Fisheries Habitat Evaluation on Tributaries of the Coeur d`Alene Indian Reservation : Annual Report [1991].
The purpose of this study was to conduct physical and biological surveys of streams located on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation. Surveys were designed to collect information on improving spawning habitat, rearing habitat, and access to spawning tributaries for bull trout and cutthroat trout and to evaluate the existing fish stocks. The objectives of the second year of the study were to: (1) Develop a stream ranking system to select the five streams of primary fisheries potential; (2) Conduct physical field surveys; (3) Determine population dynamics; (4) Determine growth rates of existing trout species; (5) Determine macroinvertebrate densities and diversities; and (6) Determine baseline angler utilization. The Missouri method of evaluating stream reaches was modified and utilized to rank the ten tributaries (as determined by Graves et al. 1990) associated with reservation lands. The method incorporated such data as stream bank and bed stability, condition of riparian vegetation, land use, degree of urbanization, passage barriers, water quality, flow and temperature regimes, as well as the overall habitat suitability for all life history stages of cutthroat and bull trout. This data was then combined with relative abundance data, growth rates and invertebrate densities to choose five streams, which offer the best potential habitat, for further study. Relative abundance estimates resulted in the capture of 6,138 fish from June, August, and October, 1991. A total of 427 cutthroat trout were collected from all sampled tributaries. Relative abundance of cutthroat trout for all tributaries was 6.7%. Fighting Creek had the highest abundance of cutthroat trout at 93.1%, followed by Evans Creeks at 30.8%, Lake Creek at 12.1%, Hell's Gulch at 11.1%, Alder Creek at 3.3%, Benewah Creek at 2.1% and Plummer/Little Plummer creeks at 5%. Population estimates were conducted in Benewah, Alder, Evans and Lake creeks. Estimates were: 23.5 {+-} 2.3 fish/l,922.6 m2 in Benewah Creek, 15.3 {+-} 2.1 fish/l,039.6 m2 in Alder Creek, 69.1 {+-} 36.4 fish/857.1 m2 in Lake Creek, and 120.6 {+-} 20.5 fish/634.4 m2 in Evans Creek. Growth rates and condition factors for cutthroat captured in each stream tended to be low in comparison to other streams in the region except for Benewah Creek. Eastern brook trout growth and condition factors were good in relation to other streams in the region. Mean annual invertebrate densities in the tributaries ranged from 1205.3 organisms/m2 in Alder Creek to 2885.56 organisms/m2 in Evans Creek. Mean annual densities in the drift ranged from 21.3 organisms/m2 in Alder Creek to 265.7 organisms/m2 in Evans Creek. Invertebrate densities were comparable to other streams of the same size in the region. Angler effort was determined to be minimal to nonexistent. Compliance with Idaho fish and game regulations regarding stream closures during spawning migrations limited the amount of angler utilization within the tributaries. Low to intermittent flow conditions in the tributaries during open fishing season also decreased angler pressure. Fishing pressure was heaviest by tribal members in late May during peak spawning runs. When runs began to diminish, fishing pressure declined. Fishing pressure was heaviest on those tributaries that were known to have existing runs of cutthroat trout such as Benewah and Lake creeks. Due to the lack of anglers, creel census were eliminated in early August.
- Research Organization:
- Eastern Washington University. Department of Biology. Upper Columbia United Tribes Fisheries Center.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Bonneville Power Administration
- DOE Contract Number:
- 90BP10544
- OSTI ID:
- 921892
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/BP-10544-2; TRN: US200806%%173
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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