Biological Opinions - Bureau of Reclamation

especially critical in years when there is an abundance of young suckers, so Reclamation shall
consider potential production in its annual salvage plans. A variety of information, including
numbers of spawners detected in the spawning runs and numbers of juveniles sampled in the
FES, can be used to predict the relative magnitude of annual age-0 sucker production.
T&C 1f. Maximize Adult Listed Sucker Relocation Efforts at Lake Ewauna
Reclamation shall take necessary steps to ensure that the relocation efforts proposed for Lake
Ewauna are done in a manner that maximizes the numbers of suckers relocated, minimizes risk
to suckers, and is done as efficiently as possible. USFWS expects that the effort will be
conducted efficiently and appropriately to maximize return for the effort by operating in the
following manner:
1. Adults will be targeted using trammel nets;
2. Netting efforts will be conducted between April 1 and May 31 each year;
3. Netting efforts will be restricted to the northern part of Lake Ewauna;
4. If catch per unit effort of shortnose suckers for a two-week consecutive period is less than
or equal to 0.25 suckers per net-hour Reclamation shall coordinate with USFWS to
determine whether efforts for that year should be terminated;
5. If catch per unit effort of shortnose suckers during the second year of implementation is
less than or equal to 0.25 suckers per net-hour Reclamation shall coordinate with USFWS
to determine whether efforts should be conducted the following year; and
6. The Fish Handling Guidelines for Salvaged and Transported Klamath Basin Suckers
protocol developed by Reclamation shall be followed when handling and transporting
suckers.
T&C 1g. Ensure Reclamation Funded Activities related to Listed Suckers Support and are
Consistent with the Lost River and Shortnose Recovery Program
Reclamation shall provide approximately $1.5 million annually starting in FY 2013 towards
oversight and administration of the Lost River and Shortnose Sucker Recovery Program (Sucker
Recovery Program). This Program will be coordinated by the USFWS-led and appointed
Recovery Implementation Team (RIT). The purpose of the RIT is to implement actions
identified in the 2013 Revised Recovery Plan for LRS and SNS which include recovery,
monitoring, and research activities Now that the Revised Recovery Plan is complete, it is
extremely important that the limited resources available for listed sucker activities be
coordinated through the RIT to ensure that they are consistent with and support the plan. It is
also important to have these activities coordinated through the RIT to maximize the efficiency
and effectiveness of how these limited resources are used and leveraged.
Reclamation has supported various scientific investigations, monitoring activities, and recovery
actions within its base budget for many years at the funding level identified above or greater.
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