Using PIT Tags to monitor and evaluate survival of reconditioned kelt steelhead in the Yakima River Basin Presented by: Bill Bosch Yakama Nation Fisheries.

Using PIT Tags to monitor and evaluate survival of reconditioned kelt steelhead in the Yakima River Basin

Presented by:

Bill BoschYakama Nation Fisheries

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002

Prosser Wild Hatch.

Yakima River Steelhead Returns, 1984 – Present

Natural Life History of Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

• Anadromous and Resident Forms• Smoltify at various ages • Multiple years in ocean• Able to spawn on more than one occasion –

Spawned out adults (Kelts) return to the ocean, gain weight, develop new eggs, then return to fresh water streams to spawn again.

Juvenile Fish Separator

Steelhead Reconditioning Area

Chandler Kelt Collection, 2003

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

3/12/2003 4/12/2003 5/12/2003 6/12/2003

Date of Collection

Nu

mb

er o

f F

ish

Sampled 826

Released Immediately 111 13.4%

Mortalities 227 27.5%

6/4/03 COLR3 Release 187 22.6%

12/8/03 PRO Release 301 36.4%

“Fresh” Steelhead kelts feeding in Prosser

Hatchery holding pond, April 12, 2002.

Percent Weight Gain for Reconditioned Kelts 2001

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

-50% -20% 10% 40% 70% 100% 130% 160%

% Wt. Gain

Kelt Pictures Before and After

Short- and Long-Term Survival ofReconditioned Kelts to Release

19.6%

33.8%

69.3%61.8%

89.9%

0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

2001 2002 2003

LongTerm

ShortTerm

Data Entry

Reconditioned Steelhead Female in process of constructing her redd in Satus Creek, April 1, 2002.

Table 1. Mark/recapture data for two PIT-tagged Yakima River steelhead kelt females captured and reconditioned at the Prosser Hatchery in 2001 and 2002.

Description Location DatePost-eye-to-

hyperal length (cm)

Weight (kg)

3D9.1BF11A2C6A

Captured / tagged / reconditioned

Prosser 10-May-01 45 1.3

Released Prosser 15-Nov-01 52 3.0

Recaptured / reconditioned

Prosser 30-Apr-02 51 1.9

Released Prosser 10-Dec-02 53 2.3

3D9.1BF1456C7D

Captured / tagged Roza 2-Apr-02 47 2.1

Recaptured / reconditioned

Prosser 25-Apr-02 48 1.7

Released Prosser 10-Dec-02 52 3.7

Recaptured / released Roza 7-Mar-03 53 3.5

Tag History for 2002 below Bonn. ReleasesTagId EventDate EventType SiteID FileId Flags RearTyp3D9.1BF13A0362

5/20/2002 TAG COLR3 WJB02140.PRO AT KL FE W

8/27/2002 OBS B2A

8/27/2002 OBS BWL

9/3/2002 OBS MC1

9/27/2002 REC PROSRD BDW02244.BOS RE RF FE3D9.1BF13A2BAE

5/20/2002 TAG COLR3 WJB02140.PRO AT KL FE W

5/26/2002 OBS TWX3D9.1BF13A4AE1

5/20/2002 TAG COLR3 WJB02140.PRO AT KL FE W

9/16/2002 OBS BO1

10/28/2002 OBS MC2

11/25/2002 REC PROSRD BDW02244.BOS RE RF FE

3/31/2003 REC CHANDL WJB03071.PRO RE KL FE3D9.1BF1565122

5/20/2002 TAG COLR3 WJB02140.PRO AT KL FE W

7/17/2003 OBS BO3

7/26/2003 OBS MC2

Short-Term Kelt Reconditioning

3D9.1BF139F373

5/20/2002 TAG COLR3 WJB02140.PRO AT KL FE W

8/30/2002 OBS B2A

8/30/2002 OBS BWL

9/25/2002 OBS MC1

4/10/2003 OBS MCJ

Short-Term Kelt Reconditioning

• 331 PIT fish released below Bonn. 5/20-28/2002

• 40 fish (12%) detected at Bonn. (upstream) – 29 in fall of 2002 + 11 in fall of 2003

• 31 fish (9.4%) detected at McNary (upstream) – 23 in fall of 2002 + 8 in fall of 2003

• 13 fish detected in Yakima R. Sept02-Apr03

• 10 fish detected moving downstream at Prosser or McNary in the spring of 2003

Yakima R. Steelhead Escapementwith Reconditioning

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

2001-02 2002-03 2003-04

Fresh Recond.

7.3% 14.4%

2.4%

Percentage increase in escapement due to reconditioning.