Biology & Fisheries

**This is a download of 6 recorded two-hour webinar sessions. The download includes the full content of the live sessions and the course material bookets in .pdf format.**

Course material can be downloaded immediately after payment is made. Registrants will receive a certificate of completion and continuing education units (CEU's) via email approximately 14 days after purchase.

Part 1: Creating A Restoration Plan: (6 hours, 3 sessions) Habitat restoration/mitigation programs should address all aspects of a site’s ecosystem, rather than simply enhancing a particular species or group of species. With this in mind, the course material is designed to introduce a complete approach. Attendees will learn to assess site needs, and to create a plan that addresses them using the complete approach. However, since there are times when restoration/mitigation is needed to address specific species, such as special-status or game species which may require specific adaptations, attendees will also learn how to create a species specific restoration/mitigation plan.

In addition, attendees will learn the methods of determining debits for impacts and credits for mitigation. An outline for writing restoration/mitigation plans will be presented, which is as “bullet-proof” as possible in terms of providing sufficient information for gaining any necessary approvals and for implementing the plan. 

Topics covered include determining goals; the background research needs necessary to determine the appropriate type and feasibility of restoration; restoration/mitigation planning processes (soil and hydrology, and planting plan considerations); regulatory and permit consideration; early considerations of unanticipated effects/adaptive management, bioengineering possibilities, best management practices (BMPs), buffers to minimize outside disturbances, climate change considerations, engineering considerations, cost estimations, and a method to determine success criteria.

Part 2: Implementing a Successful Restoration Plan: (6 hours, 3 sessions)

This webinar provides participants with an overview of the implementation of a successful habitat restoration/mitigation program, and expands to an examination of recommendations for necessary and innovative restoration techniques and monitoring.

Attendees will learn the short and long term management techniques of successfully implementing an approved habitat restoration/mitigation program plan. Attendees will also learn the importance of personnel management and involvement. Because everyone involved in implementing habitat restoration plans takes their cues from the project manager, those managers who take a personal interest in the project have a higher success rate of meeting performance standards.

Lectures will focus on the varying aspects of habitat restoration implementation, including but not limited to topics such as: logistics, start-up procedures, contract management, bioengineering, vegetation management; early considerations of unanticipated effects with adaptive management procedures, best management practices (BMPs), short- and long-term monitoring, and how to quantify success in terms of ecological structure and function.

Electrofishing is an effective way to sample freshwater fish populations. However, electrofishing may cause fish injury or mortality. Proper balance between efficient sampling and minimal harm is achieved through the knowledge of electrofishing principles and proper use of the techniques and equipment available.

This unique four-day course will cover the principles and practices for both boat and backpack electrofishing through two classroom days and two field days. Days 1 and 4 will be spent in the classroom, and days 2 and 3 will be spent in the field, during which the concepts discussed in class will be demonstrated and practiced by attendees. 

During the Backpack field trip, the class will visit a stream/river/creek and each attendee will operate the equipment under the guidance of the instructor.

During the Boat portion of the course, the class will be taken on an electrofishing equipped craft, and each person will have the opportunity to practice using the boat-based electrofishing system.

These two days of field exercises provide attendees with real-world experience applying the concepts discussed in the classroom. The combination of classroom lecture, field demonstration, and participation exercises gives attendees the knowledge and basic experience they will need to safely and effectively electrofish.

Boat-Backpack Electrofishing: Principles and Practices is intended to meet the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) training requirements for electrofishing field staff. The NMFS guidance and training requirements document may be downloaded here.

You may register online or by calling the Northwest Environmental Training Center at 435-270-3274.

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any non-refundable travel arrangements.

Reduced tuition is available for Native American tribes, government employees, nonprofits, students and AFS, NAEP, NEBC, TAEP members.

**Note - For every course we have implemented live stream remote attendance options for those who prefer a no-contact alternative to in-person attendance.  You will need a computer and an internet connection.  We will follow the maximum in-person meeting size as per health authorities and if recommended we will only offer remote attendance.

If conditions permit, you are welcome to attend the course in-person, we likely will have between 5 to 10 in-person attendee's in a large room to provide safe spacing.  We also wipe every surface down and provide hand washing and disinfectant wipes as a courtesy.  If you would like more information or have any questions, please contact us via email or phone 425 270 3274.

This course will take a multidisciplinary approach to fish passage design development processes, focusing on practices established in the Pacific Northwest over the last 30 years. Emphasis will be placed on fish behavior and its role in site selection and other fishway features. In addition, this course will cover the need for fishways, the obstacles posing an impediment to their construction, and the different types of “exclusion barriers” (barriers designed for management purposes) that are currently being used. Different types of fish ladders, lifts, and locks will be described with discussion of features and design criteria. Participants will benefit from a fishway design exercise, paired with a discussion of common operation and maintenance challenges. General graphics and facility photos will augment discussions.

Course includes touring nearby fish passage facilities and, in some cases, sampling fish processed by facilities. This tour allows for fishways and design principles covered in class to be observed in full operation, including a trap where salmon are being diverted into sample facilities for processing by local biologists.

Intended Audience: This class is tailored for engineers, biologists, managers, and those interested in fish passage.

Course Materials: Attendees will receive a binder containing workshop proceedings and reference material.

Continuing Education Units: 1.3 CEUs

*Reduced tuition is available to employees of Native American tribes, government agencies, and nonprofits; students; and NAEP members.

If you have any difficulties or questions regarding registration please call 425-270-3274

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements.

