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THE COLUMBIA BASIN BULLETIN:
Weekly Fish and Wildlife News
www.cbbulletin.com
August 23, 2013
Issue No. 675
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Follow the CBB on TWITTER at http://twitter.com/cbbulletin and on FACEBOOK at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Columbia-Basin-Bulletin/230954175071

All stories below are posted on the CBB's website at www.cbbulletin.com. Also available is a free RSS news feed.

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Table of Contents

* Federal Agencies Release Draft Plan Detailing 2014-2018 Actions To Meet BiOP Salmon Survival Targets
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428028.aspx

* WDFW Taking Comments On Salmon Net-Pen Proposal To Create New Lower Columbia Gill-Netting Area
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428026.aspx

* Early Fishing Success For Fall Chinook Has Harvest Managers Dialing Back The Take To Extend Season
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428025.aspx

* Summer Steelhead Return To-Date Running Well Below 10-Year Average; Group A (Smaller Fish) Downgraded
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428024.aspx

* Tribal Commercial Fishing Gets Started Bonneville To McNary; Hope To Harvest Up To 200,000 Salmon
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428023.aspx

* Corps Delays Completion Of EIS For Lower Snake Sediment Management Plan; No Dredging This Winter
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428022.aspx

* Dedication Set For New Hatchery Intended To Move Snake River Sockeye Recovery To Next Level
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428021.aspx

* Science Panel Issues Project Funding Recommendations For ¡®Anadromous Areas¡¯ Under Council F&W Program
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428020.aspx

* Corps Seeks Comment On EA Regarding Habitat Improvements Along Lower Snake River
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428019.aspx

* Idaho Using BPA Funds To Protect, Restore Habitat In Lake Pend Oreille/Clark Fork River Delta
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428018.aspx

* Klamath Salmon: Big Fall Chinook Return Combined With Drought Sparks Concerns About Fish Die-Offs
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428017.aspx

* NOAA Fisheries Announces Grants To Oregon, Washington For Increasing Salmon Habitat
http://www.cbbulletin.com/428016.aspx

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* Federal Agencies Release Draft Plan Detailing 2014-2018 Actions To Meet BiOP Salmon Survival Targets

Federal ¡°action¡± agencies Friday afternoon (Aug. 23) made public a 300-page document that outlines hundreds of actions, most focused on habitat restoration, that they say will be implemented over the next five years to avoid jeopardizing the survival of 13 salmon and steelhead stocks native to the Columbia-Snake river basin that are now listed for protections under the Endangered Species Act.

The ¡°Draft 2014-2018 Implementation Plan¡± describes the actions that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power Administration, collectively known as the ¡°action agencies,¡± will complete from 2014 through 2018 to improve survival of listed fish. The plan comes in answer to a 2011 federal court mandate that said that the federal agencies must provide more specifics about their hydro system salmon protection plan to assure listed species¡¯ survival.

Those listed fish include stocks that originate in the Snake and Willamette rivers, which are both tributaries to the Columbia. The Corps and Bureau operate dams within the Federal Columbia River Power System; Bonneville markets power generated at the dams.

The draft IP sets out a plan and specific 2014-2018 habitat actions to meet Federal Columbia River Power System ¡°biological opinion¡± survival improvement targets. Local experts identified these projects, addressing specific subbasins, limiting factors and priority populations of salmon and steelhead that the BiOp identifies, according to the action agencies.

The draft 2014-2018 FCRPS BiOp Implementation Plan will be available for public comment from Aug. 23 Sept. 23. To submit a comment, go to:
http://www.bpa.gov/applications/publiccomments/OpenCommentListing.aspx

For more information go to:
http://www.salmonrecovery.gov/BiologicalOpinions/FCRPSBiOp/ProgressReports/Draft2014ImplementationPlan.aspx

The draft IP builds on the accomplishments and lessons learned from the first five years of BiOp implementation, as described in the draft July 2013 ¡°Comprehensive Evaluation¡± of progress made through the first four years of the BiOP. The implementation plan incorporates new information and adjusts implementation to address emerging issues, the action agencies say.

The draft 2014-2018 plan says that actions identified and described will meet BiOp survival improvement targets by 2018.

The five-year implementation plan is intended to fulfill goals set out in NOAA Fisheries¡¯ 2008 FCRPS BiOp, a 10-year strategy developed under the ESA to judge whether federal actions ¨C in this case dam existence and operations ¨C jeopardize listed fish. That BiOp, which was supplemented in 2010, was struck down in Oregon¡¯s U.S. District Court.

In August 2011, the court held that the FCRPS BiOp contains positive mitigation measures that provide adequate protection to the listed species through 2013, and it held that the BiOp shall remain in place and be implemented through Dec. 31, 2013.

Judge James A. Redden, who presided in that case at the time, also ordered that spring and summer spill operations to facilitate fish passage be continued at the hydro projects in a manner consistent with prior court orders that adopted the Corps¡¯ annual Fish Operations Plan.

The federal court, however, called the BiOp arbitrary and capricious and remanded it to NOAA Fisheries to reconsider the sufficiency of habitat mitigation actions beyond 2013.

Redden ordered NOAA to produce a new or supplemental BiOp by Jan. 1, 2014. Federal officials say that a draft version of that new/supplemental BiOp will be offered for public review within the next few weeks.

(See CBB, Aug. 5, 2011, ¡°Redden Orders New Salmon BiOp By 2014; Says Post-2013 Mitigation, Benefits Unidentified¡± http://www.cbbulletin.com/411336.aspx)

¡°This will form the basis for our ¡®action¡¯ that NOAA Fisheries will assess¡± in developing its new BiOp, said the Corps¡¯ Rock Peters. ¡°This is our plan for the next five years.¡±

The new implementation plan says that the actions outlined are subject to congressional authority and funding. The federal Administration has consistently sought and received, and continues to seek appropriations, and additional authorities, the action agencies say.

