1. Assessment of A-run Steelhead population in the Clearwater Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resources Management

2. Snake River Steelhead ESU Listed as threatened Number of sub-populations –Snake River Subbasin –Clearwater River Subbasin

3. Clearwater Subbasin Steelhead Two populations (A-run and B-run) –Size, return-timing –Location of spawning

4. Adult Escapement to LGD NMFS 2000

5. Estimated juvenile carrying capacity (NMFS 2000)

6. Declines A-run Steelhead in Clearwater Construction and Operation of Hydropower Environmental Factor –Natural variation –Man Induced (303d listings) Current Hatchery Practices ?? –Loss of genetic diversity and spatial structure

7. (Milner and Teel 1985)

8. A-run Clearwater Steelhead Unknowns Current Status –Abundance –Productivity –Spatial Structure –Diversity

9. 2000 Biop ESU Populations … to be identified and defined using biological criteria and for the evaluation of ESU population status (viability) in accordance with NMFS viable salmon population approach (McElhany et al. 2000) … the need to assess population status to establish recovery goals and gauge change towards the goals (Action 179)

10. Proposed Study Objectives A-run Clearwater Steelhead Population 1. Abundance and productivity 2. Spatial structure and genetic diversity 3. Environmental effects 4. Communication results

11. 1. Abundance and production 1.Spawner escapement Adult Weir 2.Smolt yield /survival Screw Trap 3.Juvenile densities Snorkeling

12. 1. Spawner escapement -- Adult Weir 2. Smolt yield / survival -- Screw trap 3.Juvenile production/ densities -- Snorkeling

13. 2. Spatial structure and genetic diversity Task 1. Genetic survey of population - 30 populations (primarily lower basin) - 10 genetic microsatellite markers -Previous work mid-80s, 90s and 00s -Detect changes -Results used to develop plan to assess cause

14. Task 2. Straying rates Radio tag A-run steelhead adults at LGD –PIT tagged juveniles and non marked fish Track to spawning grounds Results –Escapement to Clearwater and Snake Subbasins –Escapement to Big Canyon Creek –Prespawning mortality –Understanding of straying

15. 3. Environmental Influence Big Canyon Creek (Tier 2) –Temperature –Instream Flow –Habitat Potlatch, Lapwai, Jacks, Bedrock, Cottonwood Creeks (Tier 1) –Temperature –Instream Flow

16. 4. Communicate results Assessing and tracking recovery efforts –RPAs (NMFS 2000) –Regional Management and Harvest Actions (Subbasin Summary 2001) Fully assess and understand the status or viability of the Snake River Steelhead ESU