In 1992 the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT), in cooperation with Washington State University (WSU) and the University of Idaho (IU), established a germplasm repository in order to preserve a representative sample of the remaining salmonid diversity in the Snake River basin.  Collections focused on Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; Nacó’x? in Nez Perce) and steelhead (O. mykiss; Héeyey in Nez Perce) populations that were listed as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.  Numerous species and populations in this region have already been extirpated and small population sizes in the remaining populations face threats from decreased genetic diversity resulting from genetic drift and inbreeding, reducing viability of the entire species and ecological communities.  A comprehensive collection strategy was developed to maximize the preservation of within- and among-population genetic diversity from these species.  In addition, the repository serves as a long-term storage facility available for other management agencies to contribute gamete samples from other populations or species.  Although only male gametes can be cryopreserved at this time, the germplasm repository provides management options for future species recovery actions.  

Current project objectives are to maintain the samples in repositories at Washington State University and the United States Department of Agriculture, National Animal Genetic Preservation Center in Fort Collins, Co  and assist hatchery or research personnel in the use of the gametes.  A total of 2,990 Columbia River male Chinook salmon, 1,403 Columbia River male steelhead gamete samples are preserved in the repository.