umatilla hatchery monitoring and evaluation project richard carmichael, wes stonecypher, gerold...
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UMATILLA HATCHERY MONITORING AND EVALUATION PROJECT
Richard Carmichael, Wes Stonecypher, Gerold Grant, and Will Cameron
Project # 19900500
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
NE Fish Research and Development, Hermiston and La Grande, OR
Funded by:
Background
• Chinook salmon were extirpated and summer steelhead were significantly reduced in the Umatilla River by the early 1900’s due to agricultural development and habitat degradation
• Umatilla hatchery was built in the late 1980s and began rearing and releasing subyearling and yearling fall and spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead in the 1990s
• Umatilla hatchery monitoring and evaluation project began in 1990 to assess hatchery performance in reintroducing spring and fall Chinook salmon and supplementing summer
steelhead
• Umatilla hatchery M&E project is part of comprehensive Umatilla River anadromous salmonid research program that includes outmigration and survival, natural production, river passage and flow enhancement projects
Objectives
• Determine success in achieving adult return and smolt-to adult survival goals
• Develop optimum rearing and release strategies for spring Chinook, fall Chinook and summer steelhead
• Determine catch distribution, catch contribution, straying and escapement for spring Chinook, fall Chinook and
summer steelhead
• Determine success in restoring and enhancing recreational fisheries
• Assess success of reestablishing natural production of spring Chinook salmon
• Compare life history characteristics and productivity of natural and hatchery summer steelhead
Spring Chinook Results
Adult Spring Chinook Salmon Returns to the Umatilla River
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002
NU
MB
ER
Hatchery adultsNatural adults
Total adults
2004 Subbasin Plan goal = 2,000
2004 Subbasin Plan goal = 6,000
YEAR
Smolt-to-Adult Survival for Spring Chinook Salmon from Umatilla and Little White Salmon Hatcheries
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
BROOD YEAR
% S
UR
VIV
AL
Umatilla
Little White Salmon
Master Plan goal=0.75
Bonneville
Catch and Escapement Distribution of Spring Chinook Salmon 1995-1998 Brood Years
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
PR
OP
OR
TIO
N O
F A
DU
LT
S
Colum
bia
River
Rec./C
omm
erci
al
Colum
bia
River
Trib
al
Umat
illa
Recre
atio
nal
Umat
illa
River
Trib
al
Strays
Brood
Sto
ck &
CW
T
Spaw
ning
Escap
emen
t
Oce
an
Spring Chinook Salmon Progeny-to-Parent Ratios
BROOD YEAR
PR
OG
EN
Y:P
AR
EN
T R
AT
IO
Progeny:parent ratio (redds estimate)
Progeny:parent ratio (mortality estimate)
Progeny:spawning escapement ratio
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
Disposition of Spawning Escapement
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001
YEAR
NU
MB
ER
OF
FIS
H
Unaccounted spawning escapement (mean = 35%)
Prespawn mortality (mean = 20%)
Spawners (mean = 45%)
Female Pre-spawn Mortality 1996-2000
Natural originHatchery origin
RIVER MILE
% M
OR
TA
LIT
Y
Acclimation SiteNorth Fork
95
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
65 70 75 80 85 90
Spring Chinook Salmon Recreational Fishing Effort and Harvest in the Umatilla River
No
Sea
son
No
Sea
son
No
Sea
son
No
Sea
son
0
3,000
6,000
1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002
RUN YEAR
AN
GL
ER
DA
YS
0
200
400
600
800
NU
MB
ER
HA
RV
ES
TE
D
Angler daysNumber harvested
2,000
5,000
1,000
4,000
Fall Chinook Results
Adult Fall Chinook Salmon Returns to Three Miles Fall Dam
3,000
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
RETURN YEAR
NU
MB
ER
OF
FIS
H
Hatchery
Natural
6,000
0
2004 Subbasin Plan goal = 6,000
2004 Subbasin Plan goal = 6,000
1,000
2,000
4,000
5,000
Smolt-To-Adult Survival of Sub-yearling and Yearling Fall Chinook Salmon
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996
BROOD YEAR
% S
UR
VIV
AL
Subyearling Release Umatilla
Yearling Release Umatilla
Yearling March Release Bonneville
Yearling April Release Bonneville
Master Plan goal = 0.75
Master Plan goal = 0.3
Adult Fall Chinook Salmon Catch and Escapement Distribution 1991-1995 Brood Years
PR
OP
OR
TIO
N O
F A
DU
LT
S
0
0.1
0.2
0.3O
cean
Colum
bia
River
Rec./C
omm
erci
al
Colum
bia
River
Trib
alUm
atill
a Rec
reat
iona
l
Strays
Brood
& C
WT
Spaw
ning
Esc
apem
ent
Percentage of Umatilla Destined Fall Chinook that Strayed into the Upper Columbia and Snake Rivers
