The Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans actively manage Chinook and chum salmon fisheries in the Yukon River drainage, and the Canadian component of these stocks is an area of concern for both countries. This project employs split-beam and imaging sonar equipment on the Yukon River to generate timely, in-season passage estimates of Chinook and chum salmon bound for Canadian waters. The project is located approximately 13 km downstream from the U.S.-Canada Border and is scheduled to operate continuously in the field from approximately July 1 through October 10. As a part of routine project operations, drift gill netting is conducted daily to monitor species composition and to collect age, sex, and length data and genetic samples representative of the Chinook and chum salmon runs.

The 2016 season will mark the twelfth year of operation for this project, and the fifth year that it is funded by the Yukon River Panel Restoration & Enhancement Fund. There has been productive bi-lateral cooperation and consultation throughout the development of this project, leading to increased confidence in, and agreement upon, salmon border passage estimates. An annual report is also generated each year as part of the ADF&G Fisheries Data Series.