FY 2019 Upper Skagit Tribal Adult Chinook Population Monitoring

Salmonid Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E)

Monitoring
Project ID19-USIT-02
Recovery DomainsPuget Sound
Start Date07/01/2020
End Date07/15/2021
Year2019
StatusCompleted
Last Edited02/27/2024
 
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Description    


The project supported three separate approaches to monitoring Skagit Chinook abundance, run timing, escapement, and impacts to Chinook stocks in different terminal fisheries. These efforts supported the data collection needed to effectively manage fisheries to monitor ESA recovery goal expectations. The three separate actions include terminal test fisheries, spawning ground surveys, and tribal catch sampling (biological sampling, mark status sampling including CWT analysis). Test fisheries were conducted in the Skagit River, at one location once per week from June to end of July. Standardizing test fishery catch effort by area, time, and gear provided an effective method for monitoring Chinook recovery implementation. Spawner surveys, which consisted of redd and carcass counts, were conducted in the Skagit River and tributaries to monitor escapement for the three summer and fall stocks. Each year these surveys started in September and ran through November. The surveys provided information for estimating escapement, indicator stock production, and biological age information. With this support, the Natural Resources staff expanded spawning ground surveys and biological sampling in the Skagit River above Newhalem and into the Seattle City Light’s by-pass (from Gorge Dam to Newhalem power house) reach. These efforts informed ongoing concerns about the hydropower operations on Chinook and other treaty fishery resources. The third component this program supported was catch sampling of tribal fisheries. Tribal fisheries are monitored and sampled from May through November when Chinook interceptions are most likely to occur. These funds supported a portion of one biologist and three fish technicians.

Project Benefit    


Monitoring actions arise from need to evaluate the success of restoration, protection, hatchery and harvest actions in reaching recovery goals. The tribes’ programmatic monitoring program focuses on biological monitoring of returning adults at the basin scale. Three separate components are utilized to address the population viability assessment; test fisheries in the lower river, catch monitoring and sampling of all terminal fisheries, and spawning ground surveys. Chapter 16 Monitoring Actions in the Skagit Recovery Plan identifies these components and how data from these efforts are used for testing conditions and recovery assumptions. The data collected in these efforts are shared with basin co-managers to monitor fundamental population metrics for example but not limited to; the development of six independent population escapement estimates, timing and distribution of run, age composition data, hatchery and wild and CWT group composition of the run, population fitness, percent of juvenile life history strategy in adults, spawner recruit analysis, encounter rates, catch and harvest distribution between fisheries, and total exploitation rates. Age and CWT information is needed annually to monitor fishery management objectives, without these funds this critical information would lag years behind the need to shape international, national, and terminal fisheries on annual return year basis.

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed
Research and Monitoring
  Stream Miles Monitored 49.00 49.00

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$58,603
Report Total:$58,603


Project Map



Worksites

47263456    


  • Worksite Identifier: 47263456
  • Start Date:
  • End Date:
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Puget Sound (171100)
  • Subbasin: Lower Skagit (17110007)
  • Watershed: Finney Creek-Skagit River (1711000701)
  • Subwatershed: Hansen Creek-Skagit River (171100070107)
  • State: Washington
  • Recovery Domain: Puget Sound
  • Latitude: 48.539311
  • Longitude: -122.184275

ESU

  • Puget Sound Chinook Salmon ESU

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • E.0 Salmonid Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E)Y (Y/N)
    •      . . E.0.a RM&E Funding 58,603.00
    •      . . E.0.b
      Complement habitat restoration project
      None.
    •      . . E.0.c
      Project identified in a plan or watershed assessment.
      Skagit River System Cooperative & Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 2005. Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan. Submitted to NOAA Fisheries. Seattle, WA. 296 pp. and appendices.
    •      . . E.0.d.1 Number of Cooperating Organizations 3
    •      . . E.0.d.2
      Name Of Cooperating Organizations.
      Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe, Swinomish Tribal Community, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
    •      . . E.0.e.1 Number of reports prepared 4
    •      . . E.0.e.2
      Name Of Report
      Upper Skagit Indian Tribe. 2020 and 2021. Semi-annual progress reports submitted to the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC). NWIFC, 6730 Martin Way E., Olympia, WA 98516.
    •      . . E.1 MonitoringY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . E.1.a Monitoring funding 58,603.00
      •      . . . . E.1.b.1 Stream Miles Monitored 49.00
      •      . . . . E.1.b.2 Acres of Watershed Area Monitored .0
      •      . . . . E.1.c.4 Redd countsY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . E.1.c.4.a # miles (to nearest 0.01 mile) monitored for redds 5.50
      •      . . . . E.1.c.5 Carcass countsY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . E.1.c.5.a # miles (to nearest 0.01 mile) monitored for Carcasses 5.50
      •      . . . . E.1.c.6 Harvest monitoringY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . E.1.c.6.a # miles (to nearest 0.01 mile) monitored for harvest 49.00
        •      . . . . . . E.1.c.6.b # square miles (to nearest 0.01 mile) monitored for harvest0 (Square miles)
      •      . . . . E.1.c.7 Test fisheryY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . E.1.c.7.a # miles (to nearest 0.01 mile) of stream monitored 3.00
        •      . . . . . . E.1.c.7.b # square miles (to nearest 0.01 mile) water area monitored0 (Square miles)
        •      . . . . E.1.d
          Name Of Comprehensive Monitoring Strategy/Program
          Puget Sound Indian Tribes and WDFW. 2010. Comprehensive Management Plan for Puget Sound Chinook: Harvest Management Component. Resource Management Plan submitted for review by the NMFS under ESA Section 4d conservation criteria, April 12, 2010.