developing the walla walla hatchery

DEVELOPING THE WALLA WALLA

HATCHERYDesign criteria for maximizing survival

WALLA WALLA RIVER BASIN

South Fork Walla Walla Adult Holding & Spawning

Facility

Facility constructed in 1997 by BPA

SOUTH FORK WALLA WALLA ADULT HOLDING & SPAWNING FACILITY

Future Incubation and

rearing location

Designed to accommodate a future full production hatchery

BPA acquired sufficient property to support construction of the required production facilities

EXISTING FACILITIES

Site property (18 acres)

Effluent settling pond

Two residences

Ozone water treatment

Pumps and pipe sizing

Water intake and screening

Adult holding & spawning

Existing water right of 21.15 cfs

(9,497 gallons-per-minute)

PROPOSED SMOLT PRODUCTION

- NEW SFWW HATCHERY - 500,000 juvenile spring Chinook.

Localized Production - Incubate, rear, release @ 12 fpp.

Est. SAR @ 0.55

(Currently direct release 250 K)

(Currently off-site @ via Carson NFH @ 17 fpp)

2,750 est. hatchery returns (100% of sub-basin H goal)

(Current SAR ~ 0.24)

(Current hatchery returns ~650 or 24% of H goal)

Annual harvest goal = 2,000 – 2,500 (All production to be 100% marked for harvest)

BIOPROGRAM METRICS No. 1 Objective = Maximize Survival !

Fish densities established at 0.66 lbs./ft3 for early rearing (indoor) & 0.75 lbs./ft3 for outdoor rearing.

Density index target of 0.114 during maximum loadings on release date.Max. DI standard for Chinook – 0.20 (Piper, 1982)

Max. density standard – 1.26 lbs / ft3

DI target lower than:The new Chief Joseph

Hatchery - 0.125NEOH Lostine Hatchery – 0.13Tucannon Hatchery (WDFW) –

0.13

BIOPROGRAM METRICS

(cont’d)Production Needs:

Incubator types proposed:

Pros – reliability, accessibility, isolate, hatch

Cons – accessibility, soft shell, disease control, not a consistent track record (i.e. experience with plugged nozzles, compressor overheating, water exchange

Vertical Heath Trays

Est. egg-take needs for program release goal = 616,000 (for 81% overall survival)

Moist Air Incubators Pros – water budget, chilling, small footprint,

reduced labor

Cons – water budget /chiller demands, large footprint, labor intrusive

BIOPROGRAM METRICS

(cont’d) Est. No. fry to marking size @ 150 fpp for program release goal = 526,680 (95% survival from hatch).

Total weight = 3,480 lbs.

Early rearing containers proposed:

Canadian double-deep style (35 ct.x 150 ft3 ea.= 5,250 ft3)

Early/indoor rearing volume required @ 0.66 lb/ft3 or a DI of 0.237 = 5,272 ft3

(0.3 DI - NEOH)

Total lbs. / production @ release > 41,667

BIOPROGRAM VALUES(cont’d)

41,667 lbs. / 0.75 lb/ft3 = 55,556 ft3 final rearing volume needed

Final rearing proposed:Concrete raceways (10’ x 90’ x 4’d)

55,556 ft3 / 3,600 ft3 = 15.4 – or – 16 total raceways

REARING REQUIREMENTS (cont’d)

Peak facility flows for final rearing = 8,710 gpm

(~545 gpm / raceway) Lbs. / gpm = 4.8

(common metric < 10 lbs. / gpm - per Piper, et. Al.)

DENSITY CRITERIA WHAT & WHY?

Relationship between lower rearing densities and higher survival/adult contributions.

Joe Banks density/survival study (USFWS, 1994-95)

Spring Chinook.

1,200 ft3 raceways of 20K – 40K – 60K ChS smolts

DI’s of 0.16 – 0.32 – 0.48 @ 18 fpp

Densities of 0.93 – 1.85 – 2.78 lbs./ft3

RESULTS & DECISIONS

Highest number of adult returns? 20K groups

Lowest number of adult returns? 60K groups

With flows adjusted in each group . . . . . 200 – 400 – 600 gpm

Fish reared on 600 gpm from each population group yielded highest number of adults . . . . BUT

20 k group on 200 gpm flow yielded more adults than any of the other higher density groups on 600 gpm.

RESULTS & DECISIONS (cont’d)

Priority for low densities to give fish the greatest adult survival advantage, especially when poor post-release conditions are present.

Second priority for low flow index, but based on the Banks study, is secondary to density for survival benefits.

No. of rearing vessels based on these criteria will improve hatchery effectiveness.

RESULTS & DECISIONS (cont’d)

Currently re-evaluating raceways v. circulars and effects on flows/velocities for improved exercise as it relates to increasing survival.

Currently re-evaluating incubation types.

QUESTIONS / DISCUSSION