Coho Monitoring and Evaluation 2018

The Nez Perce Tribe is implementing a two-phased approach to coho salmon reintroductions in the Clearwater River subbasin. The Nez Perce Tribe’s overall goal for coho salmon in the Clearwater River subbasin is to reintroduce and restore coho salmon to levels of abundance and productivity sufficient to support sustainable runs and annual harvest. Phase I of the Clearwater coho reintroduction program focuses on the establishment of a localized coho salmon stock capable of enduring the migration to 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.

A base level of hatchery-origin coho monitoring and evaluation has been started with Mitchell Act Grant funding. Five primary activities have been enabled by the Mitchell Act Grant:
1) CWT data collection, analysis and reporting
2) Juvenile migration and survival monitoring (PIT tag application, uploading, analysis, and reporting)
3) Adult return monitoring of abundance and distribution (adults, redds, broodstock, PIT tag array detections)
4) In-hatchery production survival and growth monitoring
5) Co-manager coordination and information transfer

Information gathered under this M&E objective is intended to evaluate how well hatchery production techniques are working and whether certain practices can be modified to improve benefits achieved. The program objectives include both developing a localized coho salmon broodstock and optimal hatchery product performance.

Worksite #1 Dworshak National Fish Hatchery (DNFH) – Brood Year (BY) 2019- A total of 874 returning coho adults were trapped and use as broodstock to provide eggs for the coho hatchery production groups under this project (October 2019- December 2019 February 2021 a totdal of 570,727 Clearwater stock smolts were transferred to Kooskia National Fish Hatchery for final acclamation and will be released April 2021. Of these we marked 105,484 of the coho with Coded Wire Tags.

Worksite #2 Clear Creek- BY 2019: A total of 1,201 returning coho adults were trapped and used as broodstock to provide eggs for the coho hatchery production groups under this project (October 2019- December 2019). 795,367 Clearwater stock Coho smolts were transported to KNFH during February 2021 for final acclimation and will be released April 2021.

Worksite #3 Lapwai Creek- BY 2019: – A total of 205 returning coho adults were trapped and passed above the weir to allow for natural spawning (October 2019- December 2019). February 2021 a total of 391,096 smolts were transported to Lapwai Creek from ECNFH for acclimation and release into Lapwai Creek (to occur in March 2021).

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.