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F I N A L ME M O R A N D U M To: Wells, Rocky Reach, and Rock Island HCPs

Hatchery Committees Date: October 16, 2014

From: Mike Schiewe, HCP Hatchery Committees Chair Cc: Kristi Geris

Re: Final Minutes of the September 17, 2014 HCP Hatchery Committees Meeting The Wells, Rocky Reach, and Rock Island Hydroelectric Projects Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) Hatchery Committees meeting was held at the Grant PUD office in Wenatchee, Washington, on Wednesday, September 17, 2014, from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm. Attendees are listed in Attachment A to these meeting minutes.

ACTION ITEM SUMMARY • Chelan PUD will provide a final report on the water recirculation pilot studies at

Eastbank Fish Hatchery and Chiwawa Fish Facility to the Hatchery Committees by December 2014 (Item I).

• Mike Tonseth will provide a revised memo clarifying standardized methods for Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan Objective 8.3, Fecundity at Size, to the Hatchery Committees for review by December 2014 (Item I).

• The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will add a revised summary table to the draft 2014 Wenatchee Basin Steelhead Release Proposal, and will redistribute the final revised draft to the Hatchery Committees by December 2014 (Item I).

• Mike Tonseth will coordinate with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to develop a list of key components that are required in the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols; he will also tentatively identify components that may be removed in order to streamline the annual review and approval process (Item I).

• Chelan PUD will incorporate revisions to the 2015 Chelan PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan, as discussed during today’s meeting, and will provide the

HCP Hatchery Committees Meeting Date: September 17, 2014 Document Date: October 16, 2014

final plan, as approved by the Hatchery Committees, to Kristi Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees (Item II-A).

• Chelan PUD will add NMFS to the background language of the Non-Target Taxa of Concern (NTTOC) Statement of Agreement (SOA), and will provide the final SOA, as approved by the Hatchery Committees, to Kristi Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees (Item II-B).

• Lynn Hatcher will brief Scott Carlon (NMFS HCP Coordinating Committees Representative) on the Hatchery Committees’ approval of the Broodstock Collection Protocol SOA (Item III-A).

• Kristi Geris will distribute to the Hatchery Committees the Hatchery Committees approved Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA, with revisions incorporated as discussed during today’s meeting (Item III-A). (Note: Geris distributed the approved SOA to the Hatchery Committees following the meeting on September 17, 2014.)

• Greg Mackey and Catherine Willard will evaluate Methow River environmental conditions following the wild fires and landslides that occurred earlier this summer, and their potential impacts on natural production and implications for Hatchery Program Management for discussion at the Hatchery Committees meeting on October 15, 2014 (Item IV-C).

• Chelan PUD will provide electronic copies of the HCP Hatchery Committees Chair position documents to Kristi Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees (Item VI-B). (Note: Chelan PUD provided these documents to Geris on September 18, 2014, which Geris distributed to the Hatchery Committees that same day.)

• Hatchery Committees representatives will review the HCP Hatchery Committees Chair position documents, and will: 1) provide edits and comments on the documents to Alene Underwood, Greg Mackey, and Tom Kahler; 2) contact qualified candidates to gauge interest in the position; 3) inform interested candidates that they may contact Mike Schiewe to discuss the position; and 4) obtain a résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) from interested candidates to discuss at the Hatchery Committees meeting on October 15, 2014 (Item VI-B).

• Hatchery Committees representatives will provide recommendations on how to conduct interviews for the HCP Hatchery Committees Chair position (Item VI-B).


• Alene Underwood and Kristi Geris will distribute a Doodle Poll for a meeting in early November 2014 to develop the short list of candidates to interview for the HCP Hatchery Committees Chair position (Item VI-B). (Note: Geris distributed a Doodle Poll to the Hatchery Committees on September 18, 2014.)

Milestone Date

1. Present spectre of Mike Schiewe’s retirement to Hatchery Committees and Coordinating Committees (September 17 and 23, respectively)

September 17, 2014

2. Parties (Hatchery Committees and Coordinating Committees representatives) provide additional candidates for consideration and provide edits and comments on qualifications and Scope of Work before the October meetings (October 15 and 28, respectively), with presentations of each candidate and discussion about qualifications and Scope of Work at the October meetings

October 15, 2014

3. Select short list of candidates at intermediate meeting in early November, and begin to develop interview questions

Week of November 3, 2014

4. Finalize candidate list for interview and questions November 19, 2014 5. Candidate interviews at joint Hatchery Committees and Coordinating Committees meeting

December 2014

6. Facilitator selection January 2015 7. Begin to shadow Mike in March and April, if contracting prior to the February meeting is possible

February 2015

DECISION SUMMARY • The Rocky Reach and Rock Island Hatchery Committees representatives present

approved the 2015 Chelan PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan, as revised (Item II-A).

• The Hatchery Committees representatives present approved the SOA, finalizing the NTTOC Objective (Hatchery M&E Plan Objective 12 [Formerly Objective 10]), as revised (Item II-B).

• The Hatchery Committees representatives present approved the Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA, as revised (Item III-A).


AGREEMENTS • There were no agreements considered during today’s meeting.

REVIEW ITEMS

• Kristi Geris sent an email to the Hatchery Committees on September 4, 2014, notifying them that the draft Douglas PUD 2013 Hatchery M&E Annual Report is available for download from the HCP Hatchery Committees Extranet Site. This draft report is available for a 60-day review period with comments due to Greg Mackey no later than Monday, November 3, 2014 (Item IV-A).

