Population-Specific Migration Patterns of Wild Adult Summer-Run Chinook Salmon Passing Wells Dam, Washington
Corresponding Author
Ryan D. Mann
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, Washington, 98501-1091 USA
Corresponding author: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorCharles G. Snow
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, Washington, 98501-1091 USA
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Ryan D. Mann
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, Washington, 98501-1091 USA
Corresponding author: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorCharles G. Snow
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, Washington, 98501-1091 USA
Search for more papers by this authorAbstract
Summer-run Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha migrating over Wells Dam, Washington, enter a habitat characterized by blocked upstream access, high tributary water temperature regimes, and robust tribal and recreational fisheries. In 2011, we initiated a 2-year radiotelemetry study to identify population-specific run timing, movement, and mortality of naturally produced fish passing the dam. Five hundred seventeen salmon were radio-tagged at Wells Dam over 2 years of study. The highest proportion (44%) of tagged fish escaped to the Okanogan River, but spawning populations from the Methow River (16%), Wenatchee River (6%), Entiat River (5%), and the Columbia River upstream (14%) and downstream of Wells Dam (14%) were also represented. In general, tributary-spawning fish had significantly earlier run timing than did main-stem–spawning fish. We observed very little movement among spawning tributaries, but a significant proportion of fish (~30%) were detected holding in the tailrace of Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River prior to spawning, including fish from populations many kilometers downstream of Wells Dam. Fallback was common in each year of the study, and we calculated that passage at Wells Dam was overestimated by 27.5% in 2011 and 32.0% in 2012 due to fallback and re-ascension. Of the fish that remained upstream, 16% in 2011 and 22% in 2012 were estimated to have died prior to spawning, excluding fish that were known or suspected to have been harvested. In 2012, warm water temperatures (>20°C) in the Okanogan River resulted in a thermal barrier that delayed migration but did not affect spawning distribution within the river compared with 2011, when no significant thermal barrier was detected. Our results highlight some of the complex migration and distribution patterns of natural-origin Chinook Salmon passing Wells Dam and should assist managers in upstream population and fishery modeling efforts.
REFERENCES
- Ashbrook, C. E., E. A. Schwartz, C. M. Waldbillig, and K. W. Hassel. 2008. Migration and movement patterns of adult Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) above Wells Dam. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Technical Report FPT 06-11.
- Boggs, C. T., M. L. Keefer, C. A. Peery, T. C. Bjornn, and L. C. Stuehrenberg. 2004. Fallback, re-ascension, and adjusted fishway escapement estimates for adult Chinook Salmon and steelhead at Columbia and Snake River dams. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133: 932–949.
- Bowerman, T., M. L. Keefer, and C. C. Caudill. 2016. Pacific Salmon prespawn mortality: patterns, methods, and study design considerations. Fisheries 41: 738–749.
- Chapman, D. W. 1986. Salmon and steelhead abundance in the Columbia River in the nineteenth century. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 115: 662–670.
- Chilcote, M. W., K. W. Goodson, and M. R. Falcy. 2011. Reduced recruitment performance in natural populations of anadromous salmonids associated with hatchery-reared fish. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 68: 511–522.
- Christie, M. R., M. L. Marine, R. A. French, and M. S. Blouin. 2011. Genetic adaptation to captivity can occur in a single generation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 109: 238–242.
- Columbia Basin Research. 2017. Columbia River data access in real time [online database]. Columbia Basin Research, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle. Available: www.cbr.washington.edu/dart/. (February 2018).
- Connor, W. P., H. L. Burge, J. R. Yearsley, and T. C. Bjornn. 2003. Influence of flow and temperature on survival of wild subyearling fall Chinook Salmon in the Snake River. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 23: 362–375.
- Dauble, D. D., T. P. Hanrahan, D. R. Geist, and M. J. Parsley. 2003. Impacts of the Columbia River hydroelectric system on main-stem habitats of fall Chinook Salmon. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 23: 641–659.
- Dauble, D. D., and R. P. Mueller. 2000. Difficulties in estimating survival for adult Chinook Salmon in the Columbia and Snake rivers. Fisheries 25(8): 24–34.
