Goal: To assess habitat limitations as it pertains to Snake River sockeye salmon Oncorhynchus nerka preservation and recovery, to implement activities necessary to increase and\or reestablish O. nerka productivity in nursery areas in the historic range of Snake River sockeye salmon, and to investigate fish community dynamics in lake nursery areas, including interactions between resident and anadromous O. nerka in present or potential Sawtooth Valley production areas.  We will collaborate with the IDFG to determine release strategies, and assess fish performance from introduction into the lakes up through smolt migration.
Project objectives include: 1) monitor limnological parameters of the Sawtooth Valley lakes to assess lake productivity; 2) monitor sockeye salmon smolt migration from the captive rearing program release of juveniles and eyed-eggs into Pettit and Alturas lakes;  3) reduce the number of mature kokanee spawning in Fishhook Creek and Alturas Lake Creek; 4) monitor spawning kokanee escapement and estimate fry recruitment in Fishhook and Alturas Lake creeks; 5) conduct sockeye and kokanee salmon population surveys; 6) evaluate potential competition and predation between stocked juvenile sockeye salmon and a variety of fish species in Pettit, and Alturas lakes; and 7) assist IDFG with captive broodstock production activities.