In Search of the In Search of the Lost Legions Lost Legions Attempting to account for Attempting to account for Hatchery-origin steelhead Hatchery-origin steelhead returns to the Snake returns to the Snake River River Herb Pollard – NOAA –National Marine Fisheries Service Chris Starr – USFWS – Lower Snake Compensation Plan
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In Search of the Lost Legions Attempting to account for Hatchery-origin steelhead returns to the Snake River Herb Pollard – NOAA –National Marine Fisheries.
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In Search of the Lost In Search of the Lost LegionsLegions
Attempting to account for Attempting to account for Hatchery-origin steelhead Hatchery-origin steelhead returns to the Snake Riverreturns to the Snake River
Herb Pollard – NOAA –National Marine Fisheries Service
Chris Starr – USFWS – Lower Snake Compensation Plan
Estimated Snake River steelhead smolt outmigrants at Lower Granite
Dam
0
2000000
4000000
6000000
8000000
Years 1999-2004
Nu
mb
er
Hatchery Origin
Natural Origin
Hatchery-origin : Wild/natural Hatchery-origin : Wild/natural Steelhead Run Composition at Steelhead Run Composition at Lower Granite Dam 1984-2003Lower Granite Dam 1984-2003
Hatchery-origin
Wild/natural
050000
100000150000
200000250000
300000
1984-1985
1987-1988
1990-1991
1993-1994
1996-1997
1999-2000
2002-2003
Hatchery-origin steelhead
Natural-origin Steelhead
Hatchery-origin : Wild/natural Hatchery-origin : Wild/natural Steelhead Run % Composition at Steelhead Run % Composition at Lower Granite Dam 1984-2003Lower Granite Dam 1984-2003
Hatchery-origin steelhead
Natural-origin steelhead
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
84-8
5
86-8
7
88-8
9
90-9
1
92-9
3
94-9
5
96-9
7
98-9
9
00-0
102
03
Hatchery-origin steelhead adults
Natural-origin steelhead adults
Concerns about Hatchery-origin Concerns about Hatchery-origin Steelhead Adult ReturnsSteelhead Adult Returns
Genetic concerns:Genetic concerns:• Artificial selectionArtificial selection• Genetic introgressionGenetic introgression• Loss of fitnessLoss of fitness
Ecological ConcernsEcological Concerns• Competition for mates or spawning Competition for mates or spawning
areasareas
Sometimes these concerns are Sometimes these concerns are expressed as:expressed as:
““There are Tens of Thousands of There are Tens of Thousands of unaccounted hatchery steelhead in the unaccounted hatchery steelhead in the Snake River Basin!”Snake River Basin!”
““Hatchery steelhead stray randomly and Hatchery steelhead stray randomly and impact wild steelhead throughout the impact wild steelhead throughout the basin!”basin!”
““Hatchery strays are spawning with wild Hatchery strays are spawning with wild fish in important natural production areas, fish in important natural production areas, reducing fitness and adversely impacting reducing fitness and adversely impacting recovery!”recovery!”
Concerns for Hatchery strays in Concerns for Hatchery strays in status reviews and recovery status reviews and recovery
literatureliterature
But, really, not much is But, really, not much is known about the impact of known about the impact of hatchery fish on natural hatchery fish on natural steelhead in the Snake steelhead in the Snake River basin.River basin.
The Assignment to Fishery The Assignment to Fishery Managers:Managers:
Account for the hatchery-origin Account for the hatchery-origin steelhead that return to known sites steelhead that return to known sites and harvestand harvest
Summarize the data for hatchery-Summarize the data for hatchery-origin steelhead that stray between origin steelhead that stray between release sites or into natural release sites or into natural production areas production areas
Data on known removals/mortalitiesData on known removals/mortalities
Hatchery rack returnsHatchery rack returns Harvest estimates/creel censusHarvest estimates/creel census Natural mortalityNatural mortality Return to direct stream releasesReturn to direct stream releases Catch and release mortality in Catch and release mortality in
recreational fisheriesrecreational fisheries
Data on known strays/tag Data on known strays/tag recoveriesrecoveries
Wild steelhead weirs in Grande Wild steelhead weirs in Grande Ronde, Imnaha, and Lochsa systemsRonde, Imnaha, and Lochsa systems
Hatchery weirsHatchery weirs Coded-wire tag returns from weirs Coded-wire tag returns from weirs
and fisheriesand fisheries
Genetic Evidence of hatchery Genetic Evidence of hatchery introgression into natural introgression into natural
CooperatorsCooperators Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife – Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife –
Mark SchuckMark Schuck Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife – Rich Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife – Rich
CarmichaelCarmichael Idaho Department of Fish and Game – Paul KlineIdaho Department of Fish and Game – Paul Kline Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries – Becky JohnsonNez Perce Tribal Fisheries – Becky Johnson Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Fisheries – Keith Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Fisheries – Keith
KutchinsKutchins Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian
Reservation – Brian ZimmermanReservation – Brian Zimmerman
How many fish can be How many fish can be accounted for?accounted for?