• The HCP Hatchery Committees Chair position documents that were provided to the Hatchery Committees by Alene Underwood at the Hatchery Committees meeting on September 17, 2014, are out for review with comments due to Underwood no later than October 15, 2014 (Item VI-B).

• Kristi Geris sent an email to the Hatchery Committees on September 24, 2014, notifying them that the draft 2015 Douglas PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan is available for download from the HCP Hatchery Committees Extranet Site. This draft report is available for a 60-day review period with comments due to Greg Mackey no later than November 24, 2014 (Item IV-B).

FINALIZED DOCUMENTS

• The Final 2015 Chelan PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Kristi Geris on September 24, 2014.

• The Final Twisp Steelhead Relative Reproductive Success 2013 Genotyping Report was posted to the Hatchery Committees Extranet Site on October 2, 2014, as Kristi Geris notified the Hatchery Committees that same day.

I. Welcome A. Review Agenda, Review Last Meeting Action Items, Approve the August 20, 2014 Meeting

Minutes (Mike Schiewe) Mike Schiewe welcomed the Hatchery Committees and asked for any additions or changes to the agenda. The following revisions were requested:


• Lynn Hatcher added spring Chinook salmon broodstock compositing in the Wenatchee Basin.

• Kirk Truscott added a discussion on the Columnaris outbreak at Chief Joseph Hatchery (CJH).

• Schiewe added a discussion on the HCP Hatchery Committees Chair Position, and also reminded the Hatchery Committees of the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) Update that will take place during the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee Habitat Sub-Committee (PRCC HSC) meeting following the Hatchery Committees meeting.

The Hatchery Committees reviewed the revised draft August 20, 2014 meeting minutes. Kristi Geris noted one late revision that was received from Steve Lewis (USFWS) via email on September 11, 2014, about the incidental take discussion. Geris said that Lewis clarified that the memorandum that Karl Halupka (USFWS) provided to the Hatchery Committees on selected aspects of incidental take was for general information purposes only, and does not change or modify any existing Endangered Species Act (ESA) rules or regulations. Geris said that all other comments and revisions received from members of the Committees were incorporated into the revised minutes. The Hatchery Committees members present approved the draft August 20, 2014 meeting minutes, as revised. Action items from the Hatchery Committees meeting on August 20, 2014 and follow-up discussions were as follows (italicized item numbers below correspond to agenda items from the meeting on August 20, 2014):

• Chelan PUD will provide a final report on the water recirculation pilot studies at Eastbank Fish Hatchery and Chiwawa Fish Facility to the Hatchery Committees by December 2014 (Item I). This action item was confirmed for December 2014 and will be carried forward.

• Hatchery Committees representatives will submit comments on the sample size section in the memo clarifying the standardized methods for Hatchery M&E Plan Objective 8.3, Fecundity at Size, to Mike Tonseth (Item I). Tonseth will provide a revised memo clarifying standardized methods for Hatchery M&E Plan Objective 8.3, Fecundity at Size, to the Hatchery Committees by December 2014.


• WDFW will add a revised summary table to the draft 2014 Wenatchee Basin Steelhead Release Proposal and will redistribute the final revised draft to the Hatchery Committees (Item I). Mike Tonseth said that he will complete this action item by December 2014.

• Tom Kahler will coordinate with Ritchie Graves (NMFS) and Scott Carlon (NMFS) for clarification on the Wells HCP requirement to submit the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols to the Wells HCP Coordinating Committee and NMFS Hydro Program for annual approval prior to trapping at Wells Dam; Kahler will also discuss this with the Wells HCP Coordinating Committee at their next meeting on August 26, 2014 (Item II-A). Mike Schiewe said that this action item was completed, and will be discussed further during today’s meeting.

• Mike Schiewe, Lynn Hatcher, and Mike Tonseth will revise the draft Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA and will also develop a draft schedule to meet the April 15 submittal deadline to NMFS (Item II-A). A revised draft Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Kristi Geris on September 12, 2014. This will be discussed during today’s meeting.

• Mike Tonseth will coordinate with NMFS and USFWS to develop a list of key components that need to be included in the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols; he will also tentatively identify components that may be removed in order to streamline the annual review and approval process (Item II-A). Tonseth said that input was received from NMFS; however, not from USFWS. This action item will be carried forward to the Hatchery Committees meeting on October 15, 2014.

• Lynn Hatcher will confirm NMFS delegation of approval of the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols to their HCP Hatchery Committees and Coordinating Committees representatives (Item II-A). Hatcher said that he confirmed with Bob Turner (NWR Salmon Management Division) that NMFS agreed to delegate approval of the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols to their HCP Hatchery Committees representative, and that this will be discussed further during today’s meeting.


• Steve Lewis will obtain an update from Karl Halupka on USFWS Wenatchee Section 7 consultation and will provide the update to Kristi Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees (Item II-B). Lewis’ update was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Geris on August 25, 2014, which indicated that the Wenatchee Basin Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan (HGMP) consultations were delayed by wild fire consultations; however, they have now resumed. Mike Tonseth added that the next NMFS and USFWS Biological Opinion (BiOp) Coordination Meeting is scheduled for next week.

• Lynn Hatcher will discuss spring Chinook salmon broodstock compositing in the Wenatchee Basin during the Hatchery Committees meeting on September 17, 2014 (Item II-C). Hatcher said that this will be discussed during today’s meeting.

