The Council’s 2009 amendments to the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program call for a regular system of independent and timely science reviews of the Fish Passage Center’s analytical products. This regular system of reviews includes review of the Comparative Survival Study (CSS) draft annual reports.
The ISAB once again acknowledges the continuing improvement in the organization, clarity, and writing quality of recent annual reports, as exemplified in the draft 2011 CSS Annual Report. The report contains many very useful tables and figures that enhance understanding of complex results. The ability to address how changes in the river environment affect juvenile salmonid migration rates and survival continues to improve as the dataset includes more years and a wider range of environmental conditions. The long time series in survival rates by species, stock (hatchery/wild), and watershed is appreciated.
This ISAB review begins by suggesting a few topics for further consideration, then provides general comments on the content of the 2011 CSS Annual Report, and finally follows with a few specific editorial suggestions.
