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Fisheries Research & Management

Radio Telemetry Fixed Station, used for tracking tagged adult fish in the Toutle River.

Protection of fisheries resources is an increasingly important consideration in many environmental planning and development activities. This is particularly true in the Pacific Northwest where many species of salmon have been listed under the Endangered Species Act. Our staff have broad skills and experience in a variety of areas related to fisheries research and management, including:

  • Fisheries management plans
  • Salmon population and survival estimates
  • Radio-telemetry, electrofishing, snorkel surveys
  • Salmon life cycle modeling
  • Fish passage analysis (large dams and other barriers)
  • Hatchery practices and production
  • Habitat inventory and utilization

Sample Projects:
Marine Fish Conservation Network - Bycatch Report: On behalf of the MFCN, Steward and Associates compiled and analyzed information on the efforts of eight regional fishery management councils to reduce the amount of bycatch in the nation’s fisheries. The Magnuson - Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act requires that the councils take steps to reduce bycatch and bycatch mortality, and to develop standardized reporting methodologies. Working together with MFCN research staff, we evaluated the councils’ actions in light of the statutory requirements, and developed recommendations for improving the management of the nation’s fisheries. The final report was distributed to members of Congress, fishery managers and the interested public in June 2006. The report is available on-line from MFCN.
State of the Salmon - Inventory of Salmon Monitoring Datasets in Washington, Oregon California, Idaho and Alaska: The State of the Salmon Project (SoS) is a non-profit research and advocacy organization with the goal of developing a comprehensive database of monitoring data for Pacific salmon and steelhead around the Pacific rim, the Salmon Knowledge System (SKS). The SKS is the foundation for a comprehensive program to track the status and trends of salmonid populations and develop recommendations for improved monitoring and management. As part of this effort, Steward and Associates has been awarded three contracts to inventory and collect metadata on all salmonid monitoring datasets in these five states, and assist with the planning and development of future analyses. This effort includes comprehensive rating of the data quality and utility of each dataset for the purposes of the SKS, and linkage of the metadata to GIS coverages to support gap analyses.
North Fork Toutle River Telemetry: This current, multi-year project is a radiotelemetry study to determine coho and steelhead distribution and use of available habitat upstream of the Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) on the North Fork Toutle River in the Cowlitz River Subbasin. The project consists of tagging adult fish captured at the Fish Collection Facility (FCF) below the SRS and hauling them to four release locations to monitor movements. This project is a collaborative effort between Steward and Associates and the Cowlitz Tribe, USGS, WDFW, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Cowlitz Game and Anglers, Friends of the Cowlitz, and CPR-Fish. Steward and Associates staff are managing the project and participating in field data collection and analysis.
Sultan River Fish Damage Assessment: Under contract with The Tulalip Tribes, Steward and Associates developed a habitat-based approach to estimating foregone fisheries benefits lost as a result of impoundment and diversion in the Sultan River watershed. The habitat-based method focused on the number of anadromous salmonids Sultan River habitat would likely have supported if the impoundment and diversion did not exist. This project required extensive literature review of accepted density and survival rates for each species in question. Steward and Associates was also responsible for assessing the downstream ecological impact of instream flow reductions from the Sultan River surface water diversion. Extensive presentations and written reports documenting the habitat-based methods developed by Steward and Associates are required throughout the life of the project.
Lewis River Hydroelectric Relicensing: Steward and Associates has participated on behalf of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe in a variety of technical analyses related to the identification of license terms and conditions in the context of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission relicensing proceedings. Our staff has designed a risk-assessment modeling approach to the evaluation of fish passage alternatives, reviewed numerous studies related to fish habitat surveys, juvenile migration through reservoirs, potential fish population abundance estimates and supplementation strategies. As part of the relicensing process we have participated in collaborative technical efforts with state and Federal agencies, licensee representatives, tribes and conservation groups.
Nez Perce Tribe Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation: Cleve Steward prepared a detailed monitoring and evaluation plan to help tribal managers decide how artificial propagation should be used to restore Chinook salmon production to the Clearwater River and lower Salmon River subbasins in Idaho. The team selected test and control streams after compiling and reviewing their physical and biological characteristics (salmonid population sizes and carrying capacities) as determined from U.S. Forest Service and tribal databases. We devised several information-gathering strategies to provide meaningful and cost-effective assessment of project status and impacts.
Coastwide Salmonid Populations Database: Steward and Associates served as co-principal investigator on a federally funded project in which catch, escapement and juvenile abundance data for all species of anadromous Pacific salmonids were compiled into a central database. Steward and Associates were responsible for data and text describing the status of populations originating in Washington and Idaho watersheds. The data and associated narratives facilitated species status reviews by the National Marine Fisheries Service, pursuant to the Endangered Species Act.