Search

Search Results

• 81. [Article] 2017 Bull Trout Redd Monitoring in the Wallowa Mountains

  Abstract -- Bull trout were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1998 due to declining populations. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) recommends monitoring bull trout in subbasins ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: 2017 Bull Trout Redd Monitoring in the Wallowa Mountains Abstract -- Bull trout were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1998 due to declining populations. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) recommends monitoring bull trout in subbasins where little is known about the populations, including the Grande Ronde and Imnaha subbasins. Spawning survey data is important for determining relative abundance and distribution trends in bull trout populations. This report summarizes the 2017 bull trout spawning data collected in the Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon and compares this with past years’ data. Bull trout spawning surveys have been conducted on similar index areas for selected Grande Ronde and Imnaha River streams from 1999 to 2017. These surveyed streams are located within the Wallowa River/Minam River and Imnaha River bull trout core areas. Surveys in 2017 were conducted by the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT), the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the Service, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Freshwater Trust, and fisheries consultants. Objectives of the survey included: (1) locate bull trout spawning areas; (2) determine redd characteristics; (3) determine bull trout timing of spawning; (4) collect spawning density data; (5) determine and compare the spatial distribution of redds along the Lostine River in 2006 through 2017; and (6) over time use all of the data to assess local bull trout population trends and the long-term recovery of bull trout. Timing of spawning, total redds, redd sizes, and redd locations are documented in the report. Title: 2017 Bull Trout Redd Monitoring in the Wallowa Mountains Abstract -- Bull trout were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1998 due to declining populations. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) recommends monitoring bull trout in subbasins where little is known about the populations, including the Grande Ronde and Imnaha subbasins. Spawning survey data is important for determining relative abundance and distribution trends in bull trout populations. This report summarizes the 2017 bull trout spawning data collected in the Wallowa Mountains of northeast Oregon and compares this with past years’ data. Bull trout spawning surveys have been conducted on similar index areas for selected Grande Ronde and Imnaha River streams from 1999 to 2017. These surveyed streams are located within the Wallowa River/Minam River and Imnaha River bull trout core areas. Surveys in 2017 were conducted by the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT), the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the Service, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Freshwater Trust, and fisheries consultants. Objectives of the survey included: (1) locate bull trout spawning areas; (2) determine redd characteristics; (3) determine bull trout timing of spawning; (4) collect spawning density data; (5) determine and compare the spatial distribution of redds along the Lostine River in 2006 through 2017; and (6) over time use all of the data to assess local bull trout population trends and the long-term recovery of bull trout. Timing of spawning, total redds, redd sizes, and redd locations are documented in the report. Close

• 82. [Article] AI - Year 2000 Stream Habitat Conditions in Western Oregon

  Abstract -- The goals of the habitat monitoring portion of the Oregon Plan program are to develop baseline statistics, describe current conditions and track trends in habitat condition over time. This ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: AI - Year 2000 Stream Habitat Conditions in Western Oregon Abstract -- The goals of the habitat monitoring portion of the Oregon Plan program are to develop baseline statistics, describe current conditions and track trends in habitat condition over time. This program functions as the landscape link in the overall Oregon Plan monitoring program. Field work for the habitat monitoring program began in 1998 with coordinated site visitations conducted with the two other Oregon Plan monitoring programs; juvenile rearing survey and adult salmon spawning survey programs. The Oregon Plan Habitat Survey program is nested within the Aquatic Inventories Project (AIP). The AIP was begun by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in 1990 and has expanded to include a wide variety of inventory, modeling and monitoring efforts. The central purpose of these diverse projects is the inventory of physical aspects of the environment that are important for aquatic life and the habitat needs of salmonids and other fishes during the freshwater stages of their life history. Some of the significant ongoing or recently completed projects that are part of the AIP are: Basinwide cesus surveys, Oregon plan Habitat surveys, Restoration Project Monitoring, Salmonid Habitat and Diversity Watersheds Project, Fish Inventories, Great Basin Redband Trout, Oregon Chub Status and Recovery Project, Salmon River Estuary, and Columbia River Estuary Project. Title: AI - Year 2000 Stream Habitat Conditions in Western Oregon Abstract -- The goals of the habitat monitoring portion of the Oregon Plan program are to develop baseline statistics, describe current conditions and track trends in habitat condition over time. This program functions as the landscape link in the overall Oregon Plan monitoring program. Field work for the habitat monitoring program began in 1998 with coordinated site visitations conducted with the two other Oregon Plan monitoring programs; juvenile rearing survey and adult salmon spawning survey programs. The Oregon Plan Habitat Survey program is nested within the Aquatic Inventories Project (AIP). The AIP was begun by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) in 1990 and has expanded to include a wide variety of inventory, modeling and monitoring efforts. The central purpose of these diverse projects is the inventory of physical aspects of the environment that are important for aquatic life and the habitat needs of salmonids and other fishes during the freshwater stages of their life history. Some of the significant ongoing or recently completed projects that are part of the AIP are: Basinwide cesus surveys, Oregon plan Habitat surveys, Restoration Project Monitoring, Salmonid Habitat and Diversity Watersheds Project, Fish Inventories, Great Basin Redband Trout, Oregon Chub Status and Recovery Project, Salmon River Estuary, and Columbia River Estuary Project. Close

• 83. [Article] Escapement and Productivity of Summer Steelhead and Spring Chinook Salmon in the John Day River; Annual Report 2017

  Abstract -- The John Day River, located in northeastern Oregon, supports five wild populations of summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and three populations of wild spring chinook (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Escapement and Productivity of Summer Steelhead and Spring Chinook Salmon in the John Day River; Annual Report 2017 Abstract -- The John Day River, located in northeastern Oregon, supports five wild populations of summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and three populations of wild spring chinook (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) with no hatchery supplementation. However, these populations remain depressed relative to historic levels. In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listed the Middle Columbia River summer steelhead Distinct Population Segment (DPS), which includes the John Day River Major Population Group (MPG), as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Although numerous habitat protection and rehabilitation projects have been implemented within the John Day River basin to improve steelhead and other salmonid freshwater production and survival, it has been difficult to estimate the effectiveness of these projects without a systematic program in place to collect information on the status, trends, and distribution of spawning activity, juvenile salmonids, and aquatic habitat conditions within the basin. Prior to the inception of this project, population and environmental monitoring of steelhead in the basin consisted of a combination of index spawning surveys and periodic monitoring of some status and trend indicators. While index spawning data is useful for drawing inference about long-term trends in adult steelhead abundance, they are limited for determining the status of steelhead escapement or distribution at the population or MPG scale because survey sites are not randomly selected and are likely biased towards streams with higher fish abundance. A broader approach to the monitoring and evaluation of status and trends in anadromous and resident salmonid populations and their habitats was needed to provide data to effectively support restoration efforts and guide alternative future management actions in the basin. The Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP) recommended that the region move away from index surveys and embrace probabilistic sampling for most population and habitat monitoring. To meet the ISRP recommendation, the structure and methods employed by the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds Monitoring Program were extended to the John Day basin. This approach incorporates the sampling strategy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). This research effort employs a statistically based and spatially explicit sampling design to answer key monitoring questions, integrate on-going sampling efforts, and improve agency coordination. The current program seeks to integrate project objectives focused on summer steelhead spawning metrics, juvenile salmonid metrics, and aquatic habitat conditions. Title: Escapement and Productivity of Summer Steelhead and Spring Chinook Salmon in the John Day River; Annual Report 2017 Abstract -- The John Day River, located in northeastern Oregon, supports five wild populations of summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and three populations of wild spring chinook (Oncorhynchus tschawytscha) with no hatchery supplementation. However, these populations remain depressed relative to historic levels. In 1999, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listed the Middle Columbia River summer steelhead Distinct Population Segment (DPS), which includes the John Day River Major Population Group (MPG), as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Although numerous habitat protection and rehabilitation projects have been implemented within the John Day River basin to improve steelhead and other salmonid freshwater production and survival, it has been difficult to estimate the effectiveness of these projects without a systematic program in place to collect information on the status, trends, and distribution of spawning activity, juvenile salmonids, and aquatic habitat conditions within the basin. Prior to the inception of this project, population and environmental monitoring of steelhead in the basin consisted of a combination of index spawning surveys and periodic monitoring of some status and trend indicators. While index spawning data is useful for drawing inference about long-term trends in adult steelhead abundance, they are limited for determining the status of steelhead escapement or distribution at the population or MPG scale because survey sites are not randomly selected and are likely biased towards streams with higher fish abundance. A broader approach to the monitoring and evaluation of status and trends in anadromous and resident salmonid populations and their habitats was needed to provide data to effectively support restoration efforts and guide alternative future management actions in the basin. The Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP) recommended that the region move away from index surveys and embrace probabilistic sampling for most population and habitat monitoring. To meet the ISRP recommendation, the structure and methods employed by the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds Monitoring Program were extended to the John Day basin. This approach incorporates the sampling strategy of the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP). This research effort employs a statistically based and spatially explicit sampling design to answer key monitoring questions, integrate on-going sampling efforts, and improve agency coordination. The current program seeks to integrate project objectives focused on summer steelhead spawning metrics, juvenile salmonid metrics, and aquatic habitat conditions. Close

• 84. [Article] AI - Stream Habitat Conditions on Industrial Forest Lands in Coastal Oregon

