Investigate Life History of Spring Chinook Salmon and Summer Steelhead in the Grande Ronde River Bas

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Investigate Life History of Spring Chinook Salmon
and Summer Steelhead in the Grande Ronde River
Basin and Monitor Salmonid Populations and Habitat

• Project 199202604
• Brian Jonasson and Bruce McIntosh
• Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

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Project Goals

• Describe and monitor juvenile life history
  strategies and life-stage survival of spring
  chinook salmon and steelhead in the Grande Ronde
  Subbasin
• Provide baseline natural production and life
  history information for evaluation of
  supplementation efforts in the Grande Ronde
  Subbasin
• Provide statistically-rigorous data on the status
  and trends in salmonid populations and
  stream/riparian habitats at the Provincial and
  Subbasin scales

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Juvenile Life History ObjectivesSpring Chinook
Salmon

• In-basin migration patterns and abundance
• Survival and migration patterns to mainstem dams
• Chinook egg to parr and egg to migrant survival
• Significance of alternative life history
  strategies
• Use of winter concealment habitat

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Juvenile Life History ObjectivesSteelhead

• In-basin migration patterns and abundance
• Survival and migration patterns to mainstem dams
• Proportion of fall migrants that smolt in spring
• Population characteristics of steelhead in
  Catherine Creek in summer

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Migration Timing and Abundance
Catherine Creek
MY2000
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Migration Timing and Abundance
Lostine River
MY2000
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Egg to Migrant Survival Spring Chinook
Salmon Catherine Creek

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Egg to Migrant Survival Spring Chinook
Salmon Lostine River

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Survival to Lower Granite Dam 2000 Migration Year
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Life History Findings and Management Significance

• Habitats downstream of the spawning areas are
  critical rearing areas in fall and winter
• Coldwater refugia in habitats downstream of the
  spawning areas are important for salmonids to
  persist through periods of thermal stress

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Life History Findings and Management Significance

• Local populations exhibit differences in life
  history, including migration timing within the
  subbasin and to mainstem dams

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Population and Habitat Monitoring Objectives

• Implement EMAP sampling framework to monitor
  status and trends in salmonid populations and
  their habitats throughout the Oregon portion of
  the Blue Mountain Province
• habitat and juvenile salmonid monitoring
• steelhead spawner monitoring

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EMAP APPROACH

• Provides a consistent framework to integrate
  monitoring projects
• Sample sites are determined by a GIS-based
  spatially balanced random selection process
• Provides a statistically-rigorous method to
  analyze the status and trends in resources

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Examples of Key Questions

• Are the abundance and distribution of juvenile
  and adult steelhead changing at the Provincial
  and Subbasin scales?
• What are the status and trends in habitat quality
  and quantity at the Provincial and Subbasin
  scales?
• Are the distribution and abundance of juveniles
  and adults related to habitat conditions?

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Population and Habitat Monitoring Objectives

• Implement principles of the Oregon Plan for
  Salmon and Watersheds to monitor fisheries and
  habitat in Wallowa Lake
• distribution and abundance of fish populations in
  Wallowa Lake
• production of planktivorous forage
• physical habitat conditions
• estimate exploitation by recreational fishery

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Relationship to Other Projects

• Hatchery supplementation projects
• Habitat projects

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Needs Addressed in Subbasin Summary

• Monitoring the status of high priority
  populations and habitats
• M E needs for spring chinook salmon and
  steelhead survival, production and life history
  characteristics
• Plan for reintroduction of sockeye salmon