Salmon Watchers2015 Nisqually Salmon Watcher Program

Training Slideshow

Bill

Prie

st

Salmon Life CycleLife Cycle of Pacific Salmon

Spawning

6” - 18”Deep

18” - 48” long x 12” - 36” wide

Water6” - 18”Deep

Eggs buried in gravel

Female builds a series of gravel nests called a redd

The redd grows upstream daily with covering and digging

A Redd

EggsEggs are fertilized and develop in gravel

nests called redds

AlevinThe hatched eggs, called alevins, develop in the gravel

getting nutrients from their yolk sacks.

yolk sack

Fry/ SmoltMaturation

Fry

Smolt

Ocean AdultOcean-going adult

SpawningSpawning

Death

Death

Food WebMany Organisms Rely upon Pacific Salmon

Salmon AnatomyDorsal fin

Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Anal finPelvic fin Pectoral fin Gill cover

Gumline

Salmon Identification

Lateral LineDorsal fin

Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Anal finPelvic fin Pectoral fin Gill cover

Gumline

Lateral line

Hooked SnoutMales develop a hooked snout

Dorsal fin

Adipose fin

Caudal fin

Anal finPelvic fin Pectoral fin Gill cover

Gumline

Lateral line

Identifying Features

1. Does the fish have spots? Where?

2. What is the coloring? a. Body and head? b. Gumline color? c. Gill cover, other distinctive markings?

3. What size is it?

4. What are the behavioral characteristics?

Questions to Ask When Identifying Salmon

Chinook FactsNisqually Chinook

•Spawn throughout the Nisqually River’s accessible length and in larger tributaries, especially the Mashel River and Ohop Creek.

• Spring run went extinct in 1950’s.

• Fall run of native Chinook was largely replaced by planted and hatchery fish. No new introductions since 1990. Weir to exclude hatchery fish 2012.• Recent run sizes have been 10,000 - 40,000

• Upstream migration July - October

• Spawn September - November

Chinook IdentificationChinook

(“King,” “Tyee,” “Blackmouth”)

Small irregular spotson back and on BOTHupper and lower lobesof tail

*Can also be areddish color

Chinook PhotoChinook

Chinook Photo 2

Chinook

Chum FactsNisqually Chum

• Unique native run that is the latest returning chum on the Pacific Rim.

• No hatchery production.

• Spawns in late December - March.

• Recent run sizes: 10,000 to 150,000 fish

• Spawns mainly in mainstem Nisqually River below Centralia Diversion Dam and in Muck, Yelm, Murray and McAllister Creeks.

• Upstream migration November – March.

Chum IdentificationChum

(“Dog”, “Keta”)

Notice the difference in the coloration of the vertical markings between females and males.

Chum PhotoChum

Chum at our Counter Camera

Pink FactsNisqually Pink

• Unique native run that returns every odd year.

• No hatchery production.

• Spawns in October – November.

• Upstream migration August – November.

• Recent run sizes: 100 to 800,000 fish

• Spawns in the mainstem, and to a lesser degree in the Mashel River and Ohop Creek. They rarely travel far upstream to spawn.

Pink IdentificationPink

up to 30 inches

Pink IdentificationPink

Olive green to green on dorsal side

White to pink on underside

Pink

Image from Salmon Nation

Coho FactsNisqually Coho

• A late run of naturally spawning coho is found in the Nisqually, and returns around the same time as chum. No fishery exists for late run coho because the population is at risk. • Most of the hatchery stock is an early spawning population that migrates September – December• Most spawning takes place in the Mashel River and Ohop, Tanwax, Horn, Yelm, Muck and McAllister Creeks.

• Recent run sizes: 600 to 13,000 fish

• Spawning November - February

Coho IdentificationCoho(“Silvers”)

Notice the kype/hooked nose onthe male

Small roundblack spots

Greenishbacks

Lower sides bright red to purplish.

Coho Photo

anks!

Coho are powerfully built and can jump waterfalls that most salmon cannot negotiate.

Coho at our Counter Camera

Steelhead Facts

Nisqually Steelhead

Nisqually Steelhead

• Native winter steelhead

• No hatchery production

• Spawns in April through June

• Recent run sizes: gone from 7000 to a few hundred fish

• Spawns primarily in the mainstem Nisqually, Mashel River and Muck Creek, though they may use almost any tributary in the watershed

• Sport and tribal fisheries closed due to declining numbers

• Upstream migration November - April

Steelhead IdentificationSteelhead

Steelhead IdentificationSteelhead

Small dark spotsscattered over entire fish, including tail

Steelhead PhotoSteelhead

Steelhead at our Counter Camera

Cutthroat FactsSea-run Cutthroat

• Occur in both sea-going and resident forms. Difficult to distinguish between the two.

