Springfield Sockeye Hatchery Program

Jeff Heindel – IDFG

LSRCP Production Meeting – Boise, ID

Project Team• Idaho Department of Fish & Game

• Jeff Heindel – Project Manager, Boise HQ• Doug Engemann – Hatchery Manager,

Springfield

• Bonneville Power Administration• Jan Brady – COTR, Portland Office• Jeff Gislason, Greg Baesler (retired) – BPA• BPA Environmental Services

• NOAA Fisheries• Shoshone-Bannock Tribes• IDFG Eagle FH, Sawtooth FH, Fish Research

1. Background and review of current conservation program

2. Review new hatchery design, timelines, and next steps

Presentation Outline

Sawtooth Basin

Springfield

Hatchery

Compass Bearings

Snake River Sockeye Salmon

• Longest migration (about 900 miles)

• Highest elevation (about 6,500 ft.)

• Most southerly population

Snake River Sockeye Salmon

• Pre-western civilization - - up to 30,000 sockeye salmon returned to the Sawtooth Basin

• 1910 to 1934 Sunbeam Dam era – access to nursery lakes questionable

• Between 1953 and 1964, Redfish Lake sockeye returns monitored – high return 4,300

Protection under the ESA

• In 1990, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of Idaho petitioned the NMFS to list Snake River Sockeye Salmon

• Prior to listing, (in May,1991) the IDFG collected Redfish Lake out-migrating smolts and the four anadromous adults that returned in August, 1991 to initiate the conservation program

Protection under the ESA

• In November, 1991, NMFS concluded that Snake River Sockeye Salmon met the criteria for an ESU (Evolutionarily Significant Unit) and the population was listed as endangered

Captive Broodstock Development

Founding contributors to the broodstock - -

• 16 wild sockeye (all that returned in ‘90s)• several hundred out-migrating sockeye

smolts• 26 “residual” sockeye salmon

Conservation Goals

• Near-term program goals – • avoid population extinction• conserve population genetic diversity• begin increasing numbers in the wild

Facilities and Locations1. Existing facilities:

a) IDFG Eagle Fish Hatchery

b) IDFG Sawtooth Fish Hatchery

c) NOAA Manchester Research Station

d) NOAA Burley Creek Hatchery

e) ODFW Oxbow Fish Hatchery

Facilities and Locations

IDFG EagleCaptive brood

building

Facilities and Locations

IDFG EagleCaptive brood

building

Facilities and Locations

IDFG Sawtooth Fish

Hatchery

Facilities and Locations

IDFG Sawtooth Fish

Hatchery

“Borrowed” space

Facilities and Locations

NOAAconservation

hatcherylocations

Facilities and LocationsNOAA

ManchesterResearch Station

NOAA Manchester Research Stationseawater rearing

Facilities and Locations

NOAA Burley Creek Hatchery

freshwater rearing

Facilities and Locations

Facilities and Locations

ODFG OxbowFish Hatchery

Bonneville Dam

Facilities and Locations

ODFG OxbowFish Hatchery

Bonneville Dam

“Borrowed” space

Redfish Lake

Springfield

Hatchery

Eagle Hatchery

Facilities and Locations

Sawtooth Hatchery

Yellowbelly Lake

Alturas Lake

Redfish Lake Creek

Salmon River

Valley CreekStanley Lake

STANLEY

0

0

2 4 6 8 10 mi.

5 10 15 km.

Redfish Lake

Pettit Lake

81 ha

615 ha

73 ha

160 ha

338 ha

Idaho

Sawtooth Fish HatcheryFishhook Crk.

Facilities and Locations

Redfish LakeSurface area: 6.15 km2, 2.37 mi2

Max. depth: 91.5 m, 300 ft

Photo courtesy Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

Alturas LakeSurface area: 3.38 km2, 1.30 mi2

Max. depth: 53.0 m, 174.0 ft

Photo courtesy Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

Pettit LakeSurface area: 1.62 km2, 0.63 mi2

Max. depth: 52 m, 170 ft

Photo courtesy Shoshone-Bannock Tribes

• First hatchery-produced adults out-planted in 1993

• First hatchery-produced juveniles planted in 1994

• First hatchery-produced anadromous adults back in 1999

Conservation Program Results

• Maintain captive broodstock• “Surplus” eggs and fish out-

planted to Redfish, Alturas and Pettit lakes

Conservation Program Results

• “Surplus” eggs and fish out-planted to Redfish, Alturas and Pettit lakesEggs (egg box releases)

