Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR PN 18 N003
The Upper Salmon Fish Tracking Study is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, focused on improving the scientific understanding needed to recover threatened spring/summer Chinook salmon in the Snake River Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU). These salmon are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and while substantial monitoring and restoration work has already been directed at Upper Salmon River populations, managers still lack key information about what juvenile fish do during winter. The central problem the opportunity targets is a persistent knowledge gap around winter movement, distribution, and habitat use of juvenile Chinook salmon, which limits how effectively restoration actions can be prioritized and designed.
The project’s scientific emphasis is on the winter rearing period, when juvenile Chinook must survive cold temperatures, altered flows, ice conditions, and limited food, all of which can strongly influence survival to adulthood. The opportunity notes that ongoing research is trying to link specific habitat characteristics to both juvenile rearing capacity (in summer and winter) and adult spawner capacity within watersheds where salmon populations remain depressed. In practical terms, that means identifying what types of habitat features and conditions allow watersheds to produce and support more juveniles and ultimately more returning adults, and whether winter habitat in particular is a bottleneck that limits population productivity.
A major motivation for the work is that many juveniles do not remain in their natal areas through winter. Instead, a substantial portion emigrate downstream to improve their odds of surviving the winter and later returning as adults. Because this downstream movement appears to be an important survival strategy, the grant centers on tracking and characterizing where juveniles go, how far they move, when they move, and what habitats they rely on during overwintering. By mapping these movement patterns and winter distributions, the study is intended to supply the missing information needed to make restoration decisions more targeted. For example, if juveniles consistently seek certain off-channel areas, low-velocity reaches, or specific thermal refuges in winter, restoration could be directed toward protecting or expanding those habitats rather than relying on general improvements that may not address the true limiting factor.
The expected outcome is decision-ready information that helps evaluate how different habitat restoration actions might increase habitat capacity and, by extension, improve salmon productivity and recovery potential. The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, signaling that the Bureau of Reclamation expects active involvement and collaboration during the project rather than a hands-off grant. Eligible applicants are unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entities (such as state agencies, tribes, universities, nonprofits, or others) can apply.
Key administrative details from the posting include the funding opportunity title (Upper Salmon Fish Tracking Study) and number (BOR PN 18 N003). It falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category and CFDA number 15.517. The original closing date was February 8, 2018, and the award ceiling listed is $1,412,456. The opportunity was created on November 15, 2017. Overall, the grant is aimed at filling a specific and consequential scientific gap: understanding overwinter juvenile behavior well enough to prioritize restoration actions that measurably improve survival and adult recruitment for threatened Upper Salmon River Chinook populations.Apply for BOR PN 18 N003
- The Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Upper Salmon Fish Tracking Study" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2017-11-15.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-02-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,412,456.00 in funding.
- Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.
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Upper Salmon Fish Tracking Study (BOR PN 18 N003) - FAQs
What is the Upper Salmon Fish Tracking Study grant opportunity?
The Upper Salmon Fish Tracking Study is a discretionary federal grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. It supports research intended to improve scientific understanding needed to recover threatened spring/summer Chinook salmon in the Snake River Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU), with a specific focus on juvenile behavior and habitat use during winter.
Which federal agency is offering this opportunity?
This opportunity is offered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation.
Is this a competitive grant or something else?
The posting describes it as a discretionary federal grant opportunity and notes the award instrument is a cooperative agreement, meaning the Bureau of Reclamation expects active involvement and collaboration during the project.
What is the main purpose of the project?
The project targets a key knowledge gap: what juvenile Chinook salmon do during winter, including their winter movement, distribution, and habitat use. Filling this gap is intended to help managers better prioritize and design habitat restoration actions that improve survival and, ultimately, adult recruitment.
Why is winter such an important focus for juvenile Chinook salmon?
The winter rearing period is emphasized because juveniles must survive cold temperatures, altered flows, ice conditions, and limited food availability. Conditions during winter can strongly influence whether juveniles survive to adulthood, making winter habitat and behavior a potentially critical bottleneck for population productivity.
What specific scientific questions does the opportunity aim to answer?
Based on the posting, the study centers on questions such as where juveniles go during winter, how far they move, when they move, and what habitats they rely on while overwintering. The goal is to characterize winter movement patterns and map winter distributions to support decision-making.
What problem is this grant trying to solve?
The grant addresses a persistent lack of key information about juvenile Chinook salmon overwinter behavior. Despite substantial monitoring and restoration work in Upper Salmon River populations, managers still lack enough winter-specific information to confidently prioritize restoration actions around the true limiting factors affecting survival.
Which salmon are targeted by this study?
The focus is on threatened spring/summer Chinook salmon in the Snake River ESU. These fish are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
How does juvenile downstream movement relate to the study?
The opportunity highlights that many juveniles do not remain in their natal areas through winter. A substantial portion emigrate downstream, apparently as an important survival strategy. The study is therefore centered on tracking and characterizing this movement and identifying the winter habitats juveniles use.
What kinds of habitats might the study help identify as important in winter?
The posting gives examples of winter habitat types that could matter for restoration targeting, such as off-channel areas, low-velocity reaches, or specific thermal refuges that juveniles may consistently seek out during overwintering.
How will the results be used to guide restoration?
The expected outcome is decision-ready information that helps evaluate how different habitat restoration actions might increase habitat capacity and improve salmon productivity and recovery potential. By clarifying which winter habitats are actually used and potentially limiting survival, restoration can be directed toward protecting or expanding those specific habitats rather than relying only on broad, general improvements.
What does the opportunity mean by linking habitat characteristics to capacity?
The opportunity notes ongoing research aimed at linking specific habitat characteristics to juvenile rearing capacity (in both summer and winter) and to adult spawner capacity within watersheds where salmon populations remain depressed. In practical terms, this means identifying which habitat features and conditions allow watersheds to produce and support more juveniles and ultimately more returning adults, and whether winter habitat is a key bottleneck limiting productivity.
What type of award instrument will be used?
The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement.
What does a cooperative agreement imply for project collaboration?
In this posting, a cooperative agreement signals that the Bureau of Reclamation expects active involvement and collaboration during the project rather than a hands-off grant arrangement.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants are listed as unrestricted, meaning a wide range of entities can apply. The posting gives examples such as state agencies, tribes, universities, nonprofits, or others.
What is the funding opportunity number?
The funding opportunity number is BOR PN 18 N003.
What is the funding opportunity title?
The funding opportunity title is Upper Salmon Fish Tracking Study.
What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 15.517.
What funding activity category does it fall under?
The opportunity falls under the Natural Resources funding activity category.
What is the maximum award amount (award ceiling)?
The award ceiling listed in the posting is $1,412,456.
When was the opportunity created?
The opportunity was created on November 15, 2017.
What was the closing date for applications?
The original closing date was February 8, 2018.
What is the overall intended impact of the study?
The grant is aimed at filling a specific scientific gap: understanding overwinter juvenile behavior well enough to prioritize restoration actions that measurably improve juvenile survival and increase the likelihood of adult returns, supporting recovery of threatened Upper Salmon River Chinook populations.
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