assessing effects of columbia river basin anadromous fish flow management on the aquatic ecology of...
TRANSCRIPT
Assessing effects of Columbia River Basin anadromous fish flow management on the aquatic
ecology of the Henry’s Fork watershed
A Proposal By
The Henry’s Fork Foundation January 23, 2002
1.7 mil acres in size
235K acres of
irrigated farmland
56 % public land
40K people
3000+ mile of rivers,
streams and canals
The Henry’s Fork is a regulated hydrologic system that provides water for irrigation, hydroelectricity, recreation, and flow augmentation for salmon
Providing water for multiple uses under different weather patterns results in a variety of stream flow and reservoir conditions
What happens to fish populations under various flow regimes and habitat conditions?
HFF, IDFG, and ISU fisheries research on the Henry’s Fork has focused primarily on juvenile trout survival and dispersal
Data on relationship between late-winter discharge at IP Dam and juvenile trout abundance
y = 1183.3x - 12487
R2 = 0.9731
0
4000
8000
12000
16000
20000
0 5 10 15 20 25Discharge (cms)
To
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ab
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e o
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t Meyer Mitro ERI
Project Goal:
Assess the correlation
between stream flows and
fish populations, and identify
critical thresholds
Project Objectives Estimate spring and fall trout population size
Estimate annual winter survival and dispersal
Estimate egg to fry survival in Henry’s Lake Outlet
Estimate upstream migration into Buffalo River
Estimate habitat availability across flow regimes
Continue Long-term Synoptic Habitat Monitoring
Correlate above estimates with flow management data
How will the information learned from this project be used?
Guide future discussions on instream flows for fish and wildlife
Inform water management decisions
Inside the box...
Outside the box….