Hatchery agreements highlight balance between science, oversight, and trust

CHELAN COUNTY — Chelan County Public Utility District commissioners approved a series of long-term hatchery operations and monitoring contracts in December, moving forward with staff recommendations after public commenters urged caution about how fisheries data is collected and who collects it.

The actions included approval of a new five-year hatchery operations agreement with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, as well as separate five-year contracts for hatchery monitoring and evaluation services. Together, the agreements are intended to meet the district’s obligations under the Rock Island and Rocky Reach Habitat Conservation Plans, known as HCPs.

The hatchery operations contract with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife covers the period from 2026 through 2030 and authorizes expenditures of up to approximately $21.1 million. About 19% of that cost is shared with Grant County PUD, reducing Chelan PUD’s share by roughly $4.1 million. District staff said the multi-year structure allows for improved cost forecasting and annual refinements, while maintaining the department as the lowest-cost qualified option for hatchery operations.

Commissioners also approved two monitoring and evaluation contracts following a competitive request-for-proposals process issued in July. Six proposals were submitted and reviewed by a seven-member evaluation panel made up of Chelan and Grant PUD staff familiar with hatchery monitoring work.

Under the approved agreements, LGL Environmental Services was selected to perform four monitoring and evaluation tasks at a cost of approximately $4.6 million over five years, while BioAnalysts Inc. was selected to perform additional tasks totaling approximately $1.33 million. Several monitoring tasks will continue to be performed by Chelan PUD fisheries staff, and two additional tasks are expected to come before the commission later, pending final contract negotiations.

District fisheries managers said the monitoring program is extensive and designed to evaluate hatchery effectiveness across multiple life stages, including survival rates, adult returns, spawning success, and biological characteristics of fish raised and released under the HCP programs. Annual reports summarize the findings, with a comprehensive review conducted every ten years to guide adaptive management.

During public comment, Wenatchee-area salmon recovery advocate Jason Lundgren said the monitoring data produced through the HCP process is relied upon well beyond the district and its signatories, influencing public investments and regional salmon recovery strategies. As the executive director of Wenatchee’s Cascade Fisheries, he raised concerns about outsourcing portions of the monitoring work to firms not based locally and questioned whether shifting work away from state biologists could affect long-term continuity and trust in the data.

A second speaker echoed those concerns, urging commissioners to fully consider the broader implications of the contracts for local fisheries management.

District staff responded that LGL Environmental Services, formerly known as Blue Leaf Environmental, has a long history of working on Chelan PUD projects, including white sturgeon monitoring at Rocky Reach since 2013 and survival studies required under both HCPs. Staff said they are confident in the firm’s technical qualifications and ability to carry out the assigned work, noting that local staff and agencies remain closely involved through the HCP committee structure.

That committee includes representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, NOAA Fisheries, the Colville Tribes, the Yakama Nation, and Chelan PUD. Staff said the collaborative oversight process is central to ensuring accountability and transparency in hatchery operations and monitoring.

Commissioners separated the resolutions and voted on them individually following the public comment. All three were approved.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media