  Abstract -- In the summer of 1998 and 1999, watersheds in western Oregon were randomly sampled for stream habitat conditions. Sites were selected using a random tessellation stratified design. Oregon Department ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: AI - Stream Habitat Conditions on Industrial Forest Lands in Coastal Oregon Abstract -- In the summer of 1998 and 1999, watersheds in western Oregon were randomly sampled for stream habitat conditions. Sites were selected using a random tessellation stratified design. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Aquatic Inventories methods were used to quantify indicators of sediment supply and quality, riparian forest connectivity and health, habitat structure, in-stream complexity, and presence of salmonid species. As part of the overall sampling 47 sites in 1998 and 70 sites in 1999 were sampled on industrial forest lands. Of these sites 13 were sampled both in 1998 and 1999, and 37 sites were sampled for fish presence/absence. Approximately 44% of the sites sampled for habitat were within the range of anadromous salmonids. Upstream catchment area and gradient were the two major factors driving the overall patterns of habitat variables. Secondarily, land ownership and geology were other factors correlated with the habitat variables analyzed. The private non-industrial land ownership type was characterized by slightly higher fine sediment levels, lower wood volumes and number of key wood pieces, lower densities of deep pools, and lower levels of stream shading. State and industrial forest lands show moderate wood levels in the stream channel, although they show low levels of conifers in riparian zones. The sedimentary geologic type was characterized by higher levels of fine sediments in riffle units. Twelve, high quality, unconstrained stream reaches occurred in the 1998 and 1999 habitat sample on Industrial forest lands. Conditions on industrial forest lands in 1998-1999 were compared to conditions in 1993-1994 to detect any potential change over the five-year period. Three different datasets were analyzed. No significant changes in aquatic habitat or riparian conditions were detected. Electrofishing surveys were conducted at 37 sites outside or the expected range of coho salmon to determine fish presence/absence. Salmonid species were present at 19 of the sites that were electrofished. Title: AI - Stream Habitat Conditions on Industrial Forest Lands in Coastal Oregon Abstract -- In the summer of 1998 and 1999, watersheds in western Oregon were randomly sampled for stream habitat conditions. Sites were selected using a random tessellation stratified design. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Aquatic Inventories methods were used to quantify indicators of sediment supply and quality, riparian forest connectivity and health, habitat structure, in-stream complexity, and presence of salmonid species. As part of the overall sampling 47 sites in 1998 and 70 sites in 1999 were sampled on industrial forest lands. Of these sites 13 were sampled both in 1998 and 1999, and 37 sites were sampled for fish presence/absence. Approximately 44% of the sites sampled for habitat were within the range of anadromous salmonids. Upstream catchment area and gradient were the two major factors driving the overall patterns of habitat variables. Secondarily, land ownership and geology were other factors correlated with the habitat variables analyzed. The private non-industrial land ownership type was characterized by slightly higher fine sediment levels, lower wood volumes and number of key wood pieces, lower densities of deep pools, and lower levels of stream shading. State and industrial forest lands show moderate wood levels in the stream channel, although they show low levels of conifers in riparian zones. The sedimentary geologic type was characterized by higher levels of fine sediments in riffle units. Twelve, high quality, unconstrained stream reaches occurred in the 1998 and 1999 habitat sample on Industrial forest lands. Conditions on industrial forest lands in 1998-1999 were compared to conditions in 1993-1994 to detect any potential change over the five-year period. Three different datasets were analyzed. No significant changes in aquatic habitat or riparian conditions were detected. Electrofishing surveys were conducted at 37 sites outside or the expected range of coho salmon to determine fish presence/absence. Salmonid species were present at 19 of the sites that were electrofished. Close

• 85. [Article] Status and Distribution of Native Fishes in the Goose Lake Basin Information Reports number 2008-02

  Abstract -- This study describes the current distribution of the nine native fish species in the Oregon portion of the Goose Lake basin (Lake County): Goose Lake redband trout Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp., ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Status and Distribution of Native Fishes in the Goose Lake Basin Information Reports number 2008-02 Abstract -- This study describes the current distribution of the nine native fish species in the Oregon portion of the Goose Lake basin (Lake County): Goose Lake redband trout Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp., Goose Lake lamprey Entosphenus sp., Goose Lake tui chub Siphateles bicolor thalassinus, Goose Lake sucker Catostomus occidentalis lacusanserinus, Modoc sucker Catostomus microps, Pit-Klamath brook lamprey Entosphenus lethophagus, speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus, Pit roach Lavinia symmetricus mitrulus, and Pit sculpin Cottus pitensis. The Goose Lake basin is an endorheic, or topographically closed basin located in south central Oregon and northeastern California. The basin is within the usually closed northeastern extremity of the adjoining Sacramento River basin, astride the Oregon-California boundary. Although most of the lake lies in California, most of its valley and nearly two-thirds of the total drainage area (~722 sq. mi.) are in Oregon. The largest streams in the basin are Drews, Cottonwood, and Thomas Creeks. Annual precipitation averages about 36 cm per year (Phillips and van Denburgh 1971). Goose Lake overflowed briefly into the North Fork Pit River in 1868 and 1881, but storage and diversion of irrigation water has substantially reduced the inflow and future overflow is unlikely (USGS 1971). The lakebed was dry in the summers of 1926, 1929- 1934, and 1992. About half the basin is forestland, 20% is hay fields and pastureland, and 16% is shrub and rangeland. Currently, almost 35% of the inflow is diverted for irrigation (OWRD 1989). The Goose Lake basin is home to four endemic fish taxa: the Goose Lake redband trout, lamprey, sucker, and tui chub. Endemic fishes of the Goose Lake basin split their life histories between Goose Lake and its tributaries, as opposed to the five native but non-endemic species that primarily occupy stream habitats. Pit roach and all endemic fishes except Goose Lake tui chub are listed as a “species of concern” by the USFWS, a designation that implies there is concern about species viability, but not enough information is known to initiate a listing review for threatened or endangered status. The Modoc sucker was listed as a federally endangered species in 1985 (USFWS 1985). No formal recovery plan was required due to an existing “Action Plan for the Recovery of the Modoc Sucker” (USFWS 1984). Most of the recovery actions outlined in the action plan were either completed or are no longer relevant (Stewart Reid, Western Fishes, personal communication). However, actions 26 and 27 pertaining to range expansion remain incomplete. Action 26 suggests reclassification to threatened upon establishment of safe populations (for 3-5 years) throughout the Rush and Turner Creek watersheds in the Pit River basin. Action 27 suggests delisting upon establishing safe populations in two other historic streams. At the time of listing, the historic range of Modoc sucker was thought to have included only two small tributaries of the Pit River in Modoc and Lassen Counties, Ash and Turner Creeks (USFWS 1985). Therefore, a major recovery goal was to expand the species’ range with additional populations (USFWS 1984). In 2001, reexamination of historical documents and museum specimens established that Modoc suckers had also historically occupied Thomas Creek in the Goose Lake basin. Field collections in 2001, with subsequent morphological and genetic analysis, confirmed that the population was still present in Thomas Creek (Stewart Reid, Western Fishes, personal communication); however, the broader range of Modoc sucker in the Goose Lake watershed was not known. In 1995, the Goose Lake Fishes Working Group drafted a conservation plan for “prelisting” recovery of all native fish in response to severe drought and habitat degradation (GLFWG 1995). The Aquatic Inventories Project of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) conducted habitat and fish distribution surveys (1991-1995) to obtain baseline information to help inform recovery efforts (ODFW, unpublished data). Since then, field work to monitor the distribution and abundance of Goose Lake fishes has been limited and sporadic, targeting only Goose Lake redband trout and Modoc sucker (Dambacher 2001; Reid 2007). No comprehensive follow up work has been conducted to evaluate fish response to climatic conditions, habitat restoration projects, and continued irrigation activities. ODFW recently drafted a status review of native fish of Oregon (ODFW 2005). Except for redband trout, Goose Lake fishes were not included in the status review due to a lack of new information since the previous status review in 1995 (Kostow et al. 1995). Further, the review of Goose Lake redband trout was limited by a lack of long-term data series. The first objective of this study was to document the current distribution of native fishes in Oregon’s portion of the Goose Lake basin and assess changes in distribution that may have occurred since the last surveys were conducted 12 years ago. The second objective was to provide new information about the distribution of Modoc suckers within the basin. The third objective was to determine relative abundance and age-class diversity of native fishes at randomly selected sample sites. All objectives were addressed throughout the potential riverine distribution of fish in the Oregon portion of the Goose Lake basin. Information gathered in this study is critical to effective conservation and management of each species and its habitat. In addition, this report describes the distribution and relative abundance of nonnative fishes (fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)) in the basin. Unlike prior efforts, this study used a statisticallybased design to select sample points with the aim of achieving a representative sample across the Oregon portion of the Goose Lake watershed. Additionally, a wide array of fish sampling gear was employed to maximize our ability to capture all fish species present across the diversity of habitat types encountered. Title: Status and Distribution of Native Fishes in the Goose Lake Basin Information Reports number 2008-02 Abstract -- This study describes the current distribution of the nine native fish species in the Oregon portion of the Goose Lake basin (Lake County): Goose Lake redband trout Oncorhynchus mykiss ssp., Goose Lake lamprey Entosphenus sp., Goose Lake tui chub Siphateles bicolor thalassinus, Goose Lake sucker Catostomus occidentalis lacusanserinus, Modoc sucker Catostomus microps, Pit-Klamath brook lamprey Entosphenus lethophagus, speckled dace Rhinichthys osculus, Pit roach Lavinia symmetricus mitrulus, and Pit sculpin Cottus pitensis. The Goose Lake basin is an endorheic, or topographically closed basin located in south central Oregon and northeastern California. The basin is within the usually closed northeastern extremity of the adjoining Sacramento River basin, astride the Oregon-California boundary. Although most of the lake lies in California, most of its valley and nearly two-thirds of the total drainage area (~722 sq. mi.) are in Oregon. The largest streams in the basin are Drews, Cottonwood, and Thomas Creeks. Annual precipitation averages about 36 cm per year (Phillips and van Denburgh 1971). Goose Lake overflowed briefly into the North Fork Pit River in 1868 and 1881, but storage and diversion of irrigation water has substantially reduced the inflow and future overflow is unlikely (USGS 1971). The lakebed was dry in the summers of 1926, 1929- 1934, and 1992. About half the basin is forestland, 20% is hay fields and pastureland, and 16% is shrub and rangeland. Currently, almost 35% of the inflow is diverted for irrigation (OWRD 1989). The Goose Lake basin is home to four endemic fish taxa: the Goose Lake redband trout, lamprey, sucker, and tui chub. Endemic fishes of the Goose Lake basin split their life histories between Goose Lake and its tributaries, as opposed to the five native but non-endemic species that primarily occupy stream habitats. Pit roach and all endemic fishes except Goose Lake tui chub are listed as a “species of concern” by the USFWS, a designation that implies there is concern about species viability, but not enough information is known to initiate a listing review for threatened or endangered status. The Modoc sucker was listed as a federally endangered species in 1985 (USFWS 1985). No formal recovery plan was required due to an existing “Action Plan for the Recovery of the Modoc Sucker” (USFWS 1984). Most of the recovery actions outlined in the action plan were either completed or are no longer relevant (Stewart Reid, Western Fishes, personal communication). However, actions 26 and 27 pertaining to range expansion remain incomplete. Action 26 suggests reclassification to threatened upon establishment of safe populations (for 3-5 years) throughout the Rush and Turner Creek watersheds in the Pit River basin. Action 27 suggests delisting upon establishing safe populations in two other historic streams. At the time of listing, the historic range of Modoc sucker was thought to have included only two small tributaries of the Pit River in Modoc and Lassen Counties, Ash and Turner Creeks (USFWS 1985). Therefore, a major recovery goal was to expand the species’ range with additional populations (USFWS 1984). In 2001, reexamination of historical documents and museum specimens established that Modoc suckers had also historically occupied Thomas Creek in the Goose Lake basin. Field collections in 2001, with subsequent morphological and genetic analysis, confirmed that the population was still present in Thomas Creek (Stewart Reid, Western Fishes, personal communication); however, the broader range of Modoc sucker in the Goose Lake watershed was not known. In 1995, the Goose Lake Fishes Working Group drafted a conservation plan for “prelisting” recovery of all native fish in response to severe drought and habitat degradation (GLFWG 1995). The Aquatic Inventories Project of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) conducted habitat and fish distribution surveys (1991-1995) to obtain baseline information to help inform recovery efforts (ODFW, unpublished data). Since then, field work to monitor the distribution and abundance of Goose Lake fishes has been limited and sporadic, targeting only Goose Lake redband trout and Modoc sucker (Dambacher 2001; Reid 2007). No comprehensive follow up work has been conducted to evaluate fish response to climatic conditions, habitat restoration projects, and continued irrigation activities. ODFW recently drafted a status review of native fish of Oregon (ODFW 2005). Except for redband trout, Goose Lake fishes were not included in the status review due to a lack of new information since the previous status review in 1995 (Kostow et al. 1995). Further, the review of Goose Lake redband trout was limited by a lack of long-term data series. The first objective of this study was to document the current distribution of native fishes in Oregon’s portion of the Goose Lake basin and assess changes in distribution that may have occurred since the last surveys were conducted 12 years ago. The second objective was to provide new information about the distribution of Modoc suckers within the basin. The third objective was to determine relative abundance and age-class diversity of native fishes at randomly selected sample sites. All objectives were addressed throughout the potential riverine distribution of fish in the Oregon portion of the Goose Lake basin. Information gathered in this study is critical to effective conservation and management of each species and its habitat. In addition, this report describes the distribution and relative abundance of nonnative fishes (fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), brown bullhead (Ameiurus nebulosus), white crappie (Pomoxis annularis), yellow perch (Perca flavescens), pumpkinseed (Lepomis gibbosus), and brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis)) in the basin. Unlike prior efforts, this study used a statisticallybased design to select sample points with the aim of achieving a representative sample across the Oregon portion of the Goose Lake watershed. Additionally, a wide array of fish sampling gear was employed to maximize our ability to capture all fish species present across the diversity of habitat types encountered. Close

