DONT USE Fish Monitoring Work Group 2

The Coordinated Assessments Partnership (CAP) is a collaborative process to efficiently share and provide access to standardized derived information, such as fish population high level indicators (HLI) and supporting metrics, needed for reporting and decision-making. Decisions for managing fishery resources, especially salmon and steelhead, rely on access to population indicators derived from the best available science of multiple state, federal and tribal entities. The development of CAX HLIs for Columbia River Basin (CRB) natural-origin fish has proved invaluable in providing timely access to CRB HLIs used in federal reports and research. The reporting needs of the Washington State GSRO, Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC), and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) will be enhanced with this project. 

The CAP focuses on information to be shared that has been identified as needed for regional assessments and reporting from across Washington, Orgon, Montana, Idaho, and possibly California. Currently the CAP 5-year plans include natural and hatchery origin salmon and steelhead information, resident fish, and as appropriate fish habitat related information. Initial efforts focused on indicators related to natural origin salmon and steelhead; however, in 2021, the CAP began to support sharing of hatchery information (learn more about our Hatchery Coordinated Assessments Exchange or HCAX Project here).

Data informing the HLIs and metrics are maintained in multiple state, tribal, federal and other partner’s’ data management systems, and shared following the CAP data sharing agreements and data exchange standards. The CAP relies on collaboratively developed Data Exchange Standards (DES) with documentation of relevant metadata, such as protocol/method documentation, to ensure usability of the shared indicators and metrics. HLIs and metrics currently accessible through the CAX include HLIs and supporting metrics for Columbia River Basin and Oregon Coast salmon and steelhead populations and superpopulations.

Data from the CAP are maintained and shared via the Coordinated Assessments Indicators of Fish Population Health Data Exchange and are accessible through the CAP HLI query mapper (https://cax.streamnet.org/), which is hosted by Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) StreamNet. StreamNet supports CAP participation through funding subcontracts for data stewards and by supporting the CAX data system and its quality control/validation processes. StreamNet also engages its Executive Committee and Steering Committee members in the development of the 5-year plan for Coordinated Assessments. Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) facilitates discussions and activities needed to support implementation of CAP, maintains the historical records of CAP, and coordinates regional communication via the CAP Outreach Forum’s distribution list. The CRITFC Tribal ITMD Project serves a coordination and support role with the CRITFC tribes in facilitating their participation in the CAP.