Chinook

A total of 5,059 spring Chinook salmon have crossed Lower Granite Dam as of 5/25/17.  In 2016, a total of 42,093 had passed by now.  The ten year average on this date is 43,019.

Steelhead

A total of 7,291 steelhead have crossed as of 5/25/17.  These are fish that spent the winter in-river.  In 2016, a total of 5,467 had passed.  The ten year average on this date is 9,022.

Of those steelhead, only 3,038 were wild.  The rest were hatchery fish.

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We are either experiencing a slow start to the spring Chinook run, a very small run, or a combination of both.  River flows have been high and cold this year, making passage difficult.  The 2015 juvenile Chinook, many of which are returning this year as adults, experienced extreme levels of mortality in the hydrosystem during their migration to the Pacific Ocean.  You  can read more about that here.

As a result, the Spring Chinook fishing season in Idaho was halted on the Clearwater, Salmon, and Little Salmon Rivers in response to these low returns.  Idaho Fish and Game officials are worried that not enough Chinook will return to the hatcheries to satisfy their needs (to make more fish for the future).  You can read more in this article by Eric Barker of the Lewiston Tribune.   Spring Chinook fishing was also closed in Washington State due to anemic runs.

In addition, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon are all currently considering fishery closures for B-run steelhead too.

This seems like a return to the years of low returns experienced in the 1990’s.

Washington, Oregon mull rolling closures, while Idaho adopts wait-and-see policy

• By ERIC BARKER of the Lewiston Tribune

Washington and Oregon are poised to implement rolling closures of the steelhead fishery from the mouth of the Columbia River to the mouth of the Snake this summer and fall in an attempt to protect the dismal B-run, projected to be the lowest on record.

On the Snake River from its mouth to Clarkston, anglers would be required to release all steelhead more than 30 inches in length. The two states also are looking to restrict most fishing on the Snake and Columbia rivers to daylight hours only, and to implement the same rolling closures on the lower sections of Columbia River tributaries, where Idaho-bound B-run steelhead often make short detours while in search of cool water.

Protective regulations for the Snake River upstream of the Idaho-Washington state line at Clarkston and the Clearwater River have not yet been set. Idaho fisheries officials are considering adopting regulations similar to those implemented in 2013, when anglers were only allowed to harvest steelhead less than 28 inches in length.

“We have the advantage in Idaho of seeing the run materialize downriver before we fish,” said Lance Hebdon, salmon and steelhead manager for the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at Boise. “So we’ll keep our options open and implement regulations that are appropriate to meet the objectives of ensuring we meet brood stock targets while maintaining opportunity for our steelhead anglers. Length restrictions are certainly on the table, and we’ll continue to coordinate management with Oregon and Washington.”

Columbia River fisheries managers are forecasting a return of only 7,300 B-run steelhead to Bonneville Dam, including 1,100 wild fish. The fishing restrictions are designed to both protect the wild fish, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and to ensure enough hatchery fish return for spawning.

“Everybody is going to feel some pain,” said Ron Roler of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife at Olympia.

He said Washington and Oregon are adopting a one steelhead bag limit when fishing is allowed. But there will be periods when anglers won’t be allowed to keep any steelhead. Federal permits authorizing the fisheries will allow the two states combined to incidentally kill just 22 wild b-run steelhead during the fishing seasons.

Stuart Ellis of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission said the Columbia River treaty tribes, including the Nez Perce, haven’t yet adopted rules designed to limit take of B-run steelhead during fall chinook gillnet fisheries. But he said the tribal fisheries will be constrained because of the low number of steelhead.

“We will probably have to be a little creative to try to focus fishing on getting the chinook we can get without running into the steelhead limits,” Ellis said.

