Sockeye Reintroduction program April 12, 2014 BCWF AGA Howie Wright
8 Communities 1. Lower Similkameen Indian Band 2. Upper Similkameen Indian Band 3. Osoyoos Indian Band 4. Penticton Indian Band 5. Westbank First Nation 6. Okanagan Indian Band 7. Upper Nicola Band 8. Colville Tribes
Salmon Integral to Okanagan Culture
History Co ercial Sal o Fisheries U.S. s Historical decisions did not consider importance to Okanagan fisheries Mainstem Columbia River Dams (1933) Grand Coulee Dam blocks access to Upper Columbia (1938) Grand Coulee Dam Fish Maintenance Project (1939-1943) Columbia River Treaty (1961) Okanagan River Channelization and salmon Access in Okanagan River restricted (McIntyre Dam -1915)
Background: Okanagan Sockeye Okanagan sockeye population is one of three remaining Columbia River stocks Wenatchee Okanagan ARROW LAKES Columbia River sub-basins historically accessible to sockeye Columbia River sub-basins with present day viable sockeye populations
History of Okanagan Sockeye
Habitat and Fish Passage: McIntyre Dam Before After
Okanagan River in 1938 and 1996
Habitat and Fish Passage: ORRI Phase 1 Before After SPAWNING PLATFORM DYKE SETBACK GRAVEL BARS RIFFLE One Wild Earth Kevin Dunn RE- MEANDERING
Habitat: ORRI Phase II Before After (2013)
Fish Water Management Tools
Initiated by the Okanagan Nation in 1996 COBTWG (Central Okanagan Basin Technical Working Group) 12 Year Reintroduction Program (2004-2015) into Skaha Lake Adaptive management framework Funded by Grant and Chelan County Public Utility District (Columbia hydro mitigation) Stepwise approach prior to Okanagan Lake Extensive Monitoring Decision at end of program for passage Program focused now on not if but how many Looking at fishway designs Skaha Lake sockeye Reintroduction Program Overview
Program Overview: Key Questions? Key questions include (not limited to): What impacts will sockeye have on existing kokanee stocks? What components of the food web and physical environment most strongly control the production of sockeye and kokanee? What are the effects on the existing Osoyoos sockeye population?
Summary of Results to Date Results from monitoring impacts of sockeye reintroduction are promising so far Relatively good juvenile abundance, growth, and survival Low impact to resident kokanee Increased understanding that Mysis shrimp are driving the foodwebs Increased Okanagan River sockeye escapement in recent years, but many factors involved and we expect to see some smaller runs in the near future
Why a Hatchery? Program requirements for Sockeye Project was to push in-lake capacity of Skaha Lake robbing Osoyoos to pay Skaha for adult trap and transport (2003) Model suggested 1000 fry/ha prior to seeing reduced growth and survival of 0+ Kok Selected 1,750 fry/ha, 3.5 million released fry or 5 million eggs located in Penticton Building to 8 million capacity Skaha 2000 ha lake so about 1.75 million smolts
Hatchery Planning planning in Canada? In Canada, there is the Wild Salmon Policy which one of the requirements is to safeguard genetic diversity DFO Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) guidelines PUDs require an HGMP - Okanagan sockeye HGMP Hosted workshop of U.S./Canadian expertise to: 1. Develop HGMP 2. See what we could be collecting now to help with long term planning 3. Look at our broodstock collection and fry release methods and suggestions for improvements of program overall
Hatchery Hatchery planning questions? in Canada? Stock recovery management Segregated versus integrated? 1, 2, 3 populations in the Okanagan (Osoyoos, Skaha, Okanagan) Other systems (e.g. Lake Cle Elum Okanagan/Wenatchee)? Long term how to manage harvest? Okanagan Nation Focus on restoration Not going to get all habitat and production back, how will hatchery contribution be used for harvest? PUDs As e reco er, hat happe s if e do t eed hatchery for Skaha? Okanagan? As we increase sockeye, how does this affect mitigation requirements?
How are the sockeye run doing? 350,000 Reference period trend in Okanagan River sockeye salmon escapement 300,000 Wells Escapement estimate 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000 AUCriver Experiment Begins 50,000 0 1967196919711973197519771979198119831985198719891991199319951997199920012003200520072009 Return Year
Many Factors: Why Why a the Hatchery? increase? Cultural ceremonies headwater, winter dances, first salmon Habitat water management, habitat restoration Harvest Snake River sockeye limitations? Hydro Judge Redden orders Ocean survival hatchery contribution
250,000 Hatchery contribution 200,000 Skaha Hatchery Osoyoos Wild 150,000 100,000 50,000 0 2007 2008 2009 2010
Food fisheries/culture Salmon feast at Okanagan Falls Salmon in diet Revitalizing a fishery Cultural ceremonies
Starting to see benefits-economic and recreational fisheries
Its not just a sockeye Sharing a Story Certification Traditional/responsible trade Changing attitude on river fish in Canada Moving fisheries inland
Hatchery August 2014
Hatchery First brood Oct 2014
Wanapum Dam Crack February 27, 2014 Wanapum Dam spillway pier Monolith 4 found a 65 foot horizontal fracture 2 inches wide reservoir upstream was lowered 26 feet which closed the fracture and investigating the cause. fish way inoperable at Wanapum Dam (reservoir is below the fishway on the upstream end i.e. in the dry) and at the next upstream Rock Island Dam (fishway is dry on the downstream end). In response to this Grant PUD is: Trap and transport program. This is not suitable for sockeye due to the number returning this year. use of pumps for water in the fishway and slide for the salmon on the upstream end. At Rock island they are extending the fishway down to the lowered pool level. target operation is April 15, 2014. ONA fisheries attended a tour April 7, 2014 Evaluate modifications end of April
Thank you! (Lim Limpt)