OAR 635-500-6040: Sockeye Salmon

(1) The following policies apply to sockeye salmon management in the upper Deschutes subbasin: (a) Sockeye will be introduced into the Metolius River and tributaries including Suttle Lake and Link Creek through the release of hatchery reared specific pathogen free gametes and smolts into the Metolius and its tributaries. (b) Adult sockeye arriving at the Pelton Ladder that are from a freshwater lineage will be spawned to provide the source of gametes and smolts for introduction into the Metolius River and its tributaries. (c) Only selected adults of known Metolius River origin will be released upstream of Round Butte and Pelton Dams until passage measures are proven successful. (d) Sockeye salmon of any origin may be considered for passage upstream of Round Butte Dam once it has been determined the population is able to sustain itself. (e) The upper Deschutes River subbasin will be managed for hatchery and naturally produced sockeye in the Metolius River and tributaries consistent with the Native Fish Conservation Policy (OAR 635-007-0503). (2) The following objectives apply to sockeye salmon management in the upper Deschutes subbasin: (a) Achieve and maintain a self-sustaining population of naturally produced sockeye salmon in the Metolius River and its tributaries. (b) Manage for a population level that allows for a naturally established equilibrium between resident kokanee and sockeye salmon in the Metolius River. (c) Sockeye salmon in the lower Deschutes River will be managed to produce a fishery opportunity after recruits per spawner ratios have demonstrated a harvestable surplus in three successive years or after a predictive model has been established based on escapement.