Sockeye Mitigation
Hatchery Program Contributors
The hatchery is one of several initiatives to improve the runs of salmon and steelhead to the Cedar River that the City of Seattle agreed to implement through the Cedar River Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). As with the other fisheries projects, this one is being undertaken with outside oversight and technical assistance. Considerable expertise has been recruited to help develop a responsible hatchery program.
Technical Guidance
The first phase in the final design process was to invite independent scientific experts to develop guidelines for this specific project, relying on their expertise in such areas as sockeye biology, Lake Washington ecology, fish diseases and genetics as well as their knowledge of hatchery reform initiatives that are being undertaken to minimize the potential effects of hatcheries and increase their performance.
The product of this year-long work is a report containing guidance for the development and operation of the hatchery, entitled "The Cedar River Sockeye Salmon Hatchery Plan".
This report was written by: Dr. Ernie Brannon (chair) (University of Idaho), Dr. David Beauchamp (University of Washington), Dr. Don Campton (US Fish and Wildlife Service), Dr. Conrad Mahnken (National Marine Fisheries Service) and Dr. Jim Winton (US Geological Survey).
Project Design and Program Development
Further development of the program is being undertaken by a team of engineers and scientists working under the leadership of John McGlenn of TetraTech/KCM. John is a former Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission member and is now serving as the project manager for the Cedar River Sockeye Hatchery project. The design team includes salmon experts including Jim Lichatowich (author of "Salmon Without Rivers"); Dr. Rick Williams (salmon geneticist); Dr. Tom Quinn (U. of Washington fisheries professor); Dr. John Burke (Alaska sockeye enhancement expert); and Eric Prestegard (Alaska sockeye enhancement expert). The design team also includes experienced engineers who have designed salmon hatcheries, including sockeye hatcheries.
Project Oversight
Oversight of the project during its development is provided by a technical and stakeholder committee called the Cedar River Anadromous Fish Committee. This committee generally meets monthly and reviews current work associated with the hatchery program. In addition, separate consultations are being held with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Muckleshoot Tribe to ensure that the co-managers have opportunity to review and guide the development of the design and program documents for the sockeye hatchery. The Hatchery Reform Group reviewed this hatchery program when they reviewed mid-Puget Sound area hatcheries in 2002 (See link bellow).
Adaptive management is scheduled to be implemented as operations of the replacement hatchery begin. The adaptive management plan includes a structure to facilitate technical analyses of hatchery operations and monitoring results and to develop recommendations for consideration by decision-makers. Public access to information and opportunity to provide input to decisions is considered an important focus of adaptive management. See the adaptive management plan link for further information.
Project Decisions
Project decisions are made by the Parties to the Landsburg Mitigation Agreement. Parties to the Landsburg Mitigation Agreement include National Marine Fisheries Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the City of Seattle.
The Agreement places responsibility for the acceptance of the four elements of the hatchery program (the operating protocols, the capacity, the adaptive management plan and the design) on the Parties and this decision will be made following completion of the project's environmental review.
Landsburg Mitigation Contacts
Rand Little, Senior Fisheries Biologist
Seattle Public Utilities
Phone: (206) 684-5925
Email: rand.little@seattle.gov
Paul Faulds, Senior Environmental Analyst
Seattle Public Utilities
Phone: (206) 615-0021
Email: paul.faulds@seattle.gov