Supplementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation

As listed in the US v Oregon Management Plan, the Tribes are alloted one million steelhead eyed eggs, 480,000 steelhead smolts, and 300,000 chinook salmon eyed eggs. The Tribes utilize hatchery supplementation as a management tool to promote recovery and restoration of ESA-listed salmonids. With the assistance of co-managers in basin, especially, US Fish and Wildlife Service and Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Tribes completed all supplemenation activities for both steelhead and chinook salmon. The Tribes participate in all spawning activities and lead in all outplanting objectives.

In 2008, the Tribes outplanted steelhead eyed eggs in five tributaries in the Salmon River Basin including Beaver Creek, Indian Creek, Morgan Creek, Yankee Fork, and East Basin Creek. As agreed to, the Tribes receive 500K eyed eggs from Pahsimeroi Fish Hatchery and 500K from Sawtooth Fish Hatchery. There were a total of 500,575 outplanted from Pahsimeroi; 166,495, 164,899, and 169,181 into Beaver Creek, Indian Creek, and Morgan Creek, respectively. After enumerating dead eggs and fry, we estimated a survival to volotional release of 99% equaling a total of 496,225 fry seeded amoung the three tributaries. From Sawtooth, there were a total of 634,935 eyed eggs outplanted in Yankee Fork (483,904) and Basin Creek (151,031). Survival was estimated at 91% with a total volotional release of 548,094 fry in both tributaries combined.

Tribal steelhead smolts are reared and released by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Hagerman National Fish Hatchery and Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Magic Valley Fish Hatchery. Smolts are released in three major tribtaries; Yankee Fork, Valley Creek, and Slate Creek. In 2008, there were 327,546, 62,485, 92,059 smolts released into Yankee Fork, Valley Creek, and Slate Creek, respectively, for a total of 482,090 released.

Chinook eyed eggs are reared at the McCall Fish Hatchery and outplanted by the Tribes into Dollar Creek, a tribtary to the South Fork Salmon River. In 2008, staff outplanted a total of 323,015 chinook salmon eyed eggs into five in-stream incubators within Dollar Creek.

Promote recovery and restoration of ESA-listed salmonid species