• Steve Lewis will obtain clarification from Jessie Gonzales (USFWS) regarding how incidental take is assigned when multiple parties are requesting take authorization and will provide the clarification to Kristi Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees (Item III-A). Lewis’ update was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Geris on August 25, 2014, which indicated that with multiple project proponents at one facility, each of the proponents should have incidental take coverage (pre-project implementation), and take would be assigned to the individual proposed action.

• Chelan PUD will add Methow spring Chinook salmon to Table 1 of the draft 2015 Chelan PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan and will provide the revised draft to Kristi Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees (Item III-B). Catherine Willard provided the revised draft plan to Geris on August 21, 2014, which Geris distributed to the Hatchery Committees that same day.

• Hatchery Committees representatives will submit edits and comments on the revised draft 2015 Chelan PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan to Chelan PUD by September 10, 2014 (Item III-B). Catherine Willard indicated that no comments were received, and that this will be discussed further during today’s meeting.


• Chelan PUD will provide the revised draft NTTOC SOA to Kristi Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees (Item III-D). Catherine Willard provided the revised draft SOA to Geris following the meeting on August 20, 2014, which Geris distributed to the Hatchery Committees that same day.

• Mike Tonseth will provide Keely Murdoch with a list of deadlines for when WDFW needs approvals in place prior to conducting coded wire tagging (CWT) activities (Item IV-A). Tonseth said that he will provide this to Murdoch by Monday, September 22, 2014.

II. Chelan PUD A. DECISION: Revised Draft 2015 Chelan PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan

(Alene Underwood)

Alene Underwood said that a revised draft 2015 Chelan PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Kristi Geris on August 21, 2014, and that no comments were received on the revised draft plan. Keely Murdoch raised additional questions and requested clarifications, as follows:

• 2.1 Broodstock Collection and Stock Assessment (page 8 of 28): Murdoch asked how stock assessments for Methow spring Chinook salmon will be conducted. Underwood said that Chelan PUD is still working through the details, but that carcass recovery and spawning ground surveys will be used for stock assessment. Murdoch asked if stock assessments will be conducted in coordination with Charlie Snow (WDFW), and Underwood replied that they would, so those data will be consistent. Kirk Truscott asked if stock assessments still occur at Wells Dam. Greg Mackey said yes, that fish counts, including tracking hatchery versus wild, are tracked at the dam; however, he said that spawning ground surveys are used for most of the stock assessment and provide more precise data. He also added that Douglas PUD does not sample spring Chinook salmon at Wells Dam to obtain a complete stock assessment. Rather, fish are sampled opportunistically during broodstock collection. Murdoch suggested clarifying these details in the plan.

• 2.3 Release Monitoring (page 9 of 28): Murdoch asked if there is passive integrated transponder-tag detection at the Chewuch Pond and Methow sub-basin. Underwood


clarified that this language is specific to the Chiwawa River, and that Chelan PUD still needs to clarify the Chewuch release monitoring language.

• 3.1 Freshwater Productivity of Supplemented Stocks (page 12 of 28): Murdoch asked, regarding specific actions to monitor the freshwater productivity of supplemented spring Chinook salmon in the Methow sub-basin, what the timeline is to resolve this and hold discussions within the Hatchery Committees? Underwood said that Chelan PUD plans to develop an amendment for freshwater productivity, similarly to what was done for sockeye last year, which would be presented to the Hatchery Committees by the end of 2014 or the beginning of 2015. Murdoch suggested including a statement that indicates that approval of this plan does not constitute approval of what will be done in the Methow sub-basin. Mike Schiewe suggested instead inserting a sentence indicating that actions for freshwater productivity in the Methow sub-basin will be presented to the Hatchery Committees in December 2014 for approval.

• 6.1 Juvenile Monitoring (page 18 of 28): Murdoch asked, based on 2014 results, if the lower Wenatchee smolt trap is a viable trap location for the sockeye smolt population. Catherine Willard said that Chelan PUD has not yet analyzed those data, but that adequate numbers of sockeye smolt were tagged using that trap location in 2014. She also noted that there is a statement included in the plan which indicates that after review of the 2014 results, the 2015 plan can be modified as needed.

The Rocky Reach and Rock Island Hatchery Committees representatives present approved the 2015 Chelan PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan, as revised. Underwood said that she will incorporate revisions to the plan, as discussed during today’s meeting, and will provide the final plan to Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees. B. DECISION: Hatchery M&E Plan Objective 12 (Formerly Objective 10) NTTOC SOA

(Alene Underwood)

Alene Underwood said that a revised draft NTTOC SOA was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Kristi Geris on August 20, 2014. Mike Schiewe said that revisions included clarification that additional NTTOC evaluations may be conducted as new information


becomes available, and the addition of NMFS to the statement language. Bill Gale noted that NMFS also needs to be added to the background language, as well. The Hatchery Committees representatives present approved the SOA, finalizing the NTTOC Objective (Hatchery M&E Plan Objective 12 [Formerly Objective 10]), as revised. Underwood said that Chelan PUD will add NMFS to the background language of the NTTOC SOA, and will provide the final SOA to Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees.

