Spring chinook have essentially been absent from the Walla Walla River subbasin for over 75 years. "The last run of importance was reported in 1925 and entered the river in May and early June" (Van Cleave and Ting 1960). Losses have generally been attributed to the development of agriculture and related irrigation diversions and channel dewatering within the basin.  In addition, the construction of Federal hydropower dams on the Columbia River changed the character of the mainstem migration corridor from a free-flowing river to a series of impoundments.  This development altered juvenile and adult migratory patterns, further compromising salmonid lifecycles.  

Under the FWP, the Northeast Oregon Hatchery Program (NEOH) was established in 1987. It was the initial artificial production planning effort by fishery co-managers for restoring anadromous fish runs in Northeast Oregon including the Walla Walla Subbasin. Little progress had been made towards meeting the NEOH goals since it was identified in the 1987 FWP and NEOH was reincorporated into the 1994 FWP (NPPC 1994).

As stated previously, a requirement of NEOH is that prior to design of facilities, a master plan be developed for each subbasin. The development of a Walla Walla Hatchery Master Plan (WWHMP) is authorized under 1994 FWProgram Measure 7.4L1 which directs BPA to "fund planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and evaluation of artificial production facilities to raise chinook salmon and steelhead for enhancement in the Hood, Walla Walla, Grande Ronde and Imnaha rivers and elsewhere."

The development of the WWHMP was begun in the early 1990's under project #198805302 and was separated out as project #200020138 in 2000. Two draft master plans have been developed, one in 1993 and one in 1998. Neither plan was finalized as significant passage, flow, and/or habitat issues remained unresolved at the time. Considerable progress has been made in these areas to a point where implementation of the hatchery program is now warranted and a final Master Plan is now being developed for construction of hatchery facilities in the Walla Walla Subbasin.

The purpose of this contract is to provide support necessary to get to a Council decision for proceed to Phase 2.