Baseline Assessment of Salmonids in Tributaries of the Snake and Grande Ronde Rivers in Southeast Washington PDF Format - [45 KB]

SE Washington Fish Reports Baseline Assessment of Salmonids in Tributaries of the Snake and Grande Ronde Rivers in Southeast Washington Glen Mendel, Michael Gembala, Jeremy Trump and Chris Fulton Executive Summary We collected data to provide information regarding distribution, relative abundance, and species composition, while obtaining tissue samples for age and growth or genetic analyses. This effort was part of our salmonid population/stock assessment in selected streams in southeast Washington where data were most limited. Small amounts of funding came from several sources to enable us to combine the following objectives or projects: 1) increase our field sampling of small streams or stream reaches in Asotin County, 2) begin sampling Wenaha Basin tributaries within WA, particularly for bull trout information, and 3) continue bull trout monitoring efforts in the Tucannon Basin, and expand those efforts to include collection of tissues for a collaborative genetic evaluation of metapopulation structure and to assist with PIT tagging for evaluation of movements. Most of our efforts were concentrated on fish population assessment, but a limited amount of habitat assessment was included. The sampling efforts and results documented here are mostly from 2005, but some data from previous years are included. The 2005 field efforts provide only partial fulfillment of the goals and objectives of the various projects combined in this report. For example, we were only partially successful obtaining 40 tissue samples that met our genetic sampling protocol from juvenile bull trout in each of seven reaches of the upper Tucannon watershed. Low densities of fish, equipment problems, and restricted access because of a large wildfire precluded us from meeting our sampling goals. In addition, we were unable to electrofish in Butte Creek because of restricted access and safety issues surrounding the 52,000 acre School Fire in 2005. We were successful in obtaining valuable new baseline information that is useful for assessing salmonid stock status, particularly in portions of the lower Grande Ronde tributaries and the Wenaha basin within Washington State. We were able to obtain tissue samples from many fish from several drainages that will be useful for age, growth, and genetic analyses in the future. Currently we still have streams or stream reaches where we have almost no actual field sampling information. We hope to secure additional funding for each of the next 2-4 years to enable us to continue this effort to collect baseline data regarding salmonids and their habitats in areas where limited or no data currently exists in southeast Washington. Our ultimate goal is to then use this baseline data to guide development of a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation program that would implement appropriate long-term monitoring of the status and trends of salmonid populations in these small tributaries. We trust that the information documented here will be useful to fish and habitat managers, as well as subbasin and salmonid recovery planners, for protecting and restoring salmonid resources in southeast Washington tributaries within the Snake River Basin. Introduction Concerns about the decline of native salmon and trout populations have increased among natural resource managers and the public in recent years. In 1992, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) designated both Snake River fall-run chinook and spring/summer-run chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. In 1997, NOAA designated Snake River summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) as a threatened species. Then, in 1998, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) designated bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) as a threatened species in the Columbia basin. These listings have emphasized the need for information regarding the status of salmonid populations and their habitats. As a result, a multitude of initiatives have been implemented at the local, state, and federal government levels. These initiatives include completing several management plans (e.g. draft Bull Trout Recovery Plan -USFWS 2002, several Subbasin Plans, and the Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan – SRSRB 2005), and numerous actions intended to conserve and restore salmonid fishes and their habitats. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is entrusted with “the preservation, protection, and perpetuation of fish and wildlife.... [and to] maximize public recreational or commercial opportunities without impairing the supply of fish and wildlife” (WAC 77.12.010). In consideration of this mandate, the WDFW District Fish Management staff in Dayton, Washington implemented several projects to investigate the status of salmonid populations and their habitats within Pataha Creek (Mendel et al. 1999), George Creek, Tenmile Creek, and Couse Creek in 2000 (Mendel et al. 1999, Mendel et al. 2001). This effort was expanded in 2001-2003 to include multiple watersheds within Asotin, Garfield, and Whitman counties (Mendel et al. 2004a). In 2004-2005, district staff continued monitoring efforts in southeast Washington streams for three related projects with multiple funding sources, including cost share from WDFW: 1) A contract from the Asotin County Conservation District, with BPA funding to sample small streams in Asotin County, 2) A contract with the Spokane Office of the USFWS to collect tissue samples from juvenile bull trout in upper stream reaches of the Tucannon Basin for a collaborative genetic study of metapopulation structure, and 3) monitoring bull trout distribution and relative abundance in the Tucannon and Wenaha Basin in southeast Washington with ESA Section 6 funding from the USFWS. Sampling efforts concentrated on streams suspected of rearing bull trout or rainbow/steelhead. Most of the streams sampled in 2005 have little or no prior documentation of species composition, fish distribution, or stock status. Information collected as part of these projects will be useful to government agencies, citizens, and land managers to guide future decisions regarding fish management, land use, and habitat restoration in southeast Washington. Landowners and managers may also benefit from increased access to conservation funding programs as a result of the documented presence of chinook, steelhead, and bull trout and an assessment of habitat conditions.