Study objectives
- Create and assess standardized methods that can be used to evaluate egg-to-fry survival in multiple sub-basins of the Columbia River.
- Perform an initial egg-to-fry study of spring Chinook in the upper Yakima River.
- Identify factors that may limit egg-to-fry survival
Site and artificial redd locations
- Three sites selected in each sample reach based on 2008 spawning locations and densities (Andy Dittman; NOAA).
- One redd in each site stocked per week for three consecutive weeks: September 16th, 23rd, and 30th 2009 (27 redds per week, 81 total redds)
- Redd locations at each site based on 1) adjacent spawning activity, 2) GPS redd locations from the previous year, or 3) institutional knowledge.
Gamete collection
- Gametes collected on September 15th, 22nd, and 29th 2009.
- 100 eggs and 3ml of milt per box
- 900 eggs from each of three females each week, plus 200 for in-hatchery hold time comparisons (0hr and 24hr)
Egg box placement
- On-site fertilization
- Previously excavated gravels strained to remove fine sediment
- Marked with red Mylar flagging for identification and in an attempt to prevent superimposition
Egg box recovery
- Target 900 accumulated thermal units (deg.C)
- Counts of live fry, remaining eggs and any post-hatch mortalities
- All fine sediment retained
2009 Summary
- Methods appear to be feasible to assess egg-fry survival in the Yakima and Wenatchee (pilot scale) basins.
- Successfully detected differences in survival between reaches of the upper Yakima.
- Preliminary evidence suggests that fine sediment infiltration may affect egg survival in some areas of the upper Yakima.
2010-2011
- Second year at the same scale
- Initial assessments of emergence timing and emergence related mortality.
- Temperature loggers in 1/3 of the redds (dissolved oxygen and temperature relationship)
- Additional redds in the spawning channel to compare box survival to our best estimate of survival from naturally constructed redds
Acknowledgements
- NOAA:
- Andy Dittman, George Pess
- WDFW:
- Ellensburg: Anthony Fritz, Gabriel Stotz, Danielle Sevold, Krystal Rodriguez, Gabriel Temple, Nick Mankus, Nicole Stokes,, Molly Kelly, Tim Webster, Zack Mays, Trenton De Boer, Tanya Lamb, Steve Schroder, Chad Stockton, Matt Sizer, Ben Backstrom, Wenatchee: Mike Tonseth, Andrew Murdoch, Kevin White, Clint Deason, Diana Dechand, Chad Herring.
- YKFP:
- Charlie Strom and the CESRF Staff, Dave Fast
- Oncorh Consulting:
- UW:
- Grant County PUD:
Additional project updates
- Development and assessment of methods to measure (spring-summer) abundance and distribution of rearing spring Chinook salmon in the upper Yakima River basin
- Rearing spring Chinook abundance and meso/micro-scale habitat measures in the upper Yakima River Basin
- Abundance and distribution of hatchery and natural origin precociously mature male spring Chinook salmon in the Yakima River Basin