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WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan: Overview

Treva Coe, Nooksack Tribe

Alan Chapman, Lummi Nation

WRIA 1 Climate Change Workshop January 2013 1

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OUTLINE

• Background

• WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan

• Implementation Progress


Salmon Recovery in WRIA 1


1970-1989

• Co-managers initiate harvest, population, habitat studies

• Dramatic cutbacks in fisheries

• Hatchery programs

• NF @ Kendall

• SF @ Skookum

1990-1998

• SASSI: Nooksack native chinook critically depressed

• Nooksack Recovery Team formed

• Riparian

• Road abandonment

• Limited wood placement

• Acquisition

• Nutrient

• NEAT formed

• Initiated salmon recovery planning

1999-2005

• ESA listings

• Puget Sound Chinook

• Coastal/Puget Sound Bull trout

• WA State Salmon Recovery Plan Act

• SRFB formed

• Local project ranking

• Shared Strategy for Puget Sound formed

• WRIA 1 Salmon Recovery Board formed 2004

• WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan adopted

Organizational Structure


Legislative Bodies

WRIA 1 Salmon Recovery Board

WRIA 1 Management

Team

WRIA 1 Salmon Recovery Staff

Team

•Local government councils •Tribal councils

•Salmon Caucus •Lummi Nation •Nooksack Tribe •WDFW

•Land Use Caucus •Whatcom County •WRIA 1 Cities

•Designated policy representatives of Board entities

•Technical staff of Board entities; WCD, NSEA, WLT

OUTLINE

• Background




WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan

• Introduction and Scope

• Goals

• Background (watershed, chinook, bull trout)

• Limiting Factors (4 H’s)

• Management Strategies and Actions (4 H’s)

• Implementation

• Appendices – Near Term (10-Year) Salmon Recovery Actions


WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan: Scope

January 2013 WRIA 1 Climate Change Workshop 7

WRIA 1 Salmonid Recovery Plan: Goals

• Watershed vision:

…to recover self-sustaining salmonid runs to harvestable levels…

• Priorities 1. Focus on and prioritize SF and NF/MF Nooksack early chinook

2. Address fall chinook through adaptive management

3. Facilitate bull trout recovery by removing fish passage barriers

4. Address other salmonids by

1. Protection (regulatory, incentive)

2. Support voluntary actions without diverting from chinook


Wild Chinook Recovery Goals


10,550

7,604

210 19 -

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

NF/MF Nooksack early chinook SF Nooksack early chinook

Ad

ult

Re

turn

Recovery Goal: PFC

2005 Escapement

Limiting Factors


Source: NOAA

Limiting Factors: Harvest

• Southern US harvest not limiting

– Annual harvest rate ~4-5% (≤7% critical exploitation rate)

– Low population productivity despite increased escapement


Limiting Factors: Hatcheries

• Genetic diversity impacts – Nooksack chinook genetically divergent

– Moderate: straying into SF; limited broodstock NF/MF

• Abundance impacts – High, positive impact on abundance (Kendall)

• Other programs – Co-occurrence limited; coho/fall production

slashed


Limiting Factors: Loss of Habitat Capacity

2723 1215

27680

16227

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

30000

North/Middle Fork Nooksack Early Chinook

South Fork Nooksack Early Chinook

Current

Historic

January 2013 13 WRIA 1 Climate Change Workshop

1%

6%

16%

77%

NF/MF Nooksack Chinook

Nearshore

Estuary

Lower Nooksack

Forks

1%

6%

17%

76%

SF Nooksack Chinook

Importance for Restoration

* As determined by estimated change in abundance with restoration to PFC.

January 2013 14 WRIA 1 Climate Change Workshop

Limiting Factors: Habitat

• Nooksack chinook most limited by habitat – North and Middle Forks

• Fish passage barriers: MF Diversion dam, Canyon Creek • Channel instability that scours redds

– Loss of stable side channel habitat

• High levels of fine sediments

– South Fork • Lack of deep holding pools with cover • Low habitat diversity • High levels of fine sediments • High temperatures

– Mainstem Nooksack • Low habitat diversity and loss of floodplain rearing habitat


10-Year Action Plan

1. Restore passage at major chinook barriers

2. Restore freshwater early chinook habitat

3. Integrate salmon recovery and floodplain mgmt

4. Integrate salmon recovery into regulatory updates

5. Establish a South Fork rescue program

6. Establish new instream flows in WRIA 1

7. Protect and restore estuarine and nearshore areas

8. Protect and restore lowland tribs

9. Continue to manage harvest and hatcheries to not impede recovery


OUTLINE

• Background




Progress: Assessment/planning


Progress: Chinook Instream Projects


Progress: Chinook Habitat

• Detailed habitat assessment and restoration planning – Nooksack River Forks (78 miles)

• Instream projects implemented – 25 projects

– 227 log jams (177 ELJ’s)

• Priority areas acquired (HMZ+300’) – 758 acres

• Passage restored – Canyon Creek

– MF Diversion Dam (design work complete)


Progress: Other

• Harvest – Within Chinook Comp Plan limits

• Hatcheries – South Fork Nooksack chinook program established in 2006 – Cutbacks, shifts in hatchery releases

• Land use – Whatcom SMP/CAO updated; cities in progress

• Monitoring – Status and trends of chinook, (habitat, water quality) – Hatchery releases otolith-marked, monitored – Harvest monitoried by catch area, stock origin – Instream habitat project effectiveness: SF, (NF/MF)


Year Captive Brood Progeny Released in South Fork

2011 1,900

2012 32,900

2013 ~300,000 (anticipated)

QUESTIONS??


Source: Pictometry via Bing

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