Inriver Abundance of Copper River Chinook Salmon, a Comparison of Mark-Recapture and Sonar-Based Abundance Estimate Methods and Results

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

Project ID	AK55002
Recovery Domains	-
Start Date	03/01/2022
End Date	11/30/2024
Year	2021
Status	Completed
Last Edited	05/01/2025

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Description

This project estimated the inriver abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon from 2022-2024 through a two-sample mark-recapture experiment. Simultaneously, ADF&G operated a sonar at Miles Lake to compare its estimates with the fish wheel estimates. Additional data is needed to determine whether the sonar is a possible replacement for the fish wheel technique.

Project Benefit

Long term monitoring of Chinook salmon escapement, inriver abundance, and total run size is critical data necessary for effective fishery management, especially under the current scenario of fully allocated Copper River Chinook salmon harvest with a population in an extended period of low abundance. Both federal and state managers depend upon the 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 salmon 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). This project will also

assess the performance of the Miles Lake sonar at enumerating large Chinook salmon which, if reliable, could replace the mark-recapture process and enhance the quality of inseason data used by fishery managers.

Accomplishments

Metric

Completed

Originally
Proposed

Research and Monitoring

Stream Miles Monitored

290.00

Source

Funds

PCSRF

$605,000

State

$102,143

Other

$85,500

Report Total:

$792,643

Worksites

51301067

Worksite Identifier: 51301067
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: 60.776983
Longitude: -144.522349

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 792,643.00
. . 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 6

. . E.0.d.2

Name Of Cooperating Organizations.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Subsistence Management; U.S. Forest Service; U.S. Park Service; Chugach Corporation; Ahtna Incorporated

. . E.0.e.1 Number of reports prepared 3

. . E.0.e.2

Name Of Report

Piché. M.J., J. B. Paley, J. C. Whissel, and J. J. Smith. 2023. Estimating the inriver abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon, 2022 Annual Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management, Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (Study No. 22-504), Anchorage, Alaska. Piché. M.J., J. B. Paley, J. C. Whissel, and J. J. Smith. 2024. Estimating the inriver abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon, 2023 Annual Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management, Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (Study No. 22-504), Anchorage, Alaska. Piché. M.J., J. B. Paley, J. C. Whissel, and J. J. Smith. in prep. Estimating the inriver abundance of Copper River Chinook salmon, 2024 Annual Report. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management, Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program (Study No. 22-504), Anchorage, Alaska.

. . E.1 MonitoringY (Y/N)
- . . . . E.1.a Monitoring funding 792,643.00
- . . . . E.1.b.1 Stream Miles Monitored 290.00
- . . . . E.1.b.2 Acres of Watershed Area Monitored 15,320,534.0
- . . . . 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