Contract Description:
The goal of this project is to investigate the critical habitat, abundance, migration patterns, survival, and alternate life history strategies exhibited by spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead juveniles from distinct populations in the Grande Ronde River and Imnaha River subbasins. This project will provide information on abundance of spring Chinook salmon and steelhead parr and estimates for egg-to-migrant survival for spring Chinook salmon and migrant survival for steelhead, and assess stream conditions in selected study streams. This study provides a means for long term monitoring of juvenile salmonid production in the Grande Ronde and Imnaha River subbasins that is essential for assessing the success of restoration and enhancement efforts including hatchery supplementation and habitat improvement. As hatchery supplementation of spring Chinook salmon continues in the Grande Ronde subbasin, we will monitor abundance of migrants, life history characteristics, and survival to various life stages to provide data to the Lower Snake River Compensation Plan - Oregon Evaluation project to determine the effectiveness of this management action.
Objectives for FY16:
1. Document the in-basin migration patterns and estimate abundance of spring Chinook salmon juveniles in Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde, Minam, and Lostine rivers. Associated tasks: operation of rotary screw traps, PIT tagging, data analysis.
2. Determine overwinter mortality and the relative success of fall (early) migrant and spring (late) migrant life history strategies for spring Chinook salmon from tributary populations in Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde, and Lostine rivers, and the relative success of fall (early) migrant and spring (late) migrant life history strategies for spring Chinook salmon from the Minam River. Associated tasks: operation of rotary screw traps, PIT tagging, data analysis.
3. Estimate and compare smolt survival probabilities at main stem Columbia and Snake River dams for migrants from five local, natural populations of spring Chinook salmon in the Grande Ronde River and Imnaha River subbasins. Associated tasks: capture of Chinook salmon parr, PIT tagging, data analysis.
4. Estimate the Viable Salmonid Population (VSP) Indicator, smolts per spawner, for spring Chinook salmon in the Catherine Creek, Upper Grande Ronde River, Lostine River, and Minam River populations. Associated tasks: operation of rotary screw traps, PIT tagging, data analysis.
5. Document the annual migration patterns for spring Chinook salmon juveniles from five local, natural populations in the Grande Ronde River and Imnaha River subbasins: Catherine Creek, Upper Grande Ronde, Lostine, Minam, and Imnaha rivers. Associated tasks: capture of Chinook salmon parr, PIT tagging, data analysis.
6. Document patterns of movement and estimate abundance of juvenile steelhead from tributary populations in Catherine Creek, the upper Grande Ronde, Lostine and the Minam rivers including migration timing, and duration. Associated tasks: operation of rotary screw traps, PIT tagging, data analysis.
7. Estimate and compare survival probabilities to main stem Columbia and Snake River dams for summer steelhead from four tributary populations: Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde, Lostine, and Minam rivers. Associated tasks: operation of rotary screw traps, PIT tagging, data analysis.
8. Describe aquatic habitat conditions, using water temperature and discharge, in Catherine Creek and the upper Grande Ronde, Lostine, and Minam rivers. Associated tasks: data collection, data analysis.
9. Estimate adult steelhead escapement to the Upper Grande Ronde and Joseph Creek populations. Associated tasks: steelhead spawner surveys, data analysis.
10. Estimate density and distribution of steelhead parr from the Upper Grande Ronde population and Chinook salmon parr from the Upper Grande Ronde and Catherine Creek populations. Associated tasks: steelhead and Chinook salmon parr surveys, data analysis.