This project addresses how to expand the current fish-tracking technologies to enable the fisheries community to successfully carry out the actions, research, and monitoring activities outlined in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 BiOps, 2004 UPA, Fish and Wildlife Program, and 2003 systemwide passage summary. The goal of the project is to satisfy these needs by developing interrogation systems that will collect data on migrating juvenile and adult salmonids through mainstem Columbia River Basin (CRB) dams, including juvenile salmon transiting surface-bypass systems and all life-stages transiting small streams. These fish-tracking technologies are then used to assess the effectiveness of management actions and strategies for recovery of ESA-listed fish populations.

For example, development of PIT-tag systems that will work in large streams or even rivers are essential for determining the effectiveness of all types of restoration programs on stock recovery supported by BPA. In addition, these systems would help delineate the different types of interactions between hatchery and wild stocks in the field. Within this project, we propose to develop technologies that help monitor the stocks at critical (and if possible, all) life stages and critical locations. For example, many juvenile salmonids now use unmodified spillbays, spillbays outfitted with temporary spillway weirs (TSWs) or removable spillway weirs (RSWs), and turbines during their migration, but we are unable to monitor them in these locations because they lack PIT-tag interrogation systems. Consequently, we are collecting fewer data points for the different survival models. Therefore, we are proposing to start or continue development programs for interrogation systems (tags, antennas, receivers, etc) that will enable us to monitor these migrating fish through these pathways. Besides project administration, the proposed work for the performance period (October 2010-January 2012) covers four main research areas or work elements:

1. Finished development of the ogee-based PIT-tag system for Ice Harbor Dam.

2. Install and evaluate the ogee-based system for Ice Harbor Dam.

3. Continue the development of in-stream interrogation systems -- antennas and multiplexing transceiver.

4. Evaluate alternative interrogation technologies - HDX systems and ISO transceivers.

Instream research notes.