ON THE GROUND AND IN THE WATER Clark ForkLake Pend Oreille

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• ON THE GROUND AND IN THE WATER - Clark Fork/Lake
  Pend Oreille

Joe DosSantos Aquatic Program Leader -
Avista Ned Horner Regional Fisheries Manager -
IDFG
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Avista CorporationRelicensing and Collaboration

• Relicensing process began 1996
• Bull trout listing 1998
• Settlement agreement signed 1999
• Collaboratively prepared EA and license
  application 1999
• First on-time modern relicensing of a large
  project
• Implementation began - 1999

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The Keys to Implementation

• Collaboration
• Living License
• Consensus
• Adaptive management

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Implementation Requirements

• Bull trout listed under ESA
• Native Salmonid Restoration Plan
• 10 aquatic program measures

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Native Fish Restoration Efforts

• Fish passage improvements
• Genetics/Pathogens
• Habitat Restoration/Acquisition/Easements
• Increase Enforcement Efforts
• Water quality protection/enhancement

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Introduced / Exotic Species
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LPO BULL TROUT

• One of the best remaining BT popn.
• Threatened by rapidly growing LT popn.
• Kokanee are a keystone species.

LT popn. projected to reach 400,000 by 2010
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PREDATOR REDUCTION

• Major fishing regulation changes start in 2000.
• Experiment with commercial net gear from the
  Great Lakes.
• Fund angler bounty program targeting RB and LT.

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DEEPWATER TRAP NETS
Harbor Fisheries, Inc. Baileys Harbor, WI
Live Entrapment Gear selective for LT/LWF BIG
GEAR Set at depths of 60-180 ft. Lifted 2-3 times
a week
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Anti-Netting campaign canceled suppression until
2006.
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TRAP AND GILL NETTINGLake Trout

• Netting used for popn. est. since 2003 and
  suppression since 2006.
• Fishing up to 14 trap nets and 4 miles of gill
  net.
• Catching about 7,500 LT/yr. cost 400k/yr.
• About 60 of all LT being caught in gill nets.

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ANGLER INCENTIVE PROGRAM

• Avista funded bounty program - 550k/yr.
• RB over 13 and any size LT targeted
• No limit, RB tribs open for harvest

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ANGLER HARVESTRainbow Trout - 2006 vs. 2007
Month 2006 2007 Jan -- 124 Feb -- 78 Mar --
154 Apr -- 1,050 May 1,211 1,376 June 510
1,212 July 206 396 Aug 375 526 Sept 544 654
Oct 1,561 1,114 Nov 1,412 1,288 Dec 129 171
Total 5,948 8,141
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ANGLER HARVESTLake Trout - 2006 vs. 2007
Month 2006 2007 Jan -- 415 Feb -- 789 Mar -
- 895 Apr -- 1,261 May 1,317 2,445 June 2,13
6 3,107 July 1,033 2,809 Aug 2,200 1,949 Sept
1,755 1,864 Oct 1,561 1,046 Nov 661 831 Dec
250 NA Total 11,041 17,441
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Lake Trout Population Estimates1999-2007
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TRIBUTARY HARVESTRAINBOW TROUT
Month CFR Pack Ltn Grouse April
98 6 6 2 May 3 16 2 6 June
(1-15) 3 0 0 2 Total 104 24 8 10
146 Total rainbow trout reported harvested during
peak of spring spawning period. Most of Lightning
Creek (Ltn) closed to access due to 2006 Nov.
flood.
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KOKANEE POPULATION STATUS 2007

• Older age classes near reproductive collapse.
• Survival between age classes lowest on record.
• Kokanee fry and age 1 fish still relatively
  abundant.
• Hatchery egg take very low.
• The need to reduce predation pressure is critical.

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LPO FISHERY RECOVERY

• Unprecedented effort being made to prevent a
  kokanee collapse.
• Avista funding of over 2 million since 2003 has
  made this effort possible.
• LT population is declining.
• Critical tipping point for kokanee is 2010.