This Is a Segregated Program

APRE Summary

Program name: Early Winter Steelhead-Hatchery

Subbasin: Grays

ESA status: Not listed and not a candidate for listing

Co-operators Role

Operator: WDFW National Marine Fisheries Mitchell Act Funding Source/Funding Administrator Service

Funding Source(s) Mitchell Act

Annual Operating Cost* $ 340,000

*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: Harvest, as mitigation for: Hydro impacts and Habitat loss.

This is a segregated program.

Program description:

Location

Maximum Size Release Release Point Major Stream Ecoprovince Age Class Number (fpp) Date (RKm) Watershed

Unfed Fry

Fingerling

West Fork Grays River (@ Grays River Hatchery) approximately 37.0 Columbia River Yearling 45000 5-8 Early May 3.2 Grays River RKm from the Estuary confluence of the Grays and Columbia River

Comment:

Broodstock Collection: Adult coho are volitionally captured in the fish ladder-V trap located at the upstream end of Elochoman River Hatchery compound, adjacent to permanent concrete weir across the Elochoman River. Broodstock Holding/Maturation: Adult broodstock are held and maturated at the Elochoman River Hatchery. Spawning: Broodstock are spawned at the Elochoman River Hatchery. Egg Fertilization: Eggs/milt are mixed, and fertilized eggs are placed in incubation units at the Elochoman River Hatchery. Egg Incubation: (1) Green-Eyed Egg Phase- Eggs are incubated from green-eyed egg phase at Elochoman River Hatchery. Eyed eggs are transferred to the Grays River Hatchery. (2) Eyed-Hatched Egg Phase- Eggs are incubated from eyed-hatched egg phase at the Grays River Hatchery. Rearing: Emergent fry are ponded and reared to smolt stage at the Grays River Hatchery. Acclimation & Release: Smolts are acclimated and volitionally released at approximately 5-8 fpp from the Grays River Hatchery in early May. The steelhead smolt release is initiated after it has been determined that the wild chum smolt emigration in the area tributaries has been completed.

Broodstock source Elochoman River Early Winter Steelhead

Broodstock collection location Elochoman River Hatchery/Elochoman River/RKm 19.3/Elochoman River Subbasin (stream, RKm, subbasin)

Adult holding location (stream, Elochoman River Hatchery/Elochoman River/RKm 19.3/Elochoman River Subbasin RKm, subbasin)

Spawning location (stream, Elochoman River Hatchery/Elochoman River/RKm 19.3/Elochoman River Subbasin RKm, subbasin)

Incubation location (facility Elochoman River Hatchery (Green-Eyed Egg Phase)/Elochoman River/RKm name, stream, RKm, subbasin) 19.3/Elochoman River Subbasin; and Grays River Hatchery (Eyed-Hatched Egg Phase)/West Fork Grays River ( Approximately 37.0 RKm from the confluence of the Grays and Columbia River/RKm 3.2/Grays River Subbasin

Rearing location (facility name, Grays River Hatchery/West Fork Grays River ( Approximately 37.0 RKm from the stream, RKm, subbasin) confluence of the Grays and Columbia River/RKm 3.2/Grays River Subbasin

Year(s) Used Broodstock Source Origin Begin End

Elochman River Winter Steelhead (Beaver Creek Hatchery) H 1990 1999

Lewis River Winter Steelhead (Merwin Hatchery) H 1995 1998

Elochoman River (Elochoman River Hatchery) H 2000 Present

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:

1400 Natural Escapement

) Natural Escapement h

s 1200

i Hatchery Spaw ning f

f Hatchery Spaw ning o 1000 s # (

n 800 e m e p

a 600 c s E

d 400 n a

n 200 i n w a

p 0 S l a 1 3 5 7 9 1 o 9 9 9 9 9 0 9 9 9 9 9 0 G 1 1 1 1 1 2 Return Year

Recruits per Spawner Escapement and Hatchery Spawning

h 500 c t a C

400 l a t

o 300 T 200

0 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001

Return Year

Smolt-to-Adult Survival Total Catch

Consistency of hatchery program with the goals for the target stock:

The goal for this hatchery stock is to maintain its high viability and provide harvest. The use of a segregated harvest strategy is consistent with the harvest goal. The program has consistently provided significant harvest to fisheries in the Grays River and Lower Columbia River/Estuary. Guidelines for improving key operational elements to increase the likelihood of meeting goals for the target stock :

Adult Holding

 Hatchery intake screening for the adult holding supply should comply with Integrated Hatchery Operations Team (IHOT) and National Marine Fisheries Service facility standards.

Incubation

 The water used for incubation should meet or exceed the recommended Integrated Hatchery Operations Team (IHOT) water quality standards for the following compounds: ammonia, carbon dioxide, chlorine, pH, copper, dissolved oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, dissolved nitrogen, iron, and zinc.  Hatchery intake screening for the incubation water supply should comply with Integrated Hatchery Operations Team (IHOT) and National Marine Fisheries Service facility standards.

Rearing

 Rearing water should have a chemical profile significantly different from natural stream conditions to provide adequate imprinting of hatchery fish and minimize the attraction of naturally produced fish into the hatchery.  The water used for rearing should meet or exceed the recommended Integrated Hatchery Operations Team (IHOT) water quality standards for the following compounds: ammonia, carbon dioxide, chlorine, pH, copper, dissolved oxygen, hydrogen sulfide, dissolved nitrogen, iron, and zinc.  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.

Release

 Fish produced should be qualitatively similar to natural fish in growth rate.  Fish produced should be qualitatively similar to natural fish in physiological status.

 Fish should be released at an optimum time and size that has been determined by a site-specific survival study.

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 Early Winter Steelhead-Hatchery in the Grays

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. Stock Name ESA Listing Viability Biological Significance Early Coho Candidate M H

Additional reviewer comments:

The program fish are marked at a 100% rate, but there is limited ability to monitor and control straying. Current program utilizes locally adapted early winter stock derived from adults returning to the Grays River Hatchery adult collection/trapping weir. But, broodstock for the program can be derived from the Lewis River or Kalama River early winter stock, in cases when there is a shortfall in broodstock escapement for the program.

Manager/operator response:

Text that will be added by manager/operator.