 

Restoration/mitigation programs should address all aspects of a site’s ecosystem, rather than simply enhancing a particular species or group of species. With this in mind, course material is designed to introduce a complete approach. Topics covered include restoration/mitigation planning; research needs; regulatory and permit coordination; early considerations of unanticipated effects, bioengineering, best management practices (BMPs), cost estimation, maintenance of the mitigation, provisions to be taken during all phase of the implementation to ensure success, and how to quantify success in terms of area and ecological function.

After completing this course, participants will be able to:
• Determine Regulatory Considerations for the planned restoration
• Understand Restoration / Mitigation Planning needs
• Determine suitable Site Conditions and Research Needs
• Understand Needs for Planting Plans
• Determine the Best Monitoring Methodologies
• Anticipate Maintenance Issues

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements.

Electrofishing is an effective way to sample freshwater fish populations. However, it may cause injury or mortality to the fish if done incorrectly. Proper balance between efficient sampling and causing minimal harm is achieved through the knowledge of electrofishing principles and use of proper techniques.

This course combines classroom lecture with field demonstration/participation exercises to give attendees the knowledge and basic experience they will need to safely and effectively electrofish. It includes one day of classroom lecture with a field day during which the concepts discussed in class will be demonstrated and practiced by attendees. The class will visit a stream/river/creek and each attendee will operate the equipment under the guidance of the instructor.

The day of field exercises provides attendees with real-world experience applying the concepts discussed in the classroom. The combination of classroom lecture, field demonstration, and participation exercises gives attendees the knowledge and basic experience they will need to safely and effectively electrofish.

This three-day course is intended to meet the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) training requirements for electrofishing field staff. The NMFS guidance and training requirements document may be downloaded here.

Reduced tuition is available to employees of Native American tribes, government agencies, and nonprofits, students, and AFS and NAEP members. 

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements.

You may register via the registration button above or by calling the Northwest Environmental Training Center at (425) 270-3274.

 

Electrofishing is an effective way to sample freshwater fish populations. However, electrofishing may cause fish injury or mortality. Proper balance between efficient sampling and minimal harm is achieved through the knowledge of electrofishing principles and proper use of the techniques and equipment available.

This two-day course will cover the principles and practices for boat electrofishing through one classroom days and one field day during which the concepts discussed in class will be demonstrated and practiced by attendees. The class will be taken on an electrofishing equipped craft, and each person will have the opportunity to practice using the boat-based electrofishing system.

This field day exercise provides attendees with real-world experience applying the concepts discussed in the classroom. The combination of classroom lecture, field demonstration, and participation exercises gives attendees the knowledge and basic experience they will need to safely and effectively electrofish.

The NMFS guidance and training requirements document may be downloaded here.

You may register online or by calling the Northwest Environmental Training Center at 425-270-3274.

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any non-refundable travel arrangements.

Reduced tuition is available for Native American tribes, government employees, nonprofits, students and AFS, NAEP, NEBC, TAEP members.

How can we restore form and function to rivers, streams, and wetlands that support Pacific Salmon?  This course provides the intellectual tools to tackle assessment monitoring and restoration design of Pacific salmonid habitat.  

Some of the basic topics and questions covered include:

• History of salmonid habitat restoration – How long have salmon issues been issues?  How have we responded?  What’s been working and what hasn’t?
• Ecohydraulics – How does stream flow affect salmonid ecology and habitat forming processes?  What basic ecohydraulic processes do we need to account for?  What tools should we use? How can we use ecohydraulics to understand why a site is functional versus non-functional? 
• Ecohydraulic design – the basic act of designing channel and floodplain features to meet specific target depths and velocities.  How do we take basic habitat information and design functional ecosystems?
• Sediment transport – sediment is a vital aspect of rivers and streams and a key variable known to affect spawning.  How does sediment move in rivers?  How can we measure and model it?   What tools are available?
• Forcing Elements – what role does wood and coarse sediment play in salmon rivers and streams?  How can we integrate Forcing elements into our design and management plans?
• Monitoring – How do we measure project success?
• Modern river restoration techniques – What tools do we have to restore salmonid habitat form and function?
• Fish passage – How do we assess and correct fish passage limiting factors?

Salmonids, including Pacific salmon and trout, are an important component of ecologic and economic health in western North America. Salmon and trout of the Pacific Coast have continued to evolve in the face of natural disturbances such as floods, fires, volcanoes, wind-throw and disease. In fact, these influences have helped these species maintain their resiliency. Even when natural disturbances have been severe their effects have remained localized, thereby allowing ecosystems to more easily recover. However, the magnitude of human-caused disturbances may be so great that irreversible changes will occur by increasing the impact that natural disturbances have on aquatic communities, resulting in both acute and chronic consequences for salmonids. Moreover, the changes that human activities create may be so widespread that the recovery of individual ecosystems and their components, including salmonid stocks, could be drastically altered.

While each salmonid is unique, the genetic diversity within species across drainages may be as significant as those found across different species. Despite this variety, salmonid stream management, recovery and protection initiatives rely on certain fundamental biological requirements.

This course will provide general information regarding:

• Origins and evolution of Pacific North American Salmon;
• Life stages of salmon and trout in both coastal and inland streams;
• The habitat requirements applicable to each life stage;
• Substrate quality and hydraulic flow affecting spawning behavior and redd success;
• How habitat features, in-stream complexity, bank structure and large woody debris influence success of salmonids at different life-stages;
• How water chemistry, water temperature and food availability affect trout and salmon behavior; and
• How migration patterns can be impeded or enhanced by changes in flow, water quality, barriers or obstacles

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any travel arrangements.