A unique well coordinated standardized monitoring and evaluation program(s) exists in the Upper Columbia River Basin.  Monitoring and evaluation programs are funded by a combination of  federal (BPA, BOR, USFWS), State, Tribal, and regional (PUDs) entities.  WDFW will be the research lead for the project and obtain all necessary environmental compliance permits for the project.  Colville Confederated Tribes will be the primary contractor for the Okanogan Basin.  While all these various program contribute data to estimate VSP parameters for steelhead and spring Chinook salmon, these programs also share common deficiencies related to precision and accuracy of the abundance estimates.  Existing M & E activities combined with recent advances in PIT tag technology provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the data generated in order to make proper management decisions concerning ESA listed species.  The overall objectives of the project are to: 1) estimate run escapement of hatchery and wild steelhead in each of the four primary populations, 2) estimate the precision of redd counts for both steelhead and spring Chinook and 3) evaluate the accuracy of the steelhead spawning ground survey design and determine the proportion of spawners outside the survey area.  In 2014, we also intend to conduct a steelhead radio telemetry study to independently validate estimates generated from PIT tags and to estimate steelhead population characteristics (overwinter survival, number of redds per female).  These tasks address in part or fully the critical uncertainties identified under Supplementation in the Columbia River Basin Research Plan (2006-03) and steelhead population characteristics (abundance, productivity, and ratio of hatchery fish) under the Fish and Wildlife Program.  Additionally, all of the studies in this proposal are directly consistent with RPAs for the FCRPS BiOp.

During the time period under this contract, we will install a permanent PIT arrays in the upper Chewuch River in the Methow Basin, the last permanent array in the Methow or Wenatchee.  In addition, we will be relocating a permanent array in the Middle Wenatchee River installed under the ISEMP.  This array was suspended in the middle of the water column, not anchored tot he stream bottom and has been repeatedly damaged by large trees.  As a result, over the last year only 1 out 6 antennas has been  operational.  The relocation of this array has been discussed and approved by Dr. Chris Jordan (ISEMP PI).  We will also build five replacement temporary antennas for those destroyed in the spring of 2013 or 2014 (locations unknown at this time). Temporary PIT arrays will continue to be deployed throughout the four primary populations to better understand steelhead spawning distribution, both hatchery and wild, and will serve as recapture locations to better inform run and spawning escapement estimates. Studies focused on developing models to estimate spring Chinook redd observer efficiency in the Wenatchee and Methow Basins will be completed under this contract.   A key component to all these activities is the steelhead stock assessment work at Priest Rapids Dam during which a random sample of steelhead are PIT tagged.  Escapement estimates of wild steelhead in 2011 and 2012 suggested that a greater tag rates at Priest Rapids Dam is needed to reduce uncertainty.  In response, we will increase our sampling rate from 2 day per week to 3 days per week in 2013.  By 2014, we expect to have the PIT tag array infrastructure installed and complete, except in the Okanogan, and fully develop spring Chinook and steelhead redd observer efficiency models.  Beginning in 2014, the focus of the project will shift to a radio telemetry, using fish PIT tagged at Priest Rapids Dam, to validate PIT tag based estimates study and estimate prespawn mortality for fish that spawn in the mainstem of the Wenatchee, Entiat, Methow, and Okanogan Rivers.  

WDFW will be the research lead for the project and obtain all necessary environmental compliance permits for the project which includes FY13 contract requisition #'s: 234540 and 241734. Andrew Murdoch will be the point of contact for WDFW.  Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) will be the primary contractor for the Okanogan Basin; FY13 CR #: 234540.  John Arteburn is the point of contact for the CCT.  In addition, Jody White of QCI will be the primary contractor for CR #: 241734.