Johnson Creek Artificial Propagation Enhancement JCAPE Project

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Johnson Creek Artificial Propagation Enhancement
(JCAPE) Project
Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries
Resources Management
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Acknowledgements

• Nez Perce Tribe
• Bonneville Power Administration
• Idaho Fish and Game
• McCall Fish Hatchery
• Eagle Fish Health Lab
• Fish Marking Staff
• USFWS Lower Snake River Compensation Program
• NOAA Fisheries
• Bryant Ranch
• Community of Yellowpine, Idaho

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JCAPE Project Overview
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Johnson Creek Watershed
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Background

• Declining population trends indicated that
  Johnson Creek summer Chinook salmon were at risk
  of extirpation.
• In 1995, only 5 redds were observed in Johnson
  Creek spawning ground index area.
• Management Action
• Implement a supplementation program to increase
  the number of returning adult salmon using a
  conventional fish rearing techniques.
• Use only natural origin adults as broodstock and
  release all supplementation adults for natural
  spawning.

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Program Purpose

• Prevent extirpation of the spawning aggregate in
  Johnson Creek
• Preserve genetic, ecological, and behavioral
  attributes of Johnson Creek summer Chinook, while
  minimizing the potential impacts to other stocks
• Build a naturally-sustaining summer Chinook
  salmon population once factors contributing to
  the initial population decline are addressed
• Re-establish Tribal and Sport fishing
  opportunities

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Supplementation Approach

• Release target of 100,000 smolts annually
• Direct stream release, no acclimation
• Collect only natural adults for broodstock
• 40 pairs of NOR adults for broodstock, collected
  over spectrum of run
• Pass all returning supplementation adults above
  the weir to spawn naturally
• Remove all known hatchery strays captured at weir

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Adult Return Goals

• Short-Term Goal Reduce risk of extinction.
  This equates to an annual escapement of 350
  adults.
• Long-term Goal Establish a self sustaining
  natural spawning population. At a minimum, this
  equates to an annual escapement of 785 adults.

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JCAPE Project History

• JCAPE Project was initiated 1996
• Project received Partial Step 2 Review through
  the NWPCC in 1998 to begin supplementation
  activities
• Supplementation Program has collected broodstock
  in 1998, 2000 to present
• Monitoring and Evaluation Program initiated 1998
• First smolt release occurred in 2000
• First adult supplementation returns in 2001

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JCAPE ESA Permitting

• Section 10 Permitting
• Prepared Benefit Risk Assessment and HGMP as
  requirements of permitting process.
• Submitted permit application for 300,000 annual
  smolt release in March 2000.
• August 2002, NOAA Fisheries determined project
  should only be permitted for 100,000 annual smolt
  release and could be accomplished in existing
  facilities.
• Section 10 Permit was approved and signed by NOAA
  Fisheries in June 2005 for 100,000 smolt release.

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Juvenile Trapping and Marking
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Spawning Ground and Carcass Surveys
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Juvenile Rearing
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Smolt Release
Juvenile Rearing
Adult Holding and Spawning
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JCAPE Facilities

• Broodstock is collected from Johnson Creek and
  transported 35 miles (1.5 hours) to the adult
  facility on SF Salmon River.
• Broodstock is held and spawned at SF Salmon River
  adult facility and eggs are transported 55 miles
  to the McCall Fish Hatchery.
• Egg incubation and juvenile fish are reared at
  McCall Fish Hatchery until release.
• Smolts are transported 110 miles (4 hours) to
  release site on Johnson Creek.

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Program Status
Adult trap was not operated in 1999 do to low run
prediction, high and extended spring stream
flows, and no ESA permitting
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JCAPE Project Implementation
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Annual Adult Escapement to Johnson Creek
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NaturalHatchery Composition in Johnson Creek
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Broodstock Management

• Broodstock collection is managed with a sliding
  scale
• Broodstock Target up to 40 pairs of NOR adults
• All supplementation adults are released for
  spawning

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Broodstock Composition
HOR fish are not intentionally collected as
broodstock. However, there have been a few
instances when HOR fish have been collected.
These fish were primarily identified after
spawning as an HOR based on tag recoveries not
detected when selected as brood.
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Broodstock Collection
2003 marks beginning of Sliding Scale
implementation for broodstock collection. Up to
40 pair of NOR adults may be collected as brood.
Broodstock target of 80 adults was not always
achieved. Either there were too few fish
returning (2004, 2006, 2007) or we experienced
higher than expected Pre-Spawn Mortality (2000,
2001, 2003, 2008). 2001 had low water flows and
high stream temperatures that likely contributed
to the high pre-spawn mortality.
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Green Egg to Eyed Egg Abundance
In 1998 and 2001, differences in Green Egg to
Eyed Egg survival was compounded by culling eggs
from high BKD positive females.
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Percent Egg Eye-Up
Average Egg Eye-Up Percent 81.7
Lower than expected Egg Eye-Up Percentage was
experienced in 1998, 2001, and 2008.
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Rearing Density Index
Outdoor Rearing Period
Indoor Rearing Period
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Fish Marking

• All supplementation fish are marked with CWT and
  Visual Implant Elastomer (VIE) tags.
• At time of release, 97.65 had both CWT and VIE
  tags and 99.95 had either a CWT or VIE tag.
• A portion of the supplementation fish are also
  PIT tagged.
• None of the supplementation fish receive any fin
  clips.

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Smolt Release Dates
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Smolt Size at Release
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JCAPE Smolt Release Totals
Average Smolt Release 90,663
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Supplementation Adult Returns
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Summary

• Operated project as an integrated supplementation
  program
• Broodstock collected 1998, 2000-present
• Primarily collecting only natural fish as
  broodstock
• All returning supplementation adults are released
  to spawn naturally
• Supplementation smolt release numbers range from
  57,000 to 120,000, average 90,000
• Supplementation adult returns have ranged from
  100 to 700 adults

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Any Questions?