FY 2011 Ongoing Dungeness and Straits Streams Stock Assessments

The project continued to provide support for ongoing collection and assessment of data on critical stocks in the Dungeness River and selected streams by carrying out the tasks below, which are organized according to worktype.
1) Salmonid smolt or fry monitoring: Continued to trap/release coho, steelhead and cutthroat smolts during downstream migration in Dungeness River, Matriotti Creek, Jimmycomelately Creek, Bell Creek, McDonald Creek, and Siebert Creek worksites to measure productivity of sampled streams. Preliminary 2013 and 2014 smolt trap catch data was compiled and analyzed. DNA samples were collected from a subsample of steelhead smolts and adults at all trap locations, and delivered to WDFW for storage (and hopefully analysis, with non-project funding).
The Dungeness River and Matriotti Creek worksites also had additional juvenile monitoring consisting of utilizing temporary marks, using fin clips of the upper and lower caudal fin lobe applied on coho and steelhead smolts. These marks were recaptured in downstream traps to assist in the development of population estimates. Data was compiled and forwarded to WDFW.
2) Redd counts: Redd counts were conducted as part of our continuing analysis of the Chinook Supplementation Program, and to estimate spawning rates in the Dungeness River worksite. This work occurred in cooperation with WDFW, and included flagging and recording count, timing, and GPS locations (mostly by WDFW staff with non-project funds).
Redd counts also occurred as part of spawning ground surveys and population estimates for Coho and Steelhead in the Dungeness River, including tributaries (Hurd Creek, Canyon Creek, Beebe Creek, and Greywolf River), and in conjunction with Tasks 3 (adult population monitoring) and 4 (carcass counts). All of this work is captured under the Dungeness worksite.
3) Adult population monitoring: Live adult counts were conducted for Pink and Chum in conjunction with spawning ground surveys (Task 2) and carcass counts (Task 4), in the Dungeness River worksite, including tributaries (Beebe, Hurd, Canyon Creeks, and Greywolf). The live and carcass counts help with estimating total spawners.
4) Carcass counts: Carcass counts of Coho and Chum and Pink occurred in conjunction with spawning ground surveys (Task 2) and live adult counts (Task 3) at the Dungeness River worksite, including tributaries (Beebe, Hurd, Canyon, Greywolf). The Tribe assisted WDFW with collecting scale samples from dead Chum, to be used by WDFW for age analysis.
5) Restoration effectiveness monitoring: Monitoring occurred in association with the Washington Harbor worksite. Staff and volunteers conducted fish use monitoring at this restoration site using a newly acquired (with PSCRF funds) beach seine. The primary objective of this monitoring was to determine if juvenile chum are using the estuary north of the project site after the project is completed. The northern area amounts to 37 acres. We also monitored the other side of the project (95 acres), making a total of 132 acres of nearshore estuary monitoring.

Stock assessments help co-managers and biologists better understand the status of salmonids in the Dungeness Watershed, and identify key riparian areas for protection, timing of out-migration related to other stocks, etc. The marking project (which makes use of temporary marks – fin clips of the upper or lower caudal fin lobe) allows for a highly accurate estimate of the total number of naturally produced coho and steelhead in the Dungeness River system, a key parameter in our efforts to properly manage these species locally and to assess key stock productivity questions. Data gathered by WDFW from sampled carcasses are used to determine appropriate Dungeness Chinook supplementation strategies such as age, size and location of juvenile release. Assessment of steelhead data is needed to understand recovery needs for this species. Redd surveys help assess number of spawners, as well as habitat conditions.

Beach seine monitoring for fish utilization will provide information on the effectiveness of a quite massive restoration project on Washington Harbor. Project will fund replacement monitoring gear for this task, which can be used for other nearshore monitoring in the Tribe’s U&A areas. It was determined that previously used gear (a PSAMP beach seine) was not very effective, especially for sampling water greater than around three feet deep or catching larger fish, such as Chinook. The Skagit Coop Beach Seine is very experienced at this type of work and uses a much larger net for sampling areas like WA Harbor.