| Proposal title | Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation |
| Proposal ID | 198335003 |
| Organization | Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) |
| Proposal contact person or principal investigator |
| Name | Sherman Sprague |
| Mailing address | 3404 Hwy. 12 Orofino, ID 83544 |
| Phone / email | 2084764044 / shermans@nezperce.org |
| Manager authorizing this project | Silas Whitman |
| Review cycle | FY 2001 Ongoing |
| Province / Subbasin | Mountain Snake / Clearwater |
| Short description | Monitor and evaluate results of the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery so that operations can be adaptively managed to optimize hatchery and natural production, sustain harvest, and minimize ecological impacts. |
| Target species | |
| Year | Accomplishment |
|---|
| 1993 |
Initiated ongoing baseline data (parr densities, juvenile emigration, spawning ground surveys). |
|
Results of Meadow Creek fish trapping, fall 1993. |
| 1995 |
Supplement to the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Master Plan. |
|
Habitat condition report. |
| 1996 |
Completion of monitoring and evaluation plan for the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery. |
|
Initiated adult escapement analysis (Lolo Creek). |
| 1997 |
Results of Meadow Creek fish trapping, 1994. |
|
Aerial Photographs of Meadow Creek (Selway) |
|
Stream conditions and salmonid abundance - Meadow Creek (Selway) (Clearwater Biostudies). |
|
Results of Meadow Creek fish trapping for the 1995 migratory year. |
| 1998 |
Aerial Photographs of Newsome Creek. |
| 2000 |
Monitoring and evaluation plan for the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery: Phase 1 action plan. |
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
| 1. Determine if program targets for contribution rate of hatchery fish are being achieved and can be improved. |
a. Monitor the in-hatchery survival and rearing conditions of NPTH fish by treatment and rearing strategy. |
15-20 |
$20,527 |
|
|
b. Estimate the number of smolts and adults produced by each hatchery treatment in each NPTH stream. |
15-20 |
$181,590 |
|
|
c. Estimate survival from egg-to-smolt, release-to-smolt, and smolt-to-adult for various treatments in each NPTH stream. |
15-20 |
$115,881 |
|
|
d. Determine the effects of rearing and release treatments on the dispersal of juveniles and returning adults to occupy available habitat in the target streams. |
15-20 |
$82,938 |
|
|
e. Estimate the continuing stocking rates needed in each stream to sustain natural production. |
15-20 |
$23,527 |
|
|
f. Monitor inherited traits in hatchery-reared fish that may indicate a genetic change toward domestication, or loss of fitness for natural production. |
3-15 |
$48,626 |
|
| 2. Determine where, when and how much natural production that results from supplementation of chinook salmon in the Clearwater River subbasin, and relate them to limiting factors. |
a. Determine where, when and how much natural production is occurring in target and reference streams. |
15-20 |
$191,704 |
|
|
b. Determine the relationship of habitat features to varying levels of use by each race of chinook salmon. |
15-20 |
$122,095 |
|
|
c. Measure life history traits that may reflect limitations to natural production. |
15-20 |
$132,095 |
|
|
d. Determine the influence of environmental variation on natural production. |
15-20 |
$44,699 |
|
|
e. Conduct stocking density experiments to determine the capacity for spring chinook salmon rearing parr in defined reaches of a test stream. |
3-15 |
$63,697 |
|
|
f. Revise estimates for carrying capacity based on findings from tasks 2.a-2.e. |
15-20 |
$71,407 |
|
| 3. Estimate ecological and genetic impacts to fish populations. |
a. Determine if there is evidence of genetic change through introgression into chinook salmon populations in non-target streams. |
15-20 |
$46,680 |
Yes |
|
b. Determine if there is evidence that non-target fish populations in treatment streams are influenced by competition or predation interactions with the supplemented populations. |
15-20 |
$71,605 |
|
|
c. Determine if there is evidence that non-target fish populations in treatment streams are influenced by disease transmission from the supplemented populations. |
15-20 |
$56,297 |
|
| 4. Determine how harvest opportunities on spring, early-fall, and fall chinook salmon can be optimized for tribal and non-tribal anglers within Nez Perce treaty lands. |
a. Estimate total harvest mortality on hatchery and natural chinook salmon from the NPTH treatment streams. |
15-20 |
$9,077 |
|
|
b. Determine the influence of release strategies on fish availability to harvest in NPTH treatment streams. |
15-20 |
$19,154 |
|
|
c. Develop run prediction and harvest monitoring to allow harvest of only the surplus fish in NPTH. |
15-20 |
$27,869 |
|
| 5. Effectively communicate monitoring and evaluation program approach and findings to resource managers. |
a. Facilitate effective data management and dissemination. |
15-20 |
$10,678 |
|
|
b. Communication of results and transfer of technology. |
15-20 |
$41,110 |
|
|
c. Develop and maintain open communications with all resource managers. |
15-20 |
$8,108 |
|
|
d. Facilitate Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery program review. |
15-20 |
$2,769 |
Yes |
Fall chinook salmon monitoring and evaluation activities associated with project 199403400 have been incorporated into the overall NPTH M&E program. Project 199403400 costs for FY2001 have been reduced by 67.5%. Funding for staff time, fall chinook aerial redd surveys and other monitoring tasks not associated with the Lyons Ferry Hatchery subyearling survival research have been incorporated within the project 198335003 budget. The combined change in projected 2001 budgets for projects 199403400 and 198335003 is a 16% increase. An indirect rate increase of 4% and increases in marking (PIT tagging and Coded Wire Tagging) effort were primary changes in budget costs.
Development of a comprehensive NPTH M&E Action Plan for ISRP review was required by the NPPC. ISRP approved the NPTH M&E Action Plan which includes M & E tasks collected through project 199403400. The rationale for inclusion of project 199403400 under the Nez Perce Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation is related to supplementation of fall chinook salmon in the Clearwater River Subbasin being directly from the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery. The M & E tasks relating to wild fall chinook life history data and survival in the Clearwater and monitoring adult returns for both wild and hatchery fish contributions has been ongoing through Project 199403400 and will now be expanded on a larger scale through this M & E. The development of the ISRP approved NPTH M&E Action Plan involved modification from the projected 2001 program budgets.
This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.
The fall chinook salmon monitoring and evaluation activities associated with project 199403400 have been incorporated into the overall NPTH M&E program. Project 199403400 costs for FY2001 have been reduced by 67.5%. Funding for staff time, fall chinook aerial redd surveys and other monitoring tasks not associated with the Lyons Ferry Hatchery subyearling survival research in project 199403400 have been incorporated within the project 198335003 budget. The combined change in projected 2001 budgets for projects 199403400 and 198335003 is a 16% increase. Increased marking (PIT tagging and Coded Wire Tagging) effort was the primary change in budget costs.
The development of a comprehensive NPTH M&E Action Plan for ISRP review was required by the NWPPC. This proposal has been modified to meet the NWPPC's ISRP review process. ISRP approved the NPTH M&E Action Plan, which includes M&E tasks collected through project 199403400. The rationale for inclusion of project 199403400 under the Nez Perce Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation is related to supplementation of fall chinook salmon in the Clearwater River Subbasin being directly from the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery. The M&E tasks relating to wild fall chinook life history data and survival in the Clearwater and monitoring adult returns for both wild and hatchery fish contributions has been ongoing through project 199403400 and will now be expanded on a larger scale through this M&E. The development of the ISRP approved NPTH M&E Action Plan involved modification from the projected 2001 program budgets.