• 86. [Article] Effectiveness Monitoring Report for the Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program, 1999-2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2010-6

  Abstract -- State and federal agencies have invested millions of dollars to restore streams and watersheds in the Pacific Northwest over the past two decades. In Oregon alone, over 500 million dollars ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Effectiveness Monitoring Report for the Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program, 1999-2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2010-6 Abstract -- State and federal agencies have invested millions of dollars to restore streams and watersheds in the Pacific Northwest over the past two decades. In Oregon alone, over 500 million dollars has been spent on completed projects from 1995 to 2007 (Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 2009). Restoration practitioners have distributed the investment among watershed scale activities such as road repair, dam removal, and upland management, and stream scale activities such as passage, instream complexity, and riparian plantings. The Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program (WOSRP) was established to work in cooperation with private and corporate landowners to restore stream habitat for juvenile and adult salmonids. In addition to the WOSRP, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) funds restoration projects with local watershed councils, who commonly partner with state and federal agencies. Eight WOSRP restoration biologists in Tillamook, Newport, Charleston, Gold Beach, Roseburg, Clackamas, and Salem select sites and implement projects consistent with the criteria described in Thom et al (2001). A monitoring component is integrated in the program, with surveys coordinated and reported by a biologist in Corvallis. The goal of the monitoring program is to assess the long term effectiveness of instream restoration projects implemented by WOSRP, and to evaluate progress towards salmon conservation and recovery goals in Oregon’s coastal basins. The WOSRP restoration sites are distributed throughout the Willamette, Lower Columbia, and coastal drainage's. Restoration treatments added large wood and/or boulders, improved fish passage, planted trees in riparian areas, or were a combination of the three. Large wood was placed in complex jams at intervals throughout the stream to increase stream roughness and complexity. Boulders were sometimes used in conjunction with wood jams to provide stability to the structures, and prevent large wood from moving downstream and posing a hazard to culverts and bridges. Bedrock dominated streams were often treated with boulders to collect gravel and cobble, intended to aggrade the streambed. In the future, large wood may be added to these streams. Fish passage projects opened previously inaccessible habitat to juvenile and/or adult salmonids while riparian plantings and fencing were designed to improve riparian vegetation and bank structure. The project length varied from site to site. Fish passage sites were quite short, but provided access to kilometers of fish habitat, and large wood sites were up to several kilometers in length. Large wood and boulder placement projects have become commonplace in the Pacific Northwest to restore complex stream habitat for juvenile coho and other salmonids (Katz et al. 2007, Roni et al. 2008). Detailed assessments have been published for individual projects or experiments (e.g. Moore and Gregory, 1988, Nickelson et al. 1992, Cederholm et al.1997). More extensive evaluations have used a post treatment design (Hicks et al 1991, Roni and Quinn 2001), but none have used a pre- and post treatment design. In this paper we evaluate habitat changes at 103 restoration projects in western Oregon from pre-treatment to one year post treatment to 6 years following treatment. Projects commonly treated 0.5 – 1 km of stream, but some extended up to 6 km. The projects we evaluated in this paper were treated with large logs, usually arranged in jams, and were not cabled or driven into banks or bottom. As of 2008, the OWEB and WOSRP projects have treated approximately 750 km of stream with large wood (Figure 1), 120 km with boulders, and over 4,000 km of stream have been made accessible by replacing and/or removing culverts. Each year, OWEB receives 210 grant applications for restoration projects. These projects generally adhere to a similar selection process and design, so the results of this study can be expected to apply more broadly within the Pacific Northwest. Roni et al (2008), in a synthesis paper, summarized many of the potential physical benefits of restoration; these include pool depth and frequency, habitat complexity, woody debris, and sediment retention and quality of spawning gravel. Some projects in deeply incised channels have reduced the incision and increased bed elevation. Evaluations of biological responses have been confounded by natural variability of populations, duration of study, or length of stream examined. For example, determination of success based on spawning ground counts is problematic because of variation in ocean survival. However, longer duration and watershed scale studies have shown positive responses of juvenile and adult salmon (Johnson et al 2005). Burnett et al. (2008) conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles to examine the effects of large wood placement on salmonid abundance, growth, or survival, or on overall stream habitat complexity. Few publications were both relevant and met the rigorous standards outlined in their review. Although the review supported short term improvements in habitat complexity, the relationship to salmonid productivity was less definitive. Notable exceptions included Johnson et al. (2005) cited above, and Solazzi et al. (2000). An alternative approach to directly assessing biological response is to model potential changes in abundance or productivity. The Habitat Limiting Factors Model (Reeves et al. 1989, Nickelson et al.1992a, Nickelson 1998) was developed to quantify the carrying capacity of coastal streams for juvenile coho during the summer and winter. Use of this model is appropriate because most of the instream restoration projects in western Oregon were intended to improve habitat for juvenile coho. In this paper, we evaluated the physical response directly, and quantified the potential response of juvenile coho salmon by application of the Habitat Limiting Factors Model. Project effectiveness monitoring requires linking the restoration treatment to improved physical conditions for and biological response of salmon (Katz et al. 2007) and defining desired outcomes (Rumps et al. 2007). Because the WOSRP projects were designed to improve ecological and hydrologic stream function specifically for salmonids, we evaluated 1) retention of wood structures, 2) natural recruitment of additional wood, 3) increase in pool number, area, and depth, 4) retention of gravels and sorting of finer substrates, and 5) increase in channel complexity – secondary channels and off-channel habitats. Biological evaluation was based on estimates of the potential carrying capacity for juvenile coho during the overwinter life stage. The primary objectives of this evaluation are to test for these changes one year following treatment and 6 years following treatment. Secondarily, we evaluated the response of the projects by geographic location and position along the stream network. Previous WOSRP monitoring reports (e.g. Jacobsen and Jones 2003, Jacobsen et al. 2007) have focused on conditions one year following treatment, with relatively few sites assessed 2-3 years following restoration. Since 2003, the restoration projects have increased in complexity – more and larger pieces and jams, and treated more kilometers of stream length per site. The WOSRP program has provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of restoration projects over longer times and broader geographic scales than previously feasible. We have been surveying the restoration sites in both summer and winter to monitor changes in stream habitat and evaluate the success of treatments, such as the placement of wood and/or boulders and fish passage. Surveys are logistically easier to manage in the summer, but surveys conducted during the winter provide a more timely and accurate assessment of over-winter rearing potential for juvenile coho. Because we have paired surveys, we are able to assess the added value of revisits across seasons. We test the hypothesis that habitat characteristics at the restoration sites do not change from summer to winter. The findings permit us to modify the survey program if the information is duplicative, and use the resources in another fashion. Title: Effectiveness Monitoring Report for the Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program, 1999-2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2010-6 Abstract -- State and federal agencies have invested millions of dollars to restore streams and watersheds in the Pacific Northwest over the past two decades. In Oregon alone, over 500 million dollars has been spent on completed projects from 1995 to 2007 (Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board 2009). Restoration practitioners have distributed the investment among watershed scale activities such as road repair, dam removal, and upland management, and stream scale activities such as passage, instream complexity, and riparian plantings. The Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program (WOSRP) was established to work in cooperation with private and corporate landowners to restore stream habitat for juvenile and adult salmonids. In addition to the WOSRP, the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) funds restoration projects with local watershed councils, who commonly partner with state and federal agencies. Eight WOSRP restoration biologists in Tillamook, Newport, Charleston, Gold Beach, Roseburg, Clackamas, and Salem select sites and implement projects consistent with the criteria described in Thom et al (2001). A monitoring component is integrated in the program, with surveys coordinated and reported by a biologist in Corvallis. The goal of the monitoring program is to assess the long term effectiveness of instream restoration projects implemented by WOSRP, and to evaluate progress towards salmon conservation and recovery goals in Oregon’s coastal basins. The WOSRP restoration sites are distributed throughout the Willamette, Lower Columbia, and coastal drainage's. Restoration treatments added large wood and/or boulders, improved fish passage, planted trees in riparian areas, or were a combination of the three. Large wood was placed in complex jams at intervals throughout the stream to increase stream roughness and complexity. Boulders were sometimes used in conjunction with wood jams to provide stability to the structures, and prevent large wood from moving downstream and posing a hazard to culverts and bridges. Bedrock dominated streams were often treated with boulders to collect gravel and cobble, intended to aggrade the streambed. In the future, large wood may be added to these streams. Fish passage projects opened previously inaccessible habitat to juvenile and/or adult salmonids while riparian plantings and fencing were designed to improve riparian vegetation and bank structure. The project length varied from site to site. Fish passage sites were quite short, but provided access to kilometers of fish habitat, and large wood sites were up to several kilometers in length. Large wood and boulder placement projects have become commonplace in the Pacific Northwest to restore complex stream habitat for juvenile coho and other salmonids (Katz et al. 2007, Roni et al. 2008). Detailed assessments have been published for individual projects or experiments (e.g. Moore and Gregory, 1988, Nickelson et al. 1992, Cederholm et al.1997). More extensive evaluations have used a post treatment design (Hicks et al 1991, Roni and Quinn 2001), but none have used a pre- and post treatment design. In this paper we evaluate habitat changes at 103 restoration projects in western Oregon from pre-treatment to one year post treatment to 6 years following treatment. Projects commonly treated 0.5 – 1 km of stream, but some extended up to 6 km. The projects we evaluated in this paper were treated with large logs, usually arranged in jams, and were not cabled or driven into banks or bottom. As of 2008, the OWEB and WOSRP projects have treated approximately 750 km of stream with large wood (Figure 1), 120 km with boulders, and over 4,000 km of stream have been made accessible by replacing and/or removing culverts. Each year, OWEB receives 210 grant applications for restoration projects. These projects generally adhere to a similar selection process and design, so the results of this study can be expected to apply more broadly within the Pacific Northwest. Roni et al (2008), in a synthesis paper, summarized many of the potential physical benefits of restoration; these include pool depth and frequency, habitat complexity, woody debris, and sediment retention and quality of spawning gravel. Some projects in deeply incised channels have reduced the incision and increased bed elevation. Evaluations of biological responses have been confounded by natural variability of populations, duration of study, or length of stream examined. For example, determination of success based on spawning ground counts is problematic because of variation in ocean survival. However, longer duration and watershed scale studies have shown positive responses of juvenile and adult salmon (Johnson et al 2005). Burnett et al. (2008) conducted a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles to examine the effects of large wood placement on salmonid abundance, growth, or survival, or on overall stream habitat complexity. Few publications were both relevant and met the rigorous standards outlined in their review. Although the review supported short term improvements in habitat complexity, the relationship to salmonid productivity was less definitive. Notable exceptions included Johnson et al. (2005) cited above, and Solazzi et al. (2000). An alternative approach to directly assessing biological response is to model potential changes in abundance or productivity. The Habitat Limiting Factors Model (Reeves et al. 1989, Nickelson et al.1992a, Nickelson 1998) was developed to quantify the carrying capacity of coastal streams for juvenile coho during the summer and winter. Use of this model is appropriate because most of the instream restoration projects in western Oregon were intended to improve habitat for juvenile coho. In this paper, we evaluated the physical response directly, and quantified the potential response of juvenile coho salmon by application of the Habitat Limiting Factors Model. Project effectiveness monitoring requires linking the restoration treatment to improved physical conditions for and biological response of salmon (Katz et al. 2007) and defining desired outcomes (Rumps et al. 2007). Because the WOSRP projects were designed to improve ecological and hydrologic stream function specifically for salmonids, we evaluated 1) retention of wood structures, 2) natural recruitment of additional wood, 3) increase in pool number, area, and depth, 4) retention of gravels and sorting of finer substrates, and 5) increase in channel complexity – secondary channels and off-channel habitats. Biological evaluation was based on estimates of the potential carrying capacity for juvenile coho during the overwinter life stage. The primary objectives of this evaluation are to test for these changes one year following treatment and 6 years following treatment. Secondarily, we evaluated the response of the projects by geographic location and position along the stream network. Previous WOSRP monitoring reports (e.g. Jacobsen and Jones 2003, Jacobsen et al. 2007) have focused on conditions one year following treatment, with relatively few sites assessed 2-3 years following restoration. Since 2003, the restoration projects have increased in complexity – more and larger pieces and jams, and treated more kilometers of stream length per site. The WOSRP program has provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the effects of restoration projects over longer times and broader geographic scales than previously feasible. We have been surveying the restoration sites in both summer and winter to monitor changes in stream habitat and evaluate the success of treatments, such as the placement of wood and/or boulders and fish passage. Surveys are logistically easier to manage in the summer, but surveys conducted during the winter provide a more timely and accurate assessment of over-winter rearing potential for juvenile coho. Because we have paired surveys, we are able to assess the added value of revisits across seasons. We test the hypothesis that habitat characteristics at the restoration sites do not change from summer to winter. The findings permit us to modify the survey program if the information is duplicative, and use the resources in another fashion. Close

