HATCHERY AND GENETIC MANAGEMENT PLAN (HGMP) Hatchery Program: McKenzie River Spring Chinook Salmon Species or Spring Chinook Salmon (stock 023) Hatchery Stock: Agency/Operator: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Watershed and Region: Willamette River, Columbia River Date Submitted: Date Last Updated: 26 November 2003 SECTION 1. GENERAL PROGRAM DESCRIPTION 1.1) Name of hatchery or program. McKenzie Hatchery McKenzie River Spring Chinook Salmon Program 1.2) Species and population (or stock) under propagation, and ESA status. The spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stock reared at McKenzie Hatchery (stock 023) originated from the wild stock of spring Chinook in the McKenzie River. The wild population of spring Chinook in the McKenzie River is part of the Upper Willamette Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) for spring Chinook salmon which is listed as threatened under ESA. The hatchery population is not considered part of the Upper Willamette ESU. 1.3) Responsible organization and individuals Lead Contact: Name (and title): John Thorpe, Chief of Fish Propagation Agency or Tribe: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Address: 3406 Cherry Avenue, NE, Salem, OR 97303-4924 Telephone: (503) 947-6000 Fax: (503) 947-6202 Email: [email protected] Local Contact: Name (and Title): Kurt Kremers, McKenzie Hatchery Manager Organization: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Address: 43863 Greer Drive, Leaburg, OR 97489 Telephone: 541-896-3513 Fax: 541-896-3826 Email: [email protected] Other organizations involved: The US Army Corp of Engineers (COE) funds 50% of the McKenzie Hatchery production expenditures. 1.4) Funding source, staffing level, and annual hatchery program operational costs. Funding: US Army Corp of Engineers (50%) State - ODFW general funds (50%) Staffing: Five full-time permanent positions, plus one eight-month seasonal position Budget: $678,316 for Fiscal Year 2002 McKenzie Hatchery ChS HGMP 2 1.5) Location(s) of hatchery and associated facilities. The McKenzie Hatchery is located on the McKenzie River near river mile 37, which is about 17 miles east of Springfield, Oregon. Regional mark processing center code - #5F33317 H17 21. Latitude N44 degrees 7.11’ Longitude W122 degrees 38.27’ Adult Collection, holding and spawning: Adult spring Chinook are collected, held and spawned at McKenzie Hatchery. Some surplus hatchery adults are released above Cougar Dam to utilize habitat where access was blocked by the dams. Rearing (eyed egg to smolt): The current program production level is 1,199,000 smolts reared from early egg to smolt at McKenzie Hatchery. Acclimation to release: All smolts are reared and acclimated from early egg to release at McKenzie Hatchery into the McKenzie River. 1.6) Type of program. McKenzie spring Chinook stock is a combination of a mitigation program and an integrated harvest program. Approximately half the production of the McKenzie Hatchery smolt program is funded by an agreement with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to mitigate for losses of about 4,060 wild adults that were produced in areas above Cougar and Blue River dams. The mitigation agreement calls for rearing of a maximum of 80,800 lb. of spring Chinook to be released primarily in the McKenzie Basin and totally within the Willamette Basin. The remaining portion of the production is funded by ODFW for the purpose of enhancing the run for in-river fisheries enhancement purposes (ODFW, 1998). 1.7) Purpose (Goal) of program. 1) To mitigate the loss of spring Chinook catch in sport and commercial fisheries that was lost due to the construction and operation of Blue River and Cougar Dams (IHOT, 1997). 2) To provide adequate fish to the hatchery to maintain the broodstock, and to have hatchery broodstock available as a reserve population for the wild run. 3) To provide hatchery fish for natural production and enrichment above Cougar Dam. McKenzie Hatchery ChS HGMP 3 4) To maintain the hatchery population as similar to the wild run as possible (OAR 635-500-1661). 1.8) Justification for the program. The McKenzie Spring Chinook Program is managed carefully to provide a fishery on spring Chinook while protecting the wild spring Chinook population from genetic and fishery impacts. The following is a list of hatchery practices and management features of the program currently in place to minimize these impacts: 1.8.1 Hatchery Practices • The McKenzie Hatchery broodstock originated from native McKenzie River spring Chinook. • At least 5% wild fish are incorporated into the hatchery broodstock each year. • All portions of the run and all age classes are incorporated into the egg takes to ensure genetic diversity. • 100% of the hatchery smolts released are fin marked to allow for a selective sport fishery on hatchery Chinook. Regulations require release of unmarked Chinook. • All releases of smolts into the McKenzie system are made from the hatchery to minimize straying. • Stray hatchery adults can be selectively removed from the naturally spawning population at Leaburg Dam. • McKenzie Hatchery complies with IHOT standards and ODFW policies for prevention and treatment of fish diseases. 