Habitat Enhancement Effectiveness - Biological Monitoring & Evaluation IV

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation’s (CTUIR) biomonitoring plan was created to evaluate the effectiveness of CTUIR habitat restoration projects on spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) populations across the five subbasins of the Columbia River- Umatilla, Walla Walla, Grande Ronde, John Day and Tucannon. The scope of this biomonitoring project includes the direct measurement of physical habitat improvements and monitoring of juvenile and adult fish populations. The results will provide accountability for restoration effectiveness and also serve to guide future management decisions. The ability to detect biological changes in response to habitat restoration is critical for determining habitat quantity and quality, and to understand what particular restoration action or suite of actions yield the greatest fish response. This project included biomonitoring on Meacham Creek in the Umatilla River Basin.

Specific work that occurred under this project at the Meacham Creek worksite included the following:

Habitat Attribute Monitoring along 1.2 river miles. CTUIR employees participate in the yearly 10 day training course for the CHaMP habitat monitoring protocol and become competent prior to field work with equipment, field protocols, data post processing, and QA/QC procedures . CTUIR implements habitat surveys using a combination of CHaMP and AEM data collection methodology that is used to collect habitat attributes including in-channel characteristics, sediment, riparian condition, floodplain characteristics, and water quality. These habitat characteristics are used to evaluate the effectiveness of restoration activities.

Benthic Macroinvertebrate Sampling along 1.2 river miles. A composite sample of benthic macroinvertebrates was accrued for each treatment and control site using a method derived from the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) targeted riffle sampling protocol.

Adult Abundance and Distribution for spring Chinook and summer steelhead during March-September along 19 river miles. Adult abundance and distribution is estimated based on redd and carcass counts conducted in the treatment and control reaches. Sampling occured annually commencing at the onset of the spawning season and continuing approximately every 10–14 days until spawning is complete . Data derived from redd count surveys includes abundance and distribution of spawners.

Juvenile Fish Abundance Snorkeling during summer and fall along 1.2 river miles. Snorkel surveyors attended a yearly training that is coordinated through BPA’s AEM program. Juvenile snorkel surveys were conducted for the entirety of each treatment and control site. Species, size class (10mm accuracy), habitat unit, and instream structure usage were recorded for each fish throughout the reach.

Juvenile Salmonid Electrofishing and PIT Tagging along 1.2 river miles. Juvenile electrofishing events consisted of a three-pass depletion method with low-voltage to herd fish into a seine or dip net. Block nets are placed at the upstream and downstream ends of individual habitat units to prevent migration of fish between habitat types during the capture events and allow for a more accurate attribution of population size by habitat type. PIT tagging procedures follow BPA’s ISEMP protocol for the Upper Columbia River Basin and are consistent with PTAGIS protocols for uploading and data management.

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) is implementing a habitat restoration program with emphasis on reducing the effects of primary limiting factors (i.e. water temperature and habitat complexity) and restoring natural ecological processes. Biomonitoring sample sites have been selected for evaluating a biological response to habitat restoration; and the expected benefit is to improve habitat quality for adult holding and spawning, and juvenile rearing of fish species of interest. Monitoring habitat in parallel with fish surveys can provide valuable information regarding fish/habitat relationships . Specifically, we’ll study the response of juvenile fish density, growth, migration timing, and survival to habitat restoration at three sites located in Meacham Creek.