Snake River Coho Restoration III

In 1994, the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) initiated a coho reintroduction program as a result of agreements in the U.S. v. Oregon forum that reprogrammed Lower Columbia River Mitchell Act hatcheries to produce coho salmon for release in the Clearwater River Subbasin. The focus of the project is to restore Snake River coho salmon population to levels of abundance and productivity sufficient to support a sustainable run capable of annual harvest in the Clearwater River subbasin and the Grande Ronde River subbasin. The NPT Clearwater River coho salmon production project is utilizing a phased approach for reintroduction and establishment of a localized coho salmon stock capable of enduring the migration to the Clearwater River. Historically, the Grande Ronde River was a major production area for coho in the Snake River Basin. In 2017, the NPT reintroduced coho into the Grande Ronde subbasin.The Nez Perce Tribe considered many alternatives for re-establishing coho salmon in the Wallowa watershed, a tributary of the Grande Ronde. After analysis of alternatives, the Nez Perce Tribe determined a preferred alternative that meets, within a reasonable length of time, stated objectives, needs, and biological concerns. Currently, the NPT is utilizing four different hatchery facilities for the development of a localized Clearwater River coho stock and planned reintroduction of coho to the Lostine River, a tributary of the Clearwater.



Specific work achieved under the 2019 iteration of this project by worksite is as follows.



Worksite #1: Dworshak National Fish Hatchery (DNFH) –BY20: A total of 28 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). April 14, 2021- 563,322 Clearwater stock smolts were acclimated and released from Kooskia National Fish Hatchery.



#2: Eagle Creek National Fish Hatchery (ECNFH) - BY19: 390,844 smolts were acclimated and released from Lapwai Creek and 223,265 smolts were acclimated and released from Kooskia NFH. BY20: A total of 751,385 eyed eggs were transported to ECNFH. Eggs/fish will be reared until February 2022 then transported to Lapwai Creek and Kooskia NFH for acclimation and release.



#3: Kooskia National Fish Hatchery (KNFH)– BY20: A total of 1,123 returning coho adults were trapped and use as broodstock to provide eggs for the Coho hatchery production groups under this project. BY19: 786,587 Clearwater stock Coho smolts were acclimated and released from KNFH on April 14, 2021.



#4: Lapwai Creek – BY20: A total of 325 returning coho adults were trapped and passed above the weir to allow for natural spawning (October 2020- December 2020). BY19: On March 30, 2021 390,844 smolts from ECNFH were acclimated and released into Lapwai Creek. 30,014 were released with coded wire tags and 4,999 were released with PIT tags.



Worksite #5: Lostine River - BY19: A total of 355,011 Coho smolts were transported from Cascade Fish Hatchery for acclimation and direct released into the Lostine River April 5 & 7, 2021.

The NPT’s overall goal is to reintroduce and restore coho salmon to the Snake 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 NPT 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 NPT’s long-term goal is to return 7,000 adult coho to the Wallowa River watershed in the Grande Ronde River subbasin. 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 subbasin coho salmon broodstock.

• Establish a localized Grande Ronde subbasin coho salmon broodstock.

• Establish natural spawning populations of coho salmon in the Clearwater River Subbasin and Grande Ronde 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 stocks in the Snake River.