evaluation of steelhead kelt migration success through the dalles and bonneville dams, 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Evaluation of Steelhead Kelt
Migration Success through The
Dalles and Bonneville Dams, 2012
BISHES RAYAMAJHI, CHRISTA WOODLEY, JINA KIM, GENE
PLOSKEY, MARK WEILAND
PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY
DERREK FABER
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
BOB WERTHEIMER
USACE
1
Background
For numerous reasons the number of adult steelhead
returning to the Columbia River basin have declined
Steelhead are iteroparous allowing for repeat spawning
Fertility of repeat spawners tends to be higher than first
time spawners
Problem
Post-spawn kelt tend to have low energy reserves
Effects swimming ability
2
Goal and Objectives: Kelt Evalution
Goal
Provide managers with the necessary data to make
informed decisions on dam operations to improve passage
and survival of kelts
Objectives
Estimate route-specific passage proportions (e.g., spillway,
sluiceway, and turbine) through
The Dalles Dam (TDA; rkm 309)
Bonneville Dam (BON; rkm 234)
Estimate virtual single-release passage survival through
TDA and BON
Address effects of kelt condition on outmigration passage
and success 3
External JSATS AT Design
Floy Tag
FD-94 EX-Wide T
35 mm long
JSATS AT Dimensions
12.00 mm x 5.21 mm x 3.77 mm
0.438 g in air, 0.29 g in water
Final Size
42 mm long
4
Pre-Season Tag Performance
Oak Springs Hatchery
Rainbow trout
10 externally tagged
Held for 65 days
0 tags dropped
Tags removed at end of study
PNNL’s Marine Science Laboratory
30 tags exposed
Temperature variable
Examined for wear
No effects
5
Methods: In-Season Tagging
April 12 – June 4, 2012
Tagged 58
Wild – 51, Hatchery – 7
50 Female: 50 Male
Fork length
51 – 86 cm
Average – 67 cm
Run Timing
Tagged last 10% of run
6
Methods: Run Timing
7
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1/1 1/16 1/31 2/15 3/1 3/16 3/31 4/15 4/30 5/15 5/30 6/14
Pe
rce
nt
Pa
ss
ed
Date
First Tagging Date
Methods: ODFW Traps
8
Methods: Tagging Locations
9
Deschutes River
Bakeoven Creek
Buck Hollow Creek
Fifteenmile Creek
Hood River
Neal Creek
Monitoring Area and Array Locations
10
Methods: Condition
Observations were ranked and weighted based on physiological
health
11
Category Description
Reproduction Gravid Intermediate Spawned Out
Fungus: Body Not present < 20 % > 20 %
Fungus: Dorsal Not Present Present
Condition: Eye Not Blind 1 Eye Blind Both Eyes Blind
Condition: Body Stiff Lethargic, Not Stiff Energetic
Condition: Scars Not Present Present
Results: The Dalles Dam
12
0
20
40
60
80
100
Spillway Turbine Sluiceway
Perc
en
t
Passage
Migration success
N = 149 N = 16 N = 12
Results: Bonneville Dam
0
20
40
60
80
100
Spillway B1 Turbine Sluiceway B2 Turbine B2CC JBS
Perc
en
t
Passage
Migration success
N = 83 N = 41 N = 21 N = 20 N = 39 N = 5 N = 29 N = 513
Results: Condition
Final condition (FC) scores ranged from 0 to 7
Kelt FC scores of:
5 and 7 were not detected on any array
4 were not detected past BON (156 or 113 rkm)
only 20% of this group were detected one time on any array
0 to 3 were detected below BON
Up to 75% were detected on more than one array
Factors that were not strong indicators of condition:
Sex (M/F/U),
Run type (ROR/Clipped), and
Reproductive state
14
Results: Condition
15
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
HOODR NEALC 15MILC BUCKHC BAKEOC
Co
nd
itio
n S
co
re
Results: Condition
16
R2 = 0.26
P = 0.0031
0
1
2
3
4
6
7
8
9
0 2 4 6 8
Mean
Tra
vel R
ate
(h
r/rk
m)
Condition Score
Hood River, 273 rkm
Neal Creek, 281 rkm
15 Mile Creek, 313 rkm
Buckhorn Creek, 398 rkm
Bakeoven Creek, 412 rkm
Summary
Tests suggested high retention of external tag
Survival highest for TDA spillway and sluiceway
Survival higher at B2 than B1
Survival highest for BON spillway and B2CC
Sluiceway survival at B1 was lower
Kelt condition is independent of travel distance
Kelt mean outmigration time decreases with greater FC
scores (poor condition)
17
Management Implications
The Dalles Dam operations won’t change in 2013
Bonneville powerhouse 2 has operation priority in 2013
Condition of kelt could be related to specific populations,
river location/condition or where they spend their time in
the estuary
Model needs further development
Genetic samples would augment model
18
Acknowledgements
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
John Schmitz, Matt Lubejko, Andrea Bianco,
Wayne Wilson, Shane Smith, Brian Poxon,
Jim Gidley, Jeremy Stahler
PNNL
Eric Fischer, Tao Fu, Donna Trott, Chris Vernon,
Alison Colotelo, Brian Lamarche, Eric Choi, Adam Flory,
Bryan Jones, Daniel Deng, Grayson Squeochs
PSMFC
Rob Davis
USACE
Chris Pinney
CONTACT
509-427-5923 19