III. NMFS A. DECISION: Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA (Lynn Hatcher) Lynn Hatcher said that a revised draft Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Kristi Geris on September 12, 2014. He said that this revised SOA simplifies the first draft, and also includes language on process and schedule. Alene Underwood said that Chelan PUD provided edits on the revised SOA, which were distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Geris on September 16, 2014. Underwood said that, regarding the statement about NMFS approval, she revised “participation in the review and approval,” to read “participation in the development and submission” of the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols, noting that “approval” is stated later in the sentence. Bill Gale suggested keeping “approval,” so that the sentence reads “participation in the development, submission, and approval.” Mike Tonseth said that, regarding the footnote, he reviewed the Wells HCP and it was specific to activities involving the Wells Dam ladder traps. He said that, further, after review of the Rocky Reach and Rock Island HCPs, he found no reference requiring HCP Coordinating Committees approval of the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols, as was required in the Wells HCP; therefore, the footnote was included to clarify this. Greg Mackey noted that the Committees could invoke other trapping locations if they so choose. Mike Schiewe suggested revising “Wells Dam ladder traps” to read “Wells Project facilities.” Gale noted that there is no reference in this SOA to USFWS Ecological Services ESA Section 7 approval of the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols, and added that he


anticipates that this will be an additional requirement. He asked if a placeholder should be included indicating that this process may need to be amended as USFWS requirements become apparent. Tonseth said that this SOA is a specific condition under NMFS Section 10, not under USFWS Section 7. He suggested that rather than delay this SOA, that the USFWS representative could develop a separate SOA for USFWS, if appropriate. Mackey noted that because this is a HCP Committee charged with managing Plan species, the USFWS representative should consult within the USFWS as needed to assure the Services interests are represented when reviewing and approving the Broodstock Protocols. Mackey said that he does not believe a separate SOA is needed. (Note: Tom Kahler later clarified that Section 7 approval by USFWS is unnecessary for Douglas PUD hatchery actions because USFWS Ecological Services already consulted on Douglas PUD’s HCP hatchery actions—including broodstock collection—when they released their BiOp for the new Wells Project license in 2012.) Kirk Truscott asked why the footnote limits HCP Coordinating Committees involvement to only Wells Project facilities when the HCP Coordinating Committees addresses trapping issues that are not only associated to Wells Project facilities. Tonseth said that the reasoning behind the footnote is because language was specifically included in the Wells HCP and not in the Rocky Reach or Rock Island HCPs. Underwood said that this SOA does not necessarily preclude involvement from the Rocky Reach and Rock Island HCP Coordinating Committees, noting that the Hatchery Committees meeting minutes and major actions are presented to the HCP Coordinating Committees, which provides the HCP Coordinating Committees the opportunity to stay abreast of Hatchery Committees activities and discussions. Truscott said that as the footnote reads now, review of the annual protocols would go only to the Wells HCP Coordinating Committees; which, Schiewe noted, are the same Joint Fisheries Parties representatives as for the Rocky Reach and Rock Island Coordinating Committees. Truscott said that just because language is only included in the Wells HCP, that this does not preclude making it inclusive of all the Committees. Tonseth said that his concern with referencing the Wells HCP is the potential for micro-management to occur; the HCPs are very clear on roles and responsibilities for the Hatchery Committees and Coordinating Committees. The Hatchery Committees agreed on referencing the Wells


HCP in the footnote, with the notion that the HCP Coordinating Committees would also review this language. Gale asked if the HCP Coordinating Committees will need to approve this SOA, as well. Schiewe replied that yes, they will need to approve the part that documents the requirement for HCP Coordinating Committees approval. He added that the HCP Coordinating Committees’ next meeting is next Tuesday, September 23, 2014, where he and Scott Carlon can lead this discussion on the Broodstock Collection Protocol SOA. Hatcher said that he will also brief Carlon on the Hatchery Committees approval of the Broodstock Collection Protocol SOA. Mackey suggested that responsible parties should be identified under the process and schedule section of the SOA. He recalled that initial discussions included assigning responsibility for development of the annual protocols to the Hatchery Committees—not just a responsibility for WDFW. Tonseth asked if the current (Wenatchee) permits already indicate that development of the annual protocols is the responsibility of WDFW. Underwood said that the current permits indicate that development of the protocols is the responsibility of the applicants, and she suggested revising the SOA to reflect that “Permit Holders,” not “WDFW,” will prepare a draft Broodstock Collection Protocol for review. Schiewe noted that the deadline specified in the SOA for the first draft for review is 10 days prior to the February meeting, and asked if this deadline is realistic. Tonseth said that the deadline is realistic, noting that he expects to start drafting the protocols by December 2014. The Hatchery Committees representatives present approved the Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA, as revised. Geris will distribute to the Hatchery Committees the Hatchery Committees approved Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA, with revisions incorporated as discussed during today’s meeting. (Note: Geris distributed the approved SOA to the Hatchery Committees following the meeting on September 17, 2014. The “Permit Holders” revision was unintentionally dropped from the SOA that was distributed to the Hatchery Committees on September 17, 2014, and so a revised SOA that included this revision was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Geris on September 19, 2014 [Attachment B].)


B. HGMP Update (Lynn Hatcher) Lynn Hatcher said that the next NMFS/USFWS BiOp Coordination Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 25, 2014, where he plans to provide a detailed HGMP update. He reviewed highlights, as follows:

• Methow spring Chinook salmon: Hatcher said that the Methow and Okanogan 10(j) spring Chinook programs are being separated into two BiOps. The Okanogan BiOp is scheduled for completion by the end of October 2014 to meet the deadline to move spring Chinook from Winthrop NFH to the Okanogan. Primary Methow issues remaining are research, monitoring and evaluation, and evaluating an approach for a change to proportionate natural influence (PNI) from percent hatchery-origin spawners (pHOS).