0
20
40
60
80
100
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
RETURN YEAR
% E
SC
AP
EM
EN
T
Subyearling
Yearling
Distribution of Stray Fall Chinook Salmon Brood Years 1992-1999
0
0.2
0.4
0.6Han
ford
Rea
chPrie
st R
apid
s
Hatch
ery
Ringold
Sprin
gs
Hatch
ery
Yakim
a Riv
erLyo
ns Fer
ry
Hatch
ery
Lower
Granite
Dam Above
McN
ary
Sport
Recovery Site
PR
OP
OR
TIO
N
SubyearlingYearling
Fall Chinook Salmon Recreational Fishing Effort and Harvest in The Umatilla River
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001
RUN YEAR
AN
GL
ER
DA
YS
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
NU
MB
ER
HA
RV
ES
TE
D
Angler Days
Number Jack Harvested
Number Subjack Harvested
1993
Summer Steelhead Results
Adult Hatchery Steelhead Returning to Three Miles Fall Dam
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
91-92
92-93
93-94
94-95
95-96
96-97
97-98
98-99
99-00
00-01
01-02
02-03
RETURN YEAR
NU
MB
ER
Natural Adults
Hatchery Adults
2004 Subbasin Plan goal = 4,000
2004 Subbasin Plan goal = 1,500
Summer Steelhead Smolt-To-Adult Survival
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997
BROOD YEAR
% S
UR
VIV
AL
Small GradeLarge Grade Minthorn ReleaseLarge Grade Bonifer Release
Master Plan goal = 2.7%
Catch and Escapement Distribution of Summer Steelhead 1992-1996 Brood Years
0.00
0.10
0.20
0.30
0.40
0.50
Colum
bia R
iver
Trib
al
Colum
bia R
iver
Rec./C
omm
erci
al
Umat
illa
Tribal
Umat
illa
Recre
atio
nal
Brood S
tock
& C
WT
Spawnin
g
Escap
emen
t
Pro
po
rtio
n
Progeny to Parent Ratio For Natural and Hatchery Summer Steelhead
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998
PREDOMINANT SMOLT OUTMIGRATION YEAR
RA
TIO
Natural Steelhead
Hatchery Steelhead
Summer Steelhead Adult Migration Timing 1992-2000
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
Month
PR
OP
OR
TIO
N
NaturalHatchery
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
PREDOMINANT SMOLT OUTMIGRATION YEAR
PR
OP
OR
TIO
N O
F R
ET
UR
N
Natural male one-salt
Hatchery male one-salt
Proportion of Umatilla Summer Steelhead Returning as One-Salt
Summer Steelhead Recreational Fishing Effort and Harvest in the Umatilla River
0
6,000
92-93
93-94
94-95
95- 96
96-97
97-98
98-99
99-00
00-01
01-02
RUN YEAR
AN
GL
ER
DA
YS
0
50
100
150
200
250
NU
MB
ER
HA
RV
ES
TE
D
Angler days
Number Harvested5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
Conclusions
• Spring Chinook salmon adult return and smolt-to-adult survival goals have not been achieved for most years
• Progeny per parent ratios of naturally spawning hatchery fish have been mostly below 1.0, resulting in few natural adult returns
• Adult pre-spawning mortality is a significant factor limiting production of spring Chinook salmon
• Reestablished popular recreational fishery for spring Chinook salmon that continues to grow
Conclusions
• Fall Chinook adult return and smolt-to-adult survival goals have not been achieved for any year
• Umatilla fall Chinook salmon contribute substantially to ocean and Columbia River mainstem fisheries
• Fall Chinook stray rates into the Snake and Upper Columbia Rivers are high, but have declined through time
• Little success in establishing a recreational fishery for fall Chinook salmon
Conclusions
• Summer steelhead adult return and smolt-to-adult survival goals have not been achieved
for any year
• Progeny-per-parent ratios for hatchery fish have been well above 1.0, in contrast ratios for naturally spawning hatchery/natural fish have been below 1.0 for most years
• Life history characteristics of hatchery steelhead are similar to natural steelhead
• Harvest of hatchery origin summer steelhead in the Umatilla River has been low
Adaptive Management
• Eliminated spring Chinook salmon rearing and release strategies that survived poorly
• Testing spring Chinook fall transfer strategy to improve survival
• Investigating broodstock management and release location options to reduce spring Chinook pre-spawn mortality
• Reduced fall Chinook smolt production level based on poor smolt-to-adult survival and
reduced adult return goals
Adaptive Management
• Implemented fall Chinook salmon 100% marking/tagging strategy to allow trap and removal at Snake River dams
• Testing larger size at release and lower river release locations for subyearling fall Chinook salmon
• Reduced production levels for summer steelhead to reduce rearing density
• Modified grading, release location, and acclimation strategies