Much of the habitat work is funded by BPA, which markets power generated in the power system and is charged under the Northwest Power Act with mitigating for dam impacts.
The implementation plan describes planned work in several categories:

-- Hydro: Configuration and operational actions to promote safe passage of juvenile and adult fish through the FCRPS represent the core of the plan.
-- Predators: Management of birds, fish and marine mammals that prey on salmon and steelhead.
-- Habitat: Improvements in tributary streams and the estuary to promote salmon survival.
-- Hatcheries: Use of ¡°safety net¡± hatcheries and reform of hatchery practices to minimize effects on wild fish.
-- Accountability: Performance standards, research and monitoring, progress reports, adaptive management, and regional collaboration.

¡°This Implementation Plan reflects expanded requirements established by NOAA under what began as the 2008 BiOp for the FCRPS. A 2010 Supplemental BiOp incorporated an Adaptive Management Implementation Plan (AMIP), which included accelerated actions, additional research, and contingency plans in the event of unexpected fish declines,¡± the plan¡¯s introduction says.

¡°The federal agencies have continued to fund and implement the BiOp as directed, which has included a substantial increase in expenditures since 2008.The agencies have also continued their work with states, tribes, and other regional organizations that are essential partners in fulfilling several elements of the BiOp, including habitat improvements and monitoring,¡± the implementation plan says. ¡°Research and monitoring has found positive results, including safer dam passage for juvenile fish as well as improved fish abundance and survival following habitat improvements.

¡°This Implementation Plan (IP) represents a collaborative effort by the Action Agencies with states, tribes, community watershed groups, and others to better describe implementation actions from 2014 through 2018, while continuing to execute, track, and learn from measures already under way,¡± the plan says.

¡°This Implementation Plan was originally expected to include actions for implementation over the next three years. In response to the court order, however, the action agencies, with NOAA¡¯s concurrence, have expanded the Implementation Plan to describe specific actions through 2018 to support NOAA¡¯s development of a supplemental BiOp. The purposes of this Implementation Plan include:

¡°-- Determine and document strategies, priorities, actions and timetables.
-- Facilitate and measure agency progress toward performance standards and targets.
-- Facilitate agency management of the program and progress reporting.
-- Provide a flexible framework for adapting actions and achieving results.
-- Provide an opportunity for the Regional Implementation Oversight Group (RIOG) and other stakeholders to review the Action Agencies¡¯ plans and actions.

¡®Substantial research and extensive planning stand behind the actions described in this Implementation Plan. The BiOp includes measurable performance standards, targets, and timelines that the Action Agencies will use to track their progress and adjust direction if necessary; all these elements ensure transparency and that BiOp commitments will be met.

¡°NOAA may therefore reasonably rely on the benefits of the actions described in this Implementation Plan to conclude the suite of actions avoids the likelihood of jeopardizing listed salmon and steelhead or adversely modifying their designated critical habitat. The following Action Agency commitments further underscore the reliability of the mitigation program:

-- The Action Agencies adopted records of decision to implement the BiOp, and BPA has included funding commitments in its rate case proceedings.
-- Each agency has dedicated extensive staff and other resources to carrying out the BiOp.
-- The Action Agencies have joined states and tribes in signing the Columbia Basin Fish Accords, which ensure funding for the duration of the BiOp and reinforce the common goal of delivering

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* WDFW Taking Comments On Salmon Net-Pen Proposal To Create New Lower Columbia Gill-Netting Area

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife this week released a ¡°determination of non-significance¡± under the State Environmental Policy Act that says development of a new commercial fishing area along the lower Columbia River¡¯s north shore at Cathlamet will likely not have a significant adverse impact on the environment.

The WDFW¡¯s main purpose, the document says, is to find an area to raise and release juvenile hatchery spring chinook salmon so that, upon their return from the ocean, commercial fishing seasons can be set to collect those adult hatchery fish without negatively impacting wild salmon runs.

The proposed addition to an existing set of ¡°select¡± areas is part of plans adopted by the states of Oregon and Washington to ultimately eliminate most gill-net commercial fishing on the lower Columbia River (downstream of Bonneville Dam).

The idea is to concentrate gill-netting efforts in off-channel areas that are seldom used by wild salmon and steelhead, which include some 13 wild stocks that are listed under the Endangered Species Act. The incidental catch of such wild stocks limits recovery efforts.

The Washington proposal envisions installing in-river rearing pens at Cathlamet, located at about 40 miles upstream from the river mouth, to acclimate 250,000 spring chinook salmon during the late winter and spring before their release.

Those fish would then swim to the Pacific Ocean, with a certain share growing to maturity and homing in on that release site upon their return as adults to spawn.

The determination says the WDFW will not act on the proposal for 14 days, giving other agencies, affected tribes, and members of the public time to comment on the proposal. The comment deadline is Sept. 4.

New policy directives adopted that past fall by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and in January by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission aim to enhance opportunities for commercial gill netters in areas off the mainstem.

The new Oregon fishing guidelines for the Columbia River mainstem are being challenged in the state¡¯s Appeals Court by commercial fishing interests.

(See CBB, July 12, 2013, ¡°Oregon Legislation Passes Bill Paving Way For Gill-Net Ban; Issue Still Before Oregon Appeals Court¡± http://www.cbbulletin.com/427426.aspx)

The new policy calls for increases in artificial production acclimation at off-channel sites to offset the loss of commercial fishing opportunities in the mainstem Columbia River for Washington and Oregon commercial fishers and through that process reduce impacts on wild, listed fish.

Select area commercial fisheries occur in off-channel areas and target coho and chinook returning from net-pen and hatchery releases at these sites.

These fisheries were initiated in 1962 with the adoption of coho salmon seasons in Youngs Bay at Astoria, Ore. Fall select area fisheries have occurred at Deep River in Washington and at Tongue Point/South Channel, Blind Slough/Knappa Slough and Youngs Bay since 1996. All are areas located in the lower Columbia River estuary.