• 87. [Article] Prevalence of Bacterial Kidney Disease in Natural vs. Hatchery-Reared Adult Chinook Salmon Spawned in a Hatchery and in Nature Information Reports number 2009-06

  Abstract -- Bacterial kidney disease (BKD) is a major health problem of cultured Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus sp. It has been particularly problematic in captive broodstock programs, where the interests ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Prevalence of Bacterial Kidney Disease in Natural vs. Hatchery-Reared Adult Chinook Salmon Spawned in a Hatchery and in Nature Information Reports number 2009-06 Abstract -- Bacterial kidney disease (BKD) is a major health problem of cultured Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus sp. It has been particularly problematic in captive broodstock programs, where the interests of gene conservation and fish health can conflict when spawning females with signs of BKD. Not rearing those fish reduces the genetic diversity of an already depleted population, while rearing those fish may increase the prevalence of BKD in the natural population. We used data collected during spawning at Lookingglass Fish hatchery and on spawning ground surveys to examine the prevalence of BKD, based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay optical density (ELISA OD) values, to monitor the prevalence of BKD in natural and hatchery-reared Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha from Grande Ronde and Imnaha basin streams in northeast Oregon. Mean ELISA OD levels differed among all sampled streams from 2004-2008 and was lowest in the Imnaha River salmon (0.0839) and highest in the Minam River (0.1750). Salmon spawned at LFH had a lower mean ELISA OD level (0.086) than those collected from carcasses on spawning ground surveys (0.118). Natural salmon mean ELISA OD level was 0.1058 and 97% were from salmon with ELISA OD level <0.2 and in hatchery salmon, 96% had an ELISA OD level <0.2 and mean ELISA OD level was 0.1138, with no difference between the groups. Over 17 years in the Imnaha River we see no difference in mean ELISA OD levels between natural and hatchery Chinook salmon. There was no difference in mean ELISA OD levels between adult Chinook salmon from wilderness (0.1663) vs. supplemented (0.1184) streams. However, when comparing mean ELISA OD for only natural Chinook salmon carcasses recovered in these streams, we found that mean ELISA OD level was higher in the wilderness streams (0.1676) than in the supplemented streams. Returning adults from the Captive Broodstock F1 generation had a higher mean ELISA OD level (0.1349) than those of Conventional Hatchery Program offspring (0.0957). Annual mean ELISA OD level decreased over time in the Lostine River stock but did not change for any of the other stocks. The data for BKD in Chinook salmon from northeast Oregon streams and hatcheries show that this disease is not prevalent and we found no evidence that the release of hatchery salmon is causing an increase in BKD prevalence in the monitored streams. However, we will continue to monitor this disease. Title: Prevalence of Bacterial Kidney Disease in Natural vs. Hatchery-Reared Adult Chinook Salmon Spawned in a Hatchery and in Nature Information Reports number 2009-06 Abstract -- Bacterial kidney disease (BKD) is a major health problem of cultured Pacific salmon, Oncorhynchus sp. It has been particularly problematic in captive broodstock programs, where the interests of gene conservation and fish health can conflict when spawning females with signs of BKD. Not rearing those fish reduces the genetic diversity of an already depleted population, while rearing those fish may increase the prevalence of BKD in the natural population. We used data collected during spawning at Lookingglass Fish hatchery and on spawning ground surveys to examine the prevalence of BKD, based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay optical density (ELISA OD) values, to monitor the prevalence of BKD in natural and hatchery-reared Chinook salmon O. tshawytscha from Grande Ronde and Imnaha basin streams in northeast Oregon. Mean ELISA OD levels differed among all sampled streams from 2004-2008 and was lowest in the Imnaha River salmon (0.0839) and highest in the Minam River (0.1750). Salmon spawned at LFH had a lower mean ELISA OD level (0.086) than those collected from carcasses on spawning ground surveys (0.118). Natural salmon mean ELISA OD level was 0.1058 and 97% were from salmon with ELISA OD level <0.2 and in hatchery salmon, 96% had an ELISA OD level <0.2 and mean ELISA OD level was 0.1138, with no difference between the groups. Over 17 years in the Imnaha River we see no difference in mean ELISA OD levels between natural and hatchery Chinook salmon. There was no difference in mean ELISA OD levels between adult Chinook salmon from wilderness (0.1663) vs. supplemented (0.1184) streams. However, when comparing mean ELISA OD for only natural Chinook salmon carcasses recovered in these streams, we found that mean ELISA OD level was higher in the wilderness streams (0.1676) than in the supplemented streams. Returning adults from the Captive Broodstock F1 generation had a higher mean ELISA OD level (0.1349) than those of Conventional Hatchery Program offspring (0.0957). Annual mean ELISA OD level decreased over time in the Lostine River stock but did not change for any of the other stocks. The data for BKD in Chinook salmon from northeast Oregon streams and hatcheries show that this disease is not prevalent and we found no evidence that the release of hatchery salmon is causing an increase in BKD prevalence in the monitored streams. However, we will continue to monitor this disease. Close

• 88. [Article] Abundance Monitoring of Juvenile Salmonids In Coastal Oregon and Lower Columbia Streams, 2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-1

