Department of Fisheries Resources Management
Lower Snake River Compensation Plan

This program was conceived in 1976 to mitigate for steelhead and spring, summer and fall chinook salmon losses to streams in the Snake River basin due to construction of the Lower Snake River hydro-power facilities. In 1985 the Nez Perce Tribe became involved in the program.

Long range goals for the LSRCP are: 

1.       To reestablish and/or enhance production in all anadromous fish streams within the reservation, in the ceded area of the Nez Perce and throughout the Snake River Drainage, where feasible;

2.       To reestablish and/or establish tribal fisheries when and where opportunities exist and to assist in establishing sport fisheries;

3.       To monitor LSRCP hatchery facilities in an effort to maintain a quality production program which will meet LSRCP goals; and,

4.       To demonstrate at what point in time the LSRCP meets the identified adult return mitigation goals.

    The LSRCP program presently supports 11 hatchery programs in three states.  This program is one approach to attempt to preserve and recover anadromous fish populations in the Snake River basin.

    The initial goal of the LSRCP program was mitigation and compensation for loss of fisheries resources resulting from the construction and operation of the four lower Snake River dams. More recently, since the listing of multiple Snake River fish species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the LSRCP program has transitioned focus to conservation and preservation of chinook salmon and steelhead in the Snake River basin.

Accomplishments 2004

Evaluated chinook salmon hatchery effectiveness in the South Fork Salmon River and estimated abundance of 111 and 104 adult steelhead in Cow and Lightning creeks, respectively.