuary / Elochoman
Short descriptionTest and evaluate two hatchery reform methodologies; Assess natural reproductive success of returning hatchery-origin adults; Establish Abernathy, Germany, and Mill creeks as a Tier 3 "monitoring and evaluation" site for anadromous salmonids.
Target speciesSteelhead: Southwest Washington ESU Coho salmon: Lower Columbia River, Southwest Washington coast ESU Chinook salmon: Lower Columbia River ESU (naturalized population in Abernathy Creek)
Project location
LatitudeLongitudeDescription
46.205 -123.3375 Abernathy, Germany, Mill Creeks, WA; 9 miles W. of Longview, 11 miles E. of Cathlamet
Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Sponsor-reported:

RPA
182: Nat. Reprod. Success
183: Tier 3 M&E site
184: Hatchery Reform Res.

Relevant RPAs based on NMFS/BPA review:

Reviewing agencyAction #BiOp AgencyDescription
NMFS Action 182 NMFS The Action Agencies and NMFS shall work within regional priorities and congressional appropriations processes to establish and provide the appropriate level of FCRPS funding for studies to determine the reproductive success of hatchery fish relative to wild fish. At a minimum, two to four studies shall be conducted in each ESU. The Action Agencies shall work with the Technical Recovery Teams to identify the most appropriate populations or stocks for these studies no later than 2002. Studies will begin no later than 2003.
NMFS Action 184 NMFS The Action Agencies and NMFS shall work within regional prioritization and congressional appropriation processes to establish and provide the appropriate level of FCRPS funding for a hatchery research, monitoring, and evaluation program consisting of studies to determine whether hatchery reforms reduce the risk of extinction for Columbia River basin salmonids and whether conservation hatcheries contribute to recovery.
BPA Action 182 NMFS The Action Agencies and NMFS shall work within regional priorities and congressional appropriations processes to establish and provide the appropriate level of FCRPS funding for studies to determine the reproductive success of hatchery fish relative to wild fish. At a minimum, two to four studies shall be conducted in each ESU. The Action Agencies shall work with the Technical Recovery Teams to identify the most appropriate populations or stocks for these studies no later than 2002. Studies will begin no later than 2003.
BPA Action 184 NMFS The Action Agencies and NMFS shall work within regional prioritization and congressional appropriation processes to establish and provide the appropriate level of FCRPS funding for a hatchery research, monitoring, and evaluation program consisting of studies to determine whether hatchery reforms reduce the risk of extinction for Columbia River basin salmonids and whether conservation hatcheries contribute to recovery.

Section 2. Past accomplishments

YearAccomplishment
2001 Initiated BPA Project No. 2000-072-00 (Unrelated to project proposed here).

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Project IDTitleDescription
200101200 Evaluate new methodologies for monitoring Pacific salmon and steelhead / Evaluation of long-range PIT tags in Abernathy Creek Companion project

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2003 costSubcontractor
5. Replace existing adult weir at the Abernathy Fish Technology Center a. Survey field site, hydrology study 1 $10,000 Yes
5. b. Engineering design and construction planning to replace weir. 1 $35,000 Yes
5. USFWS engineering (17% of subcontract) 1 $7,650
USFWS Indirect costs (34.2%) 1 $18,006
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase

Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2003 costSubcontractor
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
5. Replace existing adult weir at the AFTC with a Smith-Root patented electric fish barrier 2004 2004 $375,000
5. USFWS Engineering Dept. (17% of construction subcontract) 2004 2004 $0
Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase
FY 2004
$438,750

