In response to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s June 1, 2015 request, the ISRP reviewed the Walla Walla Hatchery Program Spring Chinook Salmon Monitoring and Evaluation Plan (M&E Plan, August 2018). The monitoring and evaluation plan (M&E Plan) was produced by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) for two BPA-funded projects: Walla Walla River Basin Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) (#2000-039-00) and the Walla Walla Spring Chinook Hatchery Master Plan (#2000-038-00, Final Design/Construction).
As described in the CTUIR’s August 17, 2018 cover letter for this review:
“This Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) plan is a critical component of the Walla Walla Spring Chinook Hatchery Program. The hatchery program will produce 500,000 yearling spring Chinook each year at a new hatchery facility located on the South Fork Walla Walla River. ln addition to juvenile releases, adult hatchery origin fish will be outplanted in the Touchet River and Mill Creek. … Implementation of the M&E plan includes an adaptive management process to allow managers to adjust the program to ensure that both harvest and conservation goals are met over time.”
This Step Two Review submittal of an M&E Plan is intended to address scientific issues raised in the ISRP’s review of the 2015 M&E Plan (ISRP 2015-7) and the condition placed on Project #2000-038-00 as part of the Council’s October 8, 2013 recommendation associated with the Step One Review of the Master Plan:
“The Council recommends that the Walla Walla Spring Chinook Hatchery Master Plan proceed with Step 2 activities. This recommendation is subject to the requirement that the CTUIR fully address the comments raised by the ISRP (ISRP document 2013-12) as part of the Step 2 submittal.”
The ISRP recommends Meets Scientific Review Criteria (Qualified). The ISRP finds that the revised Monitoring and Evaluation Plan is a major improvement over the 2015 Plan and adequately addresses most of the ISRP’s recommendations from the Step 1 review. In this Step 2 review, the ISRP identifies additional issues to be addressed by the program as it moves forward. Eight qualifications are summarized in the ISRP's detailed report.