Select area chinook landings were excellent in 2012; the total catch of 23,720 fish was the highest since 1993 and can be attributed to an excellent select area bright return that again exceeded the preseason expectations and the first year of age-3 adult tule fall chinook from releases from Oregon¡¯s Klaskanine Hatchery.

Total coho harvest of 15,354 was about one half of the preseason expectation and 26 percent of the recent ten-year average.

The ¡°environmental checklist¡± for the ¡°DNS¡± prepared by the WDFW said that test fishing was conducted in the Cathlamet Channel area in spring and early summer of both 1994 and 1995 to evaluate the presence of ESA-listed fish. The first year showed one in 18 fish passing through the channel was listed; no fish were detected in the second year.

¡°Test fishing was also conducted from March 28-May 20, 2013 and indicated a much lower catch rate in the bottom portion of the Cathlamet Channel where the net pens will be located as opposed to the top part of the channel where it meets the Columbia River,¡± the checklist says. ¡°This is a positive indication that harvesting can be conducted in the immediate area of the net pens with reduced interactions with ESA-listed fish.

¡°These test fisheries will be pursued even if permitting is not obtained for the net pen placement by December 2013,¡± the checklist says. ¡°Test fisheries to take indicate that Cathlamet Channel is not a main migratory pathway for the ESA-listed spring chinook and that it is a promising location for locating net pens.¡±

The environmental checklist also gives a relatively clean bill of health for what would be, to some degree, a fish farm, though of small scale.

¡°The fish capacity and waste production of net pens are designed and placed in areas that would create minimal impacts on the surrounding environment,¡± the checklist says. ¡°Sites are selected on a variety of conditions including, water depth, flow, velocity, exposure to weather, access and probability of attracting returning adults.

¡°Continual movement of water through the net pen area allows waste and other detrital material produced by the fish in the net pens to be flushed and dispersed into the main body of water.¡±

The WDFW has prepared the DNS in accordance with the State Environmental Policy Act regulation. This DNS is being circulated for review by all agencies with jurisdiction.

WDFW has determined that this proposal will likely not have a significant adverse impact on the environment. Therefore, state law does not require the development of an environmental impact statement.

For more information see:

--  CBB, Feb. 22, 2013, ¡°Oregon Appeals Court Halts Implementation Of Lower Columbia Gill-Net Ban, Will Hear Legal Arguments¡± http://www.cbbulletin.com/425154.aspx

-- CBB, Jan. 18, 2013, ¡°Washington Approves Lower Columbia Gill-Net Ban; Opponents Form Columbia River Legal Fund¡± http://www.cbbulletin.com/424594.aspx

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* Early Fishing Success For Fall Chinook Has Harvest Managers Dialing Back The Take To Extend Season

Great fishing for both anglers and gill-netters in the early fall season has prompted Oregon and Washington fisheries managers to take a conservative approach as the Columbia River¡¯s fall chinook return moves toward what is normally its peak period.

State officials on Tuesday decided to ratchet back the take in the Buoy 10 recreational fishery at the river mouth, with most of the season-long harvest sport allocation for the area already in hand.

And on Thursday it was decided to take one step, instead of two or more, forward by allowing a Sunday night commercial fishery. The catch in hand is, already, nearly double what had been expected through this point in time.

¡°This run does appear to be much bigger than you think it is,¡± commercial fisherman Gary Soderstrom told the Columbia River Compact Tuesday.

The Compact, which sets commercial fishing seasons on the Columbia where the river is the states¡¯ shared border, is made up of representatives of the directors of the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife. State representatives also convene to consider sport fishing guidelines for the mainstem Columbia.

At meetings this week sport interests, with professional guides especially vocal, stressed the need to prolong the season so they can meet clients¡¯ appointments. And commercial interests asked that they be allowed to maximize the catch to answer market demand, and collect relatively high prices.

¡°The sport catch has been insane,¡± Soderstrom said of the harvest thus far this season in the management area between Buoy 10 at the Columbia mouth upriver to Tongue Point, about 18 miles upstream.

The Buoy 10 sport fishery opened Aug. 1 with a daily bag limit of two fish/one chinook and is scheduled to remain open through Sept. 1. Chinook retention is scheduled to re-open Oct. 1 through Dec. 31.

But while preseason catch expectations were for a catch of 20,000 chinook and 8,000 hatchery coho for the entire season, already (through Aug. 19) the estimated catch (including release mortalities) through Aug. 19 includes 13,300 chinook and 2,000 hatchery coho from 28,300 angler trips.

Catch projections for chinook average around 1,800 fish per day, and build as the week progresses, according to ODFW and WDFW staff estimates. At that rate the staffs said that the chinook guideline for the Buoy 10 fishery would be reached on Friday.

So, during a joint state meeting Tuesday led by the ODFW¡¯s Steve Williams and the WDFW¡¯s Guy Norman decided to, beginning today (Aug. 23) disallow the retention of unmarked fall chinook.

Managers hope today¡¯s action will allow them, by limiting fish retention, to keep a chinook fishery open through Sept. 1 as originally scheduled.

¡°We¡¯re taking this action today because we¡¯ve been having an excellent chinook fishery at Buoy 10 this year and this will allow chinook anglers to keep fishing,¡± said Williams, ODFW fish division deputy administrator.

A large portion of the ¡°upriver¡± fall chinook run is made up of naturally produced Hanford Reach fish, which is considered a healthy run and not listed under the Endangered Species Act, and Snake River stock, which is ESA listed.

As of early this week fishery officials estimate that about 42 percent of the fish caught at Buoy 10 are hatchery marked with a fin clip, which is a lower percentage than expected.

At this time of year, with warm air and water temperatures, it is estimated that about 19 percent of the unmarked fish caught by anglers and released in the Buoy 10 fishing area die after their release.

The hatchery-only rule was adopted Tuesday by fishery managers from Washington and Oregon and is designed to minimize impacts on wild stocks, while allowing the popular fishing season to continue as previously planned into the Labor Day weekend.

