[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8713-8715]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-3399]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RIN 0648-XA142


Endangered and Threatened Species; Take of Anadromous Fish

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Application for a scientific research permit.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that NMFS has received a scientific 
research permit application request relating to salmonids listed under 
the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The proposed research is intended to 
increase knowledge of the species and to help guide management and 
conservation efforts.

DATES: Written comments on the permit application must be received at 
the appropriate address or fax number (see ADDRESSES) no later than 5 
p.m. Pacific standard time on March 17, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on this application should be submitted to 
the Protected Resources Division, NMFS, 777 Sonoma Avenue, Room 325, 
Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Comments may also be submitted via fax to (707) 
578-3435 or by e-mail to [email protected]. The applications and 
related documents may be viewed online at: https://apps.nmfs.noaa.gov/preview/preview_open_for_comment.cfm. These documents are also 
available upon written request or by appointment by contacting NMFS by 
phone (707) 575-6097 or fax (707) 578-3435.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeffrey Jahn, Santa Rosa, CA (ph.: 
707-575-6097, e-mail: [email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Species Covered in This Notice

    This notice is relevant to federally threatened California Coastal 
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), endangered Central 
California Coast coho salmon (O. kisutch), and threatened Central 
California Coast steelhead (O. mykiss).

Authority

    Scientific research permits are issued in accordance with section 
10(a)(1)(A) of the ESA of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531-1543) and regulations 
governing listed fish and wildlife permits (50 CFR parts 222-226). NMFS 
issues permits based on findings that such permits: (1) Are

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applied for in good faith; (2) if granted and exercised, would not 
operate to the disadvantage of the listed species which are the subject 
of the permits; and (3) are consistent with the purposes and policies 
set forth in section 2 of the ESA. The authority to take listed species 
is subject to conditions set forth in the permits.
    Anyone requesting a hearing on the application listed in this 
notice should set out the specific reasons why a hearing on that 
application would be appropriate (see ADDRESSES). Such hearings are 
held at the discretion of the Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, 
NMFS.

