FISH FIRST NEWSLETTER

June 1, 2006

Volume 11, Issue 6

Editor: Cindy Morgan

Salmon Passage At Bonneville Dam

In July 1999, the Governors of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington asked the Northwest Power Planning Council to prepare an annual report that provides an ongoing accounting and assessment of the Bonneville Power Administration’s fish and wildlife expenditures. Below are excerpts from that report and additional current fish count data from the Fish Passage Center which tracks adult salmon passage at Bonneville Dam.

Since 1978, Bonneville’s fish and wildlife expenditures total $3.28 billion dollars (Inaugural Annual Report of the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program 1978—1999 Northwest Power Planning Council). Of this total, approximately 39 % was attributed to hydropower operations generally intended to support migrating fish.

In the last few years we have seen both encouraging and discouraging trends in salmon and steelhead populations. Nine years ago only Snake River Sockeye were listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act. Today 14 fish species are listed as threatened or endangered in the Columbia Basin including 12 species of salmon and steelhead as well as bull trout and white sturgeon.

Some anadromous fish populations have improved in the last 10 years, and other have declined.

Ocean conditions vary from year to year and over longer cycles. Warmer ocean temperatures have been associated with weaker runs of Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead, a relationship that reverses during periods of cooler ocean temperatures. Nevertheless, run sizes present a snapshot of stock abundance and are useful to illuminate trends.

In general, wild populations of salmon and steelhead have continued to decline while stocks composed primarily of hatchery fish– particularly those runs that return to hatcheries upstream of Bonneville Dam have generally increased.

For example, 178,302 adult spring chinook salmon crossed Bonneville Dam in 2001--02, compared to the ten-year average of 62,347. Other runs showed increases. Summer chinook, fall chinook, coho, sockeye and steelhead counted at Bonneville all were above 10 year averages, and the increases were also noted at dams farther upstream. The reasons for the increased run sizes is not clear, but improved ocean conditions, spawning and rearing habitat improvements, favorable conditions in the rivers and the estuary when the fish migrated as juveniles, improved dam passage and harvest restrictions likely were instrumental.

Estimates of juvenile fish survival through the hydro-system typically are based on observations of fish tagged with a tiny electronic chip. Based on the results of these estimates, the National Marine Fisheries Service has reported in its studies that survival of juvenile spring chinook salmon migrating past dams in the Snake River is higher today than it was in the 1960’s which predates some of the Snake River dams.

Others have questioned this conclusion because research techniques are different today than 30 years ago. In fact, the collection of data was suspended from 1981 to 1992 as the early techniques were not considered sufficiently reliable. Since 1992, the new electronic chip technology is viewed as a better evaluation tool. NMFS says the higher survival likely is the result of good flow conditions, dam operations and fish passage improvements at the dams.

Adult fish are counted as they pass dams, either by observers, video cameras or detection devices. Some fish have identifying marks or tags, and others don’t. Some fish fall back through dam bypass systems and are counted twice. Generally speaking, dam counts are subject to counting errors. In addition, some fish will stray into tributaries between dams or try to return downstream past a dam in search of their home tributaries, further complicating dam counts and survival estimates.

While the adult returns in 2000 were impressive, the numbers mask a disturbing trend—most of the fish are returning to the hatcheries, and the number of fish that spawn in the wild continues to be low, Some biologists say that if the number of wild fish declines, the risk of losing the genetic diversity of unique stocks increases. This is important because wild fish may preserve the unique genetic material that provides for the long term ability of the species to adapt to environmental changes.

Columbia River fish are harvested in both the ocean and the river. Harvest rates in the river peaked shortly after the turn of the century and have declined steadily over time as fewer and fewer fish have returned to the river. In some cases the declining abundance of wild fish and endangered listing have forced a further reduction in harvest rates.

However, another way to look at this is that permitted harvest rates continue to remain unusually high for fish at risk of extinction.

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In 1938 271,900 Chinook passed through Bonneville Dam. 22,400 were Spring Chinook. Summer chinook were counted at 14,800. Fall chinook 234,700. Coho 15,200. Sockeye 75,040. Steelhead 107,003. Pink 0. Shad 5273. Chum 2117 and Lamprey not available.

In 2004 845,717 Chinook passed through Bonneville Dam. 60,247 were jacks and 170,152 were spring adults, 8,885 were spring jacks, 92,143 summer adults, 12,889 summer jacks, 583,422 fall adults and 38,473 fall jacks.

Also counted in 2004 at the Fish Passage Center were Coho 115,041, Coho jacks 4,808, Sockeye 123,291, Steelhead 311,122, wild Steelhead

97, 542, Pink 1, Shad 5,355,677, Chum 77, Lamprey 61,780.

Excerpts from

Www.fpc.org/adultsalmon/adulthistory/YTD-BON.html

Fish Passage Center Adult Salmon Website

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Volunteers rack up the hours / miles!

In this issue of our newsletter you will find an insert that documents the hours donated by Fish First volunteers toward the net pen projects, fish feeding at Echo and Speelayi, nutrient enhancement and egg boxes.

It is a quite extensive list of volunteers who donated their time at Echo Park and Speelayi on the net pens, feeding the fish, putting nutrients into the stream and putting remote site incubators on the streams that feed into the North Fork Lewis River. This list also documents their personal miles to accomplish these projects as well as the miles incurred by our nutrient enhancement truck. We see success in our projects on the river because of the time and energy donated by our volunteers. Thank you.

