Evaluation of Juvenile Salmonid Outmigration and Survival in the Lower Umatilla River Project No. 1989-024-01 Tara White, Shannon Jewett, Josh Hanson,

Evaluation of Juvenile Salmonid Outmigration and Survival in the Lower Umatilla River

Project No. 1989-024-01

Tara White, Shannon Jewett, Josh Hanson, and Richard CarmichaelODFW, NE Fish Research and Development

Hermiston, OR

Presented by:

Tara White

Research Project Leader

Funded by:

Umatilla River Location

ID

WA

OR

CA

MT

NV UT

Study Site

Umatilla

McNary Dam

Management Issues

Hatchery Effectiveness

Natural ProductionSuccess

Flow EnhancementEffectiveness

Passage Conditions

• Hatchery Effectiveness: survival, outmigration performance & health

• Natural Production Success:abundance, outmigration performance & health

• Flow Enhancement: effects of river operations on fish migration & survival

• Passage Conditions & Strategies: effectiveness of fish passage & transport

Association with Key Project Elements

Project Goals

Migration Abundance

Survival

Life History

Hatchery M&E

MigrationMonitoring & In-basin Survival viaPIT-tag data

O&S

Hatchery O&M

Test fish/Survival

Satellite Fac.

CohoMonitor

Passage Ops.

PassageO&M

UmatillaBasinProj.

NaturalProductionM&E

Lamprey Res.

Migrant Data

MigrantAbundance &Timing

BiologicalData

MigrantData

Mods.

Relationship With Umatilla Basin Projects

Determine migration parameters and survivalof hatchery migrants

Determine abundance and timing of natural migrants& monitor trends in natural

production

Assess condition, health, size, growth, and smolt status of migrants

Investigate effects of river, canal, and fishway operations and environ. variables on migrants

Project Objectives

Evaluate survival between transported and in-river migrants

Document temporal distribution and diversity of resident fish

Operate the PIT-tag interrogation system at West Extension Canal

Design and install adult PIT-tag interrogationat Three Mile Falls Dam

Participate in basin planning and coordination

Project Objectives

Sample Tank

Fish Transfer Flume

River Return Pipe & Antennas

Transceiver

Enclosure

Computer

Recovery Tank

Bypass Pipe

Remote PIT tag Interrogation & Trapping

Methods:

Migration Patterns Hatchery vs. Natural Summer Steelhead

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

3/1

0

3/1

7

3/2

4

3/3

1

4/7

4/1

4

4/2

1

4/2

8

5/5

5/1

2

5/1

9

5/2

7

6/3

6/1

0

6/1

7

6/2

4

7/1

7/8

7/1

5

% P

AS

SA

GE

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

DIS

CH

ARG

E (

CFS

)

Natural

Hatchery

Discharge at RM2.1

2000

Migration PatternsSubyearling Fall Chinook Salmon

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

5/1

2

5/1

9

5/2

7

6/3

6/1

0

6/1

7

6/2

4

7/1

7/8

7/1

5

% P

ASSA

GE

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

DIS

CH

AR

GE (

cfs)

Natural

Hatchery

Discharge atRM 2.1

2001

In-basin Survival of Hatchery Migrants

(1999-2003)

Species Range Mean (%)

CHS 34.7-108.3 69.7 (±17.1)

CHF 53.5-110 74.3 (±28.7)

CHF0 53.4-112 74.8 (±12.0)

STS 40.4-85.8 57.8 (±14.4)