  Abstract -- As part of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) initiated this project in 1998 to monitor the status and trend in abundance and distribution ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Abundance Monitoring of Juvenile Salmonids In Coastal Oregon and Lower Columbia Streams, 2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-1 Abstract -- As part of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) initiated this project in 1998 to monitor the status and trend in abundance and distribution of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in coastal Oregon streams. This report summarizes the data collected during the summer of 2008 and, for coho salmon, compares it to data previously collected. The project originally surveyed only 1st-3rd order (tributary) streams but was expanded in 2002 to include juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and 4th-6th order (mainstem) rearing areas and in 2006 to the Oregon portion of the Lower Columbia River coho evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) (Figure 1). The sampling frame is intended to encompass all non-tidal coho and steelhead rearing habitat. The original 100k stream layer frame was replaced by a 24k frame in 2007. A Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified design (GRTS) (Stevens 2002) was used to create a spatially balanced, random point distribution. Sites were stratified by Monitoring Area (MA) and stream order (Table 1). A detailed description of the sampling frames and survey designs are found in Jepsen and Rodgers (2004) and Jepsen and Leader (2007). Field crews snorkeled all pools meeting the size criteria (6 m2 in surface area and 40 cm in maximum depth) in one kilometer of stream encompassing the GRTS point. Snorkeling was conducted during the minimum flow period from July to September using a single pass of one to four snorkelers, depending on stream width. In each pool counts were made of juvenile coho, Chinook, steelhead 90 mm, and cutthroat 90 mm. Presence was noted for dace, shiners, and trout < 90 mm. Sites with poor water clarity or quality were electrofished using a single pass without block nets to determine presence for coho, steelhead and cutthroat in each pool. To assess repeatability and quality control supervisory staff resurveyed 10% of tributary sites in each MA. Data were summarized by MA and stream order for analyses. Average pool density and percent pool occupancy for each site was averaged by MA. The percent of sites with at least one fish and with >0.7 coho/m2 are reported for each MA. 0.7 coho/m2 is regarded as full seeding after Nickelson et al. (1992) who reported full seeding based on electrofishing as 1.0 coho/m2 and Rodgers et al. (1992) who found that snorkelers observed 70% of the coho counted by electrofishing. CDFs, variances, and confidence intervals were created using tools developed by the EMAP Design and Analysis Team (EPA 2009). Title: Abundance Monitoring of Juvenile Salmonids In Coastal Oregon and Lower Columbia Streams, 2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-1 Abstract -- As part of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) initiated this project in 1998 to monitor the status and trend in abundance and distribution of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in coastal Oregon streams. This report summarizes the data collected during the summer of 2008 and, for coho salmon, compares it to data previously collected. The project originally surveyed only 1st-3rd order (tributary) streams but was expanded in 2002 to include juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and 4th-6th order (mainstem) rearing areas and in 2006 to the Oregon portion of the Lower Columbia River coho evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) (Figure 1). The sampling frame is intended to encompass all non-tidal coho and steelhead rearing habitat. The original 100k stream layer frame was replaced by a 24k frame in 2007. A Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified design (GRTS) (Stevens 2002) was used to create a spatially balanced, random point distribution. Sites were stratified by Monitoring Area (MA) and stream order (Table 1). A detailed description of the sampling frames and survey designs are found in Jepsen and Rodgers (2004) and Jepsen and Leader (2007). Field crews snorkeled all pools meeting the size criteria (6 m2 in surface area and 40 cm in maximum depth) in one kilometer of stream encompassing the GRTS point. Snorkeling was conducted during the minimum flow period from July to September using a single pass of one to four snorkelers, depending on stream width. In each pool counts were made of juvenile coho, Chinook, steelhead 90 mm, and cutthroat 90 mm. Presence was noted for dace, shiners, and trout < 90 mm. Sites with poor water clarity or quality were electrofished using a single pass without block nets to determine presence for coho, steelhead and cutthroat in each pool. To assess repeatability and quality control supervisory staff resurveyed 10% of tributary sites in each MA. Data were summarized by MA and stream order for analyses. Average pool density and percent pool occupancy for each site was averaged by MA. The percent of sites with at least one fish and with >0.7 coho/m2 are reported for each MA. 0.7 coho/m2 is regarded as full seeding after Nickelson et al. (1992) who reported full seeding based on electrofishing as 1.0 coho/m2 and Rodgers et al. (1992) who found that snorkelers observed 70% of the coho counted by electrofishing. CDFs, variances, and confidence intervals were created using tools developed by the EMAP Design and Analysis Team (EPA 2009). Close

• 89. [Article] Information Report 2018-01; Winter Habitat Condition of Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Populations, 2007-2014

  Abstract -- In this report we summarize results of eight years (2007-2014) of habitat surveys for 18 independent Oregon coast coho salmon populations across four monitoring strata (North Coast, Mid Coast, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Information Report 2018-01; Winter Habitat Condition of Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Populations, 2007-2014 Abstract -- In this report we summarize results of eight years (2007-2014) of habitat surveys for 18 independent Oregon coast coho salmon populations across four monitoring strata (North Coast, Mid Coast, MidSouth Coast, and Umpqua) in the Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU). We also sampled dependent population blocks across three monitoring strata (North Coast, Mid Coast, and Mid-South Coast). Using a spatially balanced site selection process (Generalized Random Tessellation Stratification; GRTS) we surveyed 451 unique sites within the range of coho salmon spawning or rearing. With the exception of the 2014 survey year, habitat data were collected during winter conditions (February – March). Habitat sampled in 2014 occurred within the summer field season (June – September). We used a Habitat Limiting Factors Model (HLFM) to estimate habitat capacity for winter coho parr and the HabRate model to assess habitat quality for each surveyed stream reach. HLFM estimates were expanded based on the total coho distribution in each population. Based on the habitat data the HLFM predicted the Floras population could support the highest density of juvenile coho (1568 parr/km), while the streams in the Siltcoos watershed could support the least (290 parr/km). At the ESU-level, there was no detectable change of high quality rearing habitat (= 1850 parr/km) when compared to previous studies, but changes were observed among populations over the course of these survey years. We compared individual habitat metrics across populations, land use, geology, and between independent and dependent populations. While no significant differences were observed between independent and dependent populations, differences in habitat metrics were detected among individual populations, land use types, and geologies. In addition, we detected a difference in reproductive habitat quality (spawning and emergence) between both populations and land use types. Title: Information Report 2018-01; Winter Habitat Condition of Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Populations, 2007-2014 Abstract -- In this report we summarize results of eight years (2007-2014) of habitat surveys for 18 independent Oregon coast coho salmon populations across four monitoring strata (North Coast, Mid Coast, MidSouth Coast, and Umpqua) in the Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU). We also sampled dependent population blocks across three monitoring strata (North Coast, Mid Coast, and Mid-South Coast). Using a spatially balanced site selection process (Generalized Random Tessellation Stratification; GRTS) we surveyed 451 unique sites within the range of coho salmon spawning or rearing. With the exception of the 2014 survey year, habitat data were collected during winter conditions (February – March). Habitat sampled in 2014 occurred within the summer field season (June – September). We used a Habitat Limiting Factors Model (HLFM) to estimate habitat capacity for winter coho parr and the HabRate model to assess habitat quality for each surveyed stream reach. HLFM estimates were expanded based on the total coho distribution in each population. Based on the habitat data the HLFM predicted the Floras population could support the highest density of juvenile coho (1568 parr/km), while the streams in the Siltcoos watershed could support the least (290 parr/km). At the ESU-level, there was no detectable change of high quality rearing habitat (= 1850 parr/km) when compared to previous studies, but changes were observed among populations over the course of these survey years. We compared individual habitat metrics across populations, land use, geology, and between independent and dependent populations. While no significant differences were observed between independent and dependent populations, differences in habitat metrics were detected among individual populations, land use types, and geologies. In addition, we detected a difference in reproductive habitat quality (spawning and emergence) between both populations and land use types. Close

• 90. [Article] The Status and Trend of Physical Habitat and Rearing Potential in Coho Bearing Streams in the Oregon Coastal Coho Evolutionary Significant Unit Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-5

  Abstract -- In 1997, the Oregon Coastal Restoration Initiative (OCSRI 1997) identified the quality of stream habitat as a potential factor influencing the decline of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: The Status and Trend of Physical Habitat and Rearing Potential in Coho Bearing Streams in the Oregon Coastal Coho Evolutionary Significant Unit Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-5 Abstract -- In 1997, the Oregon Coastal Restoration Initiative (OCSRI 1997) identified the quality of stream habitat as a potential factor influencing the decline of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Oregon coastal streams. In 1998, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) implemented a monitoring program that utilized a random, spatially balanced survey design to provide statistically rigorous information on the status and trend of habitat conditions in Oregon coastal streams. In response to the ESA listing of coho salmon, the State of Oregon published a comprehensive review of aquatic habitat in the Oregon Coastal Coho Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) in 2005 (Rodgers et al 2005). The NOAA Fisheries more recently published a request for additional information in the 2009 Federal Register notice (Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 29, 2009). This report will serve as an update to Rodgers et al (2005), and will provide an analysis of the current status and trends in aquatic habitat from 1998 through 2008 within the Oregon Coastal Coho ESU. The status and trend of instream physical habitat conditions in the Oregon Coastal coho ESU were assessed from twelve variables collected by the ODFW habitat monitoring program from 1998-2008. Habitat conditions were described at the scale of the ESU, four monitoring areas/strata within the ESU, and by six land use categories (agriculture, urban, private non-industrial and industrial forest, and public state and federal forest). The condition of habitat was compared among monitoring areas and land use categories. In addition, the habitat condition at random survey sites was compared to that at sites experiencing minimal human disturbance (i.e. reference sites). Potential winter rearing capacity for juvenile coho salmon was calculated for all available habitat and for high quality habitat at the monitoring area scale and in selected population units. We calculated the rearing potential from high quality habitat because modeling (Nickelson and Lawson 1998) demonstrated that during periods of prolonged poor ocean survival, only areas with high quality habitat will be able to support coho at full seeding during poor marine conditions. The final objective of this report is to discuss whether sufficient habitat capacity exists to support productivity of juvenile coho at the monitoring strata scale during periods of low marine survival. Title: The Status and Trend of Physical Habitat and Rearing Potential in Coho Bearing Streams in the Oregon Coastal Coho Evolutionary Significant Unit Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-5 Abstract -- In 1997, the Oregon Coastal Restoration Initiative (OCSRI 1997) identified the quality of stream habitat as a potential factor influencing the decline of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in Oregon coastal streams. In 1998, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) implemented a monitoring program that utilized a random, spatially balanced survey design to provide statistically rigorous information on the status and trend of habitat conditions in Oregon coastal streams. In response to the ESA listing of coho salmon, the State of Oregon published a comprehensive review of aquatic habitat in the Oregon Coastal Coho Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) in 2005 (Rodgers et al 2005). The NOAA Fisheries more recently published a request for additional information in the 2009 Federal Register notice (Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 81 / Wednesday, April 29, 2009). This report will serve as an update to Rodgers et al (2005), and will provide an analysis of the current status and trends in aquatic habitat from 1998 through 2008 within the Oregon Coastal Coho ESU. The status and trend of instream physical habitat conditions in the Oregon Coastal coho ESU were assessed from twelve variables collected by the ODFW habitat monitoring program from 1998-2008. Habitat conditions were described at the scale of the ESU, four monitoring areas/strata within the ESU, and by six land use categories (agriculture, urban, private non-industrial and industrial forest, and public state and federal forest). The condition of habitat was compared among monitoring areas and land use categories. In addition, the habitat condition at random survey sites was compared to that at sites experiencing minimal human disturbance (i.e. reference sites). Potential winter rearing capacity for juvenile coho salmon was calculated for all available habitat and for high quality habitat at the monitoring area scale and in selected population units. We calculated the rearing potential from high quality habitat because modeling (Nickelson and Lawson 1998) demonstrated that during periods of prolonged poor ocean survival, only areas with high quality habitat will be able to support coho at full seeding during poor marine conditions. The final objective of this report is to discuss whether sufficient habitat capacity exists to support productivity of juvenile coho at the monitoring strata scale during periods of low marine survival. Close

