FY 2001 Ongoing proposal 200001700

Section 1. Administrative

Project location

Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Section 2. Past accomplishments

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase

Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget

Total estimated budget

Reason for change in estimated budget

We are adding tasks, fish, and partners. 1. We added a benefit/risk assessment task (primarily genetic concerns) per ISRP recommendation. 2. We propose to increase the scope and pace of the project after finding that: a) kelts are far more abundant and available than originally believed, b) reconditioning success rates of 50% are already achievable, and c) based on the 50% rate the concept appears feasible for expeditious implementation while some critical questions are evaluated. 3. A 5-year research plan has now identified many of the critical questions and proposed a rationale and a schedule for addressing them. Those critical questions include (among others): Are existing commercial diets optimal for reconditioning post-spawning steelhead? Does reconditioning diminish homing ability? And are the gametes of reconditioned kelts as numerous and viable as those of virgin spawners?

Reason for change in scope

In the last year kelt reconditioning has shown considerable promise for increasing the abundance of wild/natural steelhead populations. Basinwide each year, thousands of ESA-listed summer steelhead are removed from juvenile collection systems and tributary weirs and returned to the river. On average, 1-4% of them survive to spawn again. If those kelts were collected and reconditioned, >50% of them could spawn again the next year. In 2000, the Yakama Nation has collected >30% of the run of ESA-threatened Yakima River summer steelhead as the kelts pass back over Chandler Dam. Those that are successfully reconditioned (mostly females) and released for spawning this winter will represent a 20%-25% increase in the potential egg deposition in the wild stocks. Reconditioning is ready for wider application. A 5-year plan has been drafted to facilitate progressive implementation throughout the Basin while simultaneously refining the technology and answering some important questions.

Cost sharing

Reviews and recommendations

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

Comment:

The sponsors are adding tasks, fish, and partners.

1. They propose adding a benefit/risk assessment task (primarily genetic concerns) per ISRP recommendation (Section 4, Objective 4 - $31,141).
2. They propose to increase the scope and pace of the project after finding that:
   1. kelts are far more abundant and available than originally believed,
   2. reconditioning success rates of 50% are already achievable, and
   3. based on the 50% rate the concept appears feasible for expeditious implementation while some critical questions are evaluated (Section 4, Objective 2 - $33,463, Section 4, Objective 3 - $17,165).
3. A 5-year research plan has now identified many of the critical questions and proposed a rationale and a schedule for addressing them.

In the last year kelt reconditioning has shown considerable promise for increasing the abundance of wild/natural steelhead populations. Basinwide each year, thousands of ESA-listed summer steelhead are removed from juvenile collection systems and tributary weirs and returned to the river. On average, 1-4% of them survives to spawn again. If those kelts were collected and reconditioned, >50% of them could spawn again the next year.

In 2000, the Yakama Nation has collected >30% of the run of ESA-threatened Yakima River summer steelhead as the kelts pass back over Chandler Dam. Those that are successfully reconditioned (mostly females) and released for spawning this winter will represent a 20%-25% increase in the potential egg deposition in the wild stocks.

Reconditioning is ready for wider application. A 5-year plan has been drafted to facilitate progressive implementation throughout the Basin while simultaneously refining the technology and answering some important questions.

Comment:

Sponsor comments: See comment at Council's website