pacific lamprey research and restoration project in the umatilla river
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Pacific Lamprey Research and Restoration Project in
the Umatilla River
Study Area
Life cycle of Pacific lampreyLife Cycle of Pacific Lamprey
GOALTo restore natural production of Pacific lamprey
to self-sustaining and harvestable levels
Identify and prioritize constraints to restoration
Develop & implement actions to remove constraints
Historical analysis Improve migrating adultsResearch habitat &
life history requirementsImprove dam passage
Improve spawning &rearing habitat
Transplant adult lampreysProvide flows to attract
migrating adults
Test importance of petromyzonal sulfate (PZ)
or other pheromones as attractants
Laboratory studiesMonitoring concentrations
in the field
Identify source of brood stock that will maximize success
while minimizing risks
Study effects of outplantings
Nest surveys Egg survivalLarval densities and
size distribution
Outmigration of larval and metamorphosed
lampreys
Upmigration ofadult lampreys
Concentrations of PZ
• Hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River• Chemical treatments in the Umatilla River• Habitat alterations in the Umatilla River
resulting from:– irrigation practices
– loss of beaver
– livestock overgrazing of native grasses
– logging the upper watershed
– conversion of native plants to introduced crops
Potential causes of declining lamprey populations
Outplanting adult lampreys
Primary goals:• Re-establish larval abundance• Collect baseline data regarding:
1) holding adult lampreys
2) release timing
3) release locations
Outplanting adult lampreys
1) Collected at the John Day Dam fish ladder in December-January
2) Maintained in the raceways at the Three Mile Falls Dam Facility in the Umatilla River
3) Outplanted into uppermost part of the mainstem Umatilla River and Meacham Creek in May
Release site locations and numbersRiver km 139.9
River km 118.4River km 98.8
Meacham Creek
2000: 300
2000: 150
2000: 150 .
2001: 82
2001: 81
2001: 81
2002: 1502002: 141
2002: 100
2002: 100
Totals
2000: 600
2001: 244 2002: 491
Total: 1,576 individuals
2004: 70
2003: 230
2003: 90
2003: 110
2004: 63
2003: 484 2004: 133
Are outplantings successful?
1) Redd surveys
2) Egg survival
3) Larval densities and size distribution
4) Outmigration of larval and metamorphosed lampreys
5) Upmigration of adult lampreys
Nest and egg viability surveys
Purpose:
• Determine the spatial distribution and number of nests
• Determine the reproductive success of adult lamprey outplants
Nest and egg viability surveys
• In 2000-2002 surveyors walked along the river to locate nests (May-July)
• In 2001 egg viability study conducted from 13 nests
Nest surveys
Nests located in the uppermost part of the Umatilla River and in the Meacham Creek
Lampreys spawned during the first two weeks of June
2000: 51 viable nests 30 nests w/o eggs
2001: 49 viable nests
2002: 67 viable nests
118 test nests
Nest Survey Results
Egg viability
• Egg viability varied between 58 and100%
• On average
86% of eggs were viable
• Pacific lamprey egg viability similar to sea lamprey
0
20
40
60
80
100
16 16 16 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 18 137 140
Location of nests (River km)
per
cen
tag
e o
f via
ble
eg
gs
Meacham Creek Umatilla River
Larval abundance
Larvae sampled by electro shocking 31 sites in the Umatilla River and 3 sites in the Meacham Creek
Larval density at each site estimated and larval lengths measured
Larval densities before outplanting
0
10
20
30
40
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31
Index site
Ind
ivid
ua
ls /
m2
1998 1999 2000
• In 1998-2000, larvae were found in the lower reach of the river below river kilometer 37
• Mean density of all sites was 1) in 1998 0.02 ind.m-2
2) in 1999 0.55 ind.m-2
3) in 2000 0.08 ind.m-2
Larval densities after outplanting
0
10
20
30
40
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33Index site
Ind
ivid
ua
ls /
m2
Umatilla River Meacham Creek
• The mean density of all index sites was 5.6 ind/m2
• The mean density below river km 100
(sites 1-19) was 0.1 ind /m2
• The mean density above river km 100
(sites 20-34) was 12.6 ind /m2
2001
Larval densities after outplanting
0
20
40
60
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27 29 31 33Index site
Ind
ivid
ua
ls /
m2
Umatilla River Meacham Creek
• The mean density of all index sites was 8.0 ind/m2
• The mean density below river km 100
(sites 1-19) was 0.2 ind / m2
• The mean density above river km 100
(sites 20-34) was 18.0 ind / m2
2002
Length distributions
0
0.04
0.08
0.12
0.16
0.2
<20 25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95 105 115 125 135 145 155 >164
