Steelhead Stock Status Review and ESA Oregon

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Steelhead Stock StatusReview and ESA Oregon

• Rhine Messmer
• ODFW District StaffOregon Department of Fish and
  Wildlife

Pacific Coast Steelhead Management Meeting Port
Townsend, Washington March 7-9 2006
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ESA Status of Oregon Winter and Summer Steelhead
Winter Steelhead
49 populations 4 SMUs
Summer Steelhead
30 populations 7 SMUs
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ESA Status - Winter Steelhead
Coastal Candidate 1998 Rogue Not Warranted
2001 Lower Columbia Threatened 1998 Willamette
Threatened 1999
ESA Status - Summer Steelhead
Coastal Candidate 1998 Rogue Not Warranted
2001 Lower Columbia Threatened 1998 Mid
Columbia Threatened 1999 Snake Threatened
1997 Upper Snake No Designation Klamath Not
Warranted 2001
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FMEP Development Winter Steelhead

• Lower Columbia and Willamette Columbia River,
  Willamette tribs below Falls, Clackamas and
  Sandy Upper Willamette including Molalla ,
  Santiam and Calapooia rivers
• Submitted FMEPs (2) in March 2001

FMEP Development Summer Steelhead

• Mid Columbia Deschutes, Walla Walls, John Day,
  Hood River, Umatilla
• Submitted FMEPs (4) in March 2001
• Revised October 2005 (data updates, dropped wild
  steelhead harvest on John Day River)
• Snake Grande Ronde/ Imnaha/ Snake River FMEP
• Submitted FMEP in March 2001

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Recover and Conservation Plan Development
As part of the TRT/Oregon Plan process, recovery
criteria development and assessments are
currently underway for populations of steelhead
listed under ESA. The TRT criteria focus of 4
VSP conservation attributes abundance,
productivity, distribution, and diversity.
Viability Curves uses to assess risk of
extinction
Winter Steelhead

• Lower Columbia and Willamette
• Recovery Plans in development
• Public review document out late March

Summer Steelhead

• Mid Columbia Deschutes, Walla Walls, John Day,
  Hood River, Umatilla
• Snake Grande Ronde/ Imnaha/ Snake River FMEP
• Draft Recovery Plan for Oregon Middle Columbia
  River Steelhead January 2006 Progress Report,
  Richard Carmichael ODFW

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• Assessment of 473 Fish Populations comprising 69
  Species Management Units
• Interim Criteria Six biological characteristics
  related to species performance

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Native Fish Status ReportPublic Draft

• Key to implementing Oregons Native Fish
  Conservation Policy
• Prioritize conservation plans address at risk
  Species Management Units.
• Utilizes interim criteria defined in the Native
  Fish Conservation Policy.
• Conservation risk, not extinction risk, of
  naturally produced native fish.
• Criteria meant to ensure conservation until
  conservation plan developed (5 10 years).

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Interim Criteria(In 3 of the last 5 years)

• Existing Populations
• Habitat Use Distribution
• Abundance
• Productivity
• Reproductive Independence
• Hybridization
• Limited data led us to interpret the intent of
  some of the criteria.

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Coastal Winter Steelhead SMU
Distribution Pass

Nearly all of the historically-available habitat of this species management unit is still available today (99). The South Umpqua has lost access to the most habitat of any population and still maintains 94 of historic availability.
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Coastal Winter Steelhead SMU
Abundance - Pass

Both populations with long-term data passed. Numbers in the North Umpqua have been at or above the interim criterion in most years since 1974. Abundance in the lower Nehalem was above the criterion in four of the last five years. Few indices of abundance are available in other populations within the SMU. Trends in the North Umpqua and Lower Nehalem were assumed to be representative of the SMU. Trapping of adults in mid-coast basins, and spawning surveys in coastal basins in the last two years support the assumption that the North Umpqua and Lower Nehalem are representative of other populations.
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Coastal Winter Steelhead SMU
Productivity - Pass

Both the North Umpqua and lower Nehalem passed the criterion. These results were assumed to be representative of the SMU.
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Coastal Winter Steelhead SMU
Independence - Fail

13 of 23 populations passed this criterion based on trap and hatchery release data. Adult traps in the mid-coast suggest that natural spawning by hatchery fish is above 10 in the Siletz, Alsea and Yaquina. Similar data showed that Siuslaw hatchery fractions are low. Adult trapping and counts at Winchester Dam adjusted for harvest show that hatchery ratios in the Umpqua are low. Creel survey data suggest that hatchery fractions in the Yachats are above the criterion threshold. Assessments in other populations of the North and South Coast were based on the presence (or absence) of hatchery releases.
13 of 23 populations passed this criterion based on trap and hatchery release data. Adult traps in the mid-coast suggest that natural spawning by hatchery fish is above 10 in the Siletz, Alsea and Yaquina. Similar data showed that Siuslaw hatchery fractions are low. Adult trapping and counts at Winchester Dam adjusted for harvest show that hatchery ratios in the Umpqua are low. Creel survey data suggest that hatchery fractions in the Yachats are above the criterion threshold. Assessments in other populations of the North and South Coast were based on the presence (or absence) of hatchery releases.
13 of 23 populations passed this criterion based on trap and hatchery release data. Adult traps in the mid-coast suggest that natural spawning by hatchery fish is above 10 in the Siletz, Alsea and Yaquina. Similar data showed that Siuslaw hatchery fractions are low. Adult trapping and counts at Winchester Dam adjusted for harvest show that hatchery ratios in the Umpqua are low. Creel survey data suggest that hatchery fractions in the Yachats are above the criterion threshold. Assessments in other populations of the North and South Coast were based on the presence (or absence) of hatchery releases.
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Coastal Summer Steelhead SMU
Distribution Pass

All 93 of the historically-available habitat remains accessible. of the habitat within the Siletz remains accessible, and 92 of the habitat within the North Umpqua can still be accessed.
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Coastal Summer Steelhead SMU
Abundance - Pass

Both populations exceeded the minimum abundance criterion in each of the last 5 years. Returns to the North Umpqua have been monitored at Winchester Dam since the 1946-47 run year and numbers have only twice fallen below the interim criterion of 849 spawners. Wild returns to the Siletz increased for six consecutive years prior to the 2004/2005 run year and have now rebounded to levels observed around 1970.
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Coastal Summer Steelhead SMU
Productivity - Fail

The North Umpqua passed the productivity criterion, but the Siletz did not. Productivity in the North Umpqua has been greater than 1.2 in 6 of 11 years of low abundance including 3 of the last 5. Productivity in the Siletz ranged from 0.1 to 1.1 recruits per spawner in the 7 years where data were available. High numbers of hatchery spawners pushed abundance levels beyond the average wild abundance in each of those years raising the possibility of density dependence.
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Coastal Summer Steelhead SMU
Independence - Fail

When accounting for this spatial segregation, hatchery fractions have been between 10 and 35 since 1974. Many hatchery fish that spawn naturally in the North Umpqua do not spawn in areas where wild fish are spawning. Between 1992 and 1999, hatchery fish made up 72-97 of the spawning population in the Siletz. In the Siletz, adult steelhead are trapped at Siletz Falls, which is below the primary spawning grounds. Beginning in 2000, wild fish were selectively passed at Siletz Falls, and hatchery fish were either recycled downstream into the recreational fishery, or were removed from the system.
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• Summary
• Oregons Native Fish Conservation Policy
• Sustainability of native fish
• Provide substantial ecological, economic
  benefits

• State of Oregon Recovery Planning not only
  included ESA recovery requirements but also
  includes meeting broader social and cultural
  benefits

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Greetings from Mark Chilcote