Harvest
Hatchery
Direct Release
C&R
Natural
Unaccounted
Harvest
Hatchery
Direct Release
C&R
Natural
Unaccounted
Harvest
Hatchery
Direct Release
C&R
Natural
Unaccounted
Harvest
Hatchery
Direct Release
C&R
Natural
Unaccounted
Harvest
Hatchery
Direct Release
C&R
Natural
Unaccounted
Harvest
Hatchery
Direct Release
C&R
Natural
Unaccounted
Distribution of Hatchery-origin Steelhead in Distribution of Hatchery-origin Steelhead in the Snake River 1995-2002the Snake River 1995-2002
Weighted AverageWeighted Average
Harvest 60.9%
Hatchery Rack 19.1%Direct Stream 8.7%
Natural Mortality 6.4% C&R mortality 0.8%
Unaccounted 4.1%
Distribution of Hatchery-origin Steelhead in Distribution of Hatchery-origin Steelhead in the Snake River 1995-2002the Snake River 1995-2002
-50%
0%
50%
100%
95-96
96-97
97-98
98-99
99-00
00-01
0102
Unaccounted
Direct Stream
Natural mort
C&R mort
Hatchery
Harvest
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
95-6 96-7 97-8 98-9 99-00 00-01 01 02
Unaccounted HOR
NOR Escapement
So, where do they go?So, where do they go?
Numbers of natural-origin adult steelhead and hatchery-Numbers of natural-origin adult steelhead and hatchery-origin strays trapped at Grande Ronde River tributary weirs, origin strays trapped at Grande Ronde River tributary weirs,
2001-2004 (Data from Mike McLean, CTUIR2001-2004 (Data from Mike McLean, CTUIR) ) Weir Site Run Year
2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 Total (Strays)
Lookingglass Creek
258 165 134 557 (4)
Upper Grande Ronde
36 56 63 155 (1)
Catherine Creek 256 226 181 663 (3)
Total (Strays) 550 (5) 447 (1) 378 (2) 1,375 (8)
Proportion of Hatchery-origin Proportion of Hatchery-origin steelhead strays at three weirs in steelhead strays at three weirs in
the upper Grande Ronde Subbasinthe upper Grande Ronde Subbasin
1,367 Wild/natural fish – 99.4%
8 Hatchery strays – 0.6%
Stray rates in the Imnaha Basin 1999-00 to 2003-04 run Stray rates in the Imnaha Basin 1999-00 to 2003-04 run
years. Courtesy of Jay Hesse (Nez Perce Tribe).years. Courtesy of Jay Hesse (Nez Perce Tribe).
Lightning Stray rate Cow Stray rate Stray rate
Run year Escapement Creek (%) Creek (%) SGS (%)
1999-00 445 2 0.0045 -- 0 0.0000
2000-01 1,224 2 0.0016 4 0.0033 0 0.0000
2001-02 3,775 8 0.0021 15 0.0040 0 0.0000
2002-03 2,417 7 0.0029 4 0.0017 3 0.0012
2003-04 3,502 8 0.0023 20 0.0057 1 0.0003
Imnaha Hatchery Returns and Imnaha Hatchery Returns and strays in Tributariesstrays in Tributaries
11,363 Hatchery returns – 1999-04
74 Hatchery Strays detected in Tributaries
Fish Creek Weir: Hatchery StraysFish Creek Weir: Hatchery Strays
How well do the hatchery How well do the hatchery fish return to the point of fish return to the point of release?release?