Length (mm)
Pro
po
rtio
n
20012002
• In 2001 length distribution was unimodal and the median length was 63 mm
• In 2002 length distribution was bimodal and the median length was 76 mm
Larval abundance after adult outplanting
• Larval densities increased above river kilometer 100
• Larval growth rate is high
• Natural production in the middle and lowermost part of the river is low
Outmigration of lamprey
Between 1997-2002 outmigrating larvae and metamorphosed lampreys caught by:
• Rotary screw trap (RST) from November-March in lower Umatilla River
• Bypass channel trap (BCT) April-October in lower Umatilla River
Trapping efficiency of RST was studied by mark-recapture method in 2000 and 2001
Number of lamprey caught
0
400
800
1200
1600
2000
1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002
Catching season
Nu
mb
er o
f la
mp
reys
Metamorphosed lampreysLarval lampreys
Length distribution of outmigrants
0
5
10
15
20
25
<120 120 125 130 135 140 145 150 155 160 165 170 175 180 185
Length (mm)
Pro
po
rtio
n o
f la
mp
reys
(%
)
Metamorphosed lampreys
Larval lampreys
Outmigration of lampreys
• Natural production of lamprey in the Umatilla River produces tens of thousands of metamorphosed individuals annually
• A large proportion of lamprey may metamorphose in the Columbia River
• The mean size of outmigrating lampreys were higher than earlier studies
Upmigration of adultsNumber of upmigrating adults counted by:
1) portable assessment traps in 1999, 2000 and 2002 at the Three Mile Dam (284
trap nights)
2) fyke nets in 2002 in the lowermost end of the Umatilla River ( 28 trap nights)
Number of upmigrants entering Three Mile Dam fish ladder estimated by video recordings
Upmigration of adults
• In 1999-2002 one adult lamprey caught by assessment traps
• No lampreys caught by fyke net in 2002
Upmigration of adults
Number of upmigrating adults in the summer and in the fall is negligible
Why?1) Number of adult lampreys in the
Columbia River is low
2) No flow in the Umatilla River during the best migration season
3) Attracting pheromones in the Umatilla River are not reaching the Columbia River
Upmigration of adults
0
30
60
90
120
5/1
0
5/1
7
5/2
4
5/3
1
6/7
6/1
4
6/2
1
6/2
8
7/5
7/1
2
7/1
9
7/2
6
8/2
8/9
8/1
6
8/2
3
8/3
0
9/6
9/1
3
9/2
0
9/2
7
Date
Nu
mb
er
of
co
un
ted
ad
ult
s
0
4
8
12
16
Flo
w (
m3 s
-1)
Number of adults at the John Day dam
Flow in the Umatilla River
• During the peak of adult migration, flow in the Umatilla River is very low due to irrigation
Summary
0
5
10
15
20
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
Year
La
rva
l de
ns
ity
(in
d.m
-2)
River km 0-50
River km 50-100
River km above 100
Outplanted adults spawned successfully and produced ammocoetes which haven’t yet dispersed below river km 100
Number of outmigrating lampreys is still low and number of upmigrating adults is negligible
Current Research
• MSU,USGS,CTUIR-Pacific and Western brook lamprey larvae contain petromyzonal sulfate in gallbladder and liver. Both species release this compound into water. Do not produce Allocholic acid nor petromyzonal (known bile acids in sea lamprey).
• USGS-Pacific lamprey adults can detect Petromyzonal sulfate in water. Detection of compound throughout freshwater migration. Pacific lamprey do not produce 3 Keto Petromyzonal sulfate-(known sex pheromone in sea lamprey).
Current Research
• CTUIR, MSU, CEFAS,- Novel stress steroids in Pacific Lamprey. Lamprey adrenal tissues incubated with 3H pregnenolone and progesterone metabolized into unknown possible stress steroids. Currently using Fab/mass spec to identify structures. In addition, using radioimmunoassay to screen lamprey plasma. Once compound structures identified we will develop specific RIA for new stress steroids.
• CTUIR,MSU,- Pacific lamprey population genetics. Micro satellite markers screened. 30 existing loci screened for polymorphism(from sea lamprey markers). 2 loci found to be polymorphic. From only one loci, there are population differences. However, this is preliminary! We are trying to explore this further.
Future studies
• Dispersion of ammocoetes and larval production in the middle and lower part of the river
• Growth of larvae (location, competition)• Number of outmigrants (method
developing) • Upmigration of adults during the summer,
fall, and spring time • Flow regime
More future studies
• Spawning habitat requirements• Effect of dams on adult migration using radio
telemetry• Attraction of adult lampreys to pheromones in
Umatilla river water• Larval production and metamorphosis in the
Columbia River reservoirs• Develop assays to detect stress in lampreys
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