Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program
SOW Report
Contract 61267: 1993-056-00 EXP UW - NOAA RESEARCH TO ADVANCE HATCHERY REFORM
Project Number:
Title:
Advance Hatchery Reform Research
BPA PM:
Stage:
Implementation
Area:
Province Subbasin %
Basinwide - 100.00%
Contract Number:
61267
Contract Title:
1993-056-00 EXP UW - NOAA RESEARCH TO ADVANCE HATCHERY REFORM
Contract Continuation:
Previous: Next:
56906: 1993-056-00 EXP UW NOAA RESEARCH TO ADVANCE HATCHERY REFORM
  • 65315: 1993-056-00 EXP UW - NOAA RESEARCH TO ADVANCE HATCHERY REFORM
Contract Status:
Closed
Contract Description:
Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) 63.2 of the FCRPS Biological Opinion calls for determining the effects of implemented hatchery reforms on salmon and steelhead populations.  There is currently a specified gap in coverage for Upper Columbia River steelhead (RM&E workgroup June 2009 predecisional draft document and subsequent workgroups).  This proposal provides for implementation and evaluation of major hatchery reforms identified by the RM&E workgroup for the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Winthrop National Fish Hatchery (WNFH). The required transition to local broodstock requires hatchery reform actions that i) can accommodate a later return and spawn timing, ii) induce proper smoltification, iii) promote high survival, and iv) maintain natural levels of fitness in the hatchery stock.  Simply, transition to local broodstock cannot be successful without effective implementation of the hatchery reforms described in this proposal, which is part and parcel to the HGMP being developed by the USFWS for WNFH.

Steelhead in Pacific Northwest hatcheries are typically reared for release as 1-year-old smolts, rather than the 2¬and 3-year-old smolt life history patterns found in nature.  High growth rates associated with accelerated hatchery rearing to a 1-year-old smolt life history may contribute to maladaptive behavioral traits and reduced post-release survival, and may constitute a primary mechanism leading to reduced fitness in hatchery fish.  The current proposal offers a unique opportunity to evaluate genetic, physiological, and life history impacts of rearing 1- vs 2-year-old steelhead smolts.  The study is cost effective in that it will be conducted using groups of integrated steelhead already being reared in Washington tributaries of the upper Columbia River as part of ESA recovery efforts.  The study will aim to provide husbandry solutions that will help increase fitness, and alleviate maladaptive traits of hatchery-reared steelhead.  The design fills identified gaps the FCRPS BiOp Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives 39, 63.2, 64.2.  It will develop hatchery reform actions and best management practices for artificial production programs to make a net positive contribution to recovery of listed populations.

Nearly all steelhead intervention programs within the Basin will require non-conventional rearing methods in order to minimize the fitness loss described by Araki et al. (2008 and 2009) while achieving high smoltification and survival rates.  The methods developed and tested under this proposal will be transferable in real time to other intervention programs wrestling with the same issues (e.g., Touchet, Tucannon, East Fork Salmon River).  The RME workgroup indicated under RPA 64.2 that additional analysis may be needed to determine if supplementation programs are having a negative impact on recovery.  Negative effects from ecological interactions constitute one of the primary concerns with hatchery programs.  This project will focus on the effects of hatchery reform actions on residualism, which can exacerbate competition and predation effects on natural-origin fish survival.  Hatchery-induced residualism caused by early male maturity would make it nearly impossible to implement hatchery reform alternatives because controlling the proportionate natural influence (PNI) and other important parameters included HSRG models cannot be controlled if residuals are maturing and interbreeding with natural-origin fish.

The project has two biological objectives: 1) Improve survival and reduce fitness loss in Columbia River steelhead smolts by minimizing unnatural selection on body size and other smolt characteristics, and 2) Identify behavioral and physiological traits under selection through laboratory-scale research. The project will pursue the objectives by intensive monitoring of S1 and S2 steelhead smolts at WNHF and conducting mechanistic laboratory-based research on the same populations.
Account Type(s):
Expense
Contract Start Date:
06/01/2013
Contract End Date:
05/31/2014
Current Contract Value:
$139,360
Expenditures:
$139,360

* Expenditures data includes accruals and are based on data through 31-Oct-2024.

Env. Compliance Lead:
Contract Contractor:
Work Order Task(s):
Contract Type:
Contract (IGC)
Pricing Method:
Cost Reimbursement (CNF)
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Viewing of Work Statement Elements

Deliverable Title WSE Sort Letter, Number, Title Start End Concluded
Manage and administer entire project B: 119. Manage and Administer Project 05/30/2014 05/27/2014
Improve survival and reduce fitness loss in Columbia River steelhead smolts C: 157. Improve survival and reduce fitness loss 05/31/2014 05/27/2014
Identify behavioral and physiological traits under selection through lab scale study D: 157. Identify behavioral and physiological traits under selection 05/31/2014 05/27/2014
Obtain NEPA Clearance E: 165. Provide BPA Staff NEPA documentation 06/01/2013 06/01/2013

Viewing of Implementation Metrics
Viewing of Environmental Metrics Customize

Primary Focal Species Work Statement Elements
Steelhead (O. mykiss) - Upper Columbia River DPS (Threatened)
  • 2 instances of WE 157 Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data

Sort WE ID WE Title NEPA NOAA USFWS NHPA Has Provisions Inadvertent Discovery Completed
A 185 Periodic Status Reports for BPA 06/01/2013
B 119 Manage and Administer Project 06/01/2013
C 157 Improve survival and reduce fitness loss 06/01/2013
D 157 Identify behavioral and physiological traits under selection 06/01/2013
E 165 Provide BPA Staff NEPA documentation 06/01/2013
F 132 Submit Progress Report for the period (January 2013 - December 2013) 06/01/2013