• 91. [Article] Fish Management Plan Middle Creek (Tributary of North Fork Coquille River) 1979

  Abstract -- Middle Creek is a large tributary of the North Fork Coquille River, entering at RM 19. The stream is about 62 miles long, but only 45 miles are available to anadromous fish. The watershed contains ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fish Management Plan Middle Creek (Tributary of North Fork Coquille River) 1979 Abstract -- Middle Creek is a large tributary of the North Fork Coquille River, entering at RM 19. The stream is about 62 miles long, but only 45 miles are available to anadromous fish. The watershed contains fair to good habitat, and physical stream survey information has been collected. Middle Creek contains resident and anadromous cutthroat trout, winter steelhead, and coho salmon. Hatchery fish are not released into the system. There are no special angling regulations in effect at present. In July 1979, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission accepted the Department's recommendation to continue to manage Middle Creek for wild trout and steelhead. Choosing a management option for salmon will be deferred until ODFW develops a coast-wide salmon management plan. At that time, staff biologists will decide on a final recommendation to the Commission regarding the need or desirability for releasing hatchery salmon into Middle Creek. Title: Fish Management Plan Middle Creek (Tributary of North Fork Coquille River) 1979 Abstract -- Middle Creek is a large tributary of the North Fork Coquille River, entering at RM 19. The stream is about 62 miles long, but only 45 miles are available to anadromous fish. The watershed contains fair to good habitat, and physical stream survey information has been collected. Middle Creek contains resident and anadromous cutthroat trout, winter steelhead, and coho salmon. Hatchery fish are not released into the system. There are no special angling regulations in effect at present. In July 1979, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission accepted the Department's recommendation to continue to manage Middle Creek for wild trout and steelhead. Choosing a management option for salmon will be deferred until ODFW develops a coast-wide salmon management plan. At that time, staff biologists will decide on a final recommendation to the Commission regarding the need or desirability for releasing hatchery salmon into Middle Creek. Close

• 92. [Article] Restoration of Historic Coyote Creek, Surveys for Amphibians and Reptiles with Observations of Mollusks

  Abstract -- The report contains an introduction, table on herpetofauna observed and potential, table on mollusks Fauna observed and potential, results by species: amphibians, reptiles, and mollusks, conclusions, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Restoration of Historic Coyote Creek, Surveys for Amphibians and Reptiles with Observations of Mollusks Abstract -- The report contains an introduction, table on herpetofauna observed and potential, table on mollusks Fauna observed and potential, results by species: amphibians, reptiles, and mollusks, conclusions, and maps. Title: Restoration of Historic Coyote Creek, Surveys for Amphibians and Reptiles with Observations of Mollusks Abstract -- The report contains an introduction, table on herpetofauna observed and potential, table on mollusks Fauna observed and potential, results by species: amphibians, reptiles, and mollusks, conclusions, and maps. Close

• 93. [Article] Recovery of Wild Coho Salmon in Salmon River Basin, 2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-10

  Abstract -- Recovery and conservation of naturally self-sustaining salmon populations is a central goal of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. In 1998, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Recovery of Wild Coho Salmon in Salmon River Basin, 2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-10 Abstract -- Recovery and conservation of naturally self-sustaining salmon populations is a central goal of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. In 1998, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) initiated a comprehensive program to monitor the status of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations and aquatic habitat in coastal drainages of Oregon (OWEB 2003). A 2005 assessment by ODFW concluded that Oregon coastal coho were viable at the scale of the Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) and demonstrated resilience in response to improving ocean conditions. Yet 7 of 21 (33%) individual populations within the ESU failed one or more of five criteria used to assess viability (Chilcote et al. 2005), and it is uncertain whether productivity levels across the ESU will recover sufficiently to withstand future periods of poor ocean conditions. The coho population in Salmon River was the only population in the ESU to fail all five viability criteria. Uncertainty remains about the response of Oregon coastal coho salmon to different combinations of freshwater and marine limiting factors, complicating recovery efforts (Lawson 1993; Lawson et al. 2004; IMST 2006). Such uncertainty cannot be resolved entirely by existing Oregon Plan monitoring programs, which target only a portion of the habitats and coho salmon life stages in large river basins, and with few exceptions (e.g., Johnson et al. 2005), were not designed to test population responses to individual management manipulations. In 2007, in response to the failure of viability criteria, ODFW managers discontinued releases of hatchery coho salmon into Salmon River as one of the primary management actions under the Oregon Conservation Plan for the Oregon Coast Coho Evolutionarily Significant Unit (hereafter “coho plan,” Nicholas 2006). This change affords the first opportunity in Oregon to monitor the results of a large scale experiment in removing hatchery coho salmon from a basin for at least four generations (twelve years). Hatchery production has been a centerpiece of salmon management for decades, but rarely has full recovery from hatchery influence been given a chance to succeed. Salmon River offers a test basin to explore whether an independent population of coho salmon can recover from a prolonged period of very low abundance following removal of the primary factor limiting productivity. Here we describe the first year of a study to monitor the dynamics of the coho salmon population in the Salmon River basin on the central Oregon coast and to determine whether management changes targeting both hatchery influence and stream habitat complexity improve population viability. This research will validate assumptions about factors limiting coho recovery and determine whether recovery measures proposed by the Coho Plan have been effective. Our research is designed to document changes in population abundance, distribution, and life history structure of coho salmon following the removal of hatchery coho salmon from the watershed. It integrates adult, juvenile, and habitat components to establish links and describe variability between juvenile performance and adult recovery. It also monitors the coho salmon population across habitat types and life history stages to identify population responses at a landscape scale. We will establish the link between productivity and survival at each salmon life stage and recovery of the adult population. From these indicators, we will determine the potential resiliency of coho salmon, detail the biological benefits/tradeoffs of returning the ecosystem to natural salmon production, and assess whether supplementation should remain an option in Salmon River. As a conceptual framework, our research design and analyses are guided by the “viable salmonid population” criteria identified by McElhany (2000) and modified by Chilcote et al. (2005) and Nicholas (2006), including abundance, productivity, distribution, diversity, and habitat quality. The results of our new research will be integrated with habitat survey and adult population data collected under the existing Oregon Plan monitoring program and coho salmon population and life history data available from previous Salmon River surveys (Mullen 1978, 1979; Cornwell et al. 2001; Bottom et al 2005; Volk et al. in review). Together these data will address four principal objectives: 1. Quantify viability of the coho salmon population before and after hatchery coho salmon are removed from Salmon River. 2. Assess whether viability of the Salmon River coho population is limited by quantity and complexity of stream habitat. 3. Describe the diversity of juvenile and adult life histories of coho salmon in the Salmon River basin and estimate the relative contributions of alternate juvenile life history to adult returns. 4. Determine salmonid use and benefits of restored tidal wetlands before and after hatchery coho salmon are removed from Salmon River. By synthesizing historic data with new information for the Salmon River basin, we will compare population structure during three distinct periods – pre-hatchery (1974-77), hatchery (1990-2008), and post-hatchery (2009-2013). This annual report discusses the activities and findings from 2008, the first year of the multi-year project, including coho salmon distribution and abundance on the Salmon River spawning grounds, juvenile abundance and distribution in the watershed and estuary, migration timing, and life history diversity. Title: Recovery of Wild Coho Salmon in Salmon River Basin, 2008 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-10 Abstract -- Recovery and conservation of naturally self-sustaining salmon populations is a central goal of the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. In 1998, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) initiated a comprehensive program to monitor the status of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) populations and aquatic habitat in coastal drainages of Oregon (OWEB 2003). A 2005 assessment by ODFW concluded that Oregon coastal coho were viable at the scale of the Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) and demonstrated resilience in response to improving ocean conditions. Yet 7 of 21 (33%) individual populations within the ESU failed one or more of five criteria used to assess viability (Chilcote et al. 2005), and it is uncertain whether productivity levels across the ESU will recover sufficiently to withstand future periods of poor ocean conditions. The coho population in Salmon River was the only population in the ESU to fail all five viability criteria. Uncertainty remains about the response of Oregon coastal coho salmon to different combinations of freshwater and marine limiting factors, complicating recovery efforts (Lawson 1993; Lawson et al. 2004; IMST 2006). Such uncertainty cannot be resolved entirely by existing Oregon Plan monitoring programs, which target only a portion of the habitats and coho salmon life stages in large river basins, and with few exceptions (e.g., Johnson et al. 2005), were not designed to test population responses to individual management manipulations. In 2007, in response to the failure of viability criteria, ODFW managers discontinued releases of hatchery coho salmon into Salmon River as one of the primary management actions under the Oregon Conservation Plan for the Oregon Coast Coho Evolutionarily Significant Unit (hereafter “coho plan,” Nicholas 2006). This change affords the first opportunity in Oregon to monitor the results of a large scale experiment in removing hatchery coho salmon from a basin for at least four generations (twelve years). Hatchery production has been a centerpiece of salmon management for decades, but rarely has full recovery from hatchery influence been given a chance to succeed. Salmon River offers a test basin to explore whether an independent population of coho salmon can recover from a prolonged period of very low abundance following removal of the primary factor limiting productivity. Here we describe the first year of a study to monitor the dynamics of the coho salmon population in the Salmon River basin on the central Oregon coast and to determine whether management changes targeting both hatchery influence and stream habitat complexity improve population viability. This research will validate assumptions about factors limiting coho recovery and determine whether recovery measures proposed by the Coho Plan have been effective. Our research is designed to document changes in population abundance, distribution, and life history structure of coho salmon following the removal of hatchery coho salmon from the watershed. It integrates adult, juvenile, and habitat components to establish links and describe variability between juvenile performance and adult recovery. It also monitors the coho salmon population across habitat types and life history stages to identify population responses at a landscape scale. We will establish the link between productivity and survival at each salmon life stage and recovery of the adult population. From these indicators, we will determine the potential resiliency of coho salmon, detail the biological benefits/tradeoffs of returning the ecosystem to natural salmon production, and assess whether supplementation should remain an option in Salmon River. As a conceptual framework, our research design and analyses are guided by the “viable salmonid population” criteria identified by McElhany (2000) and modified by Chilcote et al. (2005) and Nicholas (2006), including abundance, productivity, distribution, diversity, and habitat quality. The results of our new research will be integrated with habitat survey and adult population data collected under the existing Oregon Plan monitoring program and coho salmon population and life history data available from previous Salmon River surveys (Mullen 1978, 1979; Cornwell et al. 2001; Bottom et al 2005; Volk et al. in review). Together these data will address four principal objectives: 1. Quantify viability of the coho salmon population before and after hatchery coho salmon are removed from Salmon River. 2. Assess whether viability of the Salmon River coho population is limited by quantity and complexity of stream habitat. 3. Describe the diversity of juvenile and adult life histories of coho salmon in the Salmon River basin and estimate the relative contributions of alternate juvenile life history to adult returns. 4. Determine salmonid use and benefits of restored tidal wetlands before and after hatchery coho salmon are removed from Salmon River. By synthesizing historic data with new information for the Salmon River basin, we will compare population structure during three distinct periods – pre-hatchery (1974-77), hatchery (1990-2008), and post-hatchery (2009-2013). This annual report discusses the activities and findings from 2008, the first year of the multi-year project, including coho salmon distribution and abundance on the Salmon River spawning grounds, juvenile abundance and distribution in the watershed and estuary, migration timing, and life history diversity. Close

