Joint Staff Report Concerning 2002 Fall In-River Commercial Harvest of Columbia River Fall Chinook Salmon, Summer Steelhead, Coho Salmon, Chum Salmon, and Sturgeon

This report describes fall fisheries in the mainstem Columbia River and includes summaries of 2001 fall fisheries, 2002 management guidelines, expected 2002 fall fish runs, and the outlook for 2002 fall fisheries. This report is the third in an annual series produced by the Joint Columbia River Management Staff of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) prior to each major Columbia River Compact hearing. Information concerning early and late fall mainstem management periods and fall Select Area fisheries are included in this report.

The first Compact hearing of the 2002 fall management period will begin at 10 AM, Friday August 2 at the Water Resources Education Center located at 4600 S. E. Columbia Way, Vancouver, Washington. The purpose of this hearing is to consider non-Indian commercial salmon fishing options for the mainstem Columbia River. The second fall season Compact hearing will begin at 10 AM, Thursday, August 15 at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife headquarters office located at 2501 SW First Avenue, Portland, Oregon. The purpose of this hearing is to review salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon stock status and to consider fishing seasons for the commercial harvest of fall chinook, coho, steelhead, and sturgeon in Compact jurisdiction waters of the Columbia River. Following the hearing, the states will consider Select Area fall salmon seasons in Big Creek, Youngs Bay, Tongue Point, Blind Slough, Deep River, and Steamboat Slough. Additional Compact hearings will be scheduled to address additional treaty Indian and non-Indian commercial seasons and in-season adjustments to ongoing commercial fisheries.

Salmon and summer steelhead returns are forecast prior to the fall season and are updated in-season based on the most current ocean and in?river fishery information plus Columbia River dam counts (Table 1). The data in this report are a consensus of the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) which completed its review prior to printing. The TAC is comprised of biologists from state and federal fish management agencies and the Columbia River treaty Indian tribes, and functions by agreement of the parties under U. S. v. Oregon.