Early Observations from Monitoring a Reintroduction Program: Return of Sockeye Salmon to a Nursery Lake of Historical Importance

Journal Article · Tue Jan 08 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Transactions of the American Fisheries Society

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/tafs.10133· OSTI ID:1630217

Matala, Andrew P. ^[1]; Narum, Shawn R. ^[1]; Saluskin, Brian P. ^[2]; Johnston, Mark V. ^[3]; Newell, Jeremiah E. ^[4]; Fast, David E. ^[5]; Galbreath, Peter F. ^[4]

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1. Columbia River Inter‐Tribal Fish Commission Hagerman Fish Culture Experiment Station 3059‐F National Fish Hatchery Road Hagerman Idaho 83332 USA
2. Yakama Nation Fisheries 800 Spring Chinook Way, Post Office Box 836 Cle Elum Washington 98922 USA
3. Yakama Nation Fisheries 771 Pence Road Yakima Washington 98902 USA
4. Columbia River Inter‐Tribal Fish Commission 700 Northeast Multnomah Street, Suite 1200 Portland Oregon 97232 USA
5. Yakama Nation Fisheries Post Office Box 151 Toppenish Washington 98948 USA

Abstract The historical distribution of Sockeye Salmon Oncorhynchus nerka in the Columbia River basin has been constrained by the species’ dependence on nursery lakes for juvenile rearing. Several productive lake systems were impounded by dams during the last century leading to the extirpation of Sockeye Salmon from many nursery lakes in the region. Recent efforts to re‐establish populations in historically natal areas are exemplified by the Cle Elum Lake reintroduction program. The program is founded on outplanting adult fish from two middle Columbia River donor populations with different adaptive potentials. We used genetic stock identification methods to differentiate stock origins between Osoyoos Lake ( OSO ) and Lake Wenatchee ( WEN ) donor stocks and to evaluate the relative productivity from two brood years (2011 and 2012) of natural spawning in the novel environment. Spawning ground surveys revealed assortative mating between earlier‐spawning WEN fish that were more abundant farthest upstream and later‐spawning OSO fish that were concentrated (82%) downstream nearest the lake. Hybrids accounted for only 5% of sampled smolts and 4% of adult returns. Smolts rearing in Cle Elum Lake were significantly larger overall ( OSO , 140 mm; WEN , 129 mm) than smolts in either donor population (84 mm). However, the average size of OSO smolts varied among emigration years, and relative smolt abundances favored the WEN stock (70% overall), indicative of a rearing survival advantage. In relation, the WEN stock exhibited a better average rate of replacement (0.80) in adult‐to‐adult escapement compared with the OSO stock (0.17). Continued monitoring will focus on trends in productivity and potential demographic shifts that may arise in the Cle Elum Lake population and will provide managers with information concerning limiting factors in the environment that might affect similar approaches to reintroductions in other lake systems.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 1630217
• Journal Information: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, Journal Name: Transactions of the American Fisheries Society Vol. 148 Journal Issue: 2; ISSN 0002-8487
• Publisher: Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English