The Resident Fish Stock Status above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams Project, commonly referred to as the Joint Stock Assessment Project (JSAP), is a management tool that uses ecosystem principles to manage fish assemblages in altered environments existing in the Columbia River System above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams (blocked area). This project is designed and guided jointly by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Kalispel Natural Resource Department (KNRD), Spokane Tribe of Indians (STI), and Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CCT).

The fish assemblage existing today in the blocked area has been drastically altered from historical accounts prior to hydroelectric development. Today, the fish assemblage consists of 51 known resident species, most of which are non-native. Anadromous fish have been extirpated due to the construction of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams. The JSAP (NWPPC 1994 program measure 10.8B.26) is designed and guided jointly by fisheries managers in the blocked area employing a three-phase approach which will enhance fisheries resources by identifying data gaps, filling data gaps with research, and implementing management recommendations based on research results.

The goal of the CCT under the JSAP Project is to ensure historical and current fisheries data collected by CCT biologists is electronically preserved and made available to regional fisheries managers.

To reach this goal, CCT has implemented three primary objectives; 1) to assist CCT project managers with keeping current on data entry and uploading to the CCT Resident Fish Database; 2) provide appropriate data to the Kalispel Tribe for inclusion into the Intermountain Province/Pend Oreille Subbasin Data Management Project; and 3) to organize, enter and maintain historical fisheries data collected by the CCT.

The CCT utilizes a fisheries technician to ensure current resident fish data collected by all projects is entered in a standardized format, checked for accuracy, preserved electronically in the CCT Resident Fish Database, and then provided to the Kalispel Tribe. The CCT technician works closely with the Kalispel Tribe database lead to ensure data is transformed into the appropriate format prior to delivery. The CCT project lead filters through all data prior to its delivery to the Kalispel Tribe.

The CCT has collected fisheries data on the reservation and ceded "North Half" for over 50 years. The majority of this data has been stock piled in filing cabinets and computers in various offices. Not all historical data was collected in a manner that allows for its inclusion into a public database; however this data will be archived electronically.

Compiling data into a centralized database allows fish managers to have access to large amounts of regional fisheries statistics. These data can be used to assess the condition of fish populations and provide insight into management needs in the Intermountain Province and other similar areas. Through this project, the CCT works to participate in regional coordination with local managers. This project provides a resource that facilitates the discussion of consistent data collection methods and protocols between regional managers.