Lyons Ferry Hatchery and Production of Snake River Fall Chinook: A Qualified Success Story. Mark Schuck Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan - 1976 Fall Chinook 18,300 adults/year Tucannon Spring Chinook 1,132 adults/year to the river Summer Steelhead 4,656 adults/year to project rivers In-place and in-kind (genetic integrity) Resident fish fishing opportunity 67,500 angler days
LFH Fall Chinook Production Goals (18,300 adults) 9.16 million subyearling smolts (101,880 lbs) about 90 fpp (80 mm) expected smolt-to-adult return (SAR) of 0.2% Idaho Power Co. mitigation for Hells Canyon Complex for 1.3 million eyed eggs due after LFH reached 80% of capacity Program to be built from Endemic Snake Chinook
Snake River Fall Chinook 0 20 40 60 Miles 0 20 40 60 80 Kilometers Map developed by NOAA - Fisheries, June 2004. 2725 Montlake Blvd East, Seattle WA 98112 tel. 206.860.3405 fax. 206.860.3400 Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon Population and ESU Structure MCNARY DAM $ LOWER MONUMENTAL DAM $ $ LITTLE GOOSE DAM $ ICE HARBOR DAM OREGON LOWER GRANITE DAM $ $ ÊÚ Boise Missoula One remaining population Lyons Ferry Hatchery genetics very similar to natural-origin (endemic brood program) Reduced distribution within assessable habitat Two extinct populations Marsing Reach Salmon Falls Palouse River WASHINGTON Lochsa River Clearwater R R Tucannon River Snake Snake Selway River Grand e Ronde R la River U matil Wallowa River Lemhi Riv er M Fork Salmon R S Fork Salmon R Little Salmon R Imnaha River N Fork John Day R M Fk John Day Pahsimeroi River EF S almon R IDAHO MONTANA River Big Creek Weiser Rive River S Fork John Day Payette Malheur R Grande Ronde River N Fork Clearwater R Richland Kennewick Pasco Pullman Moscow Columb reek Lolo C Walla Walla R ter R SF Clearw a Pendleton Walla Walla La Grande Lewiston ia River Touchet River Salmon River Pant r Min am Rive her Creek reek Pine C Powder River Salmon River N Fk Payette River Burnt River Boise River Owyhee River Burns HELLS CANYON DAM John Day River Caldwell r C Snake River Canyon er Big Wood Riv Snake River Bruneau R Rock Creek Twin Falls Shoshone Falls Salmon Fa Fall Chinook ESU current fall chinook spawning historic fall chinook spawning
Fall Chinook Egg Bank Program Goals To maintain the population through artificial propagation until LFH could become operational. Accelerate LFH startup by having multiple brood sources. To monitor and maintain the genetic integrity of the stock. Involved NMFS, USFWS, WDFW (Old WDF)
Sources of Broodstock for Lyons Ferry Hatchery During the First 4 Years 100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% 1984 1985 1986 1987 LFH IHR KFH
Lyons Ferry Fall Chinook Production Releases 6 5 4 Millions 3 2 1 0 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 Yrl-direct Yrl-barge Subyrl-direct Subyrl-barge
Stock Composition at Lyons Ferry based on CWT expansions 100 80 60 40 20 0 1987 1988 1989 1990 Lyons Ferry Umatilla Other
All 1989 brood juveniles were marked with CWT or BWT and released as subyearlings, and would not be used for broodstock. No more incorporation of wild (unmarked) fish into broodstock. Began trapping at LGR Dam in 1990 to: reduce strays spawning naturally. estimate stray rate at LGR. supplement broodstock for LFH. This Action moved Fall Chinook into a more collaborative forum that required better co-manager involvement.
Co-Management History NPT initiates a fall Chinook study in the lower Clearwater 1988 NPT formulates a plan for the construction and operation of NPT Hatchery cir. 1988 Numerous research projects in region prompts interested parties to initiate fall Chinook Technical meetings to improve coordination cir. 1991. Snake River Chinook listed under ESA in 1992 Federal co-managers get involved.
Co-Management History (continued) NPT envisions modified LFH fall Chinook program by addition of 3 FCAP facilities above LGR Dam cir. 1994. Fall Chinook Technical coordination meetings become regular and biannual (Prior to this time, most coordination was conducted under the US v OR forum). FCAP facilities begin operation with fish from LFH - 1996
Co-Management History (continued) Cooperative research initiated to address issues of adult returns (yearling and subyearling performance), straying, and spawning ground survey refinement circ. 1996. Co-managers agree on the need for a Snake basin Chinook management plan. Believe the plan can affect decisions regarding management under ESA circ. 2002. NPTH begins operation 2003.
Co-Management Success Completion of a draft Snake River Hatchery Management Plan detailing production priorities, broodstock management, disease management, etc. (Cooperators = WDFW, NPT, CTUIR, USFWS, IDFG, IPC, NOAA, ODFW) Result Draft presented in US v OR, and production priorities adopted for long term implementation.
