Join us on Thursday, January 16th at 6:00 pm via Zoom for the next installment of our Conservation Talk Series! We will be joined by Scott Everett and members of the team leading steelhead conservation efforts with the Nez Perce Tribe.
Populations of wild steelhead have declined from historical levels in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Some stocks in the upper Columbia River are listed as endangered, and some in the Snake and Middle Columbia Rivers are listed as threatened. To increase natural production of steelhead, the Nez Perce Tribe utilizes their life history by reconditioning kelts. Kelt are steelhead that have completed a first spawn and are now heading back to the ocean.
Kelt reconditioning is an innovative approach to effectively increase abundance and productivity of wild steelhead populations through the practice of capturing, holding, and feeding post-spawned steelhead in an artificial rearing environment for the purpose of restoring the ability for the fish to spawn again without the trip back to the ocean. Attempting to get back to the ocean is a natural behavior, but this far up in the system, the probability of making it back is extremely small. Artificial holding after the first spawn increases the likelihood of repeated spawning of naturally produced fish.
The Nez Perce Tribe captures kelts at main stem dams and tributary weirs, transfers and rears them in a hatchery environment, and releases them into the Snake River. Currently, they are constructing a facility dedicated to reconditioning kelts. Once completed, the facility will be capable of long-term reconditioning of up to 750 wild steelhead kelts, supporting the annual release of 180 reconditioned kelts.
Unable to join us for this presentation? The recording will be posted here a week after the presentation.
Thank you to our sponsors: Washington State Conservation Commission and National Association of Conservation Districts. This event is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA puts cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. Information about the CCA is available at www.climate.wa.gov.
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