Meanwhile, the gill-net fleet is projected to have a catch total of nearly 23,000 after its sixth August (scheduled Aug. 22-23) overnight outing. That would be nearly 10,000 fish ahead of the pace predicted through that date.

Based on actual and projected catch, an estimated 15,800 chinook and 200 sturgeon remain available for harvest during August commercial fisheries, accord to a joint state fact sheet prepared for the Thursday Compact meeting.

The Compact opted to approve a 9-hour commercial fishery in Zones 4-5 that begins at 9 a.m. Sunday, and then meet again Tuesday to review if any additional commercial harvest will be allowed in the lower Columbia (the 146 river mile downstream of Bonneville Dam) for the rest of August.

State staffs estimate at 8,000-10,000 chinook will be harvested by the gill netters during the Sunday-Monday fishery.

¡°Late August is very volatile as chinook abundance is steadily increasing. This volatility makes estimating catch difficult,¡± the fact sheet says. ¡°Staff is recommending one fishing periods at this time and will review catch and potentially recommend a second period at the Aug. 27 hearing.¡±

The preseason catch expectation for early fall (through August) fisheries was 38,800 adult chinook, with 13,500 chinook set aside for harvest through Aug. 23, and the balance (25,300 fish) set aside for the last week of August.

Harvests are restricted in order to limit to limit impacts on wild Snake River bright and Lower River Hatchery tule fall chinook salmon that are listed under the ESA. The listed fall chinook swim upstream alongside unlisted stocks, such as those bound for the mid-Columbia¡¯s Hanford Reach.

In the past week, anglers fishing the Buoy 10 area in the lower 16 miles of the Columbia River have been catching up to 1,600 chinook per day, Roler said.

"Our primary concern is wild chinook bound for tributaries of the lower Columbia River to spawn," he said. "But fishery managers from both states agreed we could provide adequate protection for those fish without closing the chinook fishery ahead of schedule."
 
Under the rule approved Tuesday, anglers may retain only those chinook salmon marked as hatchery fish with a clipped adipose fin or a missing left ventral fin.

Barbless hooks are currently required to fish for salmon on the Columbia River, making it easier for anglers to release wild fish unharmed, Roler said.

More information on current fishing regulations in Washington is available on WDFW's website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ .

An estimated 678,000 fall chinook salmon are predicted to enter the Columbia River, well above the 10-year average. Fishing for hatchery and wild chinook is currently open from the mouth of the river upstream to Priest Rapids Dam in central Washington.

Effective Monday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 30 Buoy 10 will be closed to all chinook harvest.

Anglers may transport wild, unclipped salmon caught in adjacent fisheries (such as the ocean or the Columbia River above Tongue Point) through the Buoy 10 area, but cannot fish in Buoy 10 with an unclipped chinook onboard.

In the meantime, Williams says Buoy 10 anglers should start anticipating a strong coho return.

¡°By this time next week it ought to be bang up fishing for coho at Buoy 10,¡± he said.

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* Summer Steelhead Return To-Date Running Well Below 10-Year Average; Group A (Smaller Fish) Downgraded

Columbia River fishery managers met Monday to review the summer steelhead run status and members agreed to downsize the return estimate for the ¡°A¡± -- the small steelhead component of the run -- to 212,000 fish.

That is a decrease from the preseason forecast of 291,000 fish, said the Technical Advisory Committee.

The 2013 preseason forecast for the summer steelhead return to Bonneville Dam, located at river mile 146, was 339,200 upriver fish, including 16,600 Skamania stock (5,300 wild), 291,800 Group A stock (83,500 wild), and 31,600 Group B stock (7,900 wild).

Overall, that preseason forecast represented 95 percent of the 2003-2012 average of 358,900 fish swimming up and over Bonneville on their way to hatcheries and spawning grounds in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

The Skamania and Group A forecasts were both similar to the 2003-2012 average returns. The Group B component ¨C larger fish headed largely for central Idaho -- is expected to be only 60 percent the 2003-2012 average

TAC, made up of federal, state and tribal fishery experts, this week reviewed but did not update other components of the steelhead run, or the fall chinook run. TAC will meet again on Monday, Aug. 26.

The total steelhead count at Bonneville¡¯s fish ladders through Monday was 153,779, including 74,063 unmarked fish that are, in great part, of natural origin. Both wild Snake River steelhead and fall chinook salmon are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Steelhead without a hatchery marking, such as a clipped adipose fin, must be released unharmed by anglers.

That overall (A, B and Skamania) steelhead count through Aug. 19 compares to a total of 150,670 through that date in 2012 and a 10-year average of 215,556.

The total return to Bonneville Dam (April-October passage) of upriver summer steelhead was 230,800 fish, and included 11,000 Skamania stock, 192,100 Group A stock, and 27,700 Group B stock. The Group B return in 2012 was the lowest since 1999 and 44 percent of the 2002-2011 average.

Upriver summer steelhead include hatchery and wild fish that pass Bonneville Dam during April through October of each year, according to the July11 Joint Staff Report prepared by the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife. Fish passing from April through June are categorized as either Skamania stock steelhead destined mainly for tributaries within Bonneville Pool. Production programs for Skamania stock fish in hatcheries upstream of Bonneville Dam have decreased from historical levels.

Steelhead that pass Bonneville Dam during July through October are categorized as Group A index or Group B index fish, based on fork length (Group A < 78 cm, Group B ¡Ý78 cm). Group B steelhead primarily return to tributaries in the Salmon and Clearwater rivers in Idaho and usually spend two years in the ocean, while Group A steelhead return to tributaries throughout the Columbia and Snake basins and usually spend only one year in the ocean.

On the lower Columbia mainstem below Bonneville Dam, an estimated 4,219 steelhead were kept by anglers and 5,707 released in July, according to the WDFW.

The overall counts of upriver fall chinook salmon at Bonneville remain above average in what is the early part of their return season. The count through Monday was 31,055 fall chinook, which is more than double the count through Aug. 19, 2012 and the 10-year average, which are 13,185 and 12,682 respectively.

