IMPLEMENTATION OF COHO RESTORATION TO MID-COLUMBIA RIVER
TRIBUTARIES
Statement of Work and Budget
FY2005

BPA Project Number:  
# 1996-040-00


BPA Project Title:
MID COLUMBIA COHO RESTORATION

Contract Number:  New Contract replacing contract #16988
Contract Title: Mid-Columbia Coho Restoration Project No. 1996-040-00

Performance/Budget Period: February 1, 2005 to January 31, 2006

Technical & Contracting Contact
Tom Scribner
Yakama Nation Project Manager
P.O. Box 151
Toppenish, WA 98948
(503) 331-9850 (ph)
(503) 331-9892 (fax)
scribner@easystreet.com


Financial Contact
Debbie Azure
Administrative Assistant
P.O. Box 151
Toppenish, WA 98948
(509) 865-5121 (ph)
(509) 865-6293 (fax)
debbie@yakama.com

BACKGROUND
Historically, mid-Columbia coho salmon production occurred throughout many of the basin's tributaries.  Major Columbia River tributaries in this area include the Wenatchee, Entiat, Methow, and Okanogan rivers. All the major upper river basin tributaries supported coho.  Mullan (1983) estimated historical mid-Columbia River adult coho populations in the Wenatchee sub-basin between 6,000-7,000 and in the Methow 23,000-31,000 coho.
Mid-Columbia coho salmon populations were decimated in the early 1900s by impassable dams and unscreened irrigation diversions in the tributaries along with an extremely high harvest rate in the lower Columbia River. Indigenous natural coho salmon no longer occupy the mid-Columbia River basins.  Since Priest Rapids Dam was completed in 1960, the peak escapement of adult coho upstream of the dam was probably never greater than 10,000 coho and until this project was implemented, had not exceeded 1,300 coho since 1974 (WDFW/ODFW 1998).  From 1988-1995, adult counts at Priest Rapids Dam have averaged only 16 coho, probably a result of hatchery strays from Turtle Rock Hatchery releases of about 600,000 smolts (WDFW/ODFW 1995).
Most of the local habitat causes of coho depletion have been corrected.   Irrigation diversions have been screened, tributary dams have been removed, mining has ended, and improvements in grazing practices have been made.  Similar improvements have been made on the mainstem Columbia.  The recent ESA listings of several salmonid species that migrate through the lower Columbia River have curtailed coho fisheries that once over-harvested the mid-Columbia stocks of coho.  These fisheries restrictions are likely to be in effect for a number of years.
In 1996, the Yakama Nation, as the lead agency, began to evaluate the feasibility of re-establishing coho salmon in mid-Columbia tributaries with smolt releases in the Methow River.  In 2000, the main focus of the reintroduction program shifted to the Wenatchee River, with the goal to: 1) determine whether a local broodstock can be developed from Lower Columbia River coho stocks whose progeny can survive in increasing number to return as adults to the mid-Columbia region; 2) To initiate natural reproduction in areas on low risk to listed and endangered species, and in other select areas 3) to study interactions with listed or sensitive species (HGMP 2002).  
Since 2000, the program has achieved the goals and objectives of the feasibility study;  Smolt-to-adult survival rates for first generation mid-Columbia broodstock returning to Wenatchee River are statistically higher than survival rates for Lower Columbia River stocks (BY 2000 Lower Columbia SARs = 0.31%, BY 2000 Mid-Columbia SARs = 0.53%; Murdoch et. al. In Prep).  Smolt-to-adult survival rates for mid-Columbia brood coho salmon have been comparable to SARs for chinook and steelhead hatchery programs in the Wenatchee Basin during the last 10 years (data provided by M. Tonseth, WDFW).
Second generation mid-Columbia coho are currently incubating at facilities in the mid-Columbia (Entiat NFH, Peshastin Incubation Facility, and Winthrop NFH), and rearing at Willard NFH, Winthrop NFH, and Cascade FH.  Continued broodstock development is essential to the success of coho reintroduction in mid-Columbia tributaries.
Natural production in the Wenatchee and Methow Rivers has been documented through spawning ground surveys, juvenile rearing surveys, and smolt production estimates. We have documented natural adult returns in 2003 and expect increasing numbers of naturally produced adults in 2004.
** Egg-to-emigrant survival rates for Chiwawa spring chinook have ranged between 4.60% and 18.1% in the last 10 years; The mean egg-to-emigrant survival rate for Chiwawa spring chinook is 9.40% (A. Murdoch pers. comm.)

In 1998, an interagency technical work group developed a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation plan (YIN 1998) intended to maximize the potential for Program success and minimize ecological risk to other species of concern (i.e. spring chinook, summer chinook, bull trout and steelhead).  Many of the concerns originally outlined by the interagency technical work group have been addressed and evaluated, including predation by hatchery coho on spring chinook fry, predation by hatchery coho on sockeye fry, and competition for habitat or resources between juvenile coho, spring chinook, and steelhead.  The questions of ecological risk to other species were largely answered to the satisfaction of the work group and indicated that the reintroduction of coho salmon is not likely to negatively affect the populations of sockeye, spring chinook or steelhead in mid-Columbia tributaries.
All proposed activities outlined within this statement of work are consistent with the goals of the program.  In 1999, the technical workgroup reached consensus and completed a Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan outlining and discussing project objectives and issues as it relates to activities and tasks for the next 3 to 4 years.  The mid-Columbia Coho Salmon Study Plan (YIN 1998) identified some basin-specific experimental uncertainties: results from monitoring are not transferable to another basin but apply only to the specific habitat area studied.  However, resource managers have agreed that some of the study results can be applied to the entire region.  Therefore, in the experimental design and monitoring/evaluation part of the mid-Columbia program, several of the generic questions were developed and implemented in the Yakima River basin.  In order to reduce some of the ecological risk in conducting indirect and direct predation experiments on spring chinook, a listed species in the mid-Columbia region, these studies were first conducted in the Yakima sub-basin.  
This work statement identifies work elements, milestones and deliverables associated with the planning/design, operation/maintenance, monitoring/evaluation of experimental facilities and daily project management for activities for a 12 month period beginning (February 1, 2005 through January 31, 2006) using FY 05 funds.  It reflects tasks involved in the acclimation and release of up to 1,400,000 experimental coho and the supporting planning, construction, and monitoring activities, which are necessary to address project objectives. These activities correlate with those discussed in the Hatchery Genetic Management Plan (YN, 2002). This project is a phased adaptive management approach to restoration.  As new information becomes available resulting in further program development and implementation, this statement of work and associated budget will be amended.