Joint Staff Report Concerning the 2001 In-river Commercial Harvest of Columbia River Fall Chinook Salmon, Summer Steelhead, Coho Salmon, and Sturgeon

This report describes fall fisheries in the mainstem Columbia River and includes summaries of 2000 fall fisheries, 2001 management guidelines, expected 2001 fall fish runs, and the outlook for 2001 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 Select Area fisheries and early and late fall mainstem management periods are combined in this report.

The 2001 fall Compact hearing will begin at 10 AM, Friday August 17 at the Water Resources Education Center located at 4600 S. E. Columbia Way, Vancouver, Washington. The purpose of the 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 for 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. 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.