Fall chinook generally enter the Columbia River from late July through October with abundance peaking in the lower river from mid-August to mid-September and passage at Bonneville Dam peaking in early to mid-September.

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* Tribal Commercial Fishing Gets Started Bonneville To McNary; Hope To Harvest Up To 200,000 Salmon

Fishermen from the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Yakama tribes took to the Columbia River this week for the first gill-net fishery of the 2013 fall commercial season, targeting a budding run of fall chinook salmon run, steelhead and the early parts of the coho salmon run.

Over the course of the fall season the Indian fishers expect to harvest up to 200,000 fish or an estimated 2.5 million pounds of salmon.

Fishing by the four treaty tribes takes place, for the most part, in mainstem reservoirs between Bonneville and McNary dams.

Salmon, steelhead, shad, yellow perch, bass, walleye, catfish and carp may be sold, or retained for subsistence, during fisheries scheduled this week and Aug. 26-30 and Sept. 3-7. Additional fishing periods will likely be scheduled at a later date.
 
The tribes have opened the commercial sales of these fish, allowing the public to purchase salmon, steelhead and coho directly from Indian fishers. Sales to the public should last into October with peak abundance from just before Labor Day through mid-September. Much of the harvest is sold to wholesale fish dealers and can be found in stores and restaurants around the Northwest and beyond.

Fisheries biologists estimate that the 2013 fall chinook return will be well above average with 677,900 fall chinook entering the Columbia, with more than 575,000 adult fish destined for areas upstream of Bonneville Dam, which is the first hydro project the fish encounter. Bonneville is located at about river mile 146.

Fishery managers predict a record return of wild Snake River fall chinook, listed under the Endangered Species Act, as well as more than 130,000 coho salmon.
 
¡°Many of the salmon returning to the Columbia River are the direct result of tribal restoration efforts, joint state and tribal programs and several tribal and federal partnerships that are increasing the abundance of salmon in upriver areas,¡± said Paul Lumley, executive director for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
 
During the harvest, managers actively monitor the returns so they can adjust the harvest levels as needed to keep the fisheries within strict harvest limits established under the US v. Oregon fisheries management agreement.
 
The tribal fishery offers an ample supply of fish for the public through over-the-bank sales. Common sales locations include: Marine Park in Cascade Locks, Lone Pine in The Dalles, North Bonneville - one mile east of Bonneville Dam, and Columbia Point in Washington¡¯s Tri-Cities area.
 
Individuals interested in purchasing tribally caught fish should keep the following tips in mind:

-- Sales from tribal fishers generally run from 10 a.m. to dusk.
-- Price is determined at the point of sale.
-- Most sales are cash only.
-- Buyers should request a receipt.
-- Tribal fishers can advise on topics including fish freshness and preparation.

The public is urged to call the salmon marketing program at (888) 289-1855 before heading up the river to find out where the day¡¯s catch is being sold. More information is available on the salmon marketing website http://www.critfc.org/harvest. Follow @ColumbiaSalmon on Twitter for updates.

CRITFC is the technical support and coordinating agency for fishery management policies of the Umatilla, Warm Springs, Yakama and the Nez Perce tribes.

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* Corps Delays Completion Of EIS For Lower Snake Sediment Management Plan; No Dredging This Winter

The Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced Aug. 16 that it is delaying completion of the lower Snake River Programmatic Sediment Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement and proposed dredging of the lower Snake River in Lewiston-Clarkston and near Ice Harbor Lock and Dam in Burbank, Wash.

The delay is due to remaining complex EIS technical and environmental review requirements, plus associated contract planning efforts, the Corps says.

The Corps does not expect that remaining work to be done in time to complete the EIS ¨C a requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act -- and consider the signing a ¡°record of decision¡± in time for possible action during this winter¡¯s ¡°in-water work window,¡± the Corps says.

That work window is Dec. 15 through Feb. 28 each year. Winter work schedules are planned to minimize impacts on migrating salmon and steelhead, which move up and down the Columbia/Snake river system primarily in spring and summer.

As a part of its congressional authorization, the Corps operates and maintains the navigation system on the lower Snake River, which is part of an inland navigation system from Lewiston, Idaho to the Pacific Ocean and includes the Columbia River. Within this navigation system are four dams which were constructed by the Corps between 1961 and 1975 on the Snake River in Washington State (Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite).

The Corps continues to conduct reviews required to reach a final EIS. The environmental review process must be completed prior to Corps¡¯ efforts to manage problem sediment, and before a solicitation for a contract can be issued for proposed dredging.
 
Proposed dredging, if its use is supported by the final EIS, will now be delayed at least a year.

The Corps has also determined that the Port of Lewiston in Idaho and the Port of Clarkston in Washington are now required to apply for individual permits from the Corps and applicable state agencies in Idaho and Washington for proposed dredging of their own port berthing or dock areas. This is consistent with nationwide Corps practices.

The Corps is responsible for maintaining the federal navigation channel in the lower Snake River to congressionally authorized dimensions of 14 feet deep by 250 feet wide. Accumulated sediment interferes with navigation, recreation and other purposes.

A lawsuit was filed in 2002 by conservation and fishing groups who feared potential impacts of maintenance dredging on fish. They asked that a full environmental analysis be conducted. Fish migrating through the lower Snake hydro system include four salmon and steelhead species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act.

As part of a legal settlement reached in 2005, dredging was allowed during the winter of 2005-2006 based on a pledge by the Corps to develop a "Programmatic Sediment Management Plan" for reducing sedimentation and the need for dredging. Prior to that, navigation and port maintenance dredging had not been conducted since 1997-98. Such dredging had previously been deemed necessary every 2-3 years.

In the settlement the Corps agreed that, following completion of the 2005-2006 work, it would limit further routine dredging activities to those deemed necessary because of emergency conditions (hazard to human life or significant loss of property and/or severe economic hardship), when sediment impairs access to ports and navigation locks at four lower Snake River dams, or when Lewiston's levee system might be threatened.

