Management Plan for Experimental Reintroduction of Sockeye into Skaha Lake; Proposed Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation, 2004 Technical Report.
- Okanagan Nation Alliance, Fisheries Department, Westbank, BC, Canada
Okanagan River sockeye salmon, which spawn near the town of Oliver, B.C., have their farther upstream migration limited by several water control and diversion dams. Stock numbers have been declining for many years and the Okanagan Native Alliance Fisheries Department (ONAFD) has been the principal advocate of a program to restore their numbers and range by reintroducing them into upstream waters where they may once have occurred in substantial numbers Some investigators have warned that without effective intervention Okanagan sockeye are at considerable risk of extinction. Among a host of threats, the quality of water in the single nursery areas in Osoyoos Lake. is deteriorating and a sanctuary such as that afforded in larger lakes higher in the system could be essential. Because the proposed reintroduction upstream has implications for other fish species, (particularly kokanee, the so-called ''landlocked sockeye'' which reside in many Okanagan lakes), the proponents undertook a three-year investigation, with funding from the Bonneville Power Administration and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, to identify possible problem areas, and they committed to an interim experimental reintroduction to Skaha Lake where any problems could be worked out before a more ambitious reintroduction, (e.g. to Okanagan Lake) could be formally considered. The three-year investigation was completed in the spring of 2003. It included an assessment of risks from disease or the possible introduction of unwanted exotic species. It also considered the present quality and quantity of sockeye habitat, and opportunities for expanding or improving it. Finally ecological complexity encouraged the development of a life history model to examine interactions of sockeye with other fishes and their food organisms. While some problem areas were exposed in the course of these studies, they appeared to be manageable and the concept of an experimental reintroduction was largely supported but with the proviso that there should be a thorough evaluation and reporting of progress and results. A 2004 start on implementation and monitoring has now been proposed.
- Research Organization:
- Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), Portland, OR (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- 00005136
- OSTI ID:
- 889735
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BP-00005136-6; R&D Project: 20001300; TRN: US200619%%778
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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