2006 Statement of Work
Performance and Budget Period:  March 1, 2006 - February 28, 2007

Project title:  Design and Conduct Monitoring and Evaluation Associated with Re-establishment of Okanogan Basin Natural Production.

Project number:  200302200

Technical Contact:  John Arterburn, Fisheries Biologist II
Colville Confederated Tribes, Fish and Wildlife Department
23 Brooks Tracts Rd. Omak, WA 98841(509) 422-7424
john.arterburn@colvilletribes.com

Contracting Contact:  Cindy McCartney, Administrative Assistant
Colville Confederated Tribes, Fish and Wildlife Department
P.O. Box 150, Nespelem, WA 99155
(509) 634-2126
cindy.mccartney@colvilletribes.com

Project goal:
Monitoring and Evaluation of anadromous fish at a sub-basin scale requires a long-term commitment as most outcomes will not be realized for 7 to 20+ years.  This project is designed to ultimately achieve these goals:

1.  Determine if there is a statistically significant difference in biological parameters of summer/fall, spring Chinook, sockeye, and steelhead in the Okanogan basin (7-20+ year time frame).  Looking for changes over time within a species.

2.  Determine if over time there is a statistically significant difference in selected physical habitat parameters and characteristics for the Okanogan basin resulting from the cumulative benefits of habitat actions (7-20+ year time frame).

3.  Determine if over time there is a statistically significant difference in selected water quality parameters for the Okanogan basin (7-20+ year time frame).

4.  Research select data gaps and critical questions throughout the Okanogan sub-basin for all anadromous species and life history stages identified in the Okanogan River subbasin plan, state salmon recovery plan, federal recovery plans, and to address emerging management needs (1-5+ year time frame).

5.  Conduct a baseline Okanogan Basin inventory & analysis to:  a.) Collect data, to raise physical habitat data to an empirical level for use in EDT; b.) Review, standardize and incorporate historical and current fish population distributions; and c.) collect information necessary to fill indentified data gaps, for use in EDT modeling runs or to assist in future enhancement planning processes (1-20+ year time frame).

This project is designed to address a multitude of questions and at the same time eliminate duplication of work, reduce costs, and increase monitoring efficiency.  The implementation of valid statistical designs, probabilistic sampling, standardized data collection protocols, consistent data reporting methods, and selection of sensitive indicators will increase monitoring efficiency.  For this plan to be successful, all organizations involved must be willing to cooperate and freely share information.  Cooperation includes sharing monitoring responsibilities, adjusting or changing sampling methods to comport with standardized protocols, and adhering to statistical design criteria.  In those cases where the standardized method for measuring an indicator is different from what was used in the past, it may be necessary to measure the indicator with both methods for a few years so that a relationship can be developed between the two methods.  Scores generated with a former method could then be adjusted to correct for any bias.

Primary Goal for 2006:
Implement a basin wide monitoring and evaluation program and begin limited data collection and construction of needed infrastructure.  This monitoring and evaluation program will provide status and trend data for all anadromous fish species in the Okanogan River basin for the next 20 years

Background:
A coordinated and comprehensive approach to the monitoring and evaluation of status and trend in anadromous populations and their habitats is needed to support restoration efforts in the Columbia Cascade Province and in the Okanogan subbasin in particular.  Currently, independent research projects and some monitoring activities are conducted by various state and federal agencies, tribes, and to some extent by watershed councils, conservation districts, or landowners, but there has been no overall framework for coordination of efforts or for interpretation and synthesis of results until now.

Managers often implement actions within tributary streams to improve the status of fish populations and their habitats.  Until recently, there was little incentive to monitor such actions to see if they met their desired effects.  Many programs require that funded actions include monitoring efforts and coordinated measures to reduce duplication or contrary effort and to provide a process for more universal reporting and strategic planning.  Within the Upper Columbia Basin in Washington State, several different organizations, including federal, state, tribal, local, and private entities currently implement tributary actions and conduct independent monitoring studies.  Because goals and objectives are unique for each project; entities are using different monitoring approaches and protocols.  In some cases, different entities are measuring the same (or similar) things in the same streams with little coordination or awareness of each others efforts.  The Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team (RTT) is aware of this problem and developed a monitoring strategy (Hillman 2004) that if properly implemented would reduce redundancy, increase efficiency, and meet the goals and objectives of various entities.

We propose that the structure and methods employed by the Monitoring Strategy for the Upper Columbia Basin (Hillman 2004, Peck et al. 2001) be extended to the Okanogan subbasin of the Columbia Cascade Province.  This approach is fully consistent with the original 2003 project proposal for the Okanogan M&E program but provides much more detail.  This project is high priority based on the high level of emphasis the NPCC Fish and Wildlife Program, Subbasin summaries, NOAA fisheries guidance, and emphasis the Independent Scientific Review Panel have placed on monitoring and evaluation.  The overall goal of this program is to provide the necessary data to guide restoration and adaptive management in the region.

The Okanogan M&E program itself is specifically designed to monitor key components of the ecosystem including biological, physical habitat, and water quality parameters.  The program will also contain components to develop baseline assessments where data are currently unavailable and conduct preliminary studies that help fill existing data gaps or help clearify research or management questions.

We selected sites using the EMAP (GRTS+) sampling framework with assisstance from the Enviromental Protection Agency to produce an array of statistically based and spatially explicit monitoring sites throughout the Okanogan River basin (Maps availible upon request). These sights will be monitoired over the next 20 years to quantify trends in physical habitat, water quality, and biological parameters.  Each year, up to 50 spatially balanced, randomly selected reaches are sampled for physical, biological, and water quality parameters in the Okanogan River subbasin.

Facilities and Equipment:
All facilities and equipment will be sited at 23 Brooks Tracts Rd, maintained and under the general management of the Confederated Colville Tribes Fish and Wildlife Program.  Mr. Joe Peone, Director of the Fish and Wildlife Program, will have overall responsibility for the implementation and management of the M&E program.