Estimating the Inriver Abundance of Copper River Chinook Salmon

Salmonid Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E)

Project ID	AK51009
Recovery Domains	-
Start Date	03/01/2018
End Date	11/30/2021
Year	2017
Status	Completed
Last Edited	05/01/2025

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Description

From 2018 to 2021, this project estimated the annual inriver abundance of Chinook salmon through Baird Canyon on the lower Copper River such that estimates were within 25% of the true value 95% of the time. Project results combined with state and federal harvest estimates allowed for the estimation of Copper River Chinook salmon run size and spawning escapement.

This project utilizes funds from PCSRF grants NA14NMF4380332 and NA15NMF4380231; FFY14 PCSRF funds were used for field season 2018 activities and FFY15 funds were used for pre- and early-season 2019 activities (no funding from these grants were used past their end dates).

Project Benefit

Long term monitoring of Chinook salmon escapement, inriver abundance, and total run size is critical data necessary for effective management of the Copper River’s subsistence fisheries. Both federal and state managers depend upon inriver abundance data which, combined with federal and state harvest data, can derive system-wide escapement and total returning run size to assess and modify preseason, inseason, and postseason Chinook management. This data is required to maintain the subsistence allocation preference established in the Copper River Subsistence Salmon Fisheries Management Plan (5 AAC 01.647).

Accomplishments

Metric

Completed

Originally
Proposed

Research and Monitoring

Stream Miles Monitored

290.00

Source

Funds

PCSRF

$703,677

State

$110,000

Other

$1,001,675

Report Total:

$1,815,352

Worksites

43429901

Worksite Identifier: 43429901
Start Date:
End Date:

Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

Basin: Copper River (190201)
Subbasin: Lower Copper River (19020104)
Watershed: Allen Glacier-Copper River (1902010412)
Subwatershed: LaGorce Glacier-Copper River (190201041204)

State: Alaska
Recovery Domain:
Latitude: 60.800011
Longitude: -144.499137

ESU

Un-Named ESU Chinook

Map

Photos

Metrics

E.0 Salmonid Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E)Y (Y/N)

. . E.0.a RM&E Funding 1,815,352.00
. . E.0.b
Complement habitat restoration project
. . E.0.c
Project identified in a plan or watershed assessment.
. . E.0.d.1 Number of Cooperating Organizations 0
. . E.0.d.2
Name Of Cooperating Organizations.

None
. . E.0.e.1 Number of reports prepared 4

. . E.0.e.2

Name Of Report

Piche. M. J., J. C. Whissel, and J. J. Smith. in prep. Estimating the inriver abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon, 2021 Annual Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management, Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (Study No. 18-504), Anchorage, Alaska. Piche. M. J., C.R. Weaver, J. C. Whissel, and J. J. Smith. 2021. Estimating the inriver abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon, 2020 Annual Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management, Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (Study No. 18-504), Anchorage, Alaska. Piche. M. J., J. C. Whissel, and J. J. Smith. 2020. Estimating the inriver abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon, 2019 Annual Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management, Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (Study No. 18-504), Anchorage, Alaska. Piche. M. J., J. C. Whissel, and J. J. Smith. 2019. Estimating the inriver abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon, 2018 Annual Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management, Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (Study No. 18-504), Anchorage, Alaska.

. . E.1 MonitoringY (Y/N)
- . . . . E.1.a Monitoring funding 1,815,352.00
- . . . . E.1.b.1 Stream Miles Monitored 290.00
- . . . . E.1.b.2 Acres of Watershed Area Monitored .0
- . . . . E.1.b.3 Square miles of water monitored (Square miles)
- . . . . E.1.c.1 Adult salmonid population monitoringY (Y/N)
  - . . . . . . E.1.c.1.a # miles (to nearest 0.01 mile) monitored for adult salmonids 290.00
  - . . . . E.1.d
    Name Of Comprehensive Monitoring Strategy/Program