The Kelt Reconditioning and Reproductive Success Evaluation Project is a research, monitoring, and evaluation (RM&E) uncertainties category project funded through the Columbia Basin Fish Accords.  The objectives are to evaluate methodologies to produce viable artificially reconditioned repeat steelhead spawners and to determine the productivity of repeat spawners.  Work occurs in both the Yakima and Snake river basins.  We focus on collecting steelhead kelts at juvenile bypass facilities in Prosser and Lower Granite dams, and additionally some fish are collected at Dworshak National Fish Hatchery.  These kelts were reconditioned (given prophylactic treatments and fed a specially formulated diet) at Prosser and Dworshak National Fish Hatcheries.  Survival of long-term reconditioned kelts has been 42% (17 years) for Yakima River at Prosser Hatchery and at Dworshak Hatchery 21% (5 years) for hatchery origin fish, 33% (6 years; 46% over the last 4 years) for mixed stock collections at Lower Granite Dam, and in previous years Fish Creek and the South Fork Clearwater River.  

Experiments are conducted to better understand the survival and rematuration process and investigate optimum management scenarios for reconditioned fish.