C. Spring Chinook Salmon Broodstock Compositing in the Wenatchee Basin (Lynn Hatcher) Lynn Hatcher said that NMFS has decided to write a supplemental Wenatchee spring Chinook salmon BiOp, but that a final decision will not be made until a decision is received from USFWS on bull trout. He said that NMFS had forwarded to the USFWS three alternatives for review, and that NMFS hopes to: 1) receive a response from USFWS by the end of September 2014; 2) finalize discussions with USFWS and notify the Hatchery Committees in October 2014; and 3) write the supplemental BiOp and revise the Section 10 Permit by December 2014. He said that NMFS is targeting December because they want to have clear direction when the annual Broodstock Collection Protocols are developed. He added that revising the Section 10 Permit should go quickly because only the genetics effects analysis component will be revised. Bill Gale said that on September 5, 2014, he and Amilee Wilson (NMFS) received a draft document analyzing hatchery influence on baseline bull trout, forwarded by Karl Halupka. Gale said that he believes this is the first step in providing the required information to NMFS. Alene Underwood noted that Chelan PUD has been waiting for a BiOp from Halupka on the Wenatchee Programs for quite a while now, and that this supplemental Wenatchee spring Chinook salmon BiOp is only detracting from that. Underwood requested that the USFWS


provide an update on their priority list for BiOps and where Chelan PUD’s BiOp fits into that list at the next NMFS/USFWS BiOp Coordination Meeting. She also said that receiving status updates from USFWS would be helpful. Gale said that he will ask Halupka about this, and he asked when Chelan PUD would like the status updates, at Hatchery Committee meetings or at the NMFS/USFWS BiOp Coordination Meetings. Underwood said that anytime would be beneficial, just more often than every other month. Tonseth said that he would also note this request at the NMFS/USFWS BiOp Coordination Meeting next week.

IV. Douglas PUD A. Draft 2013 Wells and Methow Hatchery M&E Report for Hatchery Committees Review

(Greg Mackey) Greg Mackey said that Kristi Geris sent an email to the Hatchery Committees on September 4, 2014, notifying them that the draft Douglas PUD 2013 Hatchery M&E Annual Report is available for download from the HCP Hatchery Committees Extranet Site. He said that this draft report is available for a 60-day review period with comments due to him no later than Monday, November 3, 2014. He said that the format of the report is similar to Chelan PUD’s Annual Hatchery M&E Report. Mackey said that Douglas PUD was formerly scheduled to provide this report to the Hatchery Committees for review by June of each year. However, the Hatchery Committees agreed to change the timing to July in 2012. Mike Tonseth noted that the deadline is driven by terms and conditions of the BiOp, so a reasonable timeline needs to be included in the permit. Mackey recalled that the June deadline was originally deemed infeasible for many reasons, including lag times in getting scale and CWT data back from the State and inadequate time to complete analysis of data while current year M&E activities were ongoing. He added that with the new permits coming out, confirmation should be made that the July timeline is achievable. He added that he believed that an August deadline would be achieved more reliably; Charlie Snow could provide Douglas PUD with a draft in June, WDFW could finalize the document in July, and the report would go to the Hatchery Committees for a 60-day review in August, and then approval would occur in October. B. Draft 2015 Douglas PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan (Greg Mackey)


Greg Mackey said that the draft 2015 Douglas PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan is almost completed; however, there are still a few items that need to be finalized. He said that the elements in the plan are essentially the same as last year, and that the review period will be a 60-day review period. He said that he plans to distribute the plan by next week, and added that, for efficiency, Douglas PUD will initiate contracting with WDFW prior to finalization of the plan. (Note: Kristi Geris sent an email to the Hatchery Committees on September 24, 2014, notifying them that the draft 2015 Douglas PUD Hatchery M&E Implementation Plan is available for download from the HCP Hatchery Committees Extranet Site. This draft report is available for a 60-day review period with comments due to Mackey no later than November 24, 2014.) C. Methow River Conditions and Implications for Populations and Hatchery Program

Management (Greg Mackey) Greg Mackey recalled the large mudslide that occurred near Carlton on the Methow River following this summer’s wild fires. He said that the mudslide had a major effect on the river, and that the fish in the river below the mudslide likely died. He added that there may also be runoff with excessive levels of mud and ash for a number of years, which could have a large impact if it coincides with smolt migration. He suggested that it would be prudent to consider management strategies and actions for hatchery program releases that might be implemented to minimize impacts. One example might be releasing fish prior to heavy spring runoff in an attempt to allow them to move out before encountering potentially lethal conditions. He also suggested the possibility of temporarily releasing the Methow Safety Net steelhead at a different location to avoid the impacted areas of the river; he noted that mitigating actions may need to be considered for multiple years. Mike Tonseth said that WDFW is concerned about impacts to acclimation facilities. He said that Methow Hatchery will likely not be directly impacted because most of the damage is downstream; however, the Chewuch Pond intake may be compromised. He said that there is a lot of debris entering the river from beaver ponds breaking, and the cumulative effects of damage to all of the small tributaries can be significant. Keely Murdoch said that she is not overly concerned about silt loading, noting that this topic was recently considered by the Regional Technical Team. However, she acknowledged that


