Coordinated Assessments for Salmon and Steelhead

The Coordinated Assessments Project is an effort to develop integrated data-sharing for anadromous fish related data among the co-managers (state fish and wildlife agencies and Tribes) and action agencies of the Columbia Basin. The initial focus of the project is on three Viable Salmonid Population (VSP) abundance indicators for salmon and steelhead: Natural Origen Spawner Abundance, Smolt to Adult Return, and Recruit per Spawner.

Phase I: Phase I of the project was initiated in February 2010 and consisted of the development of an inventory data exchange template (DET) and a workshop in October 2010 of participating state and tribal monitoring practitioners in the Columbia Basin.

Phase II: Phase II of the project was initiated in the fall of 2010 and concluded with a workshop in September 2011. This phase was aided by the efforts of nine data technicians that worked with the Coordinated Assessments core team to document the data elements and the analytic and management flow of monitoring data used by the participating agencies and tribes. The "Columbia River Basin Collaborative Data Sharing Strategy: Salmon and Steelhead Population Abundance and Productivity Indicators" was a primary product of Phase II. The Strategy provides guidance for the achievement of five objectives that promote the overall goal of data management and sharing for the purpose of coordinated assessments.

Phase III: The project has now entered Phase III of the project. A primary goal of this Phase is to develop and implement exchange formats for the actual sharing of the three VSP indicators and/or their supporting data. The Coordinated Assessments Planning Group members are tackling these objectives:

• Complete the Basin-wide Data Sharing Strategy and submit to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, Bonneville Power Administration, and the Independent Science Review Panel.
• Develop a prioritized list of projects that support the goals and objectives outlined in the Strategy.
• Establish the capability to submit and share data in DET format for a set of populations that are considered “low hanging fruit”.
• Refine the roles for the Coordinating Assessments Planning Group and core team and participating agencies.
• Set up a process for supporting future CA activities including DET development, DET pilot testing, initiation of routine sharing of initial indicators, and expanding to other metrics beyond the original three VSP indicators.