Yakama Nation Naches Spring Chinook – Feasibility of Supplementation

This is a feasibility proposal that will eventually implement small-scale, assisted production of spring Chinook Salmon in the Naches River spawning population. This proposed emergency action is in response to alarmingly low escapement (<160) and redd counts (31) in 2019 for the American and Naches populations (part of the mid-Columbia spring Chinook ESU), considered genetically unique in the Yakima Basin. Spawner abundance of 200 or fewer fish is an indication of quasi or high-extinction risk for Pacific Salmon (Nehlsen et al. 1991; Hard et al. 2015). The proposed action will help safeguard against catastrophic recruitment failure, and is deemed necessary by the Yakama Nation {YN) to preserve its treaty-reserved fishing rights.



Funding from this project will be used to identify and prepare a suitable site in the mid-to-upper Naches system for chinook egg incubation and rearing. This will include site assessment for infrastructure and water needs, and conducting the water permitting process for the site. Future funding (subsequent projects) will be used to collect, hold, spawn, rear, and release Chinook from this site and to conduct a brood study of the results towards the eventual goal of improving the viability of the Naches River spring chinook population.



The proposed work site is at Oak Flats (owned by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife-WDFW) on the Naches River near the confluence of the Tieton and Naches Rivers and highways 410 and 12 west of Naches, Washington (1102 SR Hwy 410, Naches, WA 98937; Yakima County parcel identifiers 161535-22001,161535-23001, 161534-12001).



Worksite #1 Proposed Work:



Priorities for this PCSRF $150k grant request will be for initial development of the site including:



• Well testing



• Ground and surface water permit application process completion



• Site preparation (environmental analyses, development of necessary road, power, security [fencing, gates, lighting] infrastructure at the site)



• If dollars still available, begin purchasing other infrastructure (tanks, piping, etc.)

There will be no immediate benefit to salmon from implementation of this proposal (it entails completion of necessary preliminary site development tasks). This site is necessary to achieve long-term goals and expected benefits to these unique populations of spring Chinook (mid-Columbia ESU) Salmon which include:



* Prevent further decline or extirpation of these genetically unique populations

* Increase natural spawning in historical habitats

* Contribute adults to marine, Zone 6, and Yakima River fisheries

* Increase the number of spring Chinook salmon returning to the Yakima River Basin to abundance levels sufficient to allow Yakama Nation youth to be taught traditional fishing methods so that YN culture can survive and thrive into the future

* Contribute to treaty-reserved fishing goals per U.S. v Oreogn management agreements and Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish-Wit