Application Received

Permit 14419

    The Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) is requesting a 10-year 
scientific research permit to take adult and juvenile California 
Coastal(CC) Chinook salmon, adult and juvenile Central California Coast 
(CCC) coho salmon, and adult and juvenile CCC steelhead associated with 
five research projects in the Russian River watershed in in central 
California. The goal is to detect and depict trends in ESA-listed 
salmonid populations in the Russian River watershed and to monitor the 
results of salmonid habitat enhancement efforts in this watershed. Many 
of the proposed research and monitoring activities are associated with 
the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative within a NMFS Biological Opinion 
issued to the Corps of Engineers and SCWA on September 24, 2008, under 
section 7 of the ESA. Some of the take associated with capture and 
handling of fish is already covered under the Incidental Take Statement 
associated with the Biological Opinion.
    Methods employed to accomplish research objectives will consist of 
downstream-migrant trapping (rotary screw traps, fyke nets, and pipe/
funnel nets), electrofishing (backpack and boat), beach seining, fin-
clipping, scale sampling, passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagging, 
acoustic/radio telemetry, otolith extraction, and anesthetizing and 
handling fish to obtain length and weight data. In the five studies 
described below, researchers will ensure that all sampling activities 
minimize the risk of injury to fish though a small number of ESA-listed 
salmonids may die as an unintended result of the research activities. 
In one study, a small number of threatened ESA-listed salmonids will be 
sacrificed for otolith removal and michrochemical analysis.
    Study 1 will document the abundance and timing of young of the year 
(YOY) and juvenile steelhead emigrating from lower-river tributaries 
into the lower mainstem Russian River and/or estuary. This study will 
identify the relative contribution of YOY salmonids from tributaries to 
overall populations of salmonids entering the estuary and estimate the 
relative abundance of steelhead smolts produced from each tributary.
    The SCWA proposes to capture and tag juvenile CCC steelhead using 
downstream migrant traps in tributaries to the Russian River and near 
the upstream boundary of the Russian River estuary. A portion of the 
captured juvenile steelhead will be anesthetized for collection of size 
data; a subset of individuals will be PIT tagged and scale sampled. All 
other captured salmonids will be released immediately downstream from 
the trap. At each site, the SCWA will estimate trapping and detection 
efficiency by fin-clipping a portion of captured salmonids, releasing 
them upstream of the trap, and then estimating the number of migrating 
fin-clipped fish by collecting recapture data at traps, by monitoring 
migrating fish via a video system and/or by analyzing scale growth 
patterns.
    The SCWA implements habitat enhancement projects throughout the 
Russian River watershed and seeks to understand the relationship 
between these projects and CCC steelhead abundance. Study 2 will depict 
patterns in the relative annual abundance of CCC steelhead and changes 
in fish communities in the mainstream Russian River and selected 
tributaries. This study will compare recruitment of steelhead in stream 
reaches where habitat enhancements have been implemented with reaches 
without enhancements.
    In Study 2, the SCWA proposes to capture, anesthetize, and scale 
sample a maximum of 30 juvenile CCC steelhead individuals from two size 
classes in multiple reaches of the mainstem Russian River and 16 
tributaries. All remaining steelhead individuals will not be scale 
sampled but will be enumerated, categorized by size class, and 
released. Fish in tributaries will be observed by snorkeling and/or 
captured by backpack electrofishing. Fish in the mainstem Russian River 
may be captured by backpack or boat electrofishing and/or snorkeling. 
Data obtained will include abundance estimates and size ranges.
    The Biological Opinion requires that the SCWA sample diets of 
juvenile steelhead in the Russian River estuary. In Study 3, the SCWA 
is proposing to expand this task in scope by assessing the diets of 
juvenile salmonids across broad habitat types (tributaries, mainstem 
and estuary) in the Russian River watershed and increasing the target 
species. The salmonid life stages and species targeted are Chinook 
salmon smolt, coho salmon juvenile and smolt, and juvenile steelhead. 
Data could indicate the value of continued implementation of habitat 
enhancement projects by showing that these efforts increase food 
availability and associated somatic growth of juvenile salmonids.
    In Study 3, data will be collected from fish that have been 
captured through other studies as described in this research proposal. 
The diets of juvenile ESA-listed salmonids will be sampled using 
gastric lavage, a standard technique for fish dietary analyses that 
uses water to flush the stomach contents out through the esophagus. 
Fish will be anesthetized prior to the stomach lavage and will not be 
released until they make a full recovery.
    Project 4 utilizes otolith microchemistry, radio/acoustic 
telemetry, and PIT tags to define the relative role of freshwater, 
estuarine, and marine habitats in structuring salmonid populations in 
the Russian River. The salmonid life stages and species targeted are CC 
Chinook salmon smolts, CCC coho salmon juveniles and smolts, and CCC 
steelhead juveniles and smolts. Metrics for salmonids will include: 
initial size in tributaries, entry time and size for mainstem Russian 
River and the estuary, and entry time for the marine environment. The 
data will be used to provide life cycle and habitat specific estimates 
of residence time, growth, and survival so that resource management 
agencies can better identify and prioritize key restoration options in 
the Russian River watershed.
    SCWA researchers propose to collect otoliths and scales from adult 
carcasses and a small number of sacrificed juvenile CC Chinook salmon 
and CCC steelhead to determine fish ages, size at estuary and ocean 
entry, and differences in growth rates across habitat types. 
Researchers will collect adult carcasses during annual spawning 
surveys. Carcasses will be measured and sampled for otoliths and 
scales.
    Additionally, in Study 4, the SCWA will use acoustic/radio 
telemetry to determine specific residence times and movements both 
within and across habitat types for CC Chinook smolts, CCC coho smolts, 
and CCC steelhead smolts. Individuals will be captured at downstream 
migrant traps and tagged with acoustic tags and PIT tags.
    Study 5 will assess the impact of predators on juvenile salmonid 
survival

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in the Russian River mainstem between the Dry Creek confluence and the 
estuary. Backpack and boat electrofishing, hook and line sampling and 
otter trawling (in the estuary) will be utilized to capture native and 
non-native species inhabiting the river to understand the relative 
abundance of predatory species. Timing and gear will minimize capture 
of salmonids, if ESA-listed salmonids are captured they will be held in 
a live well with oxygenated water, measured and released. All adult 
piscivorous fish captured will be measured, scale sampled and will have 
their stomach contents removed and analyzed.
    This notice is provided pursuant to section 10(c) of the ESA. NMFS 
will evaluate the application, associated documents, and comments 
submitted to determine whether the application meets the requirements 
of section 10(a) of the ESA and Federal regulations. The final permit 
decision will not be made until after the end of the 30-day comment 
period. NMFS will publish notice of its final action in the Federal 
Register.

    Dated: February 9, 2011.
Therese Conant,
Acting Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected 
Resources, National Marine Fisheries Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-3399 Filed 2-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-P