Smolt Monitoring at the Head of Lower Granite Reservoir and Lower Granite Dam; Smolt Monitoring by Federal and Non-Federal Entities, 2000 Annual Report.
This project monitored the daily passage of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, steelhead trout O. mykiss, and sockeye salmon smolts O. nerka during the 2000 spring out-migration at migrant traps on the Snake River and Salmon River. In 2000 the Nez Perce Tribe released significant numbers of hatchery chinook salmon and steelhead trout above Lower Granite Dam that were not marked with a fin clip or coded-wire tag. Generally, these fish were distinguishable from wild fish by the occurrence of fin erosion. Total annual hatchery chinook salmon catch at the Snake River trap was 36% of the 1999 number. The wild chinook catch was 34% of the previous year's catch. Hatchery steelhead trout catch was 121% of 1999 numbers. Wild steelhead trout catch was 139% of 1999 numbers. The Snake River trap collected 689 age-0 chinook salmon. During 2000, the Snake River trap captured 40 hatchery and 92 wild/natural sockeye salmon and 159 hatchery coho salmon O. kisutch. Differences in trap catch between years are due to fluctuations not only in smolt production, but also differences in trap efficiency and duration of trap operation associated with high flows. Trap operations began on March 13 and were terminated for the season due to high flows on June 16. There were no down days due to high flows or debris. Hatchery chinook salmon catch at the Salmon River trap was 96%, and wild chinook salmon catch was 66% of 1999 numbers. The hatchery steelhead trout collection in 2000 was 90% of the 1999 numbers. Wild steelhead trout collection in 2000 was 147% of the previous years catch. Trap operations began on March 13 and were terminated for the season due to high flows on May 22. There were no days where the trap was out of operation due to high flow or debris. Travel time (d) and migration rate (km/d) through Lower Granite Reservoir for passive integrated transponder (PIT) tagged chinook salmon and steelhead trout, marked at the head of the reservoir, were affected by discharge. For fish tagged at the Snake River trap, statistical analysis of 2000 data detected a significant relation between migration rate and discharge. For hatchery and wild chinook salmon, there was a 3.0 and 16.2-fold increase in migration rate, respectively, between 50 and 100 kcfs. For hatchery steelhead, there was a 2.7-fold increase in migration rate, respectively, between 50 kcfs and 100 kcfs. The statistical analysis could not detect a significant relation between migration rate and discharge for wild steelhead in 2000. For fish marked at the Salmon River trap, statistical analysis of the 2000 data detected a significant relation between migration rate and discharge for hatchery chinook salmon at the 0.05 level of significance and at the 0.1 level of significance for wild chinook salmon. Migration rate increased 3.2- and 1.9-fold, respectively, between 50 and 100 kcfs. For hatchery steelhead there was a 1.5-fold increase in migration rate between 50 kcfs and 100 kcfs. Insufficient numbers of wild steelhead trout were PIT tagged at the Salmon River trap to estimate travel time and migration rate to Lower Granite Dam. Fish tagged with PIT tags at the Snake River trap were interrogated at four dams with PIT tag detection systems (Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental, and McNary dams). Because of the addition of the fourth interrogation site (Lower Monumental) in 1993, cumulative interrogation data is not comparable with the prior five years (1988-1992). Cumulative interrogations at the four dams for fish marked at the Snake River trap were 57% for hatchery chinook, 65% for wild chinook, 73% for hatchery steelhead and 71% for wild steelhead. Cumulative interrogations at the four dams for fish marked at the Salmon River trap were 53% for hatchery chinook, 64% for wild chinook salmon, 68% for hatchery steelhead trout, and 65% for wild steelhead trout.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Bonneville Power Administration
- DOE Contract Number:
- 1998FG02117
- OSTI ID:
- 821608
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BP-02117-6; TRN: US200411%%290
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 1 Aug 2002
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Smolt Monitoring at the Head of Lower Granite Reservoir and Lower Granite Dam, 2002 Annual Report.
Smolt Monitoring at the Head of Lower Granite Reservoir and Lower Granite Dam, 2004 Annual Report.
Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
DAMS
DETECTION
EFFICIENCY
FLUCTUATIONS
GRANITES
MONITORING
PRODUCTION
RIVERS
SALMON
SEASONS
TROUT
CHINOOK SALMON - MIGRATION - SNAKE RIVER WATERSHED (WYO.-WASH.)
STEELHEAD (FISH) - MIGRATION - SNAKE RIVER WATERSHED (WYO.-WASH.)
ANADROMOUS FISHES - MIGRATION.