The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) and the Yakama Nation (YN) will employ three tribal fishers to catch and tag white sturgeon in The Dalles Reservoir this winter as part of a regular population survey conducted at 3 year intervals by the Tribes and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). This research work will not occur in any other reservoir. Contracted tribal fishers will use their own boats and fishing gear (i.e. diver nets primarily, possibly some setlines) on the project.

All gear will be clearly marked with colored floats, labeled with CRITFC RESEARCH, and a contact telephone number. Additionally, each net is labeled with the fisher's tribal enrollment number for identification purposes. As this gear may tangle recreational fishing equipment, we suggest that anglers avoid fishing within the immediate vicinity of the research buoys. Please do not disturb the gear or marker buoys. Fishers sample different sections of the river each week and often move gear daily, so any possible inconvenience to recreational fishing will be temporary. The nets are large mesh and are placed to capture white sturgeon, and as such, the by-catch of other fish species is generally very low. This work is critical for updating the population status of white sturgeon in this reservoir. We appreciate your cooperation during our research period. Area law enforcement has also been informed of our upcoming research efforts.

The project is scheduled to begin the first or second week of December 2007 and may extend into early February 2008. Tagging work will generally occur Monday through Friday, with fishers setting gear Monday through Thursday, and pulling gear Tuesday through Friday. Gear will not be left in the water over any weekend, unless unfavorable weather conditions prohibit recovery during this time period.

This work is part of the White Sturgeon Research Program funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (Project No. 86-50). We trust that this coordination memorandum has provided sufficient information to answer any questions that might arise as a consequence of our research efforts. If you desire more information or have comments, please call the Commission office at 503-238-0667 during regular business hours and request Project Manager Blaine Parker. Thank you again for your patience and cooperation.