Since then only one relatively isolated dredging operation, in Ice Harbor pool, has occurred to relieve a navigation hazard.

In order to avoid potential commercial barge grounding or shoaling in the sediment-degraded navigation channel, the reservoir behind Lower Granite Dam has at times in recent years been held above ¡°minimum operating pool.¡±

That goes against NOAA Fisheries¡¯ 2008/2010 Federal Columbia River Power System biological opinion, which prescribes measures intended to improve the survival of listed stocks such as Snake River steelhead, fall and spring/summer chinook salmon and sockeye salmon.

Dredging is one of several proposed tools in a PSMP ¡°toolbox¡± of measures to manage problem sediment in the river. Dredging is the only effective, short-term tool available to meet the need of reestablishing depth and width of the lower Snake River navigation channel where sediment has accumulated, the Corps says.

The final PSMP will describe the Corps¡¯ intent for best managing problem sediment.

For more information, go to:

http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects/ProgrammaticSedimentManagementPlan.aspx

Also see:

-- CBB, Dec. 14, 2012, ¡°Corps Releases Draft Plan To Deal With Years Of Sediment Buildup In Lower Snake River¡± http://www.cbbulletin.com/424216.aspx

-- CBB, Jan. 25, 2013, ¡°Information Meeting In Lewiston Highlights Views On Draft Lower Snake Sediment Management Plan¡± http://www.cbbulletin.com/424720.aspx

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* Dedication Set For New Hatchery Intended To Move Snake River Sockeye Recovery To Next Level

Officials will gather just outside Springfield on the morning of Sept. 6 to mark the completion of a new hatchery that is intended to boost recovery of Snake River sockeye.

The $13.5 million facility will be capable of producing up to one million juvenile sockeye annually for release in the Sawtooth basin of central Idaho, the headwaters of the Salmon River.

This additional incubation and rearing space will move the sockeye recovery effort from the conservation phase to a re-colonization phase where emphasis will be on returning increasing numbers of ocean-run adults to use in hatchery spawning and to release to the habitat for natural spawning.

It¡¯s hoped the increase may eventually mean recreational and tribal fishing seasons.

The hatchery will be operated by Idaho Fish and Game and was funded by the Bonneville Power Administration as part of its obligation to mitigate the impact of hydropower dams on salmon and steelhead.

The Springfield Fish Hatchery was designed and constructed by the Idaho-based engineering firm of McMillen LLC. The water supply for the Springfield facility is more than 50 cubic feet per second of cold, clean spring water - just right for raising sockeye.

Snake River sockeye were listed as an endangered species in 1991. Idaho Fish and Game initiated conservation and research efforts for sockeye earlier that same year. Just a few years later the number of adult sockeye returning from the ocean to the Sawtooth basin dropped to zero -- in 1995 and 1997 -- but reached 1,336 in 2010, an amount not seen since the 1950s.

This success resulted from redundant captive broodstock programs operated at hatcheries in Idaho and Washington. Today the sockeye are produced at hatcheries in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Snake River sockeye rearing and spawning habitat in the Sawtooth basin is considered to be in excellent condition because it has experienced limited human impacts.

The current run of sockeye into the Snake River is one of three remaining populations in the Columbia River basin. The other two populations are in Okanogan and Wenatchee lakes, on tributaries of the upper Columbia River. Efforts are under say to rekindle historic sockeye runs to the Deschutes River basin in central Oregon and south-central Washington¡¯s Yakima River basin.                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Partners in the sockeye recovery effort include Idaho, Oregon, Washington, NOAA-Fisheries, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe, the Bonneville Power Administration and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.

For more information, see CBB, August 16, 2013, ¡°So Far, 90 Snake River Sockeye Spawners Make It To Central Idaho, 26 Of Natural Origin¡± http://www.cbbulletin.com/427926.aspx

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* Science Panel Issues Project Funding Recommendations For ¡®Anadromous Areas¡¯ Under Council F&W Program

The Independent Scientific Review Panel in its ¡°final¡± recommendations released Aug. 15 says that 24 percent (20 projects) of the 83 fish and wildlife proposals submitted as part of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council¡¯s geographic review meet scientific criteria necessary to be eligible for funding.

The final review by the ISRP suggests that 55 other proposals meet scientific criteria with some qualifications, four proposals did not meet criteria and four proposals were not amenable to scientific review.

The proposals are for ongoing habitat improvement projects in the ¡°anadromous¡± areas ¨C places where ocean going salmon and steelhead spend the freshwater portion of their lives. The ISRP¡¯s review of the proposals for scientific merit is part of the NPCC¡¯s process for evaluating proposals for funding under the panel¡¯s Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.

The Council reviews projects and makes funding recommendations to the Bonneville Power Administration, which markets power generated in the Columbia-Snake hydro system and funds fish and wildlife work as mitigation for impact from the construction and operation of the dams. BPA makes final funding decisions and ultimately issues contracts for project work.

The ¡°geographic¡± category is the last of five project groups evaluated since the Council¡¯s project review process began in 2009. Previously completed reviews were for: wildlife; monitoring, evaluation and research; artificial production; and resident fish (in areas of the basin blocked off to anadromous fish) projects.

The ISRP review can be found at:
http://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/isrp/isrp2013-11/

In addition to individual project reviews, the report contains a brief retrospective evaluation of habitat improvements and comments on important issues that involve most projects and apply to the Council program in general, according to the ISRP report.

Topics covered include regional research, monitoring and evaluation, strategic restoration framework, productive partnerships, workforce support, and restoration methods and assessments.

