This report summarizes
the objectives, tasks, and accomplishments of the Tucannon River Spring
Chinook Captive Broodstock Program during 2003.
The WDFW initiated
a captive broodstock program in 1997. The overall goal of the Tucannon
River captive broodstock program is for the short-term, and eventually
long-term, rebuilding of the Tucannon River spring chinook salmon
run, with the hope that natural production will sustain itself. The
project goal is to rear captive salmon selected from the supplementation
program to adults, spawn them, rear their progeny, and release approximately
150,000 smolts annually into the Tucannon River between 2003-2007.
These smolt releases, in combination with the current hatchery supplementation
program (132,000 smolts) and wild production, are expected to produce
600-700 returning adult spring chinook to the Tucannon River each
year from 2005-2010.
The captive broodstock
program collected fish from five (1997-2001) brood years (BY). As
of January 1, 2004, WDFW has approximately 18 BY 1999, 189 BY 2000,
405 BY 2001, and 277 BY 2002 (for extra males) fish on hand at LFH.
The 2003 eggtake
from the 1998 brood year (Age 5) was 8,378 eggs from 5 ripe females.
Egg survival was 64%. Mean fecundity based on the 3 fully spawned
females was 1,794 eggs/female.
The 2003 eggtake
from the 1999 brood year (Age 4) was 226,043 eggs from 158 ripe females.
Egg survival was 65%. Mean fecundity based on the 157 fully spawned
females was 1,433 eggs/female.
The 2003 eggtake
from the 2000 brood year (Age 3) was 74,995 eggs from 60 ripe females.
Egg survival was 45%. Mean fecundity based on the 59 fully spawned
fish was 1,250 eggs/female.
The total 2003
eggtake from the captive brood program was 309,416 eggs. A total of
122,673 dead eggs (40%) were removed with 186,743 live eggs remaining
for the program. An additional 21,943 dead eggs/fry (11.8%) were picked
at ponding leaving 164,800 fish for rearing. As of May 1, 2004 we
had 153,038 BY 2003 captive brood progeny on hand
During April 2004,
WDFW volitionally released 44,784 BY 2002 captive broodstock progeny
smolts from Curl Lake Acclimation Pond into the Tucannon River. These
fish were marked with agency-only wire tags and no fin clips in order
to differentiate them from the supplementation fish (CWT/Right Red
VIE/No Finclip). A total of 1,029 captive brood progeny smolts were
PIT tagged to compare their outmigration with smolts from the supplementation
program (1,016 tagged). Monitoring their survival and future releases
to adult returns, along with future natural production levels, will
determine the success or failure of this captive broodstock program.
