Coho Reintroduction in the Upper Columbia:
Using Adaptive Management to Achieve Success
Fisheries Resource ManagementYakama Nation
Long Term Vision For Coho Reintroduction
“To re-establish naturally spawning coho populations in mid and upper Columbia tributaries to biologically sustainable levels, which provides significant harvest in most years”
Upper Columbia Tributaries
• Historical Abundance (Mullan 1983)– Wenatchee: 6,000-7,000– Entiat: 9,000-13,000– Methow: 23,000-31,000
Coho Salmon Methow River 1910, Mullan (1992)
Project Undertaking: An Uphill Battle
• Challenges and limitations• Identify evaluations needed to study interactions
with endemic and sensitive species
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Feasibility Study Goals1. To determine if a local broodstock could be
developed from lower Columbia River stocks
2. Initiate natural production
3. Answer critical uncertainties regarding species interactions.
Broodstock Development
The Development of a Local BroodstockWenatchee Basin (Brood Year)
1997: LCR
2000: MCR
1st Generation
2003: MCR
2nd Generation
2006: MCR
3rd Generation
2009: MCR
4th Generation
1998: LCR
2001: MCR
1st Generation
2004: MCR
2nd Generation
2007: MCR
3rd Generation
2010: MCR
4th Generation
1999: LCR
2002: LCR & MCR
2005: MCR
1st & 2nd Generation
2008: MCR
2nd & 3rd Generation
2011: MCR
3th & 4th Generation
Broodstock Development
The Development of a Local BroodstockMethow Basin (Brood Year)
1998: LCR
2001: LCR
2004: MCR
1st Generation
2007: MCR
2nd Generation
2010: MCR
3rd Generation
1999: LCR
2002: LCR
2005: MCR
1st Generation
2008: MCR
2nd Generation
2011: MCR
3rd Generation
2000: LCR
2003: LCR & MCR
2006: MCR
1st & 2nd Generation
2009: MCR
2nd & 3rd Generation
Natural ProductionWenatchee River Basin
2000-2002Creating 1st
generation MCR broods
2003-2005Creating 2nd generation
MCR broods
2006-2008Creating 3rd generation
MCR broods
2009-2011 Creating 4th generation
MCR broods
Natural ProductionMethow River Basin
2001-2006Creating 1st
generation MCR broods
2007-2009Creating 2nd
generation MCR broods
2010-2011Creating 3rd
generation MCR broods
Natural ProductionSmolt to Adult Return Rates
Feasibility PhaseSpecies Interactions
• Predation• Redd superimposition• Residualism• Competition
Feasibility PhaseNext Step
• Create a comprehensive long-term plan for coho reintroduction– Progress brood
development towards “preferred habitats”
• Modeling to determine estimate capacity
– Focus on decreasing domestication while increasing population fitness
• Target PNI > 0.5
Proposed Phased ApproachAn adaptive management strategy to
reintroduction• Broodstock Development Phases• Natural Production Phases
• Project Performance Indicators
• Species interactions• Adaptability to local
conditions
Monitoring and Evaluation
Program’s Future• Several studies being
implemented:– Monitor natural origin juvenile
freshwater performance • Productivity
• Distribution
– Study the rate of divergence between LCR vs MCR
• Allele frequency over time • Phenotypic adaptation
– Adult outplant study• Relative reproductive success
– Measuring phenotypic attributes of upper basin adults at a lower trap facility
– Parental Crosses • Measure progeny’s adult return rates
based on mating schemes
Key Milestones
• March 2010: Final Master Plan completed
• March 2012: Completed the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)
• July 2012: Received a Record of Decision (RoD) from BPA
• Fall 2012: Revising Biological Assessments (BAs) with USFWS/NMFS to initiate Section 7 consultations
• Fall 2013: Begin Natural Production Implementation Phase (NPIP) in the Methow subbasin
Project Benefits
• Provide increased cultural and socio-economic value to the region
• Opportunity to study the local adaptation process and at what rate it can occur
• Supplying marine nutrients at the onset of winter• Increase abundance of a keystone species
within ecological communities