Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Nisqually  Steelhead  Recovery  Planning  

1

Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council March 2014

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

2

Nisqually River Watershed

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

The  Problem:    Nisqually  Steelhead  abundance  plummets  in  early  90’s  

3

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

4

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

5

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Nisqually  Steelhead  Early-­‐Marine  Survival  

6

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

7

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

8

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Nisqually  Steelhead  Recovery  Plan  Development  

9

!  Funding  for  Plan:  $87,500  (thank  you  Recovery  Council)  +  NIT  match  

!  Identify  Goals  and  Objectives  for  all  H’s  !  Evaluate  Steelhead  Biological  Information  and  Habitat  Conditions  

!  Assess  Habitat  Potential  using  EDT  !  Identify  Restoration,  Protection,  and  Assessment  Priorities  !  Develop  Implementation/Action  Plan  !  Integrate  Steelhead  Recovery  into  existing  Nisqually  Chinook  adaptive  management  process  

!  Develop  an  Open  Standards  nexus  for  integration  with  regional  plan    

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Nisqually  Steelhead  Recovery  Plan  Goals  and  ObjecJves  

10

Goals  and  objecJves  developed  based  on  co-­‐manager  and  Nisqually  River  Council  discussions.      

Include  short  and  long  term  habitat  and  harvest  metrics.  

In-­‐Review….  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

1st  step:  Review  current  and  historic  Nisqually  Steelhead  Biological  InformaJon  and  Nisqually  River  Habitat  CondiJons  

11

Some  takeaways:  •  Hatchery  influence  has  been  minimal,  with  winter  steelhead  supplementaJon  ending  in  1981  •  Current  smolt  to  adult  survival  is  around  1%  •  Current  smolt  producJon  is  around  65,000,  with  over  250  smolts/adult  esJmated  for  one  of  the  brood  years  analyzed!  –Freshwater  survival  is  very  good.  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Steelhead  Recruits  per  Spawner  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Nisqually  Steelhead  Habitat  PotenJal  

13

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

What  can  we  do  within  the  watershed  to  help  steelhead  in  the  face  of  terrible  marine  survival?  

14

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

15

Nisqually River Watershed

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Primary  steelhead  habitat  (EDT  esJmate)  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Habitat  PotenJal  –  1%  SAR  

Current  Abundance  about  62%  of  Historic  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

ProtecJon/RestoraJon  PrioriJes  

•  Mainstem protection priority similar to Chinook •  Mashel restoration of upper reaches emerging top priority •  Muck Creek and Prairie Tributaries are priorities unique to Steelhead

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Subbasin  PrioriJes  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Steelhead  habitat  protecJon  and  restoraJon  acJon  plan  in  review.    Some  highlights  include:  

20

•  ConJnue  to  implement  Chinook  Recovery  acJons  including  mainstem  and  Mashel  habitat  protecJon  and  restoraJon  •  Implement  Nisqually  Community  Forest  in  upper  Mashel  River  watershed  and  manage  for  watershed  processes  and  ecosystem  services  •  Remove  all  barriers  on  small  streams  which  are  not  prioriJes  in  Chinook  plan  •  ConJnue  to  work  with  JBLM  to  protect  and  restore  the  unique  Muck  Creek  prairie  ecosystem  •  Assess  small  prairie  streams  for  protecJon  and  restoraJon,  establish  a  prairie  stream  stronghold  for  life  history  diversity  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

21

IntegraJng  Nisqually  Plan  with  Regional  Effort  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Nisqually Estuary

June 2009

Nisqually Estuary

March 2010

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

23

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Lower  Site  –  Before    

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Lower  Site  –  Aeer    

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

27

Nisqually  Chinook  Annual  Review  

Steelhead  recovery  efforts  in  the  watershed  can  help  prevent  exJrpaJon  but  recovery  is  not  possible  without  a  strong  regional  commitment  to  address  survival  in  Puget  Sound.  

28

-Support the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project!