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Salmon Spawning and Recovery Alliance Update

The first suit calls on U.S. Customs to stop allowing the import into the Unites States of ESA-listed salmon. In response to a motion by the federal defendants Judge Zilly has ordered this case transferred to the Court of International Trade, a specialty federal court located in New York. The defendants want the case dismissed on grounds that they are exercising enforcement discretion in choosing not to block salmon imports, and the courts are not allowed to question an agency’s exercise of enforcement discretion. We have argued that ignoring the law entirely is not an exercise of enforcement discretion. The Court of International Trade now will be asked to consider this question, probably in June or July.

The second suit would require the U.S. to reconsider the impact of Canada’s fisheries on ESA-listed Puget Sound and Columbia River salmon. NMFS issued a biological opinion in 1999 which found that Canada’s fisheries do not jeopardize ESA-listed salmon populations. Information has become available since 1999, as well as changes in NMFS policy, support revisiting that opinion. The federal defendants moved to dismiss this case as well. Arguments on the motion was heard by Judge Martinez on May 9. We are waiting for the courts ruling.

In addition to suits one and two we have given notice of intent to sue to challenge harvest levels in Puget Sound, but not yet filed suit.

On May 8, plaintiff group, represented by Gary Loomis, Bill Bakke, Jon Bial, and representatives from Washington Trout and Snohomish Co. PUD met with Bob Lohn, Bill Ruckelshaus, Jeff Koenings (WDFW), Billy Frank (NW Indian Fish Commission) and their staffs to hear what efforts are being made to integrate habitat recovery and harvest planning in the Puget Sound.

A decision on proceedings with the Puget Sound case will probably be made in the next few weeks.

Svend Brandt-Erichsen, Attorney Heller-Ehrmann

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Please welcome our newest board members Richard Potenski and Walt McGovern.

RICHARD POTENSKI has accepted the nutrient enhancement position formerly held by Dan DuPuis. Richard retired from Lockheed Martin, Denver, CO. as Mgr. of Traffic & Transportation in 2000. He and his wife Cindy traveled the continental U.S. for 18 months. They moved to Woodland, WA to be closer to the Columbia River and joined Fish First in 2004.

WALT MCGOVERN authored the initiative petition that made steelhead a game fish in Oregon. He is past Nat’l. Director of Trout Unlimited and past Oregon State President of NW Steelheaders. He served two terms as a member of the Gov. Salmon Advisory Committee and is presently a member of the Salmonid Foundation.

Welcome aboard guys!

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Banquet was a success!

The final count is not in yet, but it appears that we have succeeded in securing in excess of $81,000 net at our banquet held May 6, 2006 at the Oak Tree Restaurant, in Woodland, WA.

The funds we raise at banquet are used as a match to federal and state grant money for on the ground projects that are bringing back the fish to the Lewis River.

Thank you to all who supported our banquet!

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We want to send out a special thank you to ORVIS for donating $5000 and Cabelas for donating $5000 that will be used on restoraton projects on the North and East Fork Lewis Rivers.

Tim Rajeff took first place with brother Steve Rajeff taking second in a fly casting competition that took place at the Fly Tackle Dealer Show in Denver, CO, Sept. 7 – 10, 2005. The Rajeff’s winnings from Orvis and Saltwater Flyfishing were donated to Fish First.

Cabelas has committed to supporting Fish First by cash donation as well donating a full page in their upcoming catalog.

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Managing Salmon

Harvest 2006

Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODF) this year voted 4 to 3 to reduce the sports impact allocation from the usual 60% sports anglers and 40% gillnetters to a 50/50 split on Spring Chinook. Fortunately the Washington Fish Commissioners prevailed and the final allocation was 57% for tens of thousands of sports anglers and 43% for 125 gillnetters.

Some anglers questioned whether there should be any harvest on this fragile run, while all sports anglers pleaded with the Commission to require all anglers and gillnetters to release all wild Chinook; a pleading that fell on deaf ears.

ODF often ‘front loads’ gillnet seasons and allows them to harvest salmon from the front end of the run - based on projected run sizes. Unfortunately our biologists have been overestimating run sizes. Some runs have been only 50% of predicted.

This year ODF closed the Columbia River from the I-5 bridge to Bonneville to the sports anglers taking of springers but did not close it to gillnetters.

Excerpts from a Guest Editorial

In ‘Salmon, Trout and Steelheader Magazine’

by Walt McGovern

NOTE: The Washington Fish Commission planned for no recovery of salmon in nine major rivers flowing into the Puget Sound even though

lobbyists and government in the area have invested millions of dollars in salmon habitat restoration. Why?

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Our next meeting is October 19, 2006. Our next scheduled newsletter will be sent out October 1.

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Get Hooked on Fishing at the 8th annual

Merwin Fishing Day for Special Kids

Games, educational booths, activities and a barbecue lunch are also offered for

the participants and their families.

So join the fun!  

To register for the fishing day, please call the 

Special Kids Fishing Day 

reservation line at 503-813-5574 or toll free 1-800-899-4421 by July 7.

Directions: Merwin Fish Hatchery is located about 55 miles north of the Portland Metro area.  Take I-5 north to the Woodland/Cougar exit.  

Go east on Highway 503 for 10 miles.  

Turn right at the Merwin Dam / Pacific Power sign.  Go ½ mile down the hill and follow the signs.

Saturday, July 15, 2006

9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Merwin Fish Hatchery

Ariel, Washington

Sponsored by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pacific Power and C.A.S.T For Kids, this day of free activities was created to introduce children

with disabilities to the joys of fishing.

Kids are provided a rod, reel and tackle and are paired with a volunteer to help 

them hook the big one.