Yurok Tribal Flow Study Activities

This project continued the Yurok Tribe’s efforts in the ongoing flow study for the Klamath River in order to address critical research needs regarding the relationship between Klamath River flow management and the health of Chinook salmon, coho, and steelhead populations in the Klamath River basin. The Yurok Tribe has participated in Klamath River flow study research since the mid-1990s, improving the scientific knowledge on the amount of flow required to support viable tribal resources such as anadromous salmonids. The goal of this project was to expand this knowledge to assist with decisions regarding flow management in the Klamath Basin. Specific projects that were conducted, partial or in full, with flow study monies during the FY2009 included: 1) determination of the use of thermal refuges in the mainstem Klamath River by juvenile and adult salmonids via snorkel surveys; 2) monitoring pathogens that affect both juvenile and adult salmonids (i.e., Ceratomyxa shasta, Columnaris, and Ich) with a combination of water filtration qPCR, collecting samples for histology, and visual examination of tissues with a dissection microscope; and, 3) an assessment of the magnitude, species composition, and distribution of spawning in the mainstem Klamath River below Iron Gate Dam via a carcass survey. This funding was used to supplement funds received from other sources.

This project addresses critical research needs regarding the relationship between Klamath River flows and the health of Chinook salmon, coho, and steelhead, which has and will result in the best available science being available to guide management discussions and decisions to assist with the maintenance and recovery of these salmonid populations.