Washington’s Lower Snake River Compensation Plan Steelhead Program –

A retrospective and program adaptive management overview

Mark Schuck and Joe BumgarnerSnake River Lab, Dayton, WA

Funding provided by:

Program Origin

The Lyons Ferry Hatchery program was authorized by the Water Resources Development Act of 1976 (PL 94-587) to offset losses caused by the construction and operation of the four Lower Snake River dam and navigation lock projects.

Facilities were constructed by the USACOE Also constructed hatcheries in Oregon and

Idaho

Ice Harbor Dam Steelhead(Dam Completed in 1961)

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Run Year

Num

bers

of F

ish

(1,0

00s)

Lower Granite

Little Goose

Lower Mon-umental

Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan - 1976

Fall Chinook – 18,300 adults/year

Tucannon Spring Chinook– 1,132 adults/year to the river

Summer Steelhead– 4,656 adults/year to project rivers

In-place and in-kind Resident fish – fishing opportunity

– 67,500 angler days

Lyons Ferry Hatchery 1980-1984

Original Steelhead ProductionLocation Stock ** Smolt goal Adult Goal

Grande Ronde Wallowa 300,000 1,500Tucannon LFH 175,000 876Snake LFH 126,000 630Walla Walla LFH 180,000 900Touchet LFH 150,000 750

Totals 931,000 4,656

** LFH stock derived from Wells Stock. Wallowa Stock is Snake River composite developed by ODFW from fish trapped at Little Goose Dam. Both stocks under review by NMFS.

Lyons Ferry Hatchery

Tucannon Hatchery

Curl APDayton AP

Cottonwood AP

Walla Walla

Lewiston

ICH

LMN

LGR

LGO

Production + Evaluation Monitor the success of LFH in meeting LSRCP

compensation goals and identify production adjustments to accomplish that objective.– Fisheries, SAR, and Abundance were primary

performance metrics» Size & time of release, stock differences, acclimation,

genetics, morphometrics, transportation, effects on natural populations, etc.

It was envisioned as applied management (adaptive) of the program to ensure success. Work completed was therefore often reactive as conditions, study results or Management emphasis changed

Harvest Pre-Program(Snake, Tucannon, Grande Ronde, Walla Walla, Touchet)

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

05,000

10,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,000

Run Year

Num

ber

of F

ish

LGR

LGOLMN

Touchet River

Walla Walla River

Grand Ronde River

Snake River

ColumbiaRiver

Snake River

Tucannon River

ClearwaterRiver

Asotin CreekICH

Smolt Releases1982-1998

Ice Harbor Dam Steelhead

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

TotalWild

Run Year

Num

ber

of F

ish

(100

0’s)

Smolt-to-Adult Survivalto Project Area

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

0.0%

0.5%

1.0%

1.5%

2.0%

2.5%

3.0%

3.5%

4.0%

WallowaLyons Ferry

Brood Year

Perc

ent

SAR Goal = 0.05%

Harvest Post-Program(Snake, Tucannon, Grande Ronde, Walla Walla, Touchet)

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

05,000

10,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,000

Run Year

Num

ber

of F

ish

Adult Returns to Project Area

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Lyons FerryWallowa

Run Year

Num

ber

of F

ish

(100

0’s)

LSRCP Goal = 4,656

Management Paradigm Changes

ESA listing for Snake River steelhead by 1999 – all Snake anadromous ESA listed.– Concern about excessive hatchery returns

Washington Wild Salmonid Policy Hatcheries come under scrutiny

– Hatchery/Wild Interactions– Can supplementation work?– Goals appropriate?

Program Changes

Release Locations altered or discontinued– Adoption of wild management rivers (Asotin)

LGR

LGOLMN

Touchet River

Walla Walla River

Grand Ronde River

Snake River

ColumbiaRiver

Snake River

Tucannon River

ClearwaterRiver

Asotin CreekICH

Smolt Releases1982-1998

ICH

LGR

LGOLMN

Touchet River

Walla Walla River

Grand Ronde River

Snake River

ColumbiaRiver

Snake River

Tucannon River

ClearwaterRiver

Asotin Creek

Smolt Releases1999-Present

Program Changes Release Locations altered or discontinued

– Adoption of wild management rivers (Asotin) Production numbers reduced.

Mitigation Stock Releases(Lyons Ferry and Wallowa)

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

Release Year

Num

ber

of F

ish

(1,0

00’s

)

Program Changes Release Locations altered or discontinued

– Adoption of wild management rivers (Asotin) Production numbers reduced. Began testing feasibility of new broodstocks.