1.8.2 Management Features Prior to the adoption of ODFW’s Native Fish Conservation Policy (NFCP) (OAR 635-007-0502 through 0509), the McKenzie Spring Chinook Program was managed as a “Type 2” program under ODFW’s Wild Fish Management Policy (WFMP). The WFMP was superceded by the NFCP in November 2002. Until an individual conservation plan is written for spring Chinook in the McKenzie River basin, NFCP Interim Criteria will be used for management guidance. A summary of the NFCP Interim Criteria follow (see OAR 635-007-0507 for more detail): 1. Existing populations – no more than 20% of the historical populations within the species management unit have become extinct and no natural population within the species management unit in existence as of 2003 shall be lost in the future. This criterion is not met for McKenzie River spring Chinook. The average estimated run of spring Chinook in the McKenzie River during 1945-1960, prior to loss of production above Cougar, Blue River and Trail Bridge dams, was 18,000 fish (Howell et al. 1988). The average estimated run size in the McKenzie over the period 1970-2002 is 6520 (see Appendix Table 1). McKenzie Hatchery ChS HGMP 4 For at least 80% of the existing populations within each species management unit or for selected index populations, interim criteria 2-6 must be exceeded in at least 3 years during the most recent 5 year time interval. 2. Habitat Use Distribution – Naturally produced members of a population must occupy at least 50% of a population’s historic habitat. This criterion is not met for McKenzie River spring Chinook. 3. Abundance – The number of naturally produced spawners must be greater than 25% of the average abundance of naturally produced spawners over the most recent 30 year time period. This is met for McKenzie spring Chinook (see Appendix Table 1). 4. Productivity – In years when the total spawner abundance is less than the average abundance of naturally produced spawner over the past 30 years, then the rate of population increase shall be at least 1.2 adult offspring per parent. (“Offspring” are defined as naturally produced adults that survive to spawn and “parents” are defined as those adults of natural plus hatchery origin that spawned and collectively produced the observed offspring.) These data are not available for the McKenzie. 5. Reproductive Independence – At least 90% of the spawners within a population must be naturally produced and not hatchery produced fish, unless the department determines the hatchery produced fish are being used in a short-term experimental program to help restore a population in its natural habitat or otherwise directed by a court order. This criterion is not met for McKenzie River spring Chinook. In addition to broodstock management, Leaburg Dam presents the opportunity to remove excess hatchery fish from the natural spawning population in the major portion of the natural production area for spring Chinook in the McKenzie above Leaburg. Current limitations of the trapping facility at Leaburg Dam do not allow for removal of enough hatchery fish to comply with this criterion while at the same time minimize handling of wild spring Chinook. See Section 1.16 for further discussion on this issue. 6. Hybridization – The occurrence of individuals that are the product of deleterious hybridization with species that are non-native to the basin in which they are found must be rare or nonexistent. This is likely to be the case in the McKenzie. 1.9 & 1.10) List of program “Performance Standards” and “Performance Indicators” designated by “benefits” and “risks”. Category 1-Harvest Standard 1.1: Provide 1,000 adult hatchery spring Chinook for sport harvest in the McKenzie Hatchery ChS HGMP 5 McKenzie River in such a way that impacts to the wild population of spring Chinook are within limits described in the FMEP. Ancillary impacts on wild spring Chinook populations from angling will be minimized. Benefit (It is recognized that angling may have risks to the wild population associated with it, however, harvest is a beneficial result of the hatchery program goal.) Indicator: Number of returning adults. Benefit Indicator: Number of hatchery spring Chinook harvested. Benefit Indicator: Numbers of wild spring Chinook handled and released during fishery, and estimated impact to wild population. Risk Standard 1.2: All McKenzie Hatchery spring Chinook juveniles will be marked with an adipose fin clip so hatchery adults can be visually distinguished from wild adults. Benefit Indicator: Mark retention rate from each release group. Benefit Category 2 - Genetic and Life History Characteristics: Standard 2.1: Spring Chinook broodstock will be collected in a manner that approximates the life history characteristics (e.g., run timing, age, and size of the population) of hatchery fish returning to the hatchery.