Smolt Monitoring Program:Overview and Data

Collection (SMP Traps)

Brandon R. ChockleySMP Pre-Season Meeting

Feb. 11, 2015

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Goals of the SMP

Provide real-time data on juvenile salmonids to Fisheries Managers in support of in-season management decisions

Provide a time-series of data for evaluation of effects of changing conditions on fish migration (timing, survival, travel time).

Implement Gas Bubble Trauma Monitoring Program

Implement 11 RPA’s from 2014 Biological Opinion

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Three Components of the SMP

1. PIT-tag marking at Hatcheries Wells Hatchery (WDFW) – CH0 Leavenworth NFH (USFWS) – CH1 Priest Rapids (WDFW) – CH0 Dworshak NFH (USFWS/NPT) - ST

2. PIT-tag marking at Traps and Rock Island Imnaha River Trap (NPT) – CH1 and ST Grande Ronde River Trap (ODFW) – CH1 & ST Snake River Trap (IDFG) – CH1 & ST Salmon River Trap (IDFG) – CH1 & ST Rock Island Dam (Chelan PUD) – CH1, CH0,

ST, SO3

Target PIT-tag Totals for SMPSite

WildST

Hatch. ST

Wild CH1

Hatch.CH1

Hatch.CH0

Unk.CH1

Unk.CH0

Unk.SO

GRNTRP 1,200 3,600 2,800 1,400

RI2BYP 1,200 2,800     4,000 4,800 3,400

SALTRP 1,400 3,400 3,200 4,000

SNKTRP 1,400 3,600 2,800 3,600

IMNTRP 5,000 10,000

DWOR NFH 1,500

WELH 6,000

PRDH 3,000

LEAV NFH 15,000

Cooperation with Comparative Survival Study Wild CH1 from traps are pre-assigned to 70% Monitor-Mode

and 30% Return-to-River Wild ST from traps are pre-assigned to 50% Monitor-Mode and

50% Return-to-River Hatchery ST from DWOR NFH are pre-assigned to 70%

monitor-mode and 30% Return-to-river 4

Three Components of the SMP

3. Fish sampling at SMP Traps & Bypass Facilities Snake Basin Traps: Imnaha River Trap (NPT),

Grande Ronde River Trap (ODFW), Salmon River Trap (IDFG), Snake River Trap (IDFG),

Snake Bypass Facilities: Lower Granite Dam (WDFW/PSMFC), Little Goose Dam (ODFW), Lower Monumental Dam (WDFW/PSMFC)

Upper Columbia Bypass Facility: Rock Island Dam (Chelan PUD)

Lower Columbia Bypass Facilities: McNary Dam (WDFW/PSMFC), John Day Dam (PSMFC), Bonneville Dam (PSMFC) 5

2015 Sampling Schedule and Data Collection - Traps

Site When Sampling Data Collected

Salmon River Trap (WTB)

• ~3/5-~5/26 (5 days per week)

• Samples of target salmonids and lamprey

• Descaling and mortality on target species

• Samples of incidentals

• PIT-taggingoHatchery and wild Chinook

and steelhead at WTB, LEW, GRN

oWild Chinook and steelhead at IMN

Snake River Trap (LEW)

• ~3/5-~5/26(7 days per week)

Grande Ronde River Trap (GRN)

• ~3/5-~5/26(7 days per week)

Imnaha River Trap (IMN)

• SMP reporting: ~early March-mid-July

(7 days per week)

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2015 Sampling Schedule and Data Collection – Bypass Facilities

Site When Sampling Data Collected

LGR • 3/26-10/31(24-hr, every day) • Samples of target salmonids and lamprey

• Descaling and mortality on target species

• Samples of incidentals

• Condition subsampleoSalmonids only at LGR, LGS, & LMNoSalmonids and Lamprey at MCN

• GBT MonitoringoOnce-per-week at LGR, LGS, & LMNoTwice-per-week at MCN

LGS • 4/1-Start of Transport(??-hr, every-other-day)• Start of Transport – 10/31(24-hr, every day)

LMN • 4/1-4/11 (??-hr, every-3rd-day)• 4/12-Start of Transport(??-hr, every-other-day)• Start of Transport – 10/1 (24-hr, every day)

MCN • Early April-10/1(24-hr, every-other-day)

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2015 Sampling Schedule and Data Collection – Bypass Facilities

Site When Sampling Data Collected

JDA • 4/1-9/15(24-hr, every day)• High Temps(6-hr, twice-per-week)

