Download East Fork Integrated Steelhead B-Run

APRE Summary
Program name:
Steelhead B (East Fork) - Integrated
Subbasin:
Salmon
ESA status:
Not listed
Operator: IDFG
Co-operators
Role
USFWS
Administers the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan as authorized by
the Water Resources Development Act of 1976.
Shoshone
Bannock-Tribes
co-manager - participated in the negotiation and development of a
management agreement (1999) to implement the East Fork Salmon
River natural steelhead supplementation initiative.
Columbia River
Treaty Tribes
co-manager - participated in the negotiation and development of a
management agreement (1999) to implement the East Fork Salmon
River natural steelhead supplementation initiative.
USFWS
co-manager - participated in the negotiation and development of a
management agreement (1999) to implement the East Fork Salmon
River natural steelhead supplementation initiative.
NMFS
co-manager - participated in the negotiation and development of a
management agreement (1999) to implement the East Fork Salmon
River natural steelhead supplementation initiative.
Funding Source(s)
USFWS through LSRCP
Annual Operating Cost*
$ 1,600,000
*Annual Operating Cost is reflected in dollars. The origin of this value is not consistent among programs, as it may reflect total
facility costs or multiple programs for a given species.
The purpose of this program is to contribute to: Conservation/recovery and Research and/or education, as mitigation
for: Hydro impacts and Habitat loss.
This is an integrated program.
Program description:
Location
Age Class
Maximum
Number
Size
(fpp)
Release
Date
Stream
Release Point
(RKm)
Major
Watershed
Ecoprovince
Eggs
Unfed Fry
Fry
Fingerling
Yearling 50,000
4.3
4/11-5/2
East Fork
Salmon River
29
Comment:
Broodstock source East Fork Salmon River unmarked steelhead
Broodstock collection location East Fork Salmon River, 29RKm, Salmon River
Salmon River
Mountain
Snake
(stream, RKm, subbasin)
Adult holding location (stream,
East Fork Salmon River, 29RKm, Salmon River
RKm, subbasin)
Spawning location (stream,
East Fork Salmon River, 29RKm, Salmon River
RKm, subbasin)
Incubation location (facility
Sawtooth Fish Hatchery, Salmon River, 503RKm ,Salmon River
name, stream, RKm, subbasin)
Rearing location (facility name,
Magic Valley Fish Hatchery, Crystal Springs, NA, Snake River
stream, RKm, subbasin)
Comment:
Incubation from green to eyed egg stage occurs at Sawtooth. Incubation from eyed egg to hatch occurs at Magic
Valley.
Broodstock Source
Origin
East Fork Salmon River unmarked steelhead N
Year(s) Used
Begin
2000
End
2003
Status and goals for target stock:
= Low
= Medium
= High
Now
10-15 years
30-50 years
Biological
Significance
Viability
Habitat
Hatchery program performance indicators for the target stock:
Recruits per Spawner
Smolt-to-Adult Survival
Escapement and Hatchery Spawning
Total Catch
Consistency of hatchery program with the goals for the target stock:
The goal for the stock is to maintain biological significance and improve viability. The integrated hatchery program is
consistent with stock status and goals. The program has a research component.
Guidelines for improving key operational elements to increase the likelihood of meeting
goals for the target stock :
Broodstock Collection


Sufficient broodstock should be collected to maintain an effective population size of 1000 fish per generation.
If the wild population has 150 fish or more, collection of wild broodstock should be limited to 30% of the
population.
Incubation


IHOT species-specific incubation recommendations should be followed for water temperature.
IHOT species-specific incubation recommendations should be followed for using substrate.
Rearing

The water used for rearing should meet or exceed the recommended Integrated Hatchery Operations Team (IHOT)
water quality standards for temperature.

Juvenile rearing density and loading guidelines used at the facility should be based on life-stage specific survival
studies conducted on-site.

Hatchery intake screening for the rearing water supply should comply with Integrated Hatchery Operations Team
(IHOT) and National Marine Fisheries Service facility standards.

