Spring chinook salmon program,

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Spring chinook salmon program,
Dworshak National Fish Hatchery
Clearwater River Basin, Idaho
Project ID 200101
Howard Burge
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Idaho Fishery Resource Office
Ahsahka, Idaho
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Lower Snake River Compensation Plan Facilities
Washington
LF
CL
DW
TU
IG
LG
Oregon
MC
Fish Hatcheries
SW
Idaho
Trapping/Release Sites
HG
MV
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(No Transcript)
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Facilties

• Dworshak NFH
• Idaho FHC
• Idaho FRO

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Goals
Provide a sport tribal fishery in the
Clearwater River
Production release of 1.05 mil smolts _at_ 15-18/lb
Adult return of 9,135 above Lower Granite Dam
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Lewiston Dam 1929-1972
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Leavenworth NFH
1983 - 86
Little White NFH
1989 - 97
1983 85
Dworshak NFH
Kooskia NFH
1995
Rapid River SH
1987 88
Broodstock sources and years
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Dworshak Spring chinook
characteristics
5050 ratio of males to females
Approximately 65 of returning adults are 2-ocean
Average size of a 2-ocean adult is 29 inches
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Dworshak NFH Program
Chinook arrive June - August
Spawning occurs late Aug - early Sept
Rearing approx. 20 months
Chinook released early April
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Release Goal
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Dworshak Spring Chinook Returns
10,000
Adult Return Goal
8,000
Hatchery
Fishery
6,000
ADULT RETURNS
4,000
2,000
Broodstock Need
0
84
86
88
90
92
94
96
98
00
85
87
89
91
93
95
97
99
01
YEAR
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Changes
BKD segregation - late 80s
Reduced rearing densities
Larger size at release
Time release to coincide with increasing
hydrograph, turbid water, new moon, and evening
releases
Earlier release date
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Limiting Factors identified in the Clearwater
Subbasin Summary

• Dworshak Dam blocking access to habitat that
  provided spawning and rearing for spring chinook
  salmon
• Adult escapement is limited by out-of-basin
  factors (e.g. dams ocean conditions)

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Release vs. Return, 1983 - 95
4,000
2
r .203
P
.123
3,000
2,000
Return
1,000
0
0
1,000,000
2,000,000
500,000
1,500,000
Release
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Current M E

• Monitor progress in meeting mitigation goal
• Evaluate and recommend hatchery practices to
  optimize rearing and release strategies
• Coordination and cooperation with other basin
  wide programs

and . . .
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Building support for basin wide salmon recovery
efforts