- Fish, F. F., and M. G. Hanavan. 1948. A report on the Grand Coulee Fish Maintenance Project, 1939–1947. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Scientific Report 55.
- Fulton, L. A. 1968. Spawning areas and abundance of Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Columbia River basin: past and present. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Scientific Report Fisheries 571.
- Giorgi, A. E., T. W. Hillman, J. R. Stevenson, S. G. Hays, and C. M. Peven. 1997. Factors that influence the downstream migration rates of juvenile salmon and steelhead through the hydroelectric system in the mid–Columbia River basin. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 17: 268–282.
10.1577/1548-8675(1997)017<0268:FTITDM>2.3.CO;2 Google Scholar
- Goniea, T. M., M. L. Keefer, T. C. Bjornn, C. A. Peery, D. H. Bennett, and L. C. Stuehrenberg. 2006. Behavioral thermoregulation and slowed migration by adult fall Chinook Salmon in response to high Columbia River water temperatures. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 135: 408–419.
- Hatch, D. R., A. Wand, A. Porter, and M. Schwartzberg. 1992. The feasibility of estimating Sockeye Salmon escapement at Zosel Dam using underwater video technology. Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Annual progress report for Public Utility District No. 1 of Douglas County, Portland, Oregon. Available: www.fishlib.org/library/Documents/CRITFC/zosel1992.pdf (July 2014).
- Hillman, T., M. Miller, L. Keller, J. Murauskas, T. Miller, M. Tonseth, M. Hughes, and A. Murdoch. 2013. Monitoring and evaluation of the Chelan County PUD hatchery programs: 2012 annual report. Report to the HCP Hatchery Committee, Wenatchee, Washington.
- Hillman, T., M. Miller, J. Murauskas, L. Keller, T. Miller, M. Tonseth, M. Hughes, and A. Murdoch. 2012. Monitoring and evaluation of the Chelan County PUD hatchery programs: 2011 annual report. Report to the HCP Hatchery Committee, Wenatchee, Washington.
- Hyatt, K. D., M. M. Stockwell, and D. P. Rankin. 2003. Impact and adaptation responses of Okanogan River Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) to climate variation and change effects during freshwater migration: stock restoration and fisheries management implications. Canadian Water Resources Journal 28: 689–713.
10.4296/cwrj2804689 Google Scholar
- Kassler, T. W., S. Blankenship, and A. R. Murdoch. 2011. Genetic structure of upper Columbia River summer Chinook and evaluation of the effects of supplementation programs. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia.
- Keefer, M. L., C. A. Peery, T. C. Bjornn, M. A. Jepson, and L. C. Stuehrenberg. 2004a. Hydrosystem, dam, and reservoir passage rates of adult Chinook Salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake rivers. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 133: 1413–1439.
- Keefer, M. L., C. A. Peery, and C. C. Caudill. 2008. Migration timing of Columbia River spring Chinook Salmon: effects of temperature, river discharge, and ocean environment. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 137: 1120–1133.
- Keefer, M. L., C. A. Peery, M. A. Jepson, K. B. Tolotti, T. C. Bjornn, and L. C. Stuehrenberg. 2004b. Stock-specific migration timing of adult spring–summer Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River basin. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 24: 1145–1162.
- Keefer, M. L., C. A. Perry, R. R. Ringe, and T. C. Bjornn. 2004c. Regurgitation rates of intragastric radio transmitters by adult Chinook Salmon and steelhead during upstream migration in the Columbia and Snake rivers. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 24: 47–54.
- Major, R. L., and J. L. Mighell. 1966. Influence of Rocky Reach Dam and the temperature of the Okanogan River on the upstream migration of Sockeye Salmon. U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service Fishery Bulletin 66: 131–147.
- Matter, A. L., and B. P. Sandford. 2003. A comparison of migration rates of radio- and PIT-tagged adult Snake River Chinook Salmon through the Columbia River hydropower system. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 23: 967–973.