Cottonwood Pond – 4,515 CWTCottonwood Pond – 4,515 CWTrecovered in the Snake River Basinrecovered in the Snake River Basin
Snake River Sport – 1,628
Grande Ronde Sport – 1,936
Cottonwood Trap - 781
Lyons Ferry Trap - 110 Others – 60 (1.3%) Clearwater Sport – 11 Tucannon Sport – 13 Salmon Sport - 30 Pahsimeroi – 1 Big Canyon - 5
Wallowa-Big Canyon 4,361 CWT Wallowa-Big Canyon 4,361 CWT Recovered in the Wallowa RiverRecovered in the Wallowa River
Returned to Site of Release – 4,348
Strays between Facilities - 13
Idaho Rack and Harvest Recovery Idaho Rack and Harvest Recovery of fish released at racks – 6,361 of fish released at racks – 6,361 CWT recovered in Snake riverCWT recovered in Snake river
OK – Fish recovered at the release site or in fisheries downstream and en route - 6,324 tags
Not OK – Fish recovered at the wrong hatchery rack or in fisheries off the direct route – 37 tags (0.6%)
IDFG Direct Stream Releases IDFG Direct Stream Releases 1,153 CWT1,153 CWT
OK – Recovered in area of release - 916 tags (79.5%)
Out-of-Subbasin– downstream – 37 tags (3.0%)
In-subbasin -downstream – 48 tags (4.0 %)
In-subbasin – upstream 152 tags (13.2%)
Genetic SurveysGenetic Surveys
Genetic Population Structure of Genetic Population Structure of Snake River Basin Steelhead in Idaho Snake River Basin Steelhead in Idaho (Nielsen et al 2004) : (Nielsen et al 2004) :
“…“…significant genetic population significant genetic population structure remains for steelhead structure remains for steelhead populations within the Snake populations within the Snake River…”River…”
Conclusion: Fishery managers know Conclusion: Fishery managers know where most of the hatchery origin where most of the hatchery origin
steelhead go in the Snake River Basin.steelhead go in the Snake River Basin.
On the average, 95.9% of the On the average, 95.9% of the hatchery steelhead passing Lower hatchery steelhead passing Lower Granite Dam are accounted in Granite Dam are accounted in harvest, rack returns, natural harvest, rack returns, natural mortality and returns to sites like the mortality and returns to sites like the Little Salmon River. The number of Little Salmon River. The number of unaccounted fish is much smaller unaccounted fish is much smaller than has been thought.than has been thought.
Conclusion: Once within the Snake Conclusion: Once within the Snake River Basin, hatchery-origin River Basin, hatchery-origin
steelhead demonstrate a high steelhead demonstrate a high degree of homing fidelity. degree of homing fidelity.
CWT detections indicate >90% CWT detections indicate >90% return to release sitesreturn to release sites
Stray rates between facilities or in Stray rates between facilities or in fishery detections are small.fishery detections are small.
Conclusion: Conclusion: Detection of Hatchery Detection of Hatchery strays in natural production areas is strays in natural production areas is
less than suspectedless than suspected
Weirs located on wild steelhead Weirs located on wild steelhead streams catch few hatchery fish, streams catch few hatchery fish, hatchery fish are seldom hatchery fish are seldom observed in spawning grounds observed in spawning grounds surveys, and the ongoing genetic surveys, and the ongoing genetic surveys have not reported surveys have not reported widespread occurrence of the widespread occurrence of the hatchery stockshatchery stocks..
There are weirs on only a few of the There are weirs on only a few of the important wild production streams – important wild production streams – What about the others?What about the others?
If the few hatchery strays arrive in If the few hatchery strays arrive in natural spawning areas, how natural spawning areas, how successful are they – what are the successful are they – what are the impacts?impacts?
However…..However…..
Empirical data is fairly abundant and Empirical data is fairly abundant and robust to indicate that straying of robust to indicate that straying of large numbers of hatchery steelhead large numbers of hatchery steelhead into important natural production into important natural production areas does not occur within the areas does not occur within the Snake River basin at the level Snake River basin at the level previously thought.previously thought.
Management ImplicationsManagement Implications
Geographic isolation of hatchery Geographic isolation of hatchery steelhead can be an effective steelhead can be an effective management measuremanagement measure• Release fish in main stems, away from Release fish in main stems, away from
important tributary spawning areasimportant tributary spawning areas• Release fish in areas with good public Release fish in areas with good public
access to increase harvest ratesaccess to increase harvest rates
Management ImplicationsManagement Implications
Steelhead exhibit strong homing Steelhead exhibit strong homing fidelity to release sites, but…fidelity to release sites, but…• There may be a tendency to stray There may be a tendency to stray
upstream or into nearby tributaries if upstream or into nearby tributaries if fish are not removedfish are not removed
Management ImplicationsManagement Implications
Acclimation ponds may not be Acclimation ponds may not be necessary, but…necessary, but…• Release at a pond or tributary weir will Release at a pond or tributary weir will
likely help with accounting for returnslikely help with accounting for returns• Acclimation ponds allow management Acclimation ponds allow management
options with non-migratory “residual” options with non-migratory “residual” malesmales
Thank you…Thank you…
Any Questions?Any Questions?
Herb Pollard, NOAA Fisheries NW Region, Herb Pollard, NOAA Fisheries NW Region, Hatcheries and Inland Fisheries BranchHatcheries and Inland Fisheries Branch
Chris Starr, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Lower Chris Starr, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Lower Snake River Compensation PlanSnake River Compensation Plan