Bear Valley Creek Chinook Salmon Adult Abundance Monitoring Project

Tribal staff monitored adult Chinook salmon using time-lapse videography. The images were reviewed at a later time and migrating adult Chinook salmon and other species were enumerated. Escapement to the video weir was 1,232 (not-corrected) Chinook salmon. In 2012, Tribal staff installed a 5’ rotary screw trap to estimate juvenile Chinook salmon abundance. The rotary screw trap was installed and operated throughout the season. Staff operating the rotary screw also operated the fish counting station within Bear Valley Creek. On a daily basis the rotary screw trap was checked to enumerate catch. Fish species were identified, enumerated and non-target species (e.g., bull trout, cutthroat trout, mountain whitefish) were immediately released. Juvenile Chinook salmon were identified, enumerated, and the following biological data collected: 1) length (cm) and 2) weight (0.1g). More than 1,000 juvenile Chinook salmon were PIT tagged for further research across the entire migration period. PIT tag files were uploaded to PTAGIS and survival estimates were generated for long-term monitoring.

Bear Valley Creek is an important traditional use Chinook fishery area for the Tribes. It is extremely important to manage this Chinook salmon fishery based on the requirements of the ESA and the TRMP. Current abundance estimates, generated from redd counts show Bear Valley Creek Chinook salmon are at risk of extinction. Developing accurate adult abundance and productivity information will allow the Tribes and other resource managers to assess the effectiveness of conservation actions for listed Chinook salmon. Adult abundance information provides the Tribes the ability to conduct in-season harvest management (e.g., adjusting forecasts, harvest guidelines), which ultimately improves our ability to control Tribal harvest impacts on an ESA listed Chinook salmon. Juvenile abundance and PIT tagging data will allow the Tribes to further examine the productivity of Bear Valley Creek and enumerate the survival of Chinook salmon and steelhead as they travel through the Columbia and Snake rivers hydrosystem.