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