FY18 Dungeness and Strait of Juan de Fuca Streams Stock Assessments

[Note: This project includes ongoing stock assessments activities, which continue with FY2019 award. Actual end date reflects some overlap with FY19 start date, based on staff completing their allotment of FY2018 award at different times. Additionally, as noted in Project Funds Tab, the difference in allocated vs spent reflects a portion that was transferred to Project ID 2018-JSKT-04].

The Tribe continued to collect and assess critical stock data in the Dungeness and other independent streams in the Eastern Straits region. Worktypes continued to include smolt or fry monitoring, redd counts/spawning surveys, adult population monitoring, including live and carcass counts, and assisting WDFW with aspects of genetic sampling while conducting our normal monitoring. We continued assessing Dungeness spawning populations (escapement), Dungeness River screw trap efficiency estimates, and salmon production estimates via data analyses.

Smolt traps were installed at four of the usual five streams monitored by the Tribe during 2021, aiming to collect data on Coho, Steelhead and Chinook - but also recording other species also caught by the traps. Bell Creek did not have a trap during the 2021 season due to lack of response from landowner when staff sought landowner permission. Thus, funds were spread amongst remaining sites and other monitoring tasks. The Tribe will continue to to seek response from landowner so that Bell Creek can be monitored in the future. The Tribe continued providing all data to WDFW, including number of marked smolts counted at the Matriotti Creek trap for inclusion in WDFWs Dungeness production estimates.

Dungeness spawning ground surveys continued throughout the various stock seasons, and when time allowed, the Tribe also assisted WDFW with spawner surveys in some of the smolt streams. The majority of the 2021 smolt trap season was supported by this FY18 PCSRF award, while the final month of monitoring (June) and some of the coordinating involved in smolt trap removal was supported by FY19 PCSRF award. Live adult and carcass counts (chum, chinook, coho. steelhead) continued as usual, in conjunction with spawner ground surveys, and all data was forwarded to WDFW. Of note during this years steelhead spawner surveys was a critical (temporary) fish passage barrier discovered at the construction site at the HWY 101 crossing during a survey. This barrier was brought to the attention of the WSDOT construction crew and was quickly fixed. As there was a declared drought during 2021, staff also coordinated with WDFW on any drought-related barriers/choke-points.

An additional opportunity during live and/or carcass counts includes bio-sampling, simply involving the recording of species, sex, length, and scale collection. The Tribe collected scales from steelhead and chum, to be added to a statewide steelhead genetics database. Using non-project funds the samples will be held in a WDFW genetics bank for future analysis. The Tribe also conducted reconnaissance of potential drought-related impacts by visiting common choke-point sites on the Dungeness River.

This work is an ongoing monitoring and evaluation priority for salmon recovery in order to track and measure salmon productivity and abundance in the Tribe’s priority streams for habitat management planning, restoration implementation planning and water quality program purposes. Data will also be used to assess trends and comparisons with previous years.
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. 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. All of these activities are important for accomplishing ESA-listed salmon recovery monitoring, particularly status/trend monitoring of VSP parameters via stock assessments, and other indicators like habitat quality. Assessing Dungeness spawning populations (escapement), depending on seasonal flows, visibility and access, is necessary for relating freshwater production to habitat condition, which is tied to our planning efforts. The work also provides information about wild and hatchery Chinook returns spawning naturally, and helps relate freshwater production to habitat condition, which is tied to our habitat restoration and recovery planning efforts. Harvest monitoring can help track whether or how certain fisheries may be impacting threatened salmon species in the Dungeness.