Snake River White Sturgeon Conservation Plan ... - Idaho Power

Idaho Power CompanyChapter 4: Conceptual Design for White Sturgeon Passage Facilities4.3.6. Capture and Transport4.3.6.1. DescriptionA capture and transport program is a managed fishing effort to catch sturgeon and transport themdownstream. It differs from other options for passing sturgeon because it is an active method—asopposed to passive methods that are volitionally based—that captures a set number or specificlife stage of sturgeon and transports them downstream. Because, there is no well-defineddownstream migration of sturgeon in the reach of the Snake River where the IPC projects arelocated, the goal of using this technique would be to distribute sturgeon to meet defined goals forpopulation, age distribution, and habitat use for various reaches of the Snake River.For this method, IPC personnel would use suitable collection gear to capture sturgeon at siteswhere sturgeon congregate. The collection gear would probably consist of a combination of nets,setlines, and rod and reel techniques combined with proven techniques for safe handling. Thedisadvantage of using these methods to capture sturgeon is that they are labor intensive. Anadvantage of using a managed catch program is that useful data on sturgeon behavior,population, and age distribution could also be collected.Once caught, sturgeon would be sorted to meet the defined goals of the capture and transportprogram. Selected sturgeon would be placed into a holding area or directly into a transport tankfor immediate transfer to the appropriate release station. A transport tank mounted on a trailercould be designed to load sturgeon directly into the tank at existing river access ramps.Section 4.2.5. discusses the effort needed to design a safe transport and handling system.A capture and transport system is a flexible system because no facilities other than ramps forriver access need to be built. The system could easily be modified so that fish were caught orreleased at various locations and times. Since there is no identified downstream migration patternfor white sturgeon, the effort to catch sturgeon would be prescheduled and halted when thedefined goals for distribution are met.4.3.6.2. Biological EffectivenessA capture and transport operation uses proven techniques for capturing, evaluating, andtransporting sturgeon. With proper care, the overall system could be designed to minimize injuryand stress from loading, transporting, and unloading. We expect this alternative to move sturgeonpast barriers with little effect to the health of the sturgeon. However, as an active system, it ismore intrusive than passage systems that are passive, such as a volitionally based trap andtransport program. Additionally, defining the goals for sturgeon distribution would be a majoreffort that would require the extensive and continual involvement of resource agencies.4.3.6.3. CostsA capture and transport program would have significantly lower capital costs because it wouldrequire little construction, particularly if fish were loaded or released at existing access ramps onthe river. Another advantage of using this passage option is that a loading and release facilityHells Canyon Complex Page 31