DESCRIPTION
The primary goal of this project was to assist the Asotin IMW project leads(Anabranch Solutions/EcoLogical Research, Inc.) with ongoing field monitoring of Snake River summer-run steelhead in the IMW focal tributaries. This monitoring included summer and fall electrofishing surveys in IMW tributaries and the year round operation and maintenance of the IMW instream PIT tag array (IPTDS) infrastructure. The effort was successful and provided valuable capture, recapture and tagging data during both the summer and fall tagging periods. WDFW also lead the effective operation and maintenance of the four IPTDS sites in the basin. The IPTDS O&M included monthly/bimonthly manual downloads of the sites, troubleshooting, debris clearing and occasional re-anchoring to ensure continued and effective function of each site.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife successfully completed all goals associated with the ongoing monitoring for the Asotin Creek Intensively Monitored Watershed project. The multiple amendments, extensions and cost increases are mostly due to the fluid nature of the PSMFC funding mechanism and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board processes and should not be viewed as any fault of the project or the sponsors in getting the fieldwork completed. This project has always completed the vast majority of its fieldwork and data collection from June through the month of October. This field schedule doesn’t align with the SRFB funding calendar or the federal fiscal year.