- Naughton, G. P., C. C. Caudill, M. L. Keefer, T. C. Bjornn, C. A. Peery, and L. C. Stuehrenberg. 2006. Fallback by adult Sockeye Salmon at Columbia River dams. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 26: 380–390.
- Nehlsen, W., J. E. Williams, and J. A. Lichatowich. 1991. Pacific salmon at the crossroads: stocks at risk from California, Oregon, Idaho, and Washington. Fisheries 16(2): 4–21.
- NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service). 2005. Endangered and threatened species: final listing determinations for 16 ESUs of West Coast salmon and final 4(d) protective regulations for threatened salmonid ESUs. Federal Register 70:123(28 June 2005): 37160–37204.
- Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. 2017. PTAGIS (Columbia Basin PIT Tag Information System) [online database]. Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission, Portland, Oregon. Available: www.ptagis.org.
- Quinn, T. P., and D. J. Adams. 1996. Environmental changes affecting the migratory timing of American Shad and Sockeye Salmon. Ecology 77: 1151–1162.
- Quinn, T. P., S. Hodgson, and C. Peven. 1997. Temperature, flow, and the migration of adult Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Columbia River. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 54: 1349–1360.
- Ramstad, K. M., C. J. Foote, J. B. Olsen, and D. Rogers. 2003. Genetic and phenotypic evidence of reproductive isolation between seasonal runs of Sockeye Salmon in Bear Lake, Alaska. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 132: 997–1013.
- Raymond, H. L. 1988. Effects of hydroelectric development and fisheries enhancement on spring and summer Chinook Salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 8: 1–12.
10.1577/1548-8675(1988)008<0001:EOHDAF>2.3.CO;2 Google Scholar
- Richard, A., M. Dionne, J. Wang, and L. Bernatchez. 2013. Does catch-and-release affect the mating system and individual reproductive success of wild Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar L.)? Molecular Ecology 22: 187–200.
- Richter, A., and S. A. Kolmes. 2005. Maximum temperature limits for Chinook, Coho, and Chum salmon and steelhead trout in the Pacific Northwest. Reviews in Fisheries Science 13: 23–49.
- Salinger, D. H., and J. J. Anderson. 2006. Effects of water temperature and flow on adult salmon migration swim speed and delay. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 135: 188–199.
- Sanford, B. P., R. W. Zabel, L. G. Gilbreath, and S. G. Smith. 2012. Exploring latent mortality of juvenile salmonids related to migration through the Columbia River hydropower system. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 141: 343–352.
- Snover, A. K., G. S. Mauger, L. C. Whitely Binder, M. Krosby, and I. Tohver. 2013. Climate change impacts and adaptation in Washington State: technical summaries for decision makers. State of Knowledge Report prepared for the Washington State Department of Ecology, Climate Impacts Group, University of Washington, Seattle.
- Strange, J. S. 2010. Upper thermal limits to migration in adult Chinook Salmon: evidence from the Klamath River basin. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 139: 1091–1108.
- Strange, J. S. 2012. Migration strategies of adult Chinook Salmon runs in response to diverse environmental conditions in the Klamath River basin. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 141: 1622–1636.
- Thorstad, E. B., T. F. Naesje, and I. Leinan. 2007. Long-term effects of catch-and-release angling on ascending Atlantic Salmon during different stages of spawning migration. Fisheries Research 85: 330–334.
- Unwin, M. J., M. T. Kinnison, N. C. Boustead, and T. P. Quinn. 2003. Genetic control over survival in Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.): experimental evidence between and within populations of New Zealand Chinook Salmon (O. tshawytscha). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 60: 1–11.
- Utter, F. M., D. W. Chapman, and A. R. Marshall. 1995. Genetic population structure and history of Chinook Salmon of the upper Columbia River. Pages 149–165 in J. L. Nielsen, editor. Evolution and the aquatic ecosystem: defining unique units in population conservation. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 17, Bethesda, Maryland.
- Van Hyning, J. M. 1973. Factors affecting the abundance of fall Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River. Research Reports of the Fish Commission of Oregon 4: 1–87.
- Weitkamp, D. E., and M. Katz. 1980. A review of dissolved gas supersaturation literature. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 109: 659–702.