Natural-origin Snake River Steelhead MPG and It is expected that GSI will • • population abundance via GSI at Lower Granite Dam accurately identify this population; began in 2008 $150K/yr (ISMES). however this must be verified. IDFG providing increased monitoring of B-run No CV estimates made. • • steelhead (Columbia Basin Fish Accords). Adult productivity Age structure information, sex ratios, hatchery Need better estimates of natural Develop habitat and life cycle model(s) • • • percentage estimated at weir. cohort structure via GSI. to synthesize available data to PIT-tags scanned at weir; however, sample size is Population is not heavily extrapolate from other populations. • • too small for precise estimates in some years. influenced by hatchery steelhead; Develop surveys of hatchery spawner • No hatchery fish stocked into watershed. Hatchery hatchery fraction data are lacking fraction in index streams. • strays are not passed upstream of weir in Fish Creek. except for Fish Creek. Reevaluate juvenile sampling design • Annual parr density monitoring (surrogate for adults) Estimates of natural population and verify age structure assumptions • • conducted by IDFG within population. incidental mortality from needed for productivity estimates. fishing for adult steelhead is not permitted recreational fisheries are • within population boundaries. imprecise. Estimating adult steelhead • abundance cannot be done accurately at the population scale using current methods in high and turbid flows, juvenile estimates are important as a proxy for adult productivity. Juvenile IDFG operates 2 screw traps. One in Crooked Fork Determine representativeness of Increased PIT in other streams Explore feasibility of sampling • • • • productivity and one in Colt Killed Creek. These traps will cease Fish Creek SAR estimates to or roll up SARs to larger scale. smolts at LGD for GSI and age operation in 2014. entire population. Explore alternative method of composition. • IDFG operates 1 trap in Fish Creek (ISEMP). Dispersed PIT tagging conducted estimating SARs. • • Age structure estimated from scale analysis. in Lochsa tributaries 1993-2006. • Juvenile migrant abundance estimated at screw Fish Creek has precise estimates • traps using mark recapture (ISMES).
• Natural-origin Snake River Steelhead MPG and population abundance via GSI at Lower Granite Dam began in 2008 $150K/yr (ISMES). • IDFG providing increased monitoring of B-run steelhead (Columbia Basin Fish Accords). • It is expected that GSI will accurately identify this population; however this must be verified. • No CV estimates made. Adult productivity • Age structure information, sex ratios, hatchery percentage estimated at weir. • PIT-tags scanned at weir; however, sample size is too small for precise estimates in some years. • No hatchery fish stocked into watershed. Hatchery strays are not passed upstream of weir in Fish Creek. • Annual parr density monitoring (surrogate for adults) conducted by IDFG within population. • fishing for adult steelhead is not permitted within population boundaries. • Need better estimates of natural cohort structure via GSI. • Population is not heavily influenced by hatchery steelhead; hatchery fraction data are lacking except for Fish Creek. • Estimates of natural population incidental mortality from recreational fisheries are imprecise. • Estimating adult steelhead abundance cannot be done accurately at the population scale using current methods in high and turbid flows, juvenile estimates are important as a proxy for adult productivity. • Develop habitat and life cycle model(s) to synthesize available data to extrapolate from other populations. • Develop surveys of hatchery spawner fraction in index streams. • Reevaluate juvenile sampling design and verify age structure assumptions needed for productivity estimates. Juvenile productivity • IDFG operates 2 screw traps. One in Crooked Fork and one in Colt Killed Creek. These traps will cease operation in 2014. • IDFG operates 1 trap in Fish Creek (ISEMP). • Age structure estimated from scale analysis. • Juvenile migrant abundance estimated at screw traps using mark recapture (ISMES). • Determine representativeness of Fish Creek SAR estimates to entire population. • Dispersed PIT tagging conducted in Lochsa tributaries 1993-2006. Fish Creek has precise estimates • Increased PIT in other streams or roll up SARs to larger scale. • Explore alternative method of estimating SARs. • Explore feasibility of sampling smolts at LGD for GSI and age composition.