Under the proposal, nontribal steelhead harvest will be closed during the following dates and locations:

• The mouth of the Columbia River to the Dalles Dam, from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31.
• The Dalles Dam to John Day Dam, from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30.
• John Day Dam to McNary Dam, from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31
• McNary Dam to the Oregon-Washington state line, from Oct. 1 to Nov. 30.
• The lower reaches of the Cowlitz, Lewis, Wind, White Salmon and Klickitat rivers, as well as Drano Lake, will be closed to steelhead harvest from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31.
• The lower Deschutes River from Moody Rapids to its mouth will be closed to all fishing from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31.
• The John Day River, downstream of Tumwater Falls, is expected to be closed from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31.

In many locations, only anglers targeting northern pikeminnow will be allowed to fish at night.

Roller said the closures are designed to be in place at the times B-run steelhead are present in different river sections and intended to reduce the number of anglers targeting steelhead.

“We are in a serious hurt here so we have to take some serious measures to curtail fisheries on steelhead.”

Jeromy Jording, biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the record-low flows and elevated water temperatures during the spring and summer of 2015 combined with the warm mass of water off the coast of Washington that year – known as the Blob – is responsible for the dire prediction, as well as this year’s poor return of spring chinook. Last year, the collapse of the A-run also was blamed on the poor river and ocean conditions of 2015.

“This is the lowest return we have forecasted I think on record,” he said. “Even if you go back into the 1990s, this year would be even lower than anything we observed during that poor period of survival.”

Jording said climate change could cause greater frequency of the kind of drought and poor ocean conditions responsible for this year’s poor steelhead showing.

“The effects of climate change give us a great cause for concern on how we can expect run size abundance to behave in the future,” Jording said.

CHINOOK SALMON

As of 5/25/17, the current and recent past counts of Spring Chinook Salmon that have completed passage of Bonneville dam and entered the Columbia River system are:

2017:  69,046

2016:  128,949

10 yr avg:  141,414

As a result of the extremely low returns this year, Washington State fisheries managers have closed fishing on the Snake River.  In addition, Idaho has also closed fishing for Spring Chinook on the Salmon, Little Salmon, and Clearwater Rivers.

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STEELHEAD

As of 5/25/17, the current and recent past counts of Steelhead are:

2017:  3,049

2016: 4,903

10-yr avg:  5,024

This years returns are forecast to be the worst in decades.  Consequently, fisheries managers in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon are all very concerned about B-run steelhead.  They are mulling measures to protect the fish this season.  That could result in rolling closures, length restrictions, and limit restrictions.

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So, what’s the dam problem?

All of these low salmon and steelhead returns are the result of a hydrosystem that kills over half the juvenile fish on their journey to the Pacific Ocean.  Fish ladders do help adults get up the river to spawn. But passing juvenile salmon down the river is difficult.  As a result, despite the increase in hatchery fish, improvement of habitat, and limits on harvest, salmon and steelhead returns continue to decline.  Removing the four lower Snake River dams would immediately improve fish passage, open up around 70 miles of Fall Chinook spawning habitat, and lead to steelhead, Chinook, Sockeye, and possibly even Coho salmon recovery.

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All data is from the Fish Passage Center website (fpc.org)

Finally, while what seem to be impressive numbers of fish return to the Columbia River basin today, be aware that historically 17 MILLION salmon returned to the Columbia River each year.

2017 Incidents at Little Goose Dam on the Lower Snake River

A short summary of issues jeopardizing salmon recovery since April 11th

Incident #1

On April 11th, the first juvenile salmon and steelhead deaths at Little Goose Lock and Dam were reported. This was the day after the lock was finally returned to service after three weeks delay due to numerous operations issues. “Higher than normal debris load” through the juvenile collection system killed 94 juveniles.

Incident #2

On April 28th, another debris blockage killed 395 juveniles. This time the Corps implemented additional efforts to
manage debris issues. The salmon deaths prompted a letter from NOAA.
Eric & Ann (Army Corps of Engineers),
If I’m not mistaken this is the second debris caused high mortality incident in the Little Goose juvenile sampling and
collection system in April. I know we all hate to see these incidents that can usually be avoided by due diligence and
observation. I am wondering if its time for you to meet with the staff at Goose and walk through the system to
identify areas that may get plugged and point out how continued observation can alert staff to a developing
problem. I am hopeful this may emphasize the needs and help to avoid further problems. Thank You!

