Print PageThe Columbia River basin (CRB) hosts multiple populations of anadromous salmonids with 13 stocks federally listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The CRB also supports the highly regulated energy production activities of the Federal Columbia River Power System, including 31 federally operated dams. The need for improved sharing of salmonid related data has been widely recognized by management, regulatory, and policy practitioners within the CRB. Aside from the legal mandates of the ESA, the collection and sharing of fish and habitat data in the CRB is directed by requirements specified in Biological Opinions and tribal Accords. Three states (Oregon, Washington, and Idaho), and six of the tribes within the CRB have embarked on an effort , known as the Coordinated Assessments project, to achieve data sharing for specific high-level indicators (viable salmonid population indicators, or VSP).
Results/Conclusions
The Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) and Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority (CBFWA) are guiding the Coordinated Assessments effort with initial focus on developing a data exchange template to share three VSP indicators and to build regional capacity and business practices for collecting, managing and sharing these data. Within the CRB the story of data sharing is ongoing but through the Coordinated Assessments effort participants are building a monitoring community of practice that embraces four elements of data interoperability: 1) building technical capacity, 2) ensuring information compatibility, 3) supporting best business practices for the community of practice, and 4) encouraging community participation. Establishing coordinated and useful data sharing among multiple governments – federal, tribal, and state – over a wide region is a visionary goal and the Coordinated Assessments effort provides a model of lessons learned for a large watershed.