• 94. [Article] Smith River Steelhead and Coho Monitoring Verification Study, 2007 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-11

  Abstract -- Monitoring the status of salmonids in Oregon coastal streams is an important component of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) contribution to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Smith River Steelhead and Coho Monitoring Verification Study, 2007 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-11 Abstract -- Monitoring the status of salmonids in Oregon coastal streams is an important component of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) contribution to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. Since 1998, ODFW has implemented a probabilistic sampling design (Stevens 2002) to monitor adult and juvenile coho in Oregon coastal streams. In 2002, ODFW expanded its monitoring program to include steelhead. Monitoring is occurring coast wide and relies on the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP, Stevens and Olsen 1999) for site selection and to produce fish abundance metrics at large spatial scales. Juvenile monitoring is conducted using snorkel survey protocols. The Smith River Steelhead and Coho Monitoring Verification Study is an effort to evaluate how well visual counts compare with removal estimates as a monitoring tool at the basin scale and to provide information on the relationship of monitoring data collected coast wide to actual populations. This report will summarize juvenile salmonid data collected by snorkeling and electrofishing in the Smith River basin during the summer of 2007 and provide a comparative analysis of several years’ data of how the estimates from the two methods correspond to each other and to the spawning survey estimates of adult fish above Smith River Falls. Information on the relationship of coast wide snorkel counts on the basin scale to actual population status will be presented in a synthesis report covering all years of this study. Title: Smith River Steelhead and Coho Monitoring Verification Study, 2007 Report Number: OPSW-ODFW-2009-11 Abstract -- Monitoring the status of salmonids in Oregon coastal streams is an important component of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) contribution to the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. Since 1998, ODFW has implemented a probabilistic sampling design (Stevens 2002) to monitor adult and juvenile coho in Oregon coastal streams. In 2002, ODFW expanded its monitoring program to include steelhead. Monitoring is occurring coast wide and relies on the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP, Stevens and Olsen 1999) for site selection and to produce fish abundance metrics at large spatial scales. Juvenile monitoring is conducted using snorkel survey protocols. The Smith River Steelhead and Coho Monitoring Verification Study is an effort to evaluate how well visual counts compare with removal estimates as a monitoring tool at the basin scale and to provide information on the relationship of monitoring data collected coast wide to actual populations. This report will summarize juvenile salmonid data collected by snorkeling and electrofishing in the Smith River basin during the summer of 2007 and provide a comparative analysis of several years’ data of how the estimates from the two methods correspond to each other and to the spawning survey estimates of adult fish above Smith River Falls. Information on the relationship of coast wide snorkel counts on the basin scale to actual population status will be presented in a synthesis report covering all years of this study. Close

• 95. [Article] Limiting Factors Assessment and Restoration Plan for Steer Creek Tributary of Rock Cr Siletz

  Abstract -- This document provides watershed restoration actions proposed to enhance the Coho Salmon population within the Steer Cr. 6th field in Lincoln County, Oregon. This stream is a 4th order contributor ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Limiting Factors Assessment and Restoration Plan for Steer Creek Tributary of Rock Cr Siletz Abstract -- This document provides watershed restoration actions proposed to enhance the Coho Salmon population within the Steer Cr. 6th field in Lincoln County, Oregon. This stream is a 4th order contributor to Rock Creek, which joins the Siletz River near Logsden, Oregon. The stream has been prioritized for restoration by the Midcoast Watershed Council because it appears to provide the best remaining spawning and rearing potential within the Rock Cr. basin. The report contains information on the physical setting, current status of Coho, resources used in developing the plan, general questions that guided the assessment, pre-survey mapping/location of habitat subdivisions, secondary branch habitats, critical contributing areas, lowland area, summer and winter habitat assessment, lake habitat, location of other resources, juvenile Coho, evaluation of habitat quality and Coho production, Field Assessment, location of potential migration barriers, potential sites for restoration work, morphology, rank of restoration efforts, riparian corridor, and core area. Title: Limiting Factors Assessment and Restoration Plan for Steer Creek Tributary of Rock Cr Siletz Abstract -- This document provides watershed restoration actions proposed to enhance the Coho Salmon population within the Steer Cr. 6th field in Lincoln County, Oregon. This stream is a 4th order contributor to Rock Creek, which joins the Siletz River near Logsden, Oregon. The stream has been prioritized for restoration by the Midcoast Watershed Council because it appears to provide the best remaining spawning and rearing potential within the Rock Cr. basin. The report contains information on the physical setting, current status of Coho, resources used in developing the plan, general questions that guided the assessment, pre-survey mapping/location of habitat subdivisions, secondary branch habitats, critical contributing areas, lowland area, summer and winter habitat assessment, lake habitat, location of other resources, juvenile Coho, evaluation of habitat quality and Coho production, Field Assessment, location of potential migration barriers, potential sites for restoration work, morphology, rank of restoration efforts, riparian corridor, and core area. Close

• 96. [Article] Fall Chinook Salmon in the South Fork Coos River: Spawner Escapement, Run Reconstruction and Survey Calibration, 1998 - 2000, Information Reports 2003-02

  Abstract -- The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has conducted a three year study designed to develop methods that provide reliable estimates of fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Fall Chinook Salmon in the South Fork Coos River: Spawner Escapement, Run Reconstruction and Survey Calibration, 1998 - 2000, Information Reports 2003-02 Abstract -- The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has conducted a three year study designed to develop methods that provide reliable estimates of fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawner escapements for the South Fork Coos River. This study is part of a larger effort to develop similar high-quality escapement estimates for fall chinook in Oregon coastal basins in order to meet Oregon’s Pacific Salmon Treaty monitoring responsibilities. Funding for this study was provided by the U.S. Section of the Chinook Technical Committee (CTC) of the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) pursuant to the 1999 Letter of Agreement (LOA). Three stock aggregates have been identified that originate from Oregon coastal basins. These aggregates are thought to represent distinct genetic and behavioral characteristics and are managed separately. The North Oregon Coast (NOC) and Mid Oregon Coast (MOC) are the two stock aggregates that are north migrating, and are subjected to the PSC’s abundance-based management program (USCTC 1997). The South Fork Coos River is one component of the MOC aggregate. Current monitoring programs for Oregon coastal fall chinook do not supply the CTC with adequate information that is required for the management and rebuilding of Oregon’s coastal chinook stocks. ODFW has conducted standard surveys for more than 50 years to monitor the status of chinook stocks along coastal Oregon (Jacobs et al. 2000). A total of 56 standard index spawner surveys (45.8 miles) are monitored throughout 1,500 stream miles on an annual basis to estimate peak escapement levels and track trends of northmigrating stocks. Although counts in these standard surveys may be sufficient to index long-term trends of spawner abundance, they are considered inadequate for deriving reliable annual estimates of spawner escapement for several reasons. These surveys were not selected randomly and cannot be considered representative of coast-wide spawning habitat. Also, fall chinook are known to spawn extensively in mainstem reaches and large tributaries, which are not conducive to the foot surveys. To provide estimates of escapements, index counts must be calibrated to known population levels. Obtaining accurate estimates of fall chinook spawner density in mainstem reaches is extremely difficult. Typically, these areas exhibit wide variations in stream flow and turbidity that create difficult and sometimes dangerous survey conditions resulting in unreliable visual counts. The goal of this project is to develop precise estimates of adult spawner escapement in the South Fork Coos River and to identify survey methods that can be used to reliably index spawner abundance for the South Fork Coos River and MOC stock aggregate. ODFW conducted mark-recapture experiments to estimate fall chinook spawning escapement in the South Fork Coos River from 1998 through 2000. We conducted foot and float surveys to obtain counts of live fish, carcasses, and redds. These indices are assessed against the mark-recapture estimates to determine whether any of them track fall chinook spawner abundance with sufficient precision to form the basis for long-term monitoring and the incorporation of resulting escapement estimates into PSC harvest modeling efforts. We used radio-telemetry as an independent method to estimate the distribution of fall chinook spawners between mainstem and tributary strata. Title: Fall Chinook Salmon in the South Fork Coos River: Spawner Escapement, Run Reconstruction and Survey Calibration, 1998 - 2000, Information Reports 2003-02 Abstract -- The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has conducted a three year study designed to develop methods that provide reliable estimates of fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) spawner escapements for the South Fork Coos River. This study is part of a larger effort to develop similar high-quality escapement estimates for fall chinook in Oregon coastal basins in order to meet Oregon’s Pacific Salmon Treaty monitoring responsibilities. Funding for this study was provided by the U.S. Section of the Chinook Technical Committee (CTC) of the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) pursuant to the 1999 Letter of Agreement (LOA). Three stock aggregates have been identified that originate from Oregon coastal basins. These aggregates are thought to represent distinct genetic and behavioral characteristics and are managed separately. The North Oregon Coast (NOC) and Mid Oregon Coast (MOC) are the two stock aggregates that are north migrating, and are subjected to the PSC’s abundance-based management program (USCTC 1997). The South Fork Coos River is one component of the MOC aggregate. Current monitoring programs for Oregon coastal fall chinook do not supply the CTC with adequate information that is required for the management and rebuilding of Oregon’s coastal chinook stocks. ODFW has conducted standard surveys for more than 50 years to monitor the status of chinook stocks along coastal Oregon (Jacobs et al. 2000). A total of 56 standard index spawner surveys (45.8 miles) are monitored throughout 1,500 stream miles on an annual basis to estimate peak escapement levels and track trends of northmigrating stocks. Although counts in these standard surveys may be sufficient to index long-term trends of spawner abundance, they are considered inadequate for deriving reliable annual estimates of spawner escapement for several reasons. These surveys were not selected randomly and cannot be considered representative of coast-wide spawning habitat. Also, fall chinook are known to spawn extensively in mainstem reaches and large tributaries, which are not conducive to the foot surveys. To provide estimates of escapements, index counts must be calibrated to known population levels. Obtaining accurate estimates of fall chinook spawner density in mainstem reaches is extremely difficult. Typically, these areas exhibit wide variations in stream flow and turbidity that create difficult and sometimes dangerous survey conditions resulting in unreliable visual counts. The goal of this project is to develop precise estimates of adult spawner escapement in the South Fork Coos River and to identify survey methods that can be used to reliably index spawner abundance for the South Fork Coos River and MOC stock aggregate. ODFW conducted mark-recapture experiments to estimate fall chinook spawning escapement in the South Fork Coos River from 1998 through 2000. We conducted foot and float surveys to obtain counts of live fish, carcasses, and redds. These indices are assessed against the mark-recapture estimates to determine whether any of them track fall chinook spawner abundance with sufficient precision to form the basis for long-term monitoring and the incorporation of resulting escapement estimates into PSC harvest modeling efforts. We used radio-telemetry as an independent method to estimate the distribution of fall chinook spawners between mainstem and tributary strata. Close

