Monitoring Estuarine Survival of Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss Smolts

Monitoring Estuarine Survival of Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Smolts in the Nehalem and Alsea Basins, Oregon Using Acoustic Telemetry Jeremy Romer, Camille Leblanc, Carl Schreck, David Noakes, Shaun Clements

Goal: Develop a monitoring strategy for estuarine survival that will integrate with the ODFW Life Cycle Monitoring Program • Survival- Provide estimates of lower river and estuarine survival. • Behavior- Assess differences between early and late run groups, between basins, or between years. • Physiology- Assess degree of smoltification throughout run.

Life Cycle Monitoring

Life Cycle Monitoring: Spatial Resolution Last count # # Trap Hatchery Oregon North Fork Manzanita # Pacific Ocean Nehalem River # Wheeler Nehalem Bay and Surrounding Area

Life Cycle Monitoring: Spatial Resolution Last count # Trap # Oregon 33 Km Nehalem Bay and Surrounding Area

Acoustic Technology 7 mm x 18 mm, 0. 7 g in water V 7 V 9 steelhead 2009

Two (7" x 15", 16 lb) Floats Sonic Receiver 1/2" Poly Crabline Kedge Anchor 40 lbs Lead Weight (4 ounce) 3/8" Galvanized Chain (12') steelhead 2001

Pacific Ocean

Alsea Study Area OHRC

Nehalem Study Area LCM

Migration Timing

% undetected Alsea Study – Possible Mortality 2007, 2009 Waldport 40 07 30 20 10 0 09 07 09 Upper Mid Lower steelhead 2007, 2009

= Predator Congregation = Receiver Efficiency Alsea Estuary 95 (4) 82 (8) 100

Alsea River Mouth

Nehalem Study – Possible Mortality 2001, 2002, 2009 01 40 % undetected 09 30 09 20 09 02 01 10 N 01 0 0 02 km 2 02 Upper Mid Lower steelhead 2001, 2002, 2009

Nehalem Estuary 100 93 (4) 88 (6) 100 = Predator Congregation = Receiver Efficiency

Peak Alsea - Effect of run timing on survival 25/39 42% detected Early 9/31 29% detected

Nehalem - Effect of run timing on survival 21/34 62% detected

Effect of run timing on time to reach the lower estuary Alsea River (55 Km) N=9 N=25 Nehalem River (33 Km) N=15 N=21

Estuary Residence Time Mean: Median: Max: Total N: Std Dev: Alsea Days 1. 1 0. 8 6. 3 38. 0 1. 3 Nehalem Days 1. 1 0. 7 7. 9 34. 0 1. 5

8 ATP-ase Activity 2009 7 Early Peak Gill Na+, K+ ATPase Activity ( µmol ADP·mg prot. -1·hr-1) 6 Late Nonmigrants? 5 <120 4 3 2 1 0 3. 28 4. 7 4. 17 4. 27 Date 5. 7 Tagged 5. 17 5. 27 6. 6 6. 16

6 Gill ATP-ase Activity for Alsea Fish Detected in Lower Estuary Gill Na+, K+ ATPase Activity ( µmol ADP·mg prot. -1·hr-1) 5 4 3 Survivor Tagged 2 1 0 4. 4 4. 9 4. 14 Date Tagged 4. 19 4. 24 4. 29

Alsea River Mouth Pacific Ocean 70 tagged 62 Estuary Entry - 42 Km – 88. 6% 22 -38 Ocean - 55 Km – 31 -54%

Nehalem River Mouth South Jetty 69 tagged 53 Estuary Entry - 20 Km - 76. 8% 22 -34 Ocean - 33 Km – 32 -49% Pacific Ocean

Distance Travelled (Km) 200 160 Columbia (n=64) 120 Nehalem (n=38) 80 40 0 0 100 200 300 > 41 Days Travel time to Estuary (h) steelhead 2001

Migration through the Columbia Estuary 50 3 2 30 20 1 10 0 Tidal Stage (m) River Km 40 0 -10 12: 00 0: 00 12: 00 steelhead 2001

Migration Rates to Estuary Relation to Flow Mean Rate (kph) 5. 0 2 r = 0. 52 2 r = 0. 47 2 r = 0. 46 4. 5 4. 0 3. 5 3. 0 2. 5 * 1. 5 * 2. 0 75 175 275 375 475 Mean Daily Flow (kcfs) Spring Chinook Steelhead Fall Chinook

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ANDREW WALCH – because he is a better field tech than the one you have. ODFW Kim Jones – Gear, opportunity, motivation Steve Johnson – Alsea smolt trap setup, receiver tech support, data, advice Brian Riggers – Boat Kara Anlauf - GIS Charlie Stein – Access queries, ocean fishing Dave Stewart – Redwood housing Nehalem Kanani Bowden – Scales Lisa Borgerson – Scales Bill Ratliff – Landowner contacts Ryan Couture – OHRC, coordination Joseph O’Neil – OHRC, maker of things Eric Suring – LCM Project Leader Chris Lorion – Smolt trapping Alsea Derek Wiley – Smolt trapping Nehalem Paul Olmsted – Smolt trap Nehalem Aaron Paloni – Smolt trap Nehalem Jitesh Pattni - Smolt trap Nehalem Richard Biederbeck – Technical support OSU Jayde Ferguson – ATP, Parasites Michael Glynn – ATP assay Allison Evans – Psychotherapy & stats Schreck Lab – for the love of fish EPA Jim Powers – VR 2 receivers Landowners Paul Mc. Cracken- Nehalem Pat & Bunny Wright – Alsea Richard & Kathy Ellis – Alsea ODFW District Fish Biologists Bob Buckman – Alsea Chris Knutsen – Nehalem NOAA Pete Baki –Permitting Old Man Ocean – for letting us have all of our gear back.

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