Steelhead Spawning Ground Surveys, Temperature, and Discharge Monitoring in Small Tributaries of the Columbia River Upper Middle Mainstem Subbasin, 2005-2007 PDF Format - [1.91 MB] Acknowledgements Evaluating juvenile salmon production on the largest river in Washington State’s Puget Sound Basin is an enormous undertaking. Dangerous work conditions and inclement weather are the norm and this work simply couldn’t be done without our experienced field crew. Scientific Technicians Jim Repoz, Dean Toba and Eric Kummerow worked long hours around the clock operating and maintaining the traps, and enumerating and sampling the catches. Scientific Technician Jamie Murphy operated the coho smolt trap on Mannser Creek and tagged smolts at the Baker River Dam. Fish Biologist Mike Ackley and Scientific Technician Mat Gillum provided valuable logistical support during trap installation and removal. Mark Hino developed the database that helped analyze much of the trap data in this report. We would also like to thank Brett Barkdull and the Region 4 staff for their diligent work on the adult spawner surveys and chinook escapement estimates. Thanks also goes out to Kye Iris for her help in obtaining permits from the City of Mount Vernon, and for the additional support provided by Bob Everitt and Pat Frazier. Evaluation of the wild Chinook production from the Skagit River was made possible with funding from Seattle City Light. The 2006 season was the tenth and final year they provided funds. Their support, combined with funds from Dingell-Johnson/ Wallop-Breaux program and matched with Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife funds, enabled with Wild Salmon Production Evaluation Unit to trap downstream migrants in the lower Skagit River from mid January through July. We greatly appreciate the support of Pat Courier, adjacent property owner, for allowing us to locate our mobile field station for the mainstem trap on her property for the entire 2006 trapping season, and for allowing us access to drinking water and utilities. We would also like to thank: Dike District 17 for allowing us to park vehicles on their property; Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad for continuing to allow us to anchor our mainstem trap barges to the railroad bridge; and Dexter and Joanie Sealph, who allowed us to install and access the Mannser Creek trap on their property.

<<< Return to Wild Salmon Population Monitoring Steelhead Spawning Ground Surveys, Temperature, and Discharge Monitoring in Small Tributaries of the Columbia River Upper Middle Mainstem Subbasin, 2005-2007 By: Casey Baldwin December 3, 2007 Abstract The primary objective of this project was to determine the distribution and abundance of summer steelhead redds, monitor temperature, and discharge in 12 small tributaries to the Columbia River in the Upper Middle Mainstem Subbasin. This area is included in the Upper Columbia summer steelhead DPS and adult steelhead distribution in these creeks has been identified as a data gap for determining abundance and spatial structure. Tributaries that were monitored as part of this study included Swakane, Squilchuck, Stemilt, Colockum, Tarpiscan (North and South Forks), Tekison, Trinidad, Quilomene, Brushy, Skookumchuck, Whiskey Dick, and Johnson Creeks. Additional information was also included for Rock Island Creek and Sand Hollow; however, they were surveyed by the Foster Creek Conservation District and the USBR, respectively. The spawning ground surveys identified steelhead spawning, live adult steelhead, or carcasses recovered in Squilchuck, Tarpiscan, Trinidad, Tekison, Quilomene, Brushy, Skookumchuck, and Johnson Creeks. However, no consistent spawning locations were identified between years in any of the creeks. The highest abundance of steelhead spawners occurred in Trinidad Creek in 2005. Eleven redds and as many as 23 adult steelhead were identified in Trinidad Creek between 31 March and 2 May 2005. Of the 3 carcasses recovered in 2005, two of them (one in Tarpiscan Creek and one in Trinidad Creek) had elastomer tags and were from a release at the Chiwawa River Hatchery. The temperature regime was variable, some creeks had a pattern of consistent temperatures (10-12 °C) throughout the spawning period (Trinidad, Skookumchuck, Whiskey Dick) combined with relatively cool conditions in late summer. Many other creeks started off cold (~5 °C in mid-late March) and warmed up to 12-14 °C by the end of the spawning period in mid May. Spring temperatures were within the preferred range for egg incubation and smoltification. Late-summer mean weekly temperatures were generally within the preferred range for juvenile steelhead rearing, though some creeks did have mean weekly maximum temperatures that exceeded 20 °C. The discharge measurements recorded in this study were not measured often enough to serve as a comprehensive evaluation of seasonal flow patterns. However, our data indicate that some creeks had relatively flashy spring runoff patterns and tended to go dry near their mouths such as Brushy, Tekison, and Tarpiscan Creeks. Other creeks (Swakane, Skookumchuck, Whiskey Dick) had relatively low flows in the spring but retained some flow during late summer. Trinidad Creek was the exception with moderate but consistent flows. The information in this study is relevant for evaluating the abundance and spatial distribution of steelhead in the Upper Columbia ESU. It should also be helpful for managers and researchers to determine if and how to include these creeks into future sampling designs for the Wenatchee summer steelhead population monitoring.