¡°This is the last set of projects to be reviewed in the Category Review process. To the ISRP's knowledge, every project funded through the Fish and Wildlife Program has now been evaluated by the ISRP through the Category Reviews,¡± the ISRP report says. ¡°The ISRP is supportive of many features of the Category Review approach and looks forward to helping shape the next review process based on lessons learned.¡±

¡°The ISRP especially appreciated the efforts of project sponsors and Council and BPA staff in organizing and providing invaluable site visits and presentations. The ISRP also appreciated the constructive and detailed responses by project sponsors that addressed the ISRP concerns raised in the preliminary review. The proposals, responses, tours, and presentations demonstrated that the projects are led by dedicated staff and progress is being made. Specifically, greater understanding and appreciation of the Council¡¯s Fish and Wildlife Program goals for native species and ecosystem restoration are evident in the projects visited and reviewed by the ISRP.¡±

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* Corps Seeks Comment On EA Regarding Habitat Improvements Along Lower Snake River

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District is inviting public comments on an environmental assessment for habitat improvements at locations along the lower Snake River. Comments are due by Sept 6.

The Corps is proposing to plant native vegetation on three Habitat Management Units (HMUs) along the lower Snake River to create or enhance approximately 125 acres of wildlife habitat to help meet the terrestrial wildlife mitigation requirements of the Lower Snake River Fish and Wildlife Compensation Plan.

Proposed planting sites are located in Garfield, Whitman and Walla Walla counties, along the banks of the lower Snake River. The three sites proposed for habitat enhancement are: Ayer, Swift Bar, and Willow Bar HMUs.

The Compensation Plan directed that lands on the lower Snake River, plus other lands purchased and leased in adjacent areas of southeast Washington, be developed for terrestrial wildlife habitat.

As a result, approximately 25,000 acres of Corps lands along the lower Snake River were set aside for this purpose. Another 24,000 acres of lands were purchased or leased for terrestrial wildlife habitat development and angler access.

The Corps prepared an EA to address potential effects associated with implementation of the planting plan. As part of National Environmental Policy Act compliance, the Corps is inviting public comment on the EA and draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). The Corps is required to consider all comments received. The EA and draft FONSI are available on the Corps website at www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Projects/LSRWildlifeHabitatPlanting.aspx

------------------------------------------------

* Idaho Using BPA Funds To Protect, Restore Habitat In Lake Pend Oreille/Clark Fork River Delta

Out of concerns over the loss of fish and wildlife habitat in the Lake Pend Oreille area, resulting from the operation of the Albeni Falls Dam, the state of Idaho is using funding from the Bonneville Power Administration to protect, improve and restore habitat in the Clark Fork River delta that is being lost to erosion.

The restored and enhanced habitat is intended to benefit a wide variety of wildlife, including songbirds, water birds, raptors, waterfowl, elk, deer, moose, bear and furbearers by providing improved areas for breeding, feeding and cover.

The project is proposed to occur in two phases: The first phase involves the drift yard and boat launch areas, as well as two island areas directly to the south of the drift yard. The second phase will involve bank stabilization along White and Derr islands.

Visitors to the area should expect some interruption of public access to the Clark Fork River delta from the drift yard access site during the first construction phase, which will begin in July 2014 and run through March 2015.

The proposed restoration activities include protecting delta shorelines with engineered structures and vegetated riprap. This will help prevent saturated wetland soils from slumping into the water and wave action from eroding shorelines.

The restoration effort will also elevate portions of the delta areas that are currently submerged during the summer to increase the amount of habitat available to breeding waterfowl and wildlife.

Efforts will be made to reduce the presence of invasive weeds and encourage the growth of native grasses, forbs and woody plants.

Work to implement the first phase will start in July 2014, with rock and large wood being barged to the project site. Construction of the projective structures and earthmoving will occur after the lake is lowered to its winter elevation in November 2014, and will continue until March 2015, when the spring flows begin.

The start date for the second phase has not been determined but will occur after the completion of the first phase.

Efforts will be made to minimize disruption of public access to the delta area. During the first phase, the public will be able to get to the delta from the Johnson Creek boat launch area, and construction work is focused near the delta face leaving other areas available for public recreation.

The long-term benefits of completing the restoration project will include improved and increased habitat for wildlife, increased areas for hunting, wildlife watching and other wildlife related activities. These benefits are expected to out-weigh the short-term interruptions in public access.

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* Klamath Salmon: Big Fall Chinook Return Combined With Drought Sparks Concerns About Fish Die-Offs

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife  is seeking help from the public in monitoring the health of chinook salmon in the Klamath River and its tributaries.

Drought conditions mixed with a larger than normal return of salmon elevate concerns of fish die offs. Small numbers of dead fish are expected this year as an estimated 272,000 fall-run chinook salmon return.

CDFW, in conjunction with The Klamath Fish Health Assessment Team is asking the public to report any unusual numbers of dead fish they see by contacting CDFW Biologist Sara Borok at (707) 822-0330.

CDFW pathologists have taken samples from the large run of downstream migrating juvenile salmon. The juveniles hold in cold pools at the mouths of creeks as they migrate to the ocean. The purpose of monitoring of these juveniles is to ensure they do not harbor disease that could infect returning adult salmon that occupy the same cold water habitats. At this time no signs of disease outbreaks in the juveniles holding in the cold water pools have been discovered.

Members of the KFHAT have contacted the California-Nevada Fish Health Center for help with monitoring and assessing disease issues and the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Department is conducting weekly adult fish disease sampling to keep all members apprised of the current conditions.

KFHAT is also keeping abreast of current fishery and water quality conditions in the Klamath River and its tributaries and will respond with a large-scale monitoring response in the event that there is a fish kill.

Meanwhile, a federal court this week ruled that water releases planned by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to protect the migration of chinook salmon into the Klamath/Trinity rivers in Northern California should move forward.

After a two-day hearing in Fresno, the U.S. District Court for Eastern California rejected demands by agricultural interests in California¡¯s Central Valley led by the Westlands Water District, to block the releases, which were supposed to have started Aug. 13.

After hearing from half a dozen fisheries experts who all agreed that the water release program was supported by the science, the court ruled for the water release program to move forward.