The water used for rearing should provide natural water temperature profiles that result in fish similar in size to
naturally produced fish of the same species.

The program should attempt to better mimic the natural stream environment by rearing under natural water
temperature profiles.


The program should use a diet and growth regime that mimics natural seasonal growth patterns.
IHOT juvenile rearing standards should be followed for alarm systems.
Release







Fish produced should be qualitatively similar to natural fish in growth rate.
Marking/tagging techniques should be used to distinguish between the hatchery and natural populations.
Volitional releases during natural out-migration timing should be practiced.
Fish should be released at an optimum time and size that has been determined by a site-specific survival study.
Marking/tagging techniques should be used to distinguish among segments of the hatchery population.
Fish produced should be qualitatively similar to natural fish in size.
Fish should be released at sizes and life history stages similar to those of natural fish of the same species.
M&E


Goals for the program should be documented so that results can be adequately evaluated.

Adults from this program should not make up more than 30% of the natural spawning escapement (for the
species/race) in the subbasin.
Results of program evaluation should be reported/documented so that they can be taken into consideration when
determining whether hatchery operations should be changed.
These recommendations represent an opportunity to improve key operational elements for this type of program. Detailed
information on the benefits and risks of all operational phases as they affect the outcome of this program are available in
APRE Report for Steelhead B (East Fork) - Integrated in the Salmon
Consistency of hatchery program with goals for other stocks:
Hatchery fish may affect other stocks in several ways. Naturally spawning populations may be subject to genetic interactions
through interbreeding. Ecological interactions through predation and competition may occur between the hatchery population
and other populations, and natural populations may be incidentally harvested in fisheries targeting a more abundant hatchery
stock. Abundant hatchery stocks may also mask the status of natural populations. Conversely an increase in the number of
artificially produced fish may improve the ecological function of a watershed through their contribution of marine derived
nutrients.
A number of factors are known to affect the likelihood and severity of such interactions, among them the abundance of the
hatchery population relative to other populations; the time, size and life stage at which hatchery fish are released; and the
quantity and quality of habitat available to the co-mingled stocks. The table below lists the current status of some of the
populations in the subbasin where the hatchery fish are released that might be vulnerable to these interactions.
Steelhead B-run are not listed in the upper Salmon River watershed and releases of yearling steelhead could only impact
other listed fish in the Columbia River in the Columbia and Snake river migration corridor.
Stock Name
Summer Chinook (Johnson
Creek)
Summer Chinook (Pahsimeroi)
Steelhead B-Natural
Redfish Lake Sockeye
Spring/Summer Chinook (W.
Fork Yankee Fork, Salmon
River)- Integrated
Spring/Summer Chinook (East
Fork Salmon River)- Integrated
Lemhi River Spring_Summer
Chinook
ESA Listing
Threatened
Viability
L
Biological Significance
H
Threatened
Threatened
Endangered
Threatened
L
L
L
L
H
H
H
H
Threatened
L
H
Threatened
L
H
Additional reviewer comments:
The E.F. Salmon River integrated steelhead, funded by USFWS LSRCP, is a wild broodstock designed to determine if hatchery
fish can increase natural production. This program has no harvest goals and was established under a conservation/recovery
strategy. Broodstock collection, adult holding and spawning is conducted on the E.F. Salmon River, incubation is at the
Sawtooth Hatchery, and rearing occurs at Magic Valley, Crystal Spring, and Snake River hatcheries.
The new program, using 100% wild broodstock, had its first returns in 2000 and 2001 and they were below established goals.
Production goals for wild steelhead returns in the E. F. Salmon River watershed will be difficult to achieve and analyze,
because of variable losses and impacts from four Snake River dams and variable spring flushing flows. LSRCP annual
summaries and performance goals are used to evaluate the program.
Manager/operator response:
Per IDFG:
1. Naturally produced steelhead collected for broodstock are listed.
2. See comment about consistency of program goals with other stocks from Sawtooth spring chinook summary.