columbia river basin fish and wildlife program annual ...

4.17.14.17.1 JUVENILE RELEASE/ADULT COLLECTION AND HOLDING FACILITIES ON UMATILLARESERVATION(Operate, Maintain)703(f)(l)[Abstract] BPA shall fund the Confederated Tribes of theUmatilla Reservation (CTUIR) to operate and maintain the Boniferand Minthorn juvenile release and adult collection and holdingfacilities on the reservation.ACTION ITEM ACTIVITY SUMMARYObjectives:To fund operation, maintenance, and evaluation of the Bonifer andMinthorn facilities.Background and Progress to Date:Plans:The facilities are to acclimate and imprint juvenile salmon andsteelhead before release into the Umatilla River, thereby increasingsurvival of juveniles and the homing ability of adults. Thefacilities are also used to hold adults before artificial spawning.When constructed, the Umatilla Hatchery (Project 84-33; ActionItem 4.17.2) will rear juveniles for acclimation at the Minthorn andBonifer facilities. Currently, juveniles from other hatcheries areacclimated at the facilities.BPA has funded the operation and maintenance of the Bonifer andMinthorn facilities since construction in 1983 and 1985, respectively.During this time, about 979,000 fall chinook, 660,000 springchinook, 307,000 coho salmon, and 192,000 steelhead juveniles havebeen acclimated and released. A study to evaluate the fisherybenefits and operation of the acclimation facilities was begun inFY 1987.BPA will continue fundthe facilities throughas long as there is aning operation, maintenance, and evaluation ofan Intergovernmental Agreement with the CTUIRAction Item calling for BPA funding. BPAexpects that results of the evaluation study will be used by theCTUIR to determine the actual fishery benefits of acclimation, toselect effective juvenile release strategies, and to improveoperational efficiency.99