At the Council’s September 2008 request, the ISRP reviewed the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR), Walla Walla Spring Chinook Master Plan (Project # 2000-038-00). The Umatilla Tribe proposed to add incubation, early rearing, and final rearing facilities to the existing South Fork Walla Walla Adult Holding and Spawning Facility (i.e., Umatilla Hatchery satellite facility operating under the Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program since 1997) in order to produce annually 500,000 yearling spring Chinook smolts. This production group would be reared to full term, acclimated at the new facility, and released directly into the South Fork Walla Walla River, which is identified as the primary potential spring Chinook natural production area in the upper mainstem portion of the subbasin.
This is a Step 1 review in the Council’s Three Step Review Process. Step 1 is the feasibility stage, and all major components and elements of a project should be identified. This review focused on the CTUIR’s responses to the Step 1 scientific review elements specified by the Council. In addition, the ISRP evaluated the adequacy of responses to issues raised in past ISRP reviews of the proposal.
Recommendation: does not meet scientific review criteria.