Priority Production Program Rearing Facility Number Age Release Location(s) Marking 1 Lyons Ferry 450,000 1+ On station 2 Lyons Ferry 150,000 1+ Pittsburg Landing 3 Lyons Ferry 150,000 1+ Big Canyon 4 Lyons Ferry 150,000 1+ Captain John Rapids 225KAdCWT+VIE 225K CWT +VIE 70K AdCWT 80K CWT only 70K AdCWT 80K CWT only 70K AdCWT 80K CWT only 5 Lyons Ferry 200,000 0+ On station 200K AdCWT 6 Lyons Ferry 500,000 0+ Captain John Rapids 7 Lyons Ferry 500,000 0+ Big Canyon 8 Lyons Ferry 200,000 0+ Pittsburg Landing 100K AdCWT 100K CWT only 300K Unmarked 100K AdCWT 100K CWT only 300K Unmarked 100K AdCWT 100K CWT only 9 Oxbow 200,000 0+ Hells Canyon Dam 200K AdCWT 10 Lyons Ferry 200,000 0+ Pittsburg Landing 200K Unmarked 11 Lyons Ferry 200,000 0+ Direct stream evaluation Near Captain John Rapids 200K AdCWT 12 DNFH/Irrigon 250,000 0+ Transportation Study a 250K PIT tag only 13 Lyons Ferry 200,000 0+ Grande Ronde River 200K AdCWT 14 DNFH/Irrigon 78,000 0+ Transportation Study a 78K PIT tag only 15 Umatilla 200,000 0+ Hells Canyon Dam 200K AdCWT 16 Lyons Ferry 200,000 0+ Grande Ronde River 200K Unmarked 17 Umatilla 600,000 0+ Hells Canyon Dam 600K Ad only TOTAL Yearlings 900,000 Subyearlings 3,528,000
Lyons Ferry Fall Chinook Production Releases 6 5 Millions 4 3 2 1 0 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 Yrl-direct Yrl-barge Yrl-Accl Subyrl-direct Subyrl-barge Subyrl-Accl Subyrl-IP
Co-Management Success Adoption of a consolidated basin wide marking plan for hatchery production (WDFW NPT IDFG IPC with buy off by NOAA Fisheries) Result significant improvement in ability to reconstruct the run of Chinook that escape above LGD to spawn.
Estimated Contributions of Fall Chinook Adult Returns to Lower Granite Dam, 1975-2006 15000 14000 13000 12000 11000 10000 9000 8000 7000 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 Original chart Jay Hesse Stray Snake Hatchery Wild/Natural Chinook listed under ESA '75 '80 '85 '90 '95 '00 '05 Return Year
Management Actions Past and Present Past Present Hatchery Lyons Ferry Lyons Ferry Acclimation Ponds Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Idaho Power Company Habitat Stable Hells Canyon Flows Flow/Temperature Augmentation Hydrosystem Transportation Transportation Summer Spill Harvest Reduction in Take Reduction in Take * Slide Courtesy of Jay Hesse and Billy Connor
Cooperative and Joint Management Effort Hatcheries Monitoring and Evaluation Funding Source Lower Snake River Compensation Plan BPA/NPCC IPC Lower Snake River Compensation Plan BPA/NPCC BLM IPC COE PSC (Southern Boundry Fund) Implementers WDFW NPT IPC CTUIR ODFW IDFG Redd Counts (NPT, IPC, USFWS, WDFW) Juvenile behavior and survival (USFWS, NPT, USGS, NOAA) Hatchery performance (WDFW, NPT) Run Reconstruction (WDFW, NPT, NOAA, UofI, USvOR-TAC)
So after all the cooperative efforts to meet co-managers needs and desires, and building the program back from the brink of the 1989 stray disaster We are now successful right??
Fall Chinook Returns to the Snake River: Natural and LSRCP Production 28,000 24,000 20,000 18,300 16,000 12,000 8,000 4,000 0 2,500 7,500 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 Fish LSRCP Goal Habitat Capacity TRT Interim
Things we now know Fall Chinook abundance has increased, but the extent to which that will be maintained and can be attributed to recent changes in management vs merely improvements in ocean productivity is uncertain. Hatchery releases upstream of Lower Granite Dam have increased the abundance of spawners in natal habitat, with assumed contribution to increased production. Adult abundance via annual run-reconstruction of fish to Lower Granite Dam. (Close to mitigation and minimum viability abundance!)
What we don t know that could hurt us! The contribution/influence of hatchery fish on natural fish productivity The productive capacity of remaining habitat Whether hatchery programs are affecting the life history structure of the natural population Long-term viability of an ESU with only a single extant population spatial structure and diversity
What Qualifies our Success? Can hatcheries be part of the ESA solution, or will they continue to be considered part of the problem? Can Mitigation due to the States and Tribes be pursued in an ESA world? How do you implement potentially conflicting Congressional Mandates? Collaborative Approach is the only way to eventually answer these questions.
Contributors Jay Hesse NPT Bill Arnsberg NPT Debbie Milks WDFW Billy Connor - USFWS
Funding Provided by
QUESTIONS?