lower elevation runoff may cause some issues because it typically occurs earlier in the year. She said that unless there are operational issues such as clogging of intake screens and rearing facilities, then she is not certain that altering fish releases would be justified. Mackey said that he was concerned that impacts could be more wide-spread than clogging of screens. For example, the large amounts of ash entering the river could potentially rapidly change the pH. He added that he believes it is prudent to consider the options, and said that he would like to have input from the Hatchery Committees on ideas. Catherine Willard suggested researching how other states, such as Idaho, have historically handled similar situations. Tonseth said that he thinks a significant impact might be to the natural spawners, noting that the silt loads still present along the shorelines may result in egg suffocation. Bill Gale asked if this issue is affecting M&E work in the Methow, and noted that some issues have been encountered in the Entiat. Tonseth said that this issue has not yet significantly affected M&E work in the Methow; however, he noted that it would only take one large rain event to change that. Mackey and Willard said that they will evaluate Methow River environmental conditions following the wild fires and landslides that occurred earlier this summer, and their potential impacts on natural production and implications for Hatchery Program Management for discussion at the Hatchery Committees meeting on October 15, 2014.

V. Colville Confederated Tribes (CCT) A. Columnaris Outbreak at CJH (Kirk Truscott) Kirk Truscott said that in early August 2014, cost share partners were notified of increasing mortalities of the Leavenworth spring Chinook salmon broodstock being held at CJH. He said that USFWS responded quickly and identified the bacterium causing Columnaris as a gill infection (external—not internal). He said that bath treatments with chloramine-T were started immediately and reduced mortality rates; however, only temporarily. He said that the fish were treated again with some success, but again, only temporarily reducing mortality. He said that chloramine-T drip treatments were also attempted with no success. He said that ultimately, 65% of the broodstock was lost, including 77% of the females. He


said that he spoke with Pat Phillips (CJH manager) who estimated that about 250,000 spring Chinook salmon eggs are currently on station. Truscott said that more eggs might be obtained from Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. He added that the same broodstock holding protocols that were used last year with almost no mortalities were used this year, and also summer Chinook salmon that were on the same water source at the same location did not develop Columnaris. Bill Gale suggested that the outbreak could be associated to transport stress, but Truscott said that the fish were transported in June 2014 and mortalities started happening in August 2014. Truscott said that the CCT are discussing how to minimize risk next year with USFWS. He said that the goal is to produce 700,000 spring Chinook salmon.

VI. HCP Administration A. Next Meetings

The next scheduled Hatchery Committees’ meetings are on October 15, 2014 (Chelan PUD); November 19, 2014 (Douglas PUD); and December 17, 2014 (Chelan PUD). B. HCP Hatchery Committees Chair Position (Mike Schiewe) Mike Schiewe said that last month, he conveyed his plans to retire in April 2015 to Chelan PUD and Douglas PUD. Schiewe said that now, it is up to the HCP Committees to choose a new HCP Chair(s). He said that that selecting the first HCP Chair (himself) required more than a few months of discussions and review of potential candidates by the HCP signatories. Greg Mackey said that the Wells Aquatic Settlement Work Group (SWG), which Schiewe also Chairs, began discussing the process for hiring a new Aquatic SWG Chair earlier this month, shortly after Schiewe informed the PUDs of his plans. Since the Aquatic SWG meeting in August, Douglas PUD has been considering how a new Chair(s) would be selected, including: 1) contracting the same Chair for all three Committees (Aquatic SWG, Coordinating Committees, and Hatchery Committees), which would facilitate communication between Committees, but is not mandatory; 2) Selecting separate Chairs to serve the groups; 3) setting up a schedule, Scope of Work, and position qualifications for selection of the Chair positions; and 4) identifying potential candidates for each Committee


Chair. He said that Tom Kahler has started contacting potential candidates to gauge interest. Douglas PUD has thought carefully about potential candidates, and after preliminary conversations with those candidates that expressed interest, feels that several have strong potential for the HCP Chair positions. Mackey and Alene Underwood distributed handouts with information on a proposed process for selecting a new Chair and CVs of the potential candidates they had identified. Mackey reviewed the schedule for the selection of the HCP Chair(s) (Attachment C), noting that the plan is to contract a new Chair in time to shadow Schiewe before he retires. Underwood said that selection of a new HCP Chair or Chairs will be the responsibility of all the signatories to the HCP. She noted that the Scope of Work (Attachment D) and position qualifications (Attachment E) are written to cover both the Hatchery Committees and HCP Coordinating Committees; she noted these were developed based on the original documents that were used to contract the first HCP Chair, and have been updated to indicate the importance of the need for a strong support staff (to be supplied by the contracted Chair). Underwood said that with regard to schedule, Hatchery Committees representatives should review the HCP Hatchery Committees Chair position documents, and: 1) provide edits and comments on the documents to Underwood, Mackey, and Kahler; 2) contact qualified candidates to gauge interest in the position; 3) have interested candidates contact Schiewe to discuss the responsibilities of the position; and 4) obtain a résumé or CV from interested candidates to discuss at the Hatchery Committees meeting on October 15, 2014. Underwood noted the two résumés and one CV of candidates that were also handed out during today’s meeting, which she said offer good examples of the level of detail that is needed from candidates. She added that Chelan PUD will provide electronic copies of the HCP Hatchery Committees Chair position documents to Kristi Geris for distribution to the Hatchery Committees. (Note: Chelan PUD provided these documents to Geris on September 18, 2014, which Geris distributed to the Hatchery Committees that same day.) Underwood said that she and Geris will distribute a Doodle Poll for an interim meeting following the next Hatchery Committees meeting on October 15, 2014, in early November 2014, to discuss a list of candidates to consider for the HCP Hatchery Committees