• Can be found in most fish-bearing waters from high-elevation glacial-fed streams to the estuary

• Upstream migration August - June

• Spawning December - June

• Sport fishing is allowed for coastal cutthroat

Cutthroat Identification

Cutthroat Trout“coastal cutthroat trout”

Cutthroat PhotoCutthroat Trout

Sockeye FactsSockeye

• No unique run of Nisqually sockeye

• Stray pairs known to spawn in upper McAllister Creek

• Usually spawn in streams near lakes, where young fry migrate to rear for 1 - 2 years

Sockeye IdentificationSockeye

(“Red”)

Sockeye PhotoSockeye

A few stray pairs of sockeye spawn near McAllister Springs. There is no native run of Nisqually sockeye.

Review

Review

Quiz Photo 1

Quiz Photo 2

• Head blunt, jaw does not extend past the eye • Distinct small spots on dorsal fin • Small scattered spots over entire body• Square-shaped tail• Often has reddish stripe along sides, gill cover reddish • Up to 45 inches in length

Name the fish that has:

Quiz Question 1

Quiz Photo 3

Quiz Question 2•Large oval spots on back and both lobes of the tailfin •Rarely travel far up river to spawn - most likely seen in coastal streams •Males develop a large hump on their back (hence the nick name "Humpback" or "Humpy") •Dark band along lateral line •Numerous, small scales•Forked Tail

Name the fish that has:

Quiz Photo 4

• No distinct black spots • Dark blue above with reddish-purple vertical markings• Well developed teeth • 30-42 inches in length

Name the fish that has:

Quiz Question 3

Quiz Photo 5

Quiz Photo 6

• Back and head dark blue-green • Lower sides red-purple• Spots on back and UPPER lobe of tail fin only • Lower gum line is white • 17 to 38 inches in length

Name the fish that has:

Quiz Question 4

Quiz Picture 7

Photo by 2015 Salmon Watcher Roger Andrascik

Quiz Photo 8

• Head blunt, jaw extends past eye • Small black spots extending well below lateral line• Red “slash” marks on underside of jaw • Yellow colored fins• Silver body • 8-12 inches in length

Name the fish that has:

Quiz Question 5

Quiz Picture 9

Quiz Photo 10

• Olive brown to dark brown• Spots on upper and lower part of tail• Lower gum line is black • 2 feet to 5 feet in length

Name the fish that has:

Quiz Question 6

Quiz Photo 11

Quiz Photo 12

Salmon Watching TipsNisqually Salmon Watcher Tips

• Approach your viewing site slowly

• Be as quiet as possible

• If you need to walk in the stream, look out for clean-looking gravel (redds)• Remember your polarized glasses, data sheet and pencil

• Take observation data for 15 minutes only

• If you are unsure, take notes and/or a photo and contact us

• Observe from the same location each time

• Dress for the weather

• If possible, view after a rain as soon as the water clears

• View before it gets too dark

Reminder 1

Remember not to step on redds

Reminder 2Don’t count ‘Carcass Toss’ Fish with Clipped Tails

Clipped TailsDon’t count ‘Carcass Toss’ Fish with Clipped Tails

Clipped TailsThere are some Chinook with jaw tags out there

Beaver dams provide important juvenile salmon rearing habitat and are usually left alone if naturally constructed

Passage often improves when the rains come

Photo by 2015 Salmon Watcher Roger Andrascik

Spawning Behavior

Female Spawning Behaviors•Reach spawning ground after males•Exploring for a good nest site•Exploratory Digging •Real nest building Digging•Probing•Covering Digging

Female Spawning Behaviors: Digging

Chinook Digging

Coho Digging Chum Digging

Male Spawning Behaviors

•‘Tasting’•Quivering

•Male Digging (Displacement)•Crossing Over

Male Spawning Behaviors: Quiver

Coho Quiver

Pink Quiver

Gaping and Spawning

AggressionFemales will fight other females to defend their nest site.Females will fight off males they don’t want to spawn with (or delay spawning).

Males will fight other males to establish dominance.This can involve actual fighting, biting, etc. or ritualized displays.

Manu Esteve 2000

Male Aggressive Displays

Lateral Display

T Display

Male Strategies and TacticsStrategies: •Mature Old•Mature Young•Mature Precocious

Tactics: •Fight for dominance•Sneak (satellite)•Mimic Female

Thanks

Thank-you for your contribution!We couldn’t do it without you.