New Broodstocks – Test Programs

Tucannon RiverLong-Term Intent: Supplementation/Mitigation

» 50,000 smolts annually, assess program success on adult returns to project area (PIT Tags).

Touchet RiverLong-Term Intent: Mitigation

» 50,000 smolts annually, assess program success on adult returns to project area (PIT Tags).

Program Changes Release Locations altered or discontinued

– Adoption of wild management rivers (Asotin) Production numbers reduced. Began testing feasibility of new broodstocks Expanded Tagging – CWT and PIT

» Since 2000 BY all groups w/ representative CWT» Since 2007 BY all groups PIT tagged

Run Timing at Ice Harbor

01-Jun01-Jul

01-Aug

01-Sep

01-Oct

01-Nov

0102030405060708090

100

Natural StockLyons Ferry StockEndemic StockPe

rcen

t

Tucannon Strays

Stock (years)PITs Detected at IHR Dam

Enter Tucannon River (%)

Remain above LGR Dam (%)

Unknown Location (%)

Lyons Ferry(06-10)

790 23.4 54.8 21.8

Tucannon Endemic

(04-10)

752 28.5 55.3 16.2

Tucannon Natural(04-10)

165 29.1 53.3 17.6

Program Changes Release Locations altered or discontinued

– Adoption of wild management rivers (Asotin) Production numbers reduced. Began testing feasibility of new broodstocks. Expanded Tagging – CWT and PIT

» Since 2000 BY all groups CWT» Since 2007 BY all group PIT tagged

Removal of Excess Hatchery Fish

Traps/Barriers

Ice Harbor Dam Steelhead

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

TotalWild

Run Year

Num

ber

of F

ish

(1,0

00’s

)

Harvest Post-Program(Snake, Tucannon, Grande Ronde, Walla Walla, Touchet)

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

05,000

10,00015,00020,00025,00030,00035,00040,00045,000

Run Year

Num

ber

of F

ish

Adult Returns to Project Area

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Lyons FerryWallowa

Run Year

Num

ber

of F

ish

(1,0

00’s

)

LSRCP Goal = 4,656

Current & Potential Future Changes

Tucannon Endemic Implementation - 2010

Monitor adult returns and straying for future production level changes– Lower Snake River small stream tributary

monitoring - TRT assignment to populations (Tucannon or Asotin?)

Consolidation of Mitigation Stocks

Potential Future Changes Touchet Endemic – Policy Decision

Required Establishing reference populations to

determine hatchery effects Can a large hatchery steelhead

mitigation program be operated in this ESA environment?– Biological or social decision?– Where to fisheries fit in?

Questions

Artificial ProductionPolicy: Promote the achievement of the natural

production policy and provide fishery-related benefits by implementing artificial production programs as a component of a comprehensive habitat, hydro, harvest, and hatchery strategy, and by assuring artificial production programs meet the following characteristics: – Conservation Programs. Provide a net aggregate benefit to the diversity,

spatial structure, productivity, and abundance of the target wild stock.– Harvest Programs. Enhance harvest opportunities in a manner consistent with

watershed specific goals for wild stock management.

All Smolt Releases(All Stocks)

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

90.0

100.0

110.0

120.0

130.0

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006 2009

Num

ber o

f Fis

h (1

,000

s)

Release Year

Fishg/fish

Run Timing at McNary

0.010.020.030.040.050.060.070.080.090.0

100.0

5/1 6/1 7/1 8/1 9/1 10/1 11/1 12/1

Perc

ent

Date

Natural StockLyons Ferry StockEndemic Stock

Tucannon PIT SAR’s to Ice Harbor

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Perc

ent

Brood Year

Tucannon EndemicTucannon LFH

Touchet PIT SAR’s to McNary

0.00.51.01.52.02.53.03.54.04.55.0

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Perc

ent

Brood Year

Touchet EndemicTouchet LFH

Walla Walla & Touchet R. Strays

Stock (years)PITs Detected at

McNary DamEnter Walla

Walla River (%)Pass Above IHR

Dam (%)Unknown

Location (%)

Lyons Ferry(07-10)

707 9.5 84.7 5.8

Touchet Endemic

(04-10)

326 28.8 42.9 28.2

Touchet Natural(08-10)

45 28.9 35.6 35.6

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

0.0%0.5%1.0%1.5%2.0%2.5%3.0%3.5%4.0%4.5%

WallowaLyons Ferry

Brood Year

Perc

ent

LSRCP Goal = 0.05%

Smolt-to-Adult Survivalto Project Area