Bill Hevlin
NOAA Fisheries

Incident #3

On May 3rd, another debris clog killed 2,240 juvenile salmon and steelhead. This time gatewell orifices were found
plugged by debris. After this kill incident, orifice monitoring was to take place every 2 hours until further notice.

Incident #4

On May 1st another deadly event occurred when juveniles were mortally injured in passing or wedged into defective
vertical barrier screens because the screens had not undergone seasonal maintenance and repairs. Debris further
damaged the screens and was given as the cause of the approximately 5,000 mortalities, but reporting was late and
vague.
To repair the screens, the Corps took the turbines out of service. Incredibly, 25% of the turbines (6 of 24) at the
four lower Snake River dams have been out of service this Spring (including one at Little Goose). Then the Corps
removed another 3 turbines from service, which left 2 turbines running during these times of high flow. If water
isn’t flowing through turbines, it must spill over the dam. This creates high levels of dissolved gas in the water, that
at certain levels causes short and long term harm to juvenile and adult fish. Biologists generally agree that fish can
survive gas levels of 120%, but not a lot higher. With this years excessive spill at Little Goose, dissolved gas levels
went off the charts to 132% below the dam. Downstream at Lower Monumental Dam, 22% of juveniles were
measured with gas bubble trauma and some was severe. Additionally, adults are currently migrating upstream past
the dams and seem to be delayed at Little Goose. This means they too are being forced to endure deadly levels of
dissolved gases and for extended periods of time. This may indeed prove to be Incident #5, and potentially the
most deadly of them all for the fish.

Why did this happen?

All of these issues stemmed from a lack of maintenance and repair of complex fish passage systems that the Corps does not have the budget to maintain. It is not because of nature, which has become the standard excuse. The flows experienced this year are not unusual and mitigating river debris is designed into the system, but only works if maintained properly. In February 2014, the Little Goose Dam debris boom that had prevented past debris issues was damaged. As a result, debris issues have occurred at the dam each year since the failure. Repairs will not occur until winter 2017-2018. Why has this taken so long? These dams are aging and much of the equipment, including the massively expensive turbines and fish passage equipment, is past its useful life. Operation and maintenance costs are escalating rapidly as predicted 10-15 years ago and budgets are not. Delayed repairs are resulting in exponentially higher future replacement costs. At some point, the Army Corps of Engineers will realize that sinking more money into these dams is futile and a poor way to spend tax and rate payer money.

‘Most’ everything in this article is correct, except that the conclusion is wrong.  It was written by the Washington State Chapter of the Sierra Club.  Too much spill kills salmon and the incremental benefit to more spill is minimal at this point. If we want robust, economically thriving river communities, wild salmon for future generations to experience, and a healthy Pacific Northwest ecosystem for all of us, the Snake River needs to be set free from the four Lower Snake River Dams.

More spill won’t make it, so lets not ask for it. We need to be asking for immediate breach starting this year.

HR 2083 “Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act”

On June 8th, 2017, a legislative hearing was held regarding HR 2083.  The purpose of this bill is to amend the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to reduce predation on endangered Columbia River salmon and other nonlisted species, and for other
purposes.   It was introduced by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-WA.

Bill Summary

To assist the recovery of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmon in the Columbia
River watershed and to protect tribal ceremonial, subsistence and commercial fisheries, H.R. 2083 authorizes the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to issue expedited permits authorizing states and tribes to lethally take California sea lions and non-ESA listed Steller sea lions (hereinafter referred to as “sea lions”) under certain conditions.

Testimony by Mr. Gary Dorr, representing Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, was included in the hearing.  His statement targets the true root-cause of salmon mortality on the Snake-Columbia River system.  To hear more of Gary’s testimony, begin listening here at minute 42.