The court concluded, ¡°...on balance, considering the significantly lower volume of water now projected to be involved and the potential and enormous risk to the fishery of doing nothing, the court finds it in the public interest to permit the augmentation to proceed.¡±

The U.S. District Court also noted, ¡°...the flow augmentation releases are designed to prevent a potentially serious fish die off from impacting salmon populations entering the Klamath River estuary. There is no dispute and the record clearly reflects that the 2002 fish kill had severe impacts on commercial fishing interests, tribal fishing rights, and the ecology, and that another fish kill would likely have similar impacts.¡±

This year is unusual in that extremely low flow conditions in the lower Klamath are occurring at the same time fisheries managers expect the second-largest run of chinook on record to begin arriving. Federal, state and tribal salmon biologists have been concerned that this confluence of high runs and low flows will lead to another mass fish kill like the one that occurred in 2002.

Experts explained to the judge how water conditions in the basin this year are almost identical to those in 2002, except with a far larger adult run of chinook. The evidence before the court was that the risk of another fish kill was grave.

The 2002 fish kill led to coast-wide closures of commercial, recreational and tribal fishing. Congress ultimately appropriated $60 million in disaster assistance to help coastal communities.

The court¡¯s full decision can be found at: http://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/CourtDecision.WaterReleasestoProtectSalmoninCaliforniaMoveForward.pdf

--------------------------

* NOAA Fisheries Announces Grants To Oregon, Washington For Increasing Salmon Habitat

NOAA¡¯s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) this week announced $3.73 million in funding for habitat restoration projects in Oregon and Washington to restore more than 1,800 acres of habitat to benefit threatened species including steelhead, chinook and coho salmon.

¡°Without the right habitat, fish struggle to grow and reproduce, and that means smaller fish populations,¡± said Will Stelle, regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries¡¯ Western Region. ¡°These projects will increase fish habitat -- providing the important feeding and breeding grounds they need to thrive.¡±

In the Northwest, populations of fish like salmon and steelhead trout are limited by a lack of habitat. In the region¡¯s Columbia River basin alone there are 13 salmon and steelhead stocks that have been listed by NOAA Fisheries for protections under the Endangered Species Act.

NOAA Fisheries, among its protection endeavors, works with partners in the region to restore habitat for these fish by reconnecting wetlands and stream channels to tidal flow. NOAA scientists also address the impacts of marine debris on our coastal habitat and wildlife.

Restoration efforts recently approved for funding include:

-- Coastal Alaska ($330,000): In partnership with the Alaska Marine Stewardship Foundation and the Sitka Sound Science Center, marine debris will be removed from the shorelines of Alaska.

-- Puget Sound ¨C Whidbey Basin ($1.4 million): Three projects, with The Nature Conservancy, will make progress toward Puget Sound Action Agenda¡¯s goal to restore 15 percent of degraded floodplain habitat by 2020. The goal is to restore nearly 500 acres of floodplain habitat in Whidbey Basin, one of the most important areas in Puget Sound for recovery of threatened Puget Sound chinook and steelhead.

-- Smith Island ($1 million): Working with Washington¡¯s Snohomish County, work will begin to restore nearly 330 acres of wetlands in the Snohomish River estuary. That will fulfill 25 percent of NOAA¡¯s 10-year target for tidal wetland restoration in the Snohomish basin. It will also provide important habitat for threatened Puget Sound chinook and steelhead.

-- Tillamook Bay ($242,000): In Oregon¡¯s Tillamook County, the loss of wetlands has been a limiting factor for young coho and chinook salmon. Working with the county, NOAA Fisheries¡¯ funding will allow completion of  planning efforts to restore 500 acres of wetlands, addressing 70 percent of the tidal wetlands restoration goal for Tillamook Bay.

-- Waite Ranch ($392,000): In partnership with Ecotrust, efforts will begin to return more than 200 acres of land -- which was previously used for farming -- back to productive tidal wetlands within the Siuslaw River estuary in Oregon. These tidal wetlands provide important nursery and refuge habitat for threatened Oregon Coast coho salmon.

-- Washington Marine Waters ($100,000): With the Northwest Straits Marine Foundation, derelict fishing gear will be removed from Puget Sound, as part of an ongoing effort to mitigate impacts.

-- Willamette River ($221,000): Working with The Nature Conservancy, NOAA Fisheries will initiate the restoration of 300 acres of floodplain habitat and bring four miles of streams back to a more natural condition. These efforts will address recommendations from the Upper Willamette Chinook and Steelhead Recovery Plan.

NOAA Fisheries¡¯ investment in habitat is part of a long-term effort to rebuild fisheries, many of which have declined precipitously from habitat loss, over-fishing and climate change. Recent successes show that restoring habitat is a way not only to stop the decline of fish populations, but also to regrow them to historic high numbers. 

This is the first year of an anticipated three years of funding. The grants are from funds appropriated by Congress to NOAA Fisheries' Community-based Restoration Program. The federal agency solicits projects proposals for the program every few years, with the next one anticipated in FY2015.

NOAA states as its mission to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources.

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For more information about the CBB contact:
-- BILL CRAMPTON, Editor/Writer, bcrampton@cbbulletin.com, phone: 541-312-8860 or
-- BARRY ESPENSON, Senior Writer, bespenson@msn.com, phone: 360-696-4005; fax: 360-694-1530

The stories in this e-mail newsletter are posted on the Columbia Basin Bulletin website at www.cbbulletin.com. If you would like access to the CBB archives, please consider becoming a Member of the CBB website for as little as $5 a month. Your membership will help support maintenance of the 14-year (1998-2012) news database and the production of trustworthy, timely news and information about Columbia Basin fish and wildlife issues.

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Feedback comments should be sent by e-mail to the Editor at bcrampton@cbbulletin.com. Please put "feedback"in the subject line. We encourage comments about particular stories, complaints about inaccuracies or omissions; additional information; general views about the topic covered; or opinions that counterbalance statements reported. The Columbia Basin Bulletin e-mail newsletter is produced by Intermountain Communications of Bend, Oregon and supported with Bonneville Power Administration fish and wildlife funds through the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. 

@Copyright 2013, INTERMOUNTAIN COMMUNICATIONS


 

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