Sockeye Tagging and Marking Project

The Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) Sockeye Tagging and Marking Project is a collaboration between the Colville Tribes, Okanagan Nation Alliance, and CRITFC to monitor annual sockeye returns to the Okanogan River Basin. The project also helps to identify and evaluate potential mortality vectors as sockeye pass through the Okanogan River system. Funding is provided by BPA (through CRITFC). The Colville Tribes participation in this project is focused on tagging adult sockeye as they return to Wells Dam with PIT tags, and some select fish receive acoustic tags (that emit a sound wave) and temperature tags (that log the temperature fish experience). Acoustic tagged fish can be monitored at several points in the Columbia, Okanogan, and Similkameen Rivers where Fish and Wildlife staff maintain receivers or in Canada where the ONA maintains receivers. All PIT tagged fish have a chance of being detected at the lower Okanogan antennas near Malott or the fish ways at Zosel Dam, or in Canada above Lake Osoyoos. For more information go to: