Summary of CSMEP Strengths and Weaknesses Assessment

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Summary of CSMEP Strengths and Weaknesses
Assessment
Washington
Data Rich subbasin LEWIS RIVER (see also
Yakima R.)
Data Poor subbasin (Pend Oreille - not) Species
STEELHEAD (winter summer)

• prepared by Peter Hahn, WDFW
• With help from Dick OConnor, Bob Woodard

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Pilot Subbasins
Data poor
Data rich
Pend Oreille
Yakima
Selway
Lewis
S. Fork Salmon
L. Columbia
Imnaha
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What is the Size of CRB Fish Populations?Winter
Steelhead

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• Aerial redd counts 1987-now
• Some tributary redd counts
• Weaknesses
• No validation, total pop. unk.
• 4 diff. aerial observers, index expanded
• Only East Fork Cedar Cr. in NF were surveyed
  (not NF) only some tribs surveyed.
• For AUC redd life, redds per female prop.
  female not measured (21.0, 1.23, 0.50)
• Unknown mort. in Columbia

• Data Poor (Pend Oreille)
• Strengths
• None (no anadromous access)
• n/a - no winter steelhead (SSH used to exist)
• Weaknesses
• (In general fewer or no surveys)

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What is the Size of CRB Fish Populations?Summer
Steelhead

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• EF Snorkel counts 1995-now
• EF Mark-Recapture 2002 to now, with variance,
  total pop.
• MR Wild, hatchery, age data
• Weaknesses
• Short history of MR of index counts
• Volunteer snorkelers
• No surveys in NF (few SSH?)
• Unknown mort. in Columbia pre-spawn in Lewis

• Data Poor (Pend Oreille)
• Strengths
• None (no anadromous access)
• (In general some data, dam counts to est. gen.
  pop. size)
• Weaknesses
• (In general fewer or no surveys)
• (No validation)

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What is the Annualized Growth Rate of CRB Fish
Populations? - Steelhead

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• WSH SSH some trend data
• Weaknesses
• WSH Actual pop. size unknown only index aerial
  counts for entire period of record (1987...)
• SSH Short time series of good data (2 yr)

• Others
• Strengths
• In general some index data, either redd counts
  or dam subtraction, recent radio telemetry
  above Bonneville may be useful
• a few weirs/small dams
• Weaknesses
• In general No validation thus total spawner
  population unknown, lower Columbia mortality
  unknown.

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What is the Freshwater Productivity? Steelhead

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• ?
• Weaknesses
• Smolt production unknown
• No juvenile abundance est.

• Others
• Strengths
• Some smolt production being measured
• Weaknesses
• Smolt production mostly unknown
• No juvenile abundance est.

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What is the Age-Structure of CRB Fish
Populations? - Steelhead

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• WSH A little data from Cedar Cr on NF
  (ladder/trap)
• SSH Age/origin data since 2002 (seined adults
  for MR)
• Weaknesses
• Few or no scale samples because steelhead do not
  die after spawning wild fish release
  regulations prevent sampling fisheries

• Others
• Strengths
• Some scale samples in a few places
• Weaknesses
• Mostly few scale samples (same reasons)

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What is the Fraction of Potential Natural
Spawners that are of Hatchery Origin? - Steelhead

• Others
• Strengths
• ? Best in Kalama R.
• Weaknesses
• Lack of samples, lack of means to collect samples
  (research hookline might work - volunteers?)

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• WSH ? (assumed wild after March 15)
• SSH Starting to get good data
• Weaknesses
• WSH lack of scale or hands-on fish samples (all
  hatchery SH are adipose clipped)
• WSH no est. of hatchery spawners before March 15
• SSH Short time series

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How Frequently Do Resident Fish
Spawn?Rainbow/Steelhead

• Others
• Strengths
• ?
• Weaknesses
• Lack of data for resident form of O. mykiss

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• ?
• Weaknesses
• Lack of data for resident form of O. mykiss

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What Life History Types Make Up Different
Populations? - Steelhead

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• ? Some older data from sport fishery samples,
  recently from Cedar Cr. (WSH) from SSH in EF
• Weaknesses
• Lack of scale samples

• Others
• Strengths
• ? Some older data from sport fishery samples
• Weaknesses
• Lack of scale samples

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What is the Biological Condition of CRB Fish
Spawning and Rearing Habitat?

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• ? uncertain of data
• Weaknesses
• Lack of data

• Others
• Strengths
• ? A few measurements in some areas uncertain of
  data
• Weaknesses
• Lack of data

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What is the Chemical Water Quality in CRB Fish
Spawning and Rearing Habitat?

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• ? Some DOE data
• Weaknesses
• ? Lack of data
• Lack of funds to collect comprehensive data

• Others
• Strengths
• ? Some DOE data
• Weaknesses
• ? Lack of data
• Lack of funds to collect comprehensive data

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What is the Physical Habitat Condition of CRB
Fish Spawning and Rearing Habitat?

• Data Rich (Lewis)
• Strengths
• ? uncertain of data
• Weaknesses
• ? Lack of data
• Lack of funds to collect comprehensive data

• Others
• Strengths
• ? uncertain of data
• Weaknesses?
• ? Lack of data
• Lack of funds to collect comprehensive data

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Opportunities for Action Effectiveness
Evaluations - Steelhead

• Lewis
• ? Restrictions in sport fishery regulations (area
  biologists believe no response) reduction in
  hatchery releases of smolts. But poor data to
  test hypotheses.
• Other
• A few places where wild steelhead release
  regulations might be evaluated (Toutle, Wind,
  Kalama?) - but possibly confounded with changing
  ocean conditions increasing predation in lower
  Columbia.

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END(go to fall Chinook?)