Comments from Jim Waddell

“Once again federal agencies and prodam advocates are pitting endangered marine mammals against salmon recovery in another effort to deflect attention to the real problem, four too many dams endangering Snake River salmon and steelhead.  Immediate breaching of the lower Snake River Dams not only benefits all the endangered harvesters, whether you be a sea lion, a killer whale, a tribal, commercial or sport fisherman, or a farmer, but adds thousands of jobs to the region and saves tax/rate payer money. “

Spring Chinook

At Bonneville Dam, the spring Chinook run ended on May 31st.  The run started late due to river conditions and never fully recovered.  The final number of adults across the dam was 83,624.  This is a 39% reduction from last year and a 44% reduction from the 10 year average.

 

 

Summer Chinook

The summer run started on June 1st.  As of 6/11/17, the run total was 17,384.  This is a 27% reduction compared to last year, and a 23% reduction from the 10 year average.   River conditions have been difficult for Chinook salmon this year.  But we cannot forget that 61% of juvenile Chinook perished in the hydropower system in 2015, the year that they migrated out to the ocean.

 

Steelhead

The steelhead run at Bonneville dam is just getting underway and is currently at 3,712 adults, including 1,149 wild fish (not from a hatchery).  Last year at this time, 7,164 steelhead, including 2,611 wild fish had passed.  The 10 year average is 6,985 adults including 2,017 wild fish.  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has restricted the steelhead fishing season as a result.  This is predicted to be the worst steelhead run in 37 years.   A WDFW fishery manager, Ron Roler, left out a key piece of information when he tried to explain these poor results.

“Many of the fish returning this year were subjected to drought conditions in the Columbia Basin in 2015 and unusually warm water in the ocean through 2016,” Roler said. “We saw the effects of these conditions in last year’s upriver steelhead return, and this year they’re even more pronounced.”

When these adults were just smolts out-migrating to the ocean in 2015, steelhead mortality through the 4 lower Snake dams and 4 Columbia dams was 64%.

Spring chinook fishing closed in Clearwater Basin

No summer season is planned in drainage except for Lochsa River

• By ERIC BARKER of the Lewiston Tribune

 

Idaho fisheries managers pulled the plug on spring fishing in the Clearwater Basin on Monday after giving the beleaguered season a brief second life.

The four-day-a-week season on sections of the Clearwater and its South and Middle forks that ran Thursdays through Sundays will not reopen this week, nor will it open there later this month for summer chinook. The Lochsa River is the lone exception in the basin. It is scheduled to open to summer chinook harvest June 22.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologist Brett Bowersox at Lewiston said the run returning to the Clearwater Basin continues to show lower-than-average survival between Bonneville and Lower Granite dams – so poor that the state’s share of the harvestable surplus already has been exhausted. The closure also will help ensure hatcheries get an adequate number of spawners, known as broodstock, to produce the next generation of springers.

“We are still wanting to protect our ability to get brood, and the most recent information we have showed we needed to shut down even the jack fishery to protect that brood stock,” said Bowersox.

Spring chinook season opened on the Clearwater and its tributaries in late April, but high water and cold flows apparently delayed the run. Fearing a shortage of spawners, the department closed fishing on the Clearwater River and its tributaries and on the lower Salmon and Little Salmon rivers May 22.

Fishing resumed June 3 following a spike of adult chinook passing Bonneville Dam. However, fisheries managers shrunk the number of river miles open in the Clearwater basin and they restricted harvest to jack salmon only – those under 24 inches long.

Anglers harvested 77 jacks and released 170 adults during the season’s brief second life.

Fishing on a short section of the lower Salmon River and on the Little Salmon River will resume Thursday. Bowersox said flows on those rivers are dropping and the fishing conditions should be improving. Anglers caught and kept just six adult chinook on the lower Salmon River last week.

“I suspect fish should start moving in the Salmon River quite a bit more than they had been,” Bowersox said.

Spring Chinook Salmon

The spring Chinook salmon run continues on the lower Snake River.  As of 6/11/17, 20,617 spring Chinook adults had passed Lower Granite Dam on their journey east to spawning grounds in Washington, Idaho and Oregon.  In 2016, 58,602 fish had passed by this time.  This was similar to the 10 year average of 57,481.  It represents a 65% reduction between 2017 and 2016.

