This project is funded by the Bonneville Power Administration under directives by the Northwest Power Conservation Councils Columbia River Basin Fish & Wildlife Program, Resident Fish Substitution Measures, 1987 to current (Subbasin Plan), as partial mitigation for anadromous and resident fish losses in the blocked areas above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams.  The goal of this project is to operate and maintain Ford Hatchery to enhance the recreational kokanee fisheries in Banks Lake. The Ford Hatchery will augment production at Spokane Tribal hatchery by producing 700,000 Kokanee @ 60/lb. totaling 11,666 lbs. for Banks Lake.This is consistent with the Lake Roosevelt Guiding Document, the Lake Roosevelt Fisheries Evaluation Project (LRFEP) and the Banks Lake Fishery Evaluation Project recommendations. This proposal was prepared through the collective assistance of the entire Lake Roosevelt Fishery Enhancement Projects with the LRFEP/ Banks Lake as project leads.

The intent of this project is to continue working with the Lake Roosevelt artificial production projects to provide readily accessible sport and Tribal subsistence fisheries that are compatible and beneficial to the ecological conditions in Lake Roosevelt and Banks Lake (Grand Coulee Dam impoundments). Artificial production has been determined a feasible method for sustaining viable fisheries in Lake Roosevelt and Banks Lake. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Spokane Tribe, Colville Confederated Tribes and Lake Roosevelt Development Association/Lake Roosevelt Volunteer Net Pen Project are cooperating in a comprehensive artificial production program to produce kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) for annual releases into the project area. The program consists of the Spokane Tribal Hatchery, Sherman Creek Hatchery, Ford Trout Hatchery and Lake Roosevelt Rainbow Trout Net Pen Projects. The Lake Roosevelt and Banks Lake Fisheries Evaluation Programs monitor and evaluate release strategies and production methods for the aforementioned projects.

Between 1985 and 2019 the collective projects have annually produced up to 800,000 rainbow trout and 4 million kokanee salmon for release into Lake Roosevelt and 700,000 kokanee fry for Banks Lake.

All egg transfers will be spawned and shipped under current WDFW fish culture guidelines which include density, and fish health specifications found in part in US Fish & Wildlife Service, Fish Hatchery Management Manual, Piper, R.G., 1982.

State, tribes and federal government have developed a fish and egg health policy that sets standards for all fish production facilities in the state. The policy requires testing of fish and eggs before transferring them to another hatchery or planting them in streams outside their native waters. This policy regulates approximately 40 tribal facilities and more than 100 state and federal hatcheries. It is designed to prevent the spread of diseases among salmon in the state. Washington State Co-managers Fish Health Manual (WDFW, 1996).

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Western Washington Treaty Indian Tribes. 1998. Co-managers of Washington fish health policy. Fish Health Division, Hatcheries Program. Washington Dept. Fish and Wildlife, Olympia.