Summary Description: Originally designed to facilitate kokanee rearing at Creston NFH & reintroduction in Flathead Lake. Broadened to include efforts to remove nonnative fish to facilitate recovery of native species reared at Creston NFH.

Background: This project facilitates the rearing of Kokanee salmon at the Creston National Fish Hatchery for stocking of Flathead Lake as part of the mitigation for construction and operation of Hungry Horse Dam. That effort failed and due to biological and political uncertainties over future management direction of Flathead Lake, the Hungry Horse Implementation Group made an adaptive management decision to direct near-term hatchery-based mitigation efforts to offsite resource areas. Negotiations over a new Flathead Lake Management Plan (MFWP and CSKT) and the development of a complementary FERC mitigation program for the lake are continuing. Hence, the stocking of westslope cutthroat trout and rainbow trout in offsite waters, described in objectives #1 and #3 in this proposal, were incorporated into the FY 1999 project proposal approved by the NPPC during September, 1998. In addition, the experimental work with bull trout culture described in objective #3 has continued since 1993.

Milestones: Initiated in 1992 after NPPC adopted Hungry Horse Mitigation Plan (November 1991, see NPPC program:10.3A.10). Implementation as per NPPC direction upon adoption of Hungry Horse Implementation Plan (March 1993, see NPPC program:10.3A.11). Project 9101900 - Fish Production Coordinator - was merged with this program beginning in FY96. Significant cost-sharing to this mitigation program has been contributed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, including dedication of 70% of fish rearing capacity at Creston National fish hatchery and contribution of resources for project management and monitoring. 6/94-Planted approx. 800,000 6" kokanee in Flathead Lake; 12/93-9/94 Reared as many kokanee as possible for stocking in 1995; 10/93-9/94 Hold 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year classes of kokanee broodstock fish to implement the captive brood egg production program, and continue the bull trout research program. 1994 broodyear were from the captive brood held. Continue to refine this program. Contract 1997AP36846 for $5,422 to install water distribution piping at the Creston National Hatchery was completed and closed by 1997. Contract 1997AP36353 for $10,890 for raceway enclose cover at Creston National Hatchery was completed and closed by 1997. A TBL contract 1997TX30113 task order 1998FW10007 for $14,300 was established in 1998 to provide mechanical design services for Creston National fish Hatchery. A mod in 1999 deobligated $9530 and closed the contract. Contract 1999AP17552 for $11,715 covering the purchase of thermographs was issued in 1999. It was completed and closed in 1999. Contract 1999AP19140 for $6115 issued in 1999 coved various supplies, i.e. external packs, back packs, flagging, vests, etc. Mod 01 altered the contract at no cost. It was closed in 1999.

Results: During the years 1993 through 1997 over 5.0 million kokanee of various sizes were outplanted from Creston National Fish Hatchery (CNFH) into numerous locations in Flathead Lake and the Flathead River. Biological objectives were for 30% first-year survival of stocked salmon and 10% survival to adulthood. The objectives were not met and a fishery failed to develop. Results clearly indicated that kokanee survival in Flathead Lake was severely limited by predation from high population levels of lake trout

Publications:

Publication Title	Report Type	Coverage Years	Published	Pages	DOE/BP Number
Hungry Horse Dam Fisheries Mitigation Stocking of Offsite Waters - Creston National Fish Hatchery	Annual	2001 - 2002	Mar 2003		00004699-1 R 205
Hungry Horse Dam Fisheries Mitigation Kokanee Stocking and Monitoring in Flathead Lake	Final	1993 - 1997	Apr 1999		60559-5 R 136
Hungry Horse Dam Fisheries Mitigation Kokanee Stocking and Monitoring in Flathead Lake	Progress	1996 - 1996	Jun 1997		60559-3 R 126
Hungry Horse Dam Fisheries Mitigation Kokanee Stocking and Monitoring in Flathead Lake	Annual	1995 - 1995	Jun 1996		65903-7 R 115
Kokanee Stocking and Monitoring, Flathead Lake	Annual	1993 - 1994	Jul 1995		65903-6 R 099
Hungry Horse Dam Fisheries Mitigation	Progress	1992 - 1993	Jun 1994		60559-2 R 093
Kootenai River White Sturgeon Investigations	Annual	1993 - 1993	May 1994		96497-1 R 092

Project Classification Keys:
Primary: All projects in the Resident Fish Program
Secondary: Focus on producing fish
Tertiary: Implementation of field project work

Work Sites

Site/Subsite Names	Site Type	Types of Work Performed
CRESTON NFH/	Hatchery (acclm ponds, release site, etc)	Building (plan, construction)
CRESTON NFH/	Hatchery (acclm ponds, release site, etc)	Collect, raise / transport / plant fish
CRESTON NFH/	Hatchery (acclm ponds, release site, etc)	Rental /purchase (rooms, equipment, supplies)
FLATHEAD LAKE/	Reservoir (incl. lakes, ponds,etc.)	Collect, raise / transport / plant fish
FLATHEAD LAKE/	Reservoir (incl. lakes, ponds,etc.)	Survey, study, research, monitor, evaluate
LAKE MARY RONAN/	Reservoir (incl. lakes, ponds,etc.)	Collect, raise / transport / plant fish
LITTLE BITTERROOT LAKE/	Reservoir (incl. lakes, ponds,etc.)	Collect, raise / transport / plant fish
SWAN LAKE/	Reservoir (incl. lakes, ponds,etc.)	Collect, raise / transport / plant fish

Project Budget and Obligation:

Fiscal Year	Initially Authorized	Latest Authorized	Authorized Change	Obligation In Process	Bonneville Overhead	Contracted Obligation	Contracted Agent
1992	$0	$64,457	$64,457	$0	$0	$64,457	US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - DENVER REGION
1993	$200,699	$200,699	$0	$0	$0	$200,699	US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - DENVER REGION
1994	$0	$326,362	$326,362	$0	$0	$326,362	US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - DENVER REGION
1995	$327,952	$328,419	$467	$0	$0	$327,919	US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - DENVER REGION
1996	$600,000	$544,990	$-55,010	$0	$0	$8,461	FORESTRY SUPPLIERS
1996				$0	$0	$800	GREGORY'S PUMP SERVICE
1996				$0	$0	$11,111	GREGORY'S PUMP SERVICE
1996				$0	$0	$1,047	MARC M SPATT CONSULTING HYDRO
1996				$0	$0	$14,459	US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - DENVER REGION
1996				$0	$0	$47,059	US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - DENVER REGION
1996				$0	$0	$461,504	US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - DENVER REGION
1996				$0	$0	$304	WESTERN / ALLWASTE
1997	$465,000	$471,323	$6,323	$0	$0	$10,890	GLOBAL SHELTERS
1997				$0	$0	$5,422	H&L; PLUMBING & HEATING
1997				$0	$0	$455,011	US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE - DENVER REGION
1998	$484,000	$477,843	$-6,157	$0	$0	$473,073	FLATHEAD NATIONAL FOREST
1998				$0	$0	$14,300	TRANSMISSION BUSINESS LINE
1999	$398,930	$423,935	$25,005	$11,715	$0	$364,395	FLATHEAD NATIONAL FOREST
Totals:	$2,476,581	$2,838,028	$361,447	$11,715	$0	$2,787,273	.