• 97. [Article] Thomas Creek Mainstem Assessment Completion Report

  Abstract -- This project expands upon a year 2000 project (OWEB 99-543) that was designed to examine riparian and water quality impacts on aquatic invertebrate assemblages and fish diet in Thomas Creek. ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Thomas Creek Mainstem Assessment Completion Report Abstract -- This project expands upon a year 2000 project (OWEB 99-543) that was designed to examine riparian and water quality impacts on aquatic invertebrate assemblages and fish diet in Thomas Creek. The initial project design was to sample water quality, fish, and invertebrates at nine sites along 30 river kilometers (R kms) of the stream; three in conifer dominated, three in mixed forest, and three in hardwood dominated riparian forest. Preliminary results suggested water quality conditions were similar throughout the 30 R kms and riparian vegetation composition was not associated with fish diet or invertebrate assemblage composition. Longitudinal patterns were weak and appeared to be driven by three upstream sites. Therefore we proposed to expand the survey area to include the entire stream open to anadromous fish migration (51 R kms). The fish diet portion of the project was discontinued because we were denied a sampling permit for ESA listed salmonids during 2001. Instead, we focused on broad-scale fish distribution and habitat use. Additionally, we compared patterns for fish with invertebrates. The extent of fish, invertebrate, and water quality sampling locations increased to include all 51 R kms downstream of the waterfall. An extensive fish survey to examine fish distribution included 218 survey locations throughout the 51 R kms. Intensive snorkel surveys to examine fine-scale, habitat use by salmonids included four sample locations in the upstream 14 R kms. Invertebrate samples were collected from three habitat types at 27 sites to examine distribution and habitat use along the 51 R kms Title: Thomas Creek Mainstem Assessment Completion Report Abstract -- This project expands upon a year 2000 project (OWEB 99-543) that was designed to examine riparian and water quality impacts on aquatic invertebrate assemblages and fish diet in Thomas Creek. The initial project design was to sample water quality, fish, and invertebrates at nine sites along 30 river kilometers (R kms) of the stream; three in conifer dominated, three in mixed forest, and three in hardwood dominated riparian forest. Preliminary results suggested water quality conditions were similar throughout the 30 R kms and riparian vegetation composition was not associated with fish diet or invertebrate assemblage composition. Longitudinal patterns were weak and appeared to be driven by three upstream sites. Therefore we proposed to expand the survey area to include the entire stream open to anadromous fish migration (51 R kms). The fish diet portion of the project was discontinued because we were denied a sampling permit for ESA listed salmonids during 2001. Instead, we focused on broad-scale fish distribution and habitat use. Additionally, we compared patterns for fish with invertebrates. The extent of fish, invertebrate, and water quality sampling locations increased to include all 51 R kms downstream of the waterfall. An extensive fish survey to examine fish distribution included 218 survey locations throughout the 51 R kms. Intensive snorkel surveys to examine fine-scale, habitat use by salmonids included four sample locations in the upstream 14 R kms. Invertebrate samples were collected from three habitat types at 27 sites to examine distribution and habitat use along the 51 R kms Close

• 98. [Article] Yaquina and Alsea River Basins Estuarine Wetland Site Prioritization Project Final Report

  Abstract -- The project surveyed estuarine wetland sites in the Alsea and Yaquina basins. Sites surveyed were tidal wetlands falling within Jefferson’s (1975) plant community categories of low silt marsh, ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Yaquina and Alsea River Basins Estuarine Wetland Site Prioritization Project Final Report Abstract -- The project surveyed estuarine wetland sites in the Alsea and Yaquina basins. Sites surveyed were tidal wetlands falling within Jefferson’s (1975) plant community categories of low silt marsh, low sand marsh, sedge marsh, immature high marsh, and mature high marsh. (Mud flats, algal flats and eelgrass beds were not included.) The goal was to prioritize these tidal wetland sites for protection and restoration activity. The information provided by this study provides a basis for working with interested landowners to develop site-specific action plans. Development of these action plans will require landowner contact, field work, and other steps outlined elsewhere in this report. Title: Yaquina and Alsea River Basins Estuarine Wetland Site Prioritization Project Final Report Abstract -- The project surveyed estuarine wetland sites in the Alsea and Yaquina basins. Sites surveyed were tidal wetlands falling within Jefferson’s (1975) plant community categories of low silt marsh, low sand marsh, sedge marsh, immature high marsh, and mature high marsh. (Mud flats, algal flats and eelgrass beds were not included.) The goal was to prioritize these tidal wetland sites for protection and restoration activity. The information provided by this study provides a basis for working with interested landowners to develop site-specific action plans. Development of these action plans will require landowner contact, field work, and other steps outlined elsewhere in this report. Close

• 99. [Article] Progress Reports 2017, Distribution and Abundance of Pit Sculpin in Drews and Camp Creeks, Oregon

  Abstract -- Pit Sculpin Cottus pitensis are endemic to Goose Lake basin, south-central Oregon. The species was listed as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service Region 6 and Bureau of Land Management and ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Progress Reports 2017, Distribution and Abundance of Pit Sculpin in Drews and Camp Creeks, Oregon Abstract -- Pit Sculpin Cottus pitensis are endemic to Goose Lake basin, south-central Oregon. The species was listed as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service Region 6 and Bureau of Land Management and by the State of Oregon. Recent surveys suggested Pit Sculpin have a restricted range in Oregon. The objectives of our surveys were to: 1) describe the current distribution and estimate the abundance of Pit Sculpin in Drews and Camp creeks, 2) describe the fish assemblages in Drews and Camp creeks, and 3) describe stream habitat conditions and collect habitat covariate data at each sampling location for modelling capture probabilities and abundance. We found Pit Sculpin distribution was limited to approximately 5.2 km of Drews Creek and 0.8 km of Camp Creek. Pit Sculpin primarily occupied riffles with gravel substrate. We estimated 12,331 and 1,518 Pit Sculpin in Drews and Camp creeks, respectively. Title: Progress Reports 2017, Distribution and Abundance of Pit Sculpin in Drews and Camp Creeks, Oregon Abstract -- Pit Sculpin Cottus pitensis are endemic to Goose Lake basin, south-central Oregon. The species was listed as sensitive by the U.S. Forest Service Region 6 and Bureau of Land Management and by the State of Oregon. Recent surveys suggested Pit Sculpin have a restricted range in Oregon. The objectives of our surveys were to: 1) describe the current distribution and estimate the abundance of Pit Sculpin in Drews and Camp creeks, 2) describe the fish assemblages in Drews and Camp creeks, and 3) describe stream habitat conditions and collect habitat covariate data at each sampling location for modelling capture probabilities and abundance. We found Pit Sculpin distribution was limited to approximately 5.2 km of Drews Creek and 0.8 km of Camp Creek. Pit Sculpin primarily occupied riffles with gravel substrate. We estimated 12,331 and 1,518 Pit Sculpin in Drews and Camp creeks, respectively. Close

• 100. [Article] Jordan-Alder Creek (S. Umpqua) Watershed Assessment, 2006

  Abstract -- This assessment identifies current habitat limitations and recommends corrective actions, prioritized by potential benefit to salmonids, in the Jordan-Alder Creek subbasin of the South Umpqua ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Jordan-Alder Creek (S. Umpqua) Watershed Assessment, 2006 Abstract -- This assessment identifies current habitat limitations and recommends corrective actions, prioritized by potential benefit to salmonids, in the Jordan-Alder Creek subbasin of the South Umpqua River near Canyonville. Sections include introduction, past conditions, current conditions, current trends and potential future conditions, action plan, and references. Copious figures, tables, and maps. Appendices include stream habitat survey results and official letters. 123 pp. Title: Jordan-Alder Creek (S. Umpqua) Watershed Assessment, 2006 Abstract -- This assessment identifies current habitat limitations and recommends corrective actions, prioritized by potential benefit to salmonids, in the Jordan-Alder Creek subbasin of the South Umpqua River near Canyonville. Sections include introduction, past conditions, current conditions, current trends and potential future conditions, action plan, and references. Copious figures, tables, and maps. Appendices include stream habitat survey results and official letters. 123 pp. Close