FY 2016 Nisqually Salmon Recovery Monitoring

This project enabled the Nisqually Tribe to conduct validation monitoring by collecting critical adult and juvenile Chinook VSP data through in-river trapping activities, spawning grounds surveys, and juvenile sampling throughout the Nisqually River and estuary.The spawner surveys (i.e. live counts; and redd and carcass surveys), occurred from August to December, for Chinook and chum, and were continued into calendar year 2019- with next subsequent year funding these efforts. These surveys occur in the mainstem Nisqually River and Mashel (Nisqually Tributary) from the mouth to RM 3.5. Additionally, steelhead and other salmon counts occurred in early CY 2018 at the Centralia diversion fish ladder via a camera which required oversight to ensure all necessary equipment was operational. During the life of this project steelhead counts were the highest since their listing under the ESA. Juvenile monitoring consisted of fyke netting and beach seining. This work occurred in the Nisqually nearshore/estuary and from the mouth of the Nisqually River to RM 3 during the months of February-July. The project primarily provided salary support for approximately .5 FTEs of tribal biologist time. The estuary monitoring has resulted in the drafting of several scientific papers and presentations. Some results will be shared at the RCO Salmon Recovery Conference in CY 2019.

The Nisqually Tribe has begun implementing the 2011 Nisqually Chinook Stock Management Plan which integrates habitat, harvest, and hatchery actions in order to move towards developing a locally adapted natural population of Chinook salmon. Successful implementation of the plan depends on robust hatchery and natural stock viability monitoring information. The project provides information that assists in estimating hatchery and natural Chinook composition on spawning grounds; hatchery and natural composition in fishery; hatchery and natural composition in hatchery; and adult and juvenile Chinook life history diversity, age, and growth through otolith analysis (note: the analytical work is not funded by this project). This project will ensure that we continue to gather critical information that will help us to evaluate and report on the progress we are making in our salmon recovery work in the Nisqually watershed. The information will also be used to determine what future adjustments should be made to recovery strategies to achieve the Tribe’s goals.