Day 10: POBR June 25, 2024

Day 10: June 25, 2024

                The class was scheduled to wake up at 7:30am. We at breakfast and hit the road by 8am. Our first stop was the Imtuwana WallaWalla Fish Hatchery. Where we first met TeLa Branstetter, a habitat biologist for the CTIUR. Branstetter took us out to a field to observe and identify invasive weeds. Then John, the technician caught up with us to take us to the SF Wallawalla River to look at microvertabrates. Both John and TeLa emphasized that microvertibrates are a good indication that the river is healthy. TeLa also explained that having log structures in the stream helps recharge the floodplains. The SF Wallawalla River has bulltrout, rainbow trout, sculpins, and chinook salmon present. John also showed us a sculpin and cattes flies that were found on rocks.  It is interesting to learn about the different management of habitat restoration. Definitely eye opening. 

                After our small tour was over with the habitat restoration project, we moved over to the Imtuwana Wallawalla Fish Hatchery. We got to meet the Hatchery Manager, Jason Thomas. Thomas first started off with acknowledging the department of natural resources mission. This mission focuses on the first foods management approach. He emphasized that the  first foods is what guides us with the water, the salmon, berries and roots. The mission they follow is a very meaningful way to apply to the work we all do. Very inspiring. This hatchery’s goal is to produce up to 500,000 Spring Chinook Salmon Juveniles to release into the Walla Walla Basin to help restore natural production. With an estimation of 5,000-10,000 adult returns. 

            After a quick review of the management overview, we started going over the spring chinook lifecycle. Thomas briefly went over the spawning process, then explained the egg process. Once they get spawned, the eggs will be moved to the incubation room to sit in there for a few shocks then will be moved to the incubation trays. The egg/fry stage is very crucial to monitor. They are considered very fragile in these stages. We got to view the circular tanks for both fry and juveniles. The fry tanks are particularly smaller and can hold up to 30,000 fry. Once the fry start growing bigger, they get transported to a bigger circular tank that can hold up to 60,000 juveniles. The primary water source that supplies this hatchery is purely river water. Once the juveniles are ready in age and size, they get released to migrate to the ocean. 

            After the review of the fry and juvenile stages of chinook salmon, we went outside to check out the adult ponds. After that, we stopped by the tagging trailer. Dave, from Oregon State Fish & Wildlife was managing the trailer. This trailer has built in automatic fish tagging machines. Pretty fancy. However, Dave from ODFW stated that this automative fish tagging machine only has a 20% success rate. So they have a station to retag the fish that don’t get tagged. After the tour, we went to the conference room to take a small lunch break. 

        Then after lunch break, we went to the Umatilla Nursery. This is where we met the nursery manager, Gail Redberg. Redberg briefly discussed what the purpose of the nursery. Redberg stated that the goal was to supply plants for the restoration projects within the CTUIR. Then after that, we got a tour of the of the nursery. Redberg shared a story about how the sage grouse are site specific but struggle becau7se of agriculture. After the tour, we started working on pulling weeds and re-potting. After the work was done, we ventured back to camp.

 




Location: Mission, OR 97801, USA

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