Timing and distribution of naturally Timing and distribution of naturally produced coho salmon in the lower produced coho salmon in the lower

Columbia RiverColumbia River

Presentation overviewPresentation overview

Background Background Preliminary resultsPreliminary results Management implicationsManagement implications Conclusions & Conclusions &

recommendationsrecommendations

BackgroundBackground Declines in lower Columbia River coho salmon Declines in lower Columbia River coho salmon Hatchery supplementation reestablished abundanceHatchery supplementation reestablished abundance Reduced genetic diversity and hatchery effects on populationReduced genetic diversity and hatchery effects on population Federally listed in 2005 as “threatened”Federally listed in 2005 as “threatened” Critical uncertainties research needed (avoidance vs mark selective)Critical uncertainties research needed (avoidance vs mark selective)

Conceptual conditionConceptual condition

TimeTime

Estuary Estuary ReceiverReceiverMainstem GateMainstem Gate

Tributary GateTributary Gate

Metric 2011 2012

Date of 1st effort 8/28/2011 8/7/2012Date of 1st capture 8/28/2011 8/7/2012Date of last effort 10/31/2011 10/30/2012Date of last capture 10/19/2011 10/30/2012Days fished 69 132Total coho captured 460 971Coho captured/day 6.7 7.4Total instrumented 129 303Total August instrumented 2 48Instrumented/day 1.87 2.30

129 coho instrumented in 2011, 303 in 2012

In 2011 16 heard in tributaries of interest, 15 over Bonneville

In 2012 39 heard in tributaries of interest, 44 detected over Bonneville

Excluding Willamette avg/trib ~ 2 fish

Only Washougal didn’t have coho detected at gates, but more had fish only hit at one or vacate

LCR Tributary 2011 2012Elochoman River 1 2Clatskanie River -- 1Mill Creek -- 0Cowlitz River 7 9Lewis River 1 5Scappoose Creek -- 0Clackamas River 0 1Washougal River -- 0Sandy River 1 2Willamette River 2 19

ResultsResults

ResultsResults

ResultsResults

YearUltimate Fate

LCR Tributary Bonneville Dam

2011 9/10/2011 9/8/2011

2012 9/15/2012 8/26/2012

ResultsResults

ConclusionsConclusions Multi-modal run-timing is not Multi-modal run-timing is not

apparent in 2012 for CR coho apparent in 2012 for CR coho salmonsalmon

Upper river fish appear to enter Upper river fish appear to enter river earlier than lower river river earlier than lower river counterpartscounterparts

Distance and speed positively Distance and speed positively correlatedcorrelated

Need to increase acoustic Need to increase acoustic presence in estuary tributaries presence in estuary tributaries to greater account for fishto greater account for fish

Need to increase transmitters Need to increase transmitters out to get better presence in out to get better presence in non-Willamette lower river non-Willamette lower river tributariestributaries

Desired StatusDesired Status