Escapement Enumeration: Mainstem Klamath Carcass Survey

Post Date

July 14th 2010

Application Due Date

November 30th -0001

This is a Notice of Intent. This opportunity has been awarded to the Yurok Tribe and no other applications will be reviewed.

Funding Opportunity Number

FWS-R8-YFWO-FISHERIES-FP-04

CFDA Number(s)

15.608

Funding Instrument Type(s)

Grant

Funding Activity Categories

Science and Technology and other Research and Development

Eligibility Categories

Other

This is a Notice of Intent and awarded to the Yurok Tribe.

Funding

• Award Range:

  $30791 - $30791

Grant Description

Since 1978, Federal, State, and Tribal fishery agencies and local community groups have collected information on fall Chinook salmon spawning in the Klamath River and its tributary streams upstream of the Trinity River confluence. As part of this large, coordinated effort, spawning escapement surveys are conducted annually by the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program in the mainstem Klamath River in cooperation with the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office. Surveys conducted by the Tribe collect data regarding Chinook spawning escapement in the mainstem, and are accomplished by survey crews that float reaches of the mainstem river locating, counting and mapping fish and redd locations. The data collected are included in the annual report called the “mega-table”, which is generated by California Fish and Game and is used in the determination of harvest levels for the management of Klamath River Fall Chinook stocks. The Yurok Tribe and the Arcata USFWS will work collaboratively during the fall 2010 survey. This agreement will benefit the public because the information collected from this large cooperative effort is used to track population trends and estimate the fall Chinook ocean stock abundance, age composition, and spawning run size. This information is needed by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC), California Fish and Game Commission, National Marine Fisheries service, and Tribes for harvest management. The information is used to determine if the PFMC Conservation Goal for Klamath River fall Chinook is met in a particular year, and to develop projections of the fishable stock for the upcoming year. Once those projections are made, they are used by fishery management agencies to promulgate fishing regulations for the Chinook salmon fishery along the southern Oregon coasts. This information is also used to determine the status of Chinook salmon within the mainstem Klamath River, as well the hatchery/natural composition of this population. The Yurok Tribe will participate in the mainstem fall Chinook spawner survey in close cooperation with the Service’s Arcata, California, Fish and Wildlife Office (AFWO) A. TASKS Task 1- Conduct fall Chinook salmon spawner escapement surveys in the mainstem Klamath River as specified in the Methods Section below. Task 2- Submit survey data on a weekly basis to Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office. a. METHODS The fall Chinook spawner escapement surveys will begin approximately the week of October 15-19, 2009 and will conclude the week of November 12-16. Efforts will continue into late November and early December if spawning continues. All work will be in coordination with the AFWO Fisheries Program staff. A total of 131 river kilometers (rkms) of the mainstem Klamath River, from Iron Gate Dam to the confluence of Indian Creek, will be surveyed each week. Reaches of the river surveyed by each participant will be directed by the AFWO. The mainstem river from Iron Gate Dam to the confluence of Indian Creek will be divided into six reaches to facilitate sampling consistency. The six reaches will be surveyed weekly unless adverse weather limits the water visibility to less than one meter deep. To insure consistency, reaches will be surveyed by the same crew throughout the spawning season. The reaches of the mainstem river to be surveyed include the following: Reach 1: Iron Gate Dam River Access (rkm 306.1) to Ash Creek River Access (rkm 281.6). Reach 2: Ash Creek River Access (rkm 281.6) to Beaver Creek Riffle River Access (rkm 257.1). Reach 3: Beaver Creek Riffle (rkm 257.1) to Blue Heron River Access (rkm 231.8). Reach 4: Blue Herron River Access (rkm 231.8) to Seiad Bar (rkm 212.7) access. A four wheel drive vehicle may also be used on the Seiad bar. Reach 5: Seiad Bar (rkm 212.7) to China Point River Access (rkm 189.8). A four wheel drive vehicle may be used on the China Point Access during adverse weather conditions. Reach 6: China Point River Access (rkm 189.8) to Indian Creek confluence (rkm 171.1). Redd and carcass survey work will be conducted using two cataraft crews (rowers and observers). Each cataraft will be equipped with a rowing frame, observation platform, and anchoring system. The Yurok Tribe will provide the necessary employees to assist with mainstem Klamath River fall Chinook spawning surveys, and provide all necessary field equipment and transportation. Redd characteristics will be recorded on data forms and locations will be referenced to a standardized stream measurement system provided by FWS. Survey flagging will be used to mark individual redds and redd sites. Date, number of redds, locations of redds, and redd site number will be recorded on each flag with a different flag color used each week. Redd sites will also recorded on topographic maps and in log books. Data collected from all observed redds will include habitat unit type, location in unit (left bank, mid-channel, right bank, side channel), flagging location, presence/absence of live fish and age of redd (fresh/old). GPS coordinates of each redd site will collected during the final survey week. In addition to the redd surveys, Chinook carcasses found downstream of the Shasta River confluence will be measured, examined for fin-clips, and sexed. Scales will be collected from carcasses and provided to FWS for delivery to the age composition personnel. Snouts will be retained from adipose fin-clipped carcasses from all areas. FWS will collect the snout each week and remove and decipher the CWT. Data collected by FWS and the Yurok Tribe will be made available to each party on Mondays. FWS, in cooperation with the Yurok Tribe, will summarize all data collected and work with fishery management agencies to determine the Klamath mainstem escapement. FWS will summarize the data collected and develop preliminary escapement estimates and run characteristics by December 15, 2009. A final data series report will be prepared, by AFWO Fisheries staff, by March 31, 2010 and will be posted on the AFWO website.

Contact Information

• Agency

  Department of the Interior

• Office:

  Fish and Wildlife Service

• Agency Contact:

  Misty Bradford
  Coop. Agreements Assistant
  Phone 530-842-5763

• Agency Mailing Address:

  work

• Agency Email Address:

  misty_bradford@fws.gov