Chinook Salmon Smolt Survival and Smolt to Adult Return Rate Quantification, South Fork Salmon River

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Chinook Salmon Smolt Survival and Smolt to Adult
Return Rate Quantification, South Fork Salmon
River, Idaho
Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resources
Management
New Project 28034
Principal Investigator Jerry Lockhart
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South Fork Salmon River Basin
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Project Goal
Calculate and monitor smolt-to-adult returns
(SARs) and recruits per spawner ratios (R/S) of
summer chinook salmon in the South Fork Salmon
River basin.
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Redd counts Poverty Flats
Annual redd counts, moving five year average, and
regression of annual redd counts versus year for
chinook salmon in the mainstem South Fork Salmon
River from 1957 to 2000.
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Relationship to NMFS 2000 Biological Opinion

• Action 179 Monitors population status in support
  of of recovery goals (estimate of adult
  abundance).
• Action 180 Provides Tier 2 level of life-stage
  specific survival performance standards
  (smolt-to-adult survival, juvenile emigration,
  and Lower Granite Dam to tributary survival of
  adults for wild/natural chinook salmon).
• Action 193 Implements novel, state-of-the-art
  fish detection methods (expanded antennae PIT tag
  detectors in tributary streams).
• Support of Actions 9, 20, 47,107, and 118 via PIT
  tag marking of wild chinook salmon.

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Salmon River Subbasin Summary Needs

• Section 5.4.1 (3) Life history diversity of
  SFSR populations (4) Metapopulation dynamics and
  status (7) Non-invasive monitoring techniques
• Section 5.4.2 (1,3, and 4) Stray rate
  monitoring (10) Hatcherynatural interactions
  (1)Smolt-to-adult survival (1) Recruit per
  spawner rates (5) Metapopulation structure (13)
  Lower Granite Dam to natural production area
  movement and survival of adults

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South Fork Salmon River Basin
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Juvenile Monitoring

• Juvenile monitoring will be accomplished with an
  emigrant trap and a PIT tag marking program

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Sample Size

• Mark enough fish to calculate survival estimates
  to the hydrosystem
• Ensure enough fish are PIT tagged to obtain 30
  adult returns to the natal stream
• Supplement the Comparative Survival Study (CSS)

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Juvenile Monitoring Cont.

• Expected Results
• Abundance Estimates of mainstem SFSR
• Survival Estimates to the Hydrosystem
• Quantify Smolt to Adult Return Rates to Lower
  Granite Dam (LGR)and to the Mainstem SFSR

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Adult Monitoring

• Monitor PIT tag detections at hydro system to
  quantify Smolt to Adult Return rates to LGR
• Utilize expanded PIT tag antennae technology to
  detect PIT tags at natal streams to estimate
  adult escapement

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Expanded PIT Tag Antennae Reader
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Expanded PIT Tag Antennae Reader
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Adult Monitoring Cont.

• Expected Results
• Quantify SARs to LGR and to mainstem SFSR and
  Secesh River
• Estimate adult abundance in the mainstem SFSR and
  Secesh River
• Quantify R/S for mainstem SFSR and Secesh River

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SFSR Basin Analysis

• Coordination with IDFG ISS for activities above
  SFSR Weir
• Coordination with NPT ISS for activities in the
  Secesh River
• Coordination with NPT JCAPE for activities in
  Johnson Creek
• Coordinate with the CSS study for Hydrosystem
  effects

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SFSR Basin Analysis

• Results
• SFSR basin juvenile abundance
• SFSR basin survival to and through hydrosystem
• SFSR basin Smolt to Adult Return Rates
• To LGR, to Individual Stream, Aggregate of Basin
• SFSR basin adult escapement numbers
• SFSR basin Recruit per Spawner Ratios
• Ultimately quantify the status and performance of
  the SFSR basin spawning aggregate