Out-migrant Monitoring of Juvenile Salmonids. FY2002

Fyke nets were used to monitor the abundance of out-migrating naturally spawned juvenile salmonids on seven streams located on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. Six of these streams (Tish Tang Creek, Mill Creek, Hostler Creek, Supply Creek, Soctish Creek, and Campbell Creek ) are tributaries of the Trinity River, while one of the streams, Pine Creek, is a tributary of the Klamath River. Anadromous salmonids found within these drainages include coho salmon (SONCC ESU) , Chinook salmon, and steelhead trout (Klamath Mountain Province). Traps were installed seasonally and checked daily throughout the sampling season, usually mid-February through mid-August. Sampling reoccurs annually, when funding is available, facilitating the documentation of indexed population trends over time. Mark/recapture methods for estimating trapping efficiency were implemented this year.

Estimating the abundance of pre-emigration smolts provides a direct and practical method for evaluating spawning and rearing success of anadromous salmonids within a drainage, and indirectly serves as an indicator of watershed health. Long term abundance monitoring may indicate trends in watershed quality and thereby demonstrate the need for establishing appropriate restoration strategies. Long-term monitoring may also provide means for evaluating the success of past habitat restoration projects.