STATEMENT OF WORK

Note:  These are not listed Upper Columbia River Spring-run Chinook, they have been designated as an "excess" or "experimental" population.  See attachment (E-mail from Chris Peterson from NOAA)

This project will provide funding for the operation and maintenance associated with the Tonasket Acclimation Pond located within the Okanogan subbasin.  The Tonasket Acclimation Pond is a modified sediment pond owned by the Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District that has been identified as a component of the Chief Joseph Hatchery Program (CJHP) to acclimate spring Chinook salmon.  The schedule identified in the CJHP for initiating fish acclimation in the Tonasket Pond is 2012.  However, due to an excess number of Methow Composite Spring Chinook salmon parr produced at the Winthrop National Fish Hatchery (WNFH), the acclimation pond could receive 150,000 of these fish and be operational beginning in late October 2009. This parr production would be available annually from WNFH for the next several years until the CJHP is able to accept eyed eggs from WNFH. Through the initiation of the Tonasket Pond Acclimation Pond project now, the ability to collect local brood for the CJHP is substantially increased by as much as one generation (4-5 years).

This project will utilize the Tonasket Acclimation Pond.  This pond has successfully reared spring Chinook salmon during 2007/08.  During this acclimation period the pond became ice-covered for 80 consecutive days (December 10, 2007 thru February 29, 2008).  During 2008 an aeration system designed to prevent the formation of ice was purchased.  However this system was not deployed because no excess spring Chinook parr were available from Federal hatcheries in the Upper Columbia ESU.  This aeration system would be deployed during the fall of 2009 prior to the arrival of parr and operated when ambient air conditions are conducive for ice formation.  If the aeration system is successful at preventing the formation of ice, this low-cost technique may be incorporated at newly-constructed acclimation ponds (Riverside, Omak) associated with the Chief Joseph Hatchery complex and result in a significant saving of monies that  would otherwise be required to prevent ice formation on these ponds.

Costs include pond lease and pumping costs to supply water over the acclimation period.