The cultural and spiritual relationship between the Native People of the Pacific Northwest and salmon was, and is, central to their society.  Historically, the upper Columbia River Basin was home to five anadromous fish species.  However, fish passage in the Columbia River was blocked by the construction of Grand Coulee (1939; river km 960) and Chief Joseph dams (1956; river km 877).

The extirpation of these fish from the upper Columbia River Basin eliminated many subsistence fishing opportunities for Native American Tribes and First Nations in Canada.  However, relict freshwater resident populations of historically anadromous fish still exist in Lake Roosevelt including kokanee salmon (lacustrine Sockeye Salmon).  Native fish perform a critical role in the ecosystems health and function.  The Chief Joseph Kokanee Enhancement Project (CJKEP) was amended into the Council's Fish and Wildlife program during the 1995 amendment.  The goal of the CJKEP is to protect and enhance the naturally producing kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka populations above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams in an effort to support the tribal subsistence and non-tribal recreational sport fisheries.  The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Indian Reservation (CCT) work cooperatively with the co-managers of Lake Roosevelt to enhance native fish populations and provide fishing opportunities.

Since its inception, the CJKEP has focused on identifying and addressing limiting factors for naturally produced kokanee.  Previous research focused on entrainment at Grand Coulee Dam, quantify kokanee spawning habitat, basin wide genetics database, water quality monitoring in key tributaries, and non-native predation impacts.

The Lake Roosevelt kokanee population is comprised of multiple wild and hatchery kokanee stocks.  The wild kokanee stocks are a mix of wild Lake Roosevelt kokanee, native stocks that immigrated from Canada (Arrow and Kootenay lakes), and non-native kokanee stocks that immigrated from Pend Oreille and Coeur D’ Alene lake in Idaho.  We have genetically cataloged all of these stocks.  This enables us to genetically identify kokanee collected by research groups or harvested by anglers.  This data assists the co-managers with establishing harvest regulations that protect native fish, while providing harvest opportunities for non-native kokanee.  

The spawning locations for wild Lake Roosevelt kokanee are unknown, which hinder conservation efforts.  To date, large numbers of wild kokanee have not been detected spawning in tributary streams, leading biologists to hypothesize the wild populations are utilizing deep water spawning habitat at depths below the drawdown elevations (> 17 m) or migrate to the free flowing sections of the Columbia River in Canada below Hugh Keenleyside Dam.  The project is currently utilizing acoustic telemetry and microchemistry techniques to locate the spawning populations.

Non-native predatory fish have been shown to negatively affect the survival of native fish including kokanee and Redband Trout in Lake Roosevelt.  Suppressing these populations in the Sanpoil Arm, a key salmonid migration corridor, has been a priority over the past five years.  Suppression has been successful, however when suppression stops, predators repopulate the area.  Predator removal is a constant battle that requires constant attention and effort to be successful.

The 2017 Project Objectives are:

Objective 1.  Monitor wild kokanee abundance and exploitation.
Task 1.  Monitor kokanee adult escapement to the Sanpoil River and other select tributaries.
Task 2.  Collect and analyze DNA tissue samples collected from the Lake Roosevelt creel to determine kokanee stock exploitation.
Task 3.  Fill data gaps currently in the basin wide kokanee genetics database.  Including stocks found in Revelstoke Reservoir, Kinbasket Reservoir, Okanogan Lake, and Lake Koocanusa.

Objective 2.  Identify key reservoir habitat areas that support wild kokanee for rearing and spawning.
Task 1.  Monitor water temperature in key tributaries and reservoir locations to identify potential limiting factors.

Objective 3.  Reduce non-native fish predator impacts on native salmonids.  
Task 1.  Conduct a non-native predator reduction programs in key salmonid migration corridors in Lake Roosevelt.  

Results from the above projects will assist the co-managers of Lake Roosevelt with managing both hatchery and wild kokanee populations found within the blocked area.