Chair position(s), and also to develop interview questions. (Note: Geris distributed a Doodle Poll to the Hatchery Committees on September 18, 2014.) Mackey said that they have a record of questions used in the first interview process. Keely Murdoch said that, regarding the position qualification for work experience in the Columbia Basin hydrosystem (Attachment E), she did not think that that criterion should eliminate a potential facilitator. Murdoch said, for example, that Elizabeth McManus (Ross Strategic, PRCC HSC Facilitator) does a good job distilling issues and obtaining resolution, but she does not have a fisheries background. Bill Gale added that it is the Hatchery Committees representatives that bring the technical expertise to the discussions. Schiewe agreed that having an effective facilitator is important, but that the HCPs specify the selection of a Chair, not just a meeting facilitator. He added that the Chair is a non-voting member of the committees and is expected to participate in all discussions and other activities. Underwood emphasized the importance of contracting someone who has a balance of facilitation and technical skills. She said that she views this position as more than just a facilitator, and that the Committees would need someone who also has technical experience. Lynn Hatcher asked about the administrative component of the Hatchery Committees. Underwood replied that the Chair and the administrative component are a package deal; the new Chair would need to provide all services needed to fill the position, which includes in addition to running the meetings, note taking, Committee documentation, email distributions, and annual reports. She said that when considering a candidate, they need to demonstrate the ability to provide the full suite of services. Kirk Truscott asked about the résumés and CVs that were handed out, and Mackey said that Douglas PUD contacted those candidates and they expressed interest in one or more of the Committees. Gale asked about the workload for chairing all three Committees. Schiewe said that workload varies during the year; however, he said that typically, the Chair and administrative component require about 30 to 40% of their respective workloads. He added


that this position might be difficult for someone who wants to work only a part-time schedule limited to specific days because Committees work often is unpredictable over the course of a week or month. He emphasized the importance of administrative and technical support, as the position would be difficult to manage with only one person; he also noted the large workload required to complete the HCP annual reports. Hatcher asked if the Hatchery Committees and HCP Coordinating Committees will hold separate interviews for their respective Chairs. Underwood said that she believes that if the same candidate is interviewing for both the Hatchery Committees and HCP Coordinating Committees Chair positions, then those interviews would likely be held jointly. She said, however, that if the candidates are different, then the interviews may be held separately. She added that she is not certain whether the HCP Coordinating Committees will need to also approve the Hatchery Committees Chair, and she noted that Kahler plans to have this same discussion at the HCP Coordinating Committees meeting on September 23, 2014. Schiewe said that when he was interviewed 10 years ago, a combination of Policy, Coordinating, and Hatchery committees representatives conducted the interviews. Underwood said that process will probably also be the process followed this time. Hatchery Committees representatives agreed to provide recommendations on how to participate in an interview panel for the HCP Chair positions. Underwood said that the working plan is to conduct candidate interviews in December 2014, make a selection by January 2015, and contract a new Chair in February 2015, so that the new Chair or team can shadow the current team in March and April, prior to Schiewe’s retirement. Gale said that he likes the idea of a combined Hatchery Committees and HCP Coordinating Committees interview team, and making sure that each signatory is included. Truscott agreed that keeping the same process as last time is a good approach. Todd Pearsons (Grant PUD) indicated that Grant PUD has interest in utilizing the same Chair for the HCPs and PRCC HSC.


VII. PRCC HSC Meeting A. Okanagan Nation Alliance Update (Rich Bussanich, Howie Wright, and Dr. Kim Hyatt) Rich Bussanich (ONA) presented Okanagan Sockeye Re-Introduction to Skaha Lake: Peer Review and Hatchery Progress (Attachment F), which was distributed to the Hatchery Committees by Kristi Geris following the meeting on September 18, 2014. Bussanich thanked everyone for their continued support and interest in this effort. He provided a brief overview on the background of the ONA, including membership, geographical location, and their mission, which focuses on the wild Okanagan sockeye population. He then reviewed the historical range of Okanagan sockeye and also key ecosystem-level questions that were considered during the design phase of the project. He noted that Slide 6 of Attachment F describes ONA’s journey since 1997, from concept to terms of reference to 2014. Todd Pearsons asked if someone could explain what spawning platforms are. Bussanich replied that spawning platforms refer to gravel placement in rivers for spawning habitat, the design of which is based on hydraulic modeling. He explained further that habitat groups work with engineers to design gravel placements designed for different species. Bussanich provided a brief overview on project design, implementation, and monitoring. He reviewed key metrics based on results from broodyears 2004 to 2014, noting that hatchery (Skaha Lake) is outperforming wild (Osoyoos Lake) in egg-to-fry survival; which, he added, is expected when fish are in a hatchery. Bussanich reviewed key questions based on a review of the past 8 years, and points to consider for each question (Attachment F, Slides 12 to 16). He also reviewed aspects of the 2014 to 2015 Kl cpe’ lk’ stim’ Salmon Hatchery Work Plan, including target dates and fish numbers. Dr. Kim Hyatt added that with the natural production that this effort hopes to replicate, this should create higher fish density levels than have ever before been evaluated in these lakes. Lastly, Bussanich reviewed photographs of the Kl cpe’ lk’ stim’ Salmon Hatchery, including a photograph of progress on construction of the hatchery (Attachment F, Slide 21), a collage depicting raceways, a sediment tank, a volitionally fed gravity tank (Attachment F, Slide 22), hatchery staff (Attachment F, Slide 23), and a photograph of the lab (Attachment F, Slide 24).


