The Wells HCP Hatchery Committee is composed of representatives of parties signatory to the Wells HCP, including Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County, Washington (Douglas PUD), the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The Hatchery Committee oversees development of recommendations for implementation of the Hatchery Compensation Plan of the Wells HCP.
Under the Hatchery Compensation Plan Douglas PUD provides hatchery compensation either directly or through funding for:
- Spring Chinook salmon
- Summer/fall Chinook salmon
- Summer steelhead
- Coho salmon
- Sockeye salmon are compensated through development and ongoing funding of the Fish Water Management Tool – a water resource management program implemented on the Okanagan River in Canada for the benefit of natural production of sockeye salmon.
The Wells HCP Hatchery Committee’s responsibilities include overseeing the implementation of improvements to hatchery facilities and the monitoring and evaluation program relevant to Douglas PUD’s hatchery programs, as identified in the Wells HCP and Endangered Species Act permits.
The Hatchery Committee also coordinates in-season information sharing and discusses unresolved issues related to the implementation of the Hatchery Compensation Plan. The Hatchery Committee decisions are based upon: likelihood of biological success, time required to implement, and cost-effectiveness of solutions. Species -specific hatchery program objectives include contributing to the rebuilding and recovery of naturally reproducing populations in their native habitats, while maintaining genetic and ecologic integrity, and supporting harvest.
Committees do not necessarily meet every month.