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Title: Effects of Flow on the Migratory Behavior and Survival of Juvenile Fall and Summer Chinook Salmon in John Day Reservoir : Annual Report 1983.

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5447643· OSTI ID:5447643

The effects of instream river flow on the passage time, survival, and migrational behavior of juvenile fall and summer (O-age) chinook salmon in John Day Reservoir is being studied. In 1983, the final year of juvenile sampling in the reservoir, research activities continued to refine flow/travel time relationships and distributional behavior of O-age chinook salmon. Fifteen groups (72,559 fish) of marked O-age chinook salmon were wire-tagged, branded, and released into the tailrace at McNary Dam, and thirty-two groups (22,206 fish) were branded and released into the reservoir at various other sites. Sampling at John Day Dam, utilizing the airlift pump system in the B and C slots of Turbine Intake Unit 3, captured 82,698 subyearling chinook salmon including 640 mark recoveries. Additional marks (458) were recovered from purse seine samples taken at various sites throughout the reservoir. Weekly mean fork lengths of O-age chinook salmon captured at McNary and John fsm Dams and in the reservoir by purse seine ranged from 103 mm in mid-June to 166 mm in mid-December. Fish captured at the John Day Dam monitoring facility and by purse seine throughout the reservoir were in excellent condition. Preliminary analysis of stomach samples taken in 1982 and 1983 from purse seine catches indicates active feeding is taking place. The average passage time of the fastest moving marked O-age chinook salmon from McNary Dam to John Day Dam was 11 days (based on 25th percentile of mark recaptures). The average reservoir residence time was 22 days. Regression analysis was used to develop a description of the relationship of river flow to the rate of downstream movement of O-age chinook salmon in John Day Reservoir in 1983. The slope of this line and the correlation coefficient (R) were not significantly different from zero.

Research Organization:
Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, OR (US)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AI79-83BP39643
OSTI ID:
5447643
Report Number(s):
DOE/BP-344; ON: DE85015779
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English