Lynn Hatcher asked what the next steps were for transporting fish across the dam at Okanagan Lake. Howie Wright said that trap and transport have been proposed at different locations around the lake. He added that they need to locate spawning areas. He said that so far, shore spawners have not been found at Osoyoos Lake or Skaha Lake, but he believes that Okanagan Lake is different. Dr. Hyatt added that there is a lot of spawning in gravel out-washed fans, wherever there is suitable substrate and groundwater conditions. Wright noted that this effort will not be conducted jointly with the Mid-Columbia PUDs or the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada; rather, ONA will submit on this effort separately. Hatcher asked about the expected turnout for the Grand Opening Ceremony of the Kl cpe’ lk’ stim’ Salmon Hatchery on September 20, 2014. Wright said that 50 to 70 attendees are confirmed, but he added that he is not certain how many will actually attend. David Duvall (Grant PUD) noted that the event is more than just a ceremonial grand opening for the hatchery, and Wright confirmed that the event is also a Salmon Festival, which will follow on September 21, 2014. Greg Mackey asked, with regard to upcoming Skaha Lake sockeye reintroduction efforts, what thought has been given to managing sockeye and kokanee hybridization if it should occur at levels deemed to be a problem. Bussanich said that monitoring will continue. He said that there has also been discussion about developing a more detailed monitoring framework. He said that risk assessments have been conducted for Okanagan Lake, and that they expect to adaptively manage as needed. Dr. Hyatt said that from a regulatory agency point of view, the issue with hybridization with kokanee is a moving target. He said that in the Skaha Lake system, evidence is clear that McIntyre Dam and Okanagan Falls Dam have not been total barriers to access by anadromous sockeye over their history. He suggested that the entry has been at a level too low for detection. He said it is clear that under certain hydraulic conditions, adult sockeye have been able to pass McIntyre Dam as well as Okanagan Falls Dam, which suggests there has always been an opportunity for hybridization. He said that the Authority (i.e., Ministry of Environment and Department of Fisheries and Oceans) does not have a detailed policy to address hybridization, other than they are in favor


of managing for the wild fish population. He said that in Skaha Lake there is a requirement for the Provincial Agency to establish benchmarks to monitor, and the goal is to address those benchmarks. He said that regarding Okanagan Lake, there are several potential issues, and it is clearer what the concerns might be. He said that there are separate genetic concerns about the beach spawning and the stream spawning groups of kokanee. He said that the beach spawning populations have undergone a strong recovery with the protections against redd desiccation provided by the Fish and Water Management Tool (FWMT). He said that the concern is about the larger bodied stream-spawning kokanee, which may affect the other groups. (Note: Tom Kahler later clarified that the fear is that Sockeye entering Okanagan Lake would compete directly with the stream-spawning kokanee for that spawning habitat, and/or that Sockeye would spawn with kokanee resulting in progeny with a greater propensity for anadromy, further reducing the population of large, stream-spawning kokanee.) FWMT Dr. Hyatt said that fish-friendly flows are being achieved in the Okanagan Basin. He said that the 2013 to 2014 fish and water-year went well, again, noting that drought and desiccation were both avoided. He said that the operation team was also able to assess earth and dam impacts from the 2010 Testalinden Creek landslide on fish production. He said that, in general, based on juvenile production, the 2012 to 2013 returns probably would have returned an additional 125,000 to 175,000 adult sockeye if the breach had not occurred. He added that within the central interior of British Columbia on a tributary to the Fraser River, there was recently a tailings dam breach from mining, which is larger than the 2010 Testalinden Creek landslide. He said that there is currently an effort to evaluate this breach and how to assess impacts. Lastly, he noted an overview paper on a decade of water managers using the Fish and Water Management Tool, which should be in print over the next couple of months. David Duvall asked if there was a flow pulse this last fall to help with the temperature oxygen squeeze. Dr. Hyatt said that a temperature squeeze began to develop in late July 2014. He said that typically, a pulse is scheduled for late August to early September;


however, this year, the pulse was moved up to early August, and was held for 2 weeks. He said that signature impacts will be evaluated once those data are available.

List of Attachments Attachment A List of Attendees Attachment B Hatchery Committees Approved Broodstock Collection Protocols SOA Attachment C Schedule for Selection of the HCP Chairs Attachment D Scope of Work for Selection of the HCP Chairs Attachment E Position Qualifications for the HCP Chairs Attachment F Okanagan Sockeye Re-Introduction to Skaha Lake: Peer Review and

Hatchery Progress

Attachment A List of Attendees

Name Organization

Mike Schiewe Anchor QEA, LLC

Kristi Geris Anchor QEA, LLC

Dr. Kim Hyatt† Fisheries and Ocean Canada

Rich Bussanich† Okanagan Nation Alliance

Howie Wright† Okanagan Nation Alliance

Alene Underwood* Chelan PUD

Catherine Willard* Chelan PUD

Greg Mackey* Douglas PUD

Todd Pearsons Grant PUD

Lynn Hatcher* National Marine Fisheries Service

Bill Gale* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Matt Cooper* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Mike Tonseth* Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Kirk Truscott* Colville Confederated Tribes

Keely Murdoch* Yakama Nation Notes:

* Denotes Hatchery Committees member or alternate † ONA Update

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