Spirit of the Salmon

Technical Recommendations

• Begin improving in-channel stream conditions for anadromous fish by improving or eliminating land-use practices that degrade watershed quality.
• Protect and increase in-stream flows by limiting additional consumptive water withdrawals, using the most efficient irrigation methods, preventing soil compaction and riparian vegetation removal and wetland destruction; where necessary, restore soil, restore riparian vegetation and re-create wetlands.
• Actively restore watersheds where salmon populations are in imminent danger of extirpation. Use "Coarse Screening Process" to develop demonstration projects.
• Use supplementation to help rebuild salmon populations at high demographic risk of extirpation.
• Use supplementation to reintroduce salmon to watersheds from which they have been extirpated.
• Use flow, spill, drawdowns, peak efficiency turbine operation, new turbine technology, and predator control projects to improve in-river juvenile salmon survival; avoid fluctuations caused by power peaking operations.
• Protect and restore critical estuary habitat.
• Establish Alaskan and Canadian ocean fisheries based on chinook abundance.
• Use stored cold water, additional ladders, ladder improvement and ladder maintenance to enhance mainstem adult passage; incorporate 24-hour video fish counting.
• Improve water quality by eliminating sources of toxic pollution that accumulates in fish tissue and by reducing discharges of other contaminants to meet water quality criteria for anadromous fish.
• Closely monitor tributary production and escapement to improve management.
• Conduct research on Pacific lamprey and design artificial propagation strategies to supplement natural production.
• Develop artificial propagation and management strategies for white sturgeon populations above Bonneville Dam.