0

25

50

75

100

125

150

175

200

225

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Perc

ent

Surv

ival

to T

MF

Standard-transfer

Fall-transfer

In-Basin Survival of Hatchery Spring Chinook Salmon

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

2001 2002 2003

Perc

ent

Surv

ival

to T

MF Acclimated

Direct Release

* *

In-basin Survival of Hatchery Subyearling Fall Chinook Salmon

Reach Survival Index for Hatchery Summer Steelhead

05

101520253035404550556065

1998 1999 2000 2001

Year

Perc

ent

Tota

l D

etec

tion RM 79

RM 65RM 48RM 27RM 9

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

SpringChinook

Fall Chinook Coho Steelhead

Species

Num

ber

of

Fis

h

2001

20022003

Natural Smolt Abundance

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

90,000

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Abundance

Natural Steelhead Abundance1995-2003

*

Year

* RST

Smolt Yield per Spawner1998-2003

0

50

100

150

200

250

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 Mean

NCHS

NCHFNSTS

Sm

olt

s /

Spaw

ner

Year

Annual Migration Timing of Natural-reared Spring Chinook Salmon

Date

0

5

10

15

20

25

3003/0

3

03/1

0

03/1

7

03/2

4

03/3

1

04/0

7

04/1

4

04/2

1

04/2

8

05/0

5

05/1

2

05/1

9

05/2

6

Date

Perc

ent

Pass

age

2001

2002

2003

Mean Fork Length at Emigrationof Natural Salmonids

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

CHS CHF STS

2001

2002

2003

Mean F

ork

Length

(m

m)

Year

101.2 mm

75.3 mm

173.2 mm

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Age 1 Age 2 Age 3 Age 4

2003

Perc

ent

Age at Emigration

of Natural Steelhead

Subyearling Fall Chinook Migrants and River Flow

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

355

/12

5/1

9

5/2

7

6/3

6/1

0

6/1

7

6/2

4

7/1

7/8

7/1

5

2002

Perc

ent

Pass

age

050100150200250300350400450500

DIS

CH

AR

GE (

cfs)

WCH

Discharge atRM 2.1

Temp >17.5 °C

Flow < 300 cfs

Transport EvaluationSubyearling Fall Chinook Salmon

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

2001 2002

Trt Ctrl

Perc

ent

Dete

ctio

n

Juvenile Bypass EfficiencySpring Chinook Salmon

0.000

0.100

0.200

0.300

0.400

0.500

0.600

0.700

0.800

0.000 0.050 0.100 0.150 0.200 0.250

Diversion Rate

Tra

p E

ffici

ency

r2 = 0.598; P = 0.000 TE = 0.034 + 2.742* Diversion Rate

PIT Tag Equipment Upgrades at West Extension Canal

Before

After

Before

Paddle-style

Antennas

Hand wrapped

Antennas

Temporary

Transceivers

Stationary

Transceivers

PIT Tag Detection SystemThree Mile Falls Dam East

Current

–  

Wier Wall Cut f orSheild and

Ant enna I ns er t

APPROX 9'

8'

14"

TOP V I EW

L OOKI NG UPSTREAM

F low

F iber Glas s C-c hannel f or

ant ennaguide

Proposed

Flow

Weir wallsAntenna

Summary

• Hatchery Production Groups

• Natural Production Success and Life Histories

• Flow Enhancement

• Passage Conditions & Strategies

Conclusions

• Migration patterns of hatchery fish were similar to patterns of natural fish, except in CHF0.

• In-basin performance of hatchery migrants has been poor and highly variable from year to year.

• No consistent pattern of in-basin survival of std-transferred vs. fall-transferred fish.

• CHF0 direct-released at RM 48.5 displayed improved survival over fish acclimated & released upstream (RM 73.5).

• Fish released lower in the river survived at a much higher rate.

• Average annual NSTS smolt production is 49,488.

• Smolt/spawner ratios as in-basin measures of productivity have been relatively low.

Conclusions

• Migration timing of natural migrants varied between species and years.

• Fall chinook salmon are leaving as subyearlings and steelhead at a broad distribution of ages.

• Subyearling fall chinook are emigrating during the critical low flow & high temperature period (June & July).

• The relationship btw environmental variables and passage timing has also been variable.

• The efficiency of the juvenile bypass is influenced by water temperature, river flow and canal diversion rate.

• PIT tag equipment at West Extension Canal was upgraded in 2003.

• Funding is currently being pursued to support installation of PIT tag equipment at Three Mile Falls Dam east.

Recommendations

• Continue monitoring hatchery production strategies via remote PIT tag interrogation.

• Release steelhead as low down in the system as possible while meeting other management objectives.

• Continue to monitor trends in natural abundance & changes in life history expression for natural species.

• Provide enhanced mid-summer flows in an effort to benefit natural CHF0 migrants & reduce fish transport.

• Monitor the relationship btw environmental variables river, canal and fishway operations on migrants.

• Implement improved PIT tag detection equipment at the east bank of Three Mile Falls Dam.