Conservation Program Results

• “Surplus” eggs and fish out-planted to Redfish, Alturas and Pettit lakes

Eggs (egg box releases) Age-0 pre-smolts

Conservation Program Results

• “Surplus” eggs and fish out-planted to Redfish, Alturas and Pettit lakes

Eggs (egg box releases) Age-0 pre-smoltsAge-1 smolts

Conservation Program Results

• “Surplus” eggs and fish out-planted to Redfish, Alturas and Pettit lakes Eggs (egg box releases) Age-0 pre-smolts Age-1 smolts

Pre-spawn adults

Conservation Program Results

Eyed-eggs Pre-smolts SmoltsPre-spawn

adults

Release strategy 1,065,591 1,476,718 749,011 6,473

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1,400,000

1,600,000Eyed-egg and pre-

smolt releases account for 77.3% of all

juvenile releases ( 22.7% = smolts)

Conservation Program Results

• 2008 – 650 adults to Sawtooth Basin• 2009 – 833 adults• 2010 - 1,355 adults (most since 1955) • 2011 – 1,118 adults

• 2012 – 257 adults

Conservation Program Results

• After nearly 20 years of implementation, the program has successfully met its primary conservation objectives by:

• Applying state-of-the art fish husbandry techniques

• Maximizing effective population size and population genetic diversity

• Maximizing the numbers of breeders per generation

• Managing genetic risks (inbreeding, domestication selection)

• Comprehensive m&e and adaptive management

Conservation Program Results

Conservation Goals

• Near-term program goals – • avoid population extinction• conserve population genetic diversity• begin increasing numbers in the wild

Conservation Goals

• Near-term program goals – • avoid population extinction• conserve population genetic diversity• begin increasing numbers in the wild

Redfish Lake

Springfield

Hatchery

Eagle Hatchery

Facilities and Locations

Sawtooth Hatchery

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• Springfield Hatchery will contribute significantly by:• Establishing a self-sustaining

anadromous broodstock which will reduce the reliance on the captive broodstock

• Increase population fitness and reduce the risks associated with domestication selection

• Provide adults to out-plant to lakes to increase natural spawning and juvenile production

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• Phased approach• Phase I: Captive broodstock phase

(already in progress)

• Phase II: Re-colonization phase – large smolt production facility dedicated to culture of SR sockeye = SPRINGFIELD

• Phase III: Local Adaptation phase

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• Phase II: Re-colonization phase• Initiate with development of expanded

smolt program at Springfield Hatchery• Generate anadromous adult returns

sufficient to meet broodstock and escapement objectives to lakes

• Maintain RFL (Eagle Hatchery) program• Phase out NOAA safety net entirely

Springfield Fish Hatchery

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• Overview of hatchery site• 72 acre parcel owned by IDFG• Existing (abandoned) hatchery

previously operated as a private trout farm

• 50 cfs water right• Nine artesian wells approx. 250 ft deep• Water temp – constant 10.2 C • 4 acre public fishing pond

Springfield Fish Hatchery

Springfield Fish Hatchery

Springfield Fish Hatchery

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• Add pumps to existing; 2 new wells / develop and maintain 50 cfs water right

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• 13,620 square feet hatchery/office / 2,830 square feet shop/storage

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• Three new staff residences (3 bed, 2 bath, den; 1800 sq. ft.; 24’x24’ detached garage)

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• Degassing headbox; maintain artesian / 22 early rearing vats (fiberglass) / office, meeting, lab space

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• 22 (+) production raceways (100’x10’) – kettle design to facilitate loading / metal roof w/full predator exclosure / effluent treatment / truck disinfection station

Springfield Fish Hatchery

• Why not circulars?

• Linears work for us!• Species sensitivity• Footprint• Cost (dual-drain, overhead structure)• Reality = we (industry) are not ready for

this yet with Pacific salmon; not interested in leading the charge with endangered stock

Sockeye Broodstock Program - Future

Rear ~250,000 sockeye smolts in December,

2013

CY17 first 1M smolt production; Project first age 4 returns from Springfield smolt production

New record return?

Recolonization Phase

CY15 initial smolts from Springfield; BY15 ramp up to full production

1,000,000 full term smolts

Construction of Springfield Hatchery

2012 2013 2015 2017 2019

Project Thanks• Idaho Department of Fish & Game

• Steering Committee• Sawtooth, McCall FH

• Bonneville Power Administration• ODFW• WDFW• NOAA Fisheries• Shoshone-Bannock Tribes• Nez Perce Tribe• LSRCP

Questions ?

Springfield Fish Hatchery