The Idaho Natural Production Monitoring & Evaluation Project (INPMEP) has been evolving in an adaptive management mode for over 20 years. It was originally established by the Northwest Power Planning Council’s 1982 Fish and Wildlife Program as project number 1983-007-00. Project goals were to monitor natural production of anadromous fish and evaluate off-site habitat mitigation projects funded by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA). The original project split into general and intensive monitoring components. General monitoring followed anadromous fish production and population trends over a broad geographic area. Intensive studies investigated life cycle survival at two sites to develop quantitative criteria to guide management. Both components continued through the 1990s as project number 1991-073-00. Project focus changed with the listing of Snake River spring/summer Chinook and steelhead under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Salmon escapement declined such that survival could not be estimated with intensive studies but had to be examined in aggregate. Thus, the intensive studies were expanded to a basin-wide scale and evaluation of specific mitigation projects was discontinued, while general monitoring continued as before. Changing demands for the way monitoring is conducted in the Columbia River basin prompted a proposal with a slightly changed focus in 2010. This statement of work implements the plans put forth in the 2010 proposal as approved by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

As a large-scale, perpetual monitoring project, INPMEP interacts with other projects that are concerned with natural production of salmonids in Idaho.  These projects include the Idaho Steelhead Monitoring and Evaluation Studies (ISMES; project 1990-055-00) and the Idaho Supplementation Studies (ISS, 1989-098-00).  The latter is in the process of sun setting and many of the monitoring actives formerly conducted under ISS were been shifted to INPMEP in this contract cycle.  In addition to fulfilling the primary status monitoring functions for ESA listed Snake River spring/summer Chinook populations, INPMEP has collected essential baseline data for effectiveness monitoring of population responses to management actions with respect to aquatic resources, downstream passage issues, tributary habitat modifications, and natural/hatchery interactions.

Currently, INPMEP monitors trends in abundance, productivity, spatial structure, and diversity at the independent population, and major population group (MPG) scales for spring/summer Chinook salmon and steelhead trout in the Salmon, Clearwater, and minor middle Snake tributaries in the Idaho portion of Hells Canyon. We will also assess abundance, productivity, and diversity for the Snake River spring/summer Chinook Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) based on samples obtained at Lower Granite Dam (LGR).  At LGR, INPMEP will continue to sample adult Chinook with NOAA Fisheries (project 2005-002-00) and has expanded efforts in coordination with the Smolt Monitoring Project at LGR (SMP; 1987-127-00) to obtain juvenile samples.  Analysis of genetic samples has been transferred to the Genetic Stock Identification project (GSI; 2010-026-00).  We will collaborate with the GSI project to break aggregate abundance estimates and age composition into MPGs, and in some cases, independent populations. Over time, productivity will be assessed. In 2016, we will continue to collect length, sex, and age data from wild Chinook salmon on the spawning grounds across Idaho, and evaluate biases in these data. The run reconstruction analyses conducted in the past will be updated as well. We will continue to develop a more efficient and valid study design for juvenile salmonid monitoring.

The objectives for INPMEP have been expanded from previous years to reflect the absorption of monitoring activities formerly under ISS (see above).  INPMEP’s original objectives are maintained in objectives one through four, while the latter two objectives were previously under the ISS project.  The purpose of each objective involves enumerating or describing individuals within the life stages undergone by anadromous salmonids. By understanding the transitions between stages and associated controlling factors, we also hope to achieve a mechanistic understanding of population dynamics.

Objective 1. Describe the 2015 adult escapement and age composition of wild Chinook salmon passing LGR.
Objective 2. Monitor the juvenile production of Chinook salmon and steelhead trout for the MPGs within the Clearwater and Salmon sub-basins. This objective is general trend monitoring that focuses on densities of juvenile salmonids at selected sampling sites. Sites will be selected based on a rotating panel design (intensive, extensive, and historical panels).
Objective 3. Evaluate the life cycle survival and the freshwater productivity of Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon. There are two components: update/refine a stock-recruit model and estimate aggregate smolt-to-adult survival. This is an evaluation that puts together and interprets data generated from other objectives in a form suitable for management evaluation. The results are invaluable for assessing stock status and the impact of tributary management actions on them.
Objective 4. Coordinate reporting of redd counts in Idaho to fit the population format recommended by the Interior Columbia Basin Technical Recovery Team.
Objective 5. Estimate juvenile emigrant abundance and survival to Lower Granite Dam for intensively monitored populations.
Objective 6. Estimate spawner abundance at the population level.  This entails enumerating adults by expanding redd counts (ground or air) and/or accounting of fish released above hatchery weirs.