September 27,1982 Page 3
SPILYAY TYMOO
Salmon returns on Warm Springs River favorable
by Marsha Shewczyk
Despite problems and many
unanswered questions the first
return of hatchery raised
chinook salmon to the Warm
S p rin g s R iver is g ood.
A pproxim ately 950 ad u lt
chinook escaped nets, fishing
lines and predators to return.
T r ib a l b io lo g is ts a n d
hatchery personnel questioned
whether the returning salmon
would go back to the hatchery
where they were reared or
would continue upstream to
spawn. The question arose
because unlike most hatcheries
the brood stock used at the
Warm Springs Hatchery were
wild salmon. “ We’re, just
trying to keep as close to wild as
possible,” tribal biologist Gary
Heckman explained.
Salmon heading upstream
were counted and then allowed
to continue their journey. The
hatchery-raised salmon seemed
to-mingle well with their wild
counterparts.
The threat of a fatal kidney
disease (Corynebacterium sp.)
caused biologists to stay alert
as the salmon began coming up
river. Over 50 percent of
hatchery salmon were affected
by the disease. It was hoped
that salmon on their way to
spawn would not contract the
disease. Some did.
To avoid disaster and to
assure the salmon’s living long
enough to spawn, returning
salmon were stopped at the
hatchery until they were
innoculated withan overall
antibiotic which was effective
for 30 days. Enough time was
allowed, then, for the salmon to
swim upstream and spawn.
“The innoculation was likely to
have in c re a se d sp aw n in g
success,” estimates Heckman.
The disease which is now
under control may affect the
number of returning salmon in
1984, says Heckman Any
future bouts with the disease
could have an impact on future
runs.
The disease is not totally
understood. It is not known
whether or not the disease is
cyclical and will occur seriously
again. It is still present in the
system to a small degree at this
time. Apparently the disease is
harbored upstream from the
h atchery. Both wild and
hatchery-raised salmon are
affected. Temperature of the
water may have an effect in that
risin g te m p e ra tu re s may
increase activity of the disease.
Little more than that is known
at this time.
Tribal biologists have been
studying the disease and the
movement of salmon on the
Warm Springs River in an
unusually way. By inserting
radios in randomly selected
fish biologists can track them.
By this means the salmon’s
holding areas can be found and
checked for effects of the
disease. Carcasses may indicate
salmon had contracted kidney
disease. At the same time
biologists are able to ascertain
the degree to which hatchery
and wild salmon intermingle.
Answers to these questions
were only touched upon.
Because of radio failures and
the death of some of the
radioed fish the experiment
was not successful.
T he S ta te o f O regon
purchased some of the radios as
they, too, were interested in the
behavior of the wild-hatchery
raised stock. W ith m ore
efficient radios the use of radios
in the future might be more
successfully, Heckman feels.
W ith o b se rv a tio n and
experimentation, knowledge of
the W arm Springs River
system and its inhabitants is
increasing. Many questions
remain unanswered but that
may not always be true.
Learning about salmon and
their behavior will hopefully
help, someday, to increase the
salmon population in the
Warm Springs River.
ABOVE
Tribal biologist Gary Heckmen
(left) and Terry Luther (right)
insert a radio transmitter in a
chinook salmon. With the
radio biologists are able to
track salmon in their natural
environment for study.
RIGHT
After tracking salmon to a
certain area examination for
living and dead fish may
answer come questions.
Spilyay Tymoo photos by Shewczyk
Knifing fatal to Charles Jack Tribes and PGE file
On September 14, Charles
Jack of Warm Springs died as
the result of stab wounds.
According to Jefferson County
D is tr ic t A tto r n e y M ik e
Sullivan, the Madras police
were called to Jim ’s Minute
Mart in south Madras for a
disturbance at 1:28 a.m. Upon
arriving at the market the
police found Jack had suffered
a number of stab wounds. He
was transported to Mt. View
Hospital where he died at 2
Surveys in
the mail
The T itle IV P a rt A
parenting committee needs
assessment will be in the mail
soon and assistant superinten
dent Phil Riley stresses the
importance of the survey. The
survey must be done each year
in order for the committee to
apply for federal funding.
Time is of the essence as the
assessments must be returned
by October 6. Riley will make a
re p o rt to the com m ittee
October 12. The funding
application must be in by
November.
Look for the survey in your
mail box and be sure to
complete and return it as soon
as possible, Riley urges.
a.m.
Two suspects, Wayne Gene
Tom, 24, and Anthony Ray
Bryant, 27, both of Warm
Springs, were arrested at the
market.
According to Sullivan, an
autopsy was performed by the
Oregon Medical Examiner and
the cause of death was listed as
a knife wound to the neck.
Tom and B ryant were
arraigned in Madras Circuit
Court September 15 at which
time they were charged with
murder. Later that day they
recieved c o u rt-a p p o in te d
attorneys. No bail was set for
the men.
According to the District
Attorney, the facts of the case
will be heard by the Grand Jury
at a later date.
T h e m a tte r is u n d e r
investigation by Jefferson
County Sheriffs department
and Madras City police.
Vandalism less costly
than originally thought
Nearly a month has passed
since the vandalism of a Hud
house in West Hills, but
according to housing manager
Elton Greeley the restoration
of the house is underway. The
form er tenants, the Lydia
C rane fam ily have been
relocated in another HUD
house.
According to Greeley the
estimates of the damage to the
house haye been reevaluated
and the cost will run in the
neighborhood of $3,000 to
replace the sheetrock and
damaged tiles. This figure does
n ot include any of the
appliances, bathroom fixtures
nor the personal property of
the Crane family.
“I have some good leads and
the case is beginning to gel,”
stated tribal investigator Dick
Leber. At this time the incident
is still considered td be in the
stages of an investigation.
law suits in US court
The Confederated Tribes of
Warm Springs have filed a suit
ag ain st P o rtla n d G eneral
Electric (PGE) through the
U .S . a t t o r n e y ’s o f f ic e ,
contending that PGE owes the
Tribes nearly $13 million for an
adjustment to rental rates on
Round Butte Dam, retroactive
to August 1979.
PGE has refused to pay the
amount owed, says the suit,
and the tribe is seeking
enforcement of the arbitrators’
order with the aide of the U.S.
attorneys office. The order was
issued in March of this year.
PGE filed a suit in May
challenging new rental rates set
by arbitrators in March. The
suit, also pending in federal
c o u r t , s t a t e s t h a t th e
arbitrators had no authority
and that the award should be
vacated.
Under the agreement made
in 1955 with PGE, the Tribes
granted PGE certain easements
and rights to rent tribal land
and water on the reservation
so the dam could be built. PGE
promised to pay the Tribes one
rate for the first 10 years of
operation beginning in 1964.
This figure is subject to
adjustment each five years
thereafter. But PGE and the
Tribes agreed that if they could
not • agree on the periodic
adjustments, the new rental
rate would be set through
arbitration.
This dispute grows from the
arbitration award made in
March which covers the five-
year period beginning August
6, 1979.
A three-man panel, which
was mutually agreed upon by
PGE and the Tribes, entered a
unanimous order February 7
establishing the new rate at 67.5
cents per month for each
kilowatt of installed capacity.
This is based on 300,000
kilowatts. The new rate was
increased to 4’A times what it
previously had been.
At the same time, the
arbitrators also established a
new millage rate per kilowatt
hour. This order, however,
contained a mathematical error
that substantially reduced the
millage rate. So on March 11,
the a rb ira to rs issued an
amended order showing a
millage rate that was 350%
higher than the pre-arbitration
rate.