• Samples of target salmonids and lamprey

• Descaling and mortality on target species

• Samples of incidentals

• Condition subsample on salmonids and lamprey (JDA and BON only)

• Twice-per-week GBT (BON and RIS Only)

BON • ~3/5-10/31(24-hr, every day)• High Temps(24-hr, every-other-day)

RIS • 4/1-8/31(24-hr, every day)

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Information to Collect on Target Species (Salmonids and Lamprey)

Species identification Special species (salmonids only) Marks, clips, and tags (salmonids only) Descaling (salmonids only) Mortality

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Information to Collect on SmoltsSpecies Identification

Salmonid identification – Use the PSMFC publication “Columbia River Basin Juvenile Fish Field Guide”. FPC has copies or contact Rick for copies

Lamprey identification – Use USFWS guide Available on FPC FTP web-site (ftp://

ftp.fpc.org/FPC32.net/Manuals/Lamprey%20ID%20card.pdf)

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Species – Chinook (CH) All Chinook should have an Age Code

Yearling Chinook Age Code = 1 Subyearling Chinook Age Code = 0

Age code useful in determining spring/summer vs. fall Chinook, except holdovers and Lyons Ferry releases.

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Species – Chinook (CH) Cont’d…

Holdover (HO) - used for yearling Fall Chinook; typically >160mm and typically observed in April and May

Lyons Ferry (LF) – used for yearling fall Chinook reared at Lyons Ferry Hatchery and released from Lyons Ferry Hatchery or at acclimation sites above Lower Granite Dam. This code should only be used at Snake River sites that can positively identify Lyons Ferry releases of yearling fall Chinook .

Fry (FR) – used for Chinook < 60 mm (Age Code = 0)

Three Special Species Codes are applicable to Chinook

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Species – Steelhead (ST)

Only applicable Special Species Code for steelhead is Eroded Fin (EF)

EF is used only with unclipped steelhead if the dorsal fin or paired fins are clearly eroded as a result of hatchery rearing.

May encounter Rainbow trout - use the less streamlined shape and the non-silvery color characteristics to identify rainbow trout and enter these as Incidental Species 13

Species – Sockeye (SO)

Only applicable Special Species Code for sockeye is Fry (FR) (≤60 mm)

In general, sockeye ≥200 mm are considered kokanee and should be entered as Incidental Species, UNLESS they are clipped, CWT, and/or PIT-tagged Exception to this at RIS

Sockeye >450 mm (18 inches) should be considered adult sockeye fallbacks and entered as Incidental Species

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Species – Coho (CO)

Only applicable Special Species Code for coho is Fry (FR) (≤ 60 mm)

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Species – Lamprey Juveniles

Five possible species codes for lamprey juveniles

AB = Ammocoete (Brook) AP = Ammocoete (Pacific) AS = Ammocoete (Unknown) MP = Macropthalmia (Pacific) LU = Lamprey sp. (unidentified) No Special Species Codes are applicable for

lamprey juveniles16

Clips, Marks, and Tags

Clips – Adipose, right ventral, left ventral, or any combination Clips are recorded in Catch Detail and touch screen

CWT – LGR, LGS, LMN, and traps will examine all unclipped Chinook (CH1 & CH0), coho and sockeye for coded-wire-tags. CWT are recorded in Catch Detail and touch screen Try to avoid false CWT scans on PIT-tags

EL – In 2015 ALL SMP sites will collect elastomer data on Yearling Chinook and Steelhead EL are recorded in Mark/Recap

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Descaling

Examine all fish for descaling (except fry and lamprey juveniles)

Fish are either descaled (>20% on 1 side) or not descaled.

No additional information about presence or absence of predator marks required

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Mortality Sample Morts - sample tank/room

mortalities and GBT mortalities that died after being removed from the separator. Mortalities are NOT examined for descaling.

All sample morts encountered by SMP personnel whould be examined for PIT-tags If PIT-tagged, “Mort” file should be submitted to

PTAGIS PIT-tag Morts - mortalities due to PIT

tagging operations

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SMP Protocols, Data Entry Programs and Manuals

Fish Passage Center FTP site provides links to updates SMP protocols and manuals and newest versions of data entry programs: Protocols and Manuals:

SMP - ftp://ftp.fpc.org/FPC32.net/Manuals/GBT - ftp://ftp.fpc.org/GBT/

Pre-season Meeting Presentations: ftp://ftp.fpc.org/FPC32.net/Preseason%20Presentations/

Data Entry Programs: FPC32.net - ftp://ftp.fpc.org/FPC32.net/GBT.net - ftp://ftp.fpc.org/GBT/ 20