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2003 costSubcontractor
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2003 costSubcontractor
4. Monitor smolt outmigration in Abernathy, Germany, and Mill Creeks a.b. Set up one rotary screw trap in each stream and estimate total number of smolts for each species (WDFW) 5 $68,464 Yes
1. Develop a native hatchery broodstock of steelhead by rearing, to sexual maturity, natural origin juveniles collected from Abernathy Creek. a.-e. Collect and rear age 0+ steelhead to one year of age; maintain previous brood years 3 $67,655
1. f. Estimate allele frequencies at 10-20 nuclear DNA microsatellite loci for NOR steelhead from Abernathy Creek 5 $18,000
2. Release progeny of captively-reared steelhead adults into Abernathy Creek. a.-d. Spawn adults, rear progey to smolt stage, tag/mark progeny, and release. 5 $67,655
3. Evaluate the overwinter survival of natural-origin, subyearling coho salmon in hatchery raceways as a potential conservation/restoration strategy. a.-d., f. Collect juveniles, overwinter for 6-7 months in a raceway, mark/tag, release, and perform physiological analyses of smolt quality. 3 $57,991
USFWS Indirect costs (34.2%) 5 $95,680
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
4. Monitor smolt outmigration in Abernathy, Germany, and Mill Creeks 2004 2007 $288,600
1. Develop a native hatchery broodstock of steelhead; DNA analyses 2004 2007 $180,000
2. Release progeny of captively-reared steelhead 2004 2007 $284,000
3. Evaluate overwinter survival of NOR coho salmon in hatchery raceways 2004 2005 $121,800
6. Monitor adult returns to Abernathy, Germany, and Mill Creeks 2005 2007 $180,000
Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase
FY 2004FY 2005FY 2006FY 2007
$249,050$309,050$248,150$248,150

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget
ItemNoteFY 2003 cost
Personnel FTE: 3.3 $119,760
Fringe 35% $41,916
Supplies Backpack electroshocker ($5,000) Physiology lab, DNA analyses, hatchery costs $38,000
Indirect USFWS (34.5%) $113,686
NEPA Included in quote from Smith-Root $0
PIT tags # of tags: 3,500 $7,875
Subcontractor Smith-Root: Engineering for weir replacement $52,650
Subcontractor WDFW: Smolt monitoring $68,464
Subcontractor Vancouver USFWS: PIT tagging labor $3,750
$446,101
Total estimated budget
Total FY 2003 cost$446,101
Amount anticipated from previously committed BPA funds$0
Total FY 2003 budget request$446,101
FY 2003 forecast from 2002$0
% change from forecast0.0%
Cost sharing
OrganizationItem or service providedAmountCash or in-kind
Washington Dept. Fish & Wildlife Three rotary screw smolt traps $75,000 in-kind
Other budget explanation

See last page of Part 2 for a detailed itemization of salaries, supplies, and equipment.


Reviews and recommendations

This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.

Recommendation:
Fundable - no response required
Date:
Mar 1, 2002

Comment:

Fundable. Proponents propose to rigorously examine the effects of hatchery rearing on fitness - a continuing, plaguing uncertainty in the basin's artificial production programs. The proposed research would directly estimate fitness of supplemented fish and would test efficacy of two supplementation strategies.
Recommendation:
High Priority
Date:
May 17, 2002

Comment:

This project also has applications upstream of Bonneville and could be considered in the Mainstem and Systemwide Province if not funded here. NMFS has identified this project as a BiOp project.
Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
Jun 7, 2002

Comment:

Fundable; a response was not needed. Proponents propose to rigorously examine the effects of hatchery rearing on fitness - a continuing, plaguing uncertainty in the basin's artificial production programs. The proposed research would directly estimate fitness of supplemented fish and would test efficacy of two supplementation strategies.
Recommendation:
Date:
Jul 19, 2002

Comment:

Statement of Potential Biological Benefit to ESU
Benefits are indirect. Hatchery/research project proposes a rigorous examination of two novel hatchery intervention strategies (1) to determine effectiveness at providing demographic boost to depressed populations and (2) to evaluate spawning effectiveness of resulting adults.

Comments
Relevance to the RPA actions presumes the information will be transferable to FCRPS Biop ESUs. This is a well-organized and designed project. However, it is unclear exactly how the reproductive success of NOR and HOR spawners will be evaluated (we assume a comparison with control streams is intended). Complete DNA sampling would enhance this effort. In addition, NMFS would like to see greater evaluation of the effect of the strategies on wild stocks (e.g., is there likely competition between captively-reared and released fish and wild fish?).

Already ESA Req? No

Biop? Yes


Recommendation:
C
Date:
Jul 23, 2002

Comment:

Limited funding for the Estuary Province should preclude research that is not Estuary-specific but is applicable Systemwide, i.e., this proposal, and the other three FWS Abernathy Creek proposals should be reviewed in the Mainstem/Systemwide review, or deferred until the next Estuary Province review cycle.
Recommendation:
Do Not Fund
Date:
Oct 30, 2002

Comment: