Coho Monitoring and Evaluation 2017

The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) is working to reintroduce coho salmon in the Clearwater River subbasin. Accompanying that goal is a desire to monitor and evaluate the results of the coho salmon restoration program so that operations can be adaptively managed to optimize hatchery and natural production, and minimize deleterious ecological impacts. Pursuant to this informed adaptive management approach, research data collection and analysis for the coho restoration M&E program endeavors to: 1) provide science-based recommendations for management and policy consideration; 2) demonstrate when the reintroduction program meets its restoration goals and 3) assist in the re-establishment of tribal and recreational fisheries.

The Nez Perce Tribe Coho Monitoring and Evaluation Project was strengthened with Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund by increasing seasonal staff. The proposed extra staff covered all stream surveys without closing of any traps.

A total of four seasonal full time employees were hired and workws for six Nez Perce Tribe pay periods (12 weeks/Oct-Dec). The project had seven seasonal fish technicians (3 funded by Mitchell Act and 4 funded by PCSRF) that worked together as one crew to operate and monitor the Lapwai Creek weir, Kooskia National Fish Hatchery trap and Dworshak National Fish Hatchery adult ladder seven days a week while adult coho are returning (Oct- Nov). They also completed weekly stream surveys for Lapwai Creek and Clear Creek counting redds and carcasses throughout the spawning season (Oct- Nov). They also monitored hatchery spawning. In summary, these employees assisted with three of the five primary activities described in the base level hatchery-origin coho monitoring and evaluation. Activity 1) CWT data collection, analysis and reporting; Activity 3) Adult return monitoring of abundance and distribution (adults, redds, broodstock and PIT tag array detections) and Activity 4) In-hatchery production survival and growth monitoring.

Information gathered under this M&E objective is intended to evaluate how well hatchery production techniques are working, whether certain practices can be modified to improve benefits achieved, and to address the following assumptions:

• Localized broodstock will be more effective in establishing natural production.
• Hatchery escapement meets identified broodstock goals.
• We can identify the most effective rearing and release strategies.

Specific activity by worksite, are as follows.

1) Lapwai Creek

Conducted weekly spawning ground surveys for redds and carcasses, and PIT tag monitoring of returning adults on 6.8mi of Lapwai Cr. Monitored returning adult coho through the Lapwai Cr weir.

2) Clear Creek/Kooskia NFH

Conducted weekly spawning ground surveys for redds and carcasses, and PIT tag monitoring of returning adults on 8.8mi of Clear Creek. Monitored and documented juvenile rearing and release activities at Kooskia NFH. Monitored returning adult coho through the Kooskia NFH fish ladder.

3) Dworshak NFH

Monitored returning adult coho through the Dworshak NFH fish ladder. Monitored and documented juvenile rearing and release activities. There were no adults trapped at Lapwai Creek weir.

The Nez Perce Tribe’s overall goal is to reintroduce and restore coho salmon to the Clearwater River Subbasin at levels of abundance and productivity sufficient to support sustainable runs and annual harvest. Consistent with the Clearwater Subbasin Plan and Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish-Wit: Spirit of the Salmon Tribal Recovery Plan, the Nez Perce Tribe envisions an annual escapement of 14,000 coho to the Clearwater River Subbasin. Based on results from the existing Clearwater River Subbasin coho production program and experience in managing anadromous fish populations in the Snake River Basin, the Nez Perce Tribe believes this program will require a substantial hatchery production component and the establishment of highly productive naturally spawning coho salmon aggregates.

The Nez Perce Tribe developed management objectives aimed at achieving the overall goal of the program. These include:

• Establish a localized Clearwater River coho salmon broodstock.
• Establish natural spawning populations of coho salmon in the Clearwater River Subbasin.
• Utilize hatchery production to achieve optimal production effectiveness while meeting priority management objectives for natural production enhancement, harvest, diversity and minimizing impacts to non-target populations.
• Restore and maintain treaty-reserved tribal and recreational fisheries.
• Monitor and evaluate program activities and communicate program findings to resource managers.
• This project specifically provides fish for tribal treaty rights. It gives the treaty tribes access to Mitchell Act fish that were previously released downstream of Bonneville Dam, it provides fish for harvest in the Columbia River from the mouth up through Zone 6, it provides fish for harvest in the tributaries of the Snake River, and it provides fish for natural spawning and reintroduction of an extirpated stock in the Clearwater River.
• Reintroduction and natural production of coho is succeeding in the Clearwater Basin. Because coho spawn in smaller tributaries in the fall, these fish have proven to be a critical source of nutrients in the streams and a source of food for our tables. There have been many coho redds counted in Clearwater tributaries since 2011 – most of those in Lapwai and Clear creeks where juveniles are released. The spawners are a highly visible testament in our local communities that we can have salmon, that restoration programs have a tangible benefit.