Coho Salmon Rearing at Willard National Fish Hatchery

2005 Coho Production for the Yakama Nation
Mid-Columbia Coho Reintroduction Program
Performance and Budget Period:  February 15, 2005 - February 14, 2006

Contracting Contact:  Speros Doulos
Complex Manager
Little White Salmon/Willard National Fish Hatchery Complex
56961 SR14
Cook, WA  98605
(509) 538-2755
speros_doulos@fws.gov

Financial Contact:  Darlene Anderson
Administrative Officer
Little White Salmon/Willard National Fish Hatchery Complex
56961 SR14
Cook, WA  98605
(509) 538-2755
darlene_anderson@fws.gov

Technical Contact:
Speros Doulos
Little White Salmon/Willard National Fish Hatchery Complex
(509) 538-2755,
speros_doulos@fws.gov

STATEMENT OF WORK
FY05 Coho Salmon Rearing at Willard National Fish Hatchery
BPA Project No. 1996-040-00
Mid-Columbia Coho Reintroduction Project

Background
As part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Little White Salmon/Willard National Fish Hatchery Complex, Willard National Fish Hatchery has produced fish for reintroduction into the Wenatchee River Basin, WA since 2001.  Located near the towns of Cook and Willard, WA five miles upstream from the Columbia River, the hatchery draws water from the Little White Salmon River to meet a production capacity of 2.0 million coho salmon.

The Little White Salmon/Willard National Fish Hatchery has assisted the Yakama Nation in an effort to reestablish coho salmon in the Upper Columbia River system using both locally adapted and lower river stocks of fish.  The highest priority rearing program involves the use of gametes collected from fish returning to the Wenatchee River system in an attempt to develop a locally adapted stock of fish.  The long-term goal of this agreement is to reestablish coho salmon with enough numbers to be near carrying capacity and provide harvesting opportunities for tribal and non-tribal fisheries.  

The Willard National Fish Hatchery, with funding from BPA, will increase the number of fish reared for reintroduction into Mid-Columbia tributaries of the Wenatchee River Basin.

Statement of Work
The activities in this contract are outlined in the Master Yakama Nation contract under Operation and Maintenance objectives and tasks and identified as BPA direct fund work.  

This contract will allow USFWS to rear coho salmon including egg incubation, nursery rearing and raceway rearing for transfer to Mid-Columbia River sites located in the Mid-Columbia Region/Wenatchee River Basin as part of the Yakama Nation coho reintroduction effort.

Specifically, the Service will provide labor and facilities in order to incubate and rear 650,000 coho salmon pre-smolts during an 18-month period for transfer and acclimation at sites within the Wenatchee River Basin as determined by the Yakama Nation.  Production will be initiated using eggs derived from adult fish returning to the Wenatchee River, or from adult coho returning to other lower Columbia River facilities in the event of a shortfall in the number adults returning to the Wenatchee River.  Incubation and nursery rearing will be accomplished using Heath incubators and concrete nursery tanks located in the Willard hatchery building.  Final rearing and subsequent transfer will be completed in outdooe 8' x 80' concrete raceways.