Season Closures

As a result, Idaho Fish and Game officials closed most of the spring Chinook salmon season in the Clearwater Basin.  This is devastating to small  Idaho towns like Orofino, Kamiah, Kooskia, and Elk City.  They depend upon a robust fishing season to bring anglers from around the Pacific Northwest.  Anglers spend money on lodging, gas, groceries, and fishing supplies.

Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologist Brett Bowersox at Lewiston said the run returning to the Clearwater Basin continues to show lower-than-average survival between Bonneville and Lower Granite dams – so poor that the state’s share of the harvestable surplus already has been exhausted. The closure also will help ensure hatcheries get an adequate number of spawners, known as broodstock, to produce the next generation of springers.”   -Eric Barker, Lewiston Tribune

Chinook Salmon are a keystone species.  Orcas, bears, and a host of birds depend upon their survival each year. Consequently, as the salmon runs decline, so do these other dependent species.  The single greatest action to save the endangered salmon is the removal of the four lower Snake River dams.  Recovery of salmon becomes more difficult each year they stay in place.

Policy Considerations:  How and Why Breaching the Four Lower Snake Dams
Can Happen This Year

1.   The Corps of Engineers has inherent fiduciary responsibilities to insure existing projects continue to provide economic benefit, do not harm the environment and are technically sound throughout the project life. They do not need a Federal Judge to order a correction but can do so as an independent action.

2.   The dams have a Benefit to Cost ratio of 15¢ on the dollar (.15 to 1) in terms of National Economic Development, the standard by which the Corps must measure economic benefit. Corrected Cost and Economic conclusions based on Corps data and planning processes show breaching via channel bypass has benefits ranging from 4 to 20 to 1 with Regional effects adding more than 5K jobs in E. Washington and Lewiston.

3.   #1 and #2 are why the Corps can put the projects into a “non-operational” status. This does not change the project Purpose thus does not need Congressional Authorization.

4.   The 2002 Environmental Impact Statement, signed by the Corps Division Commander, states, the Alternative for further Systems Improvements, is unlikely to recover juvenile salmon migration (and after nearly $1 billion has not) and is no better than the existing condition or doing nothing, and that breaching provided the highest probability of meeting survival/recovery of listed Snake River Stocks. From a NEPA standpoint, this operable EIS provides the process documentation to undertake
breaching and is consistent with recent court rulings.

5.   Corrected costs for breaching via channel bypass are $339 million instead of the $1.3 to $2.6 BILLION stated by BPA in their March 2016 “Fact Sheet”. Corrected assumptions provide a far simpler removal of the earthen portion of the dam
requiring only the simplest of design and contracting; essentially a Time and Materials contract for renting bulldozers and loaders to notch the dam for hydraulic removal and placement of armor stone, if required. Time to contract award is a matter of a few weeks and easily within the Contracting expertise of the Corps.

6.   Since Bonneville Power Administration is responsible for approximately 92% of the cost of the Operations, Maintenance, Repairs for the 4 dams and full cost of all Hydropower capital costs, eg., Turbine replacements, as well as Fish Mitigation
required by the 1980 Power Planning and Conservation Act, ratepayer funds, not new Congressional Appropriations, can be used to pay for the breach costs. Under the Fish Mitigation clauses of the 1980 act, BPA could pay the full cost of breaching and could receive a credit on their Federal Debt for the dams should they choose to. They could do this as the most cost effective fish mitigation measure in the Columbia/Snake. System and to avoid loosing more money on generating power at a loss on the 4 dams.

7.   The Lower Snake Navigation system was out of service four months this year with no noticeable effect on farm shipments. Grain shipments continue to shift to truck/rail to Portland and SeaTac or truck/rail/barge to Columbia river ports using Washington States grain shuttle service because it is cheaper than the using LSR Navigation.

8.   Oversupply and balancing power already exist to take up loss of LSRD generation.

Conclusion, all relevant ethical, policy, financial, technical or biological reasons to support a Dec 2018 start of breaching are in place now. To not do so will waste additional $millions and prevent salmon/orca recovery.