Control of Invasive, Predatory Sacramento Pikeminnow in the Eel River

Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Acquisition

Instream Habitat
Project IDEel River Pikeminnow
Recovery DomainsN Central California Coast
Start Date09/14/2020
End Date10/01/2022
Year2020
StatusOngoing
Last Edited02/27/2024
 
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Description    


In coordination with local, state, and federal agency partners, the Wiyot Tribe will implement a suite of methods to remove large numbers of pikeminnow from the Project Area (South Fork Eel River from its confluence upstream to Rattlesnake Creek) and monitor population response to gage success and adapt methods. This proposed project is critical for protecting imperiled native salmon and lamprey populations while concurrent efforts to restore their degraded habitats are being implemented throughout the watershed. Additionally, the biological information collected through this work will help fill key data gaps in understanding this invasive species and its impacts on salmon and steelhead, allowing for more effective management moving forward. Project outcomes include;

• Immediate removal of large numbers of predatory pikeminnow from the 120 km Project Area, thereby increasing juvenile salmonid survival and providing immediate increases in smolt production and adult returns.

• Removal of large numbers of smaller pikeminnow that competed directly with native salmonids for food and space, resulting in increased growth due to lower densities of pikeminnow.

• Collection and dissemination of crucial information necessary to evaluate and refine future pikeminnow suppression strategies, including evaluation of methods and filling basic gaps in understanding of pikeminnow diet, growth, and age structure.

• Increased coordination amongst watershed stakeholders and dissemination of information needed to more effectively address this key limiting factor into the future.

• Development of a wholistic, adaptive, and expert-consensus driven Eel River Pikeminnow Management Plan that will provide a framework for efficiently controlling and monitoring pikeminnow moving forward. This outcome will provide sustained benefits to addressing this key limiting factor beyond the life of the project.

• Implementation of this project and developing partnerships with academic, State, and Federal scientists and fisheries co-managers will greatly augment the Wiyot Tribe’s Natural Resources Department capacity to implement additional research, monitoring, and restoration projects in Eel River watershed.

Project Benefit    


This project is intended to directly addresses a critical factor limiting the productivity of three federally listed anadromous salmonids that were historically important for native subsistence fisheries in the Eel River basin and currently contribute to recreational and commercial ocean fisheries in northern California. Key anticipated benefits and outcomes of the project include:

• Two years of intensive removal of non-native Sacramento Pikeminnow in the 120 km Project Area, which by reducing impacts from predation and competition will increase growth and survival of juvenile salmonids, thereby increasing smolt production and adult returns.

• Removal of large numbers of smaller pikeminnow that competed directly with native salmonids for food and space, resulting in increased growth due to lower densities of pikeminnow.

• Collection and dissemination of crucial information necessary to evaluate and refine future pikeminnow suppression strategies

• Filling basic gaps in understanding of pikeminnow diet, growth, and age structure.

• Increased coordination amongst watershed stakeholders and dissemination of information needed to more effectively address this key limiting factor.

• Development of a wholistic, adaptive, and expert-consensus driven Eel River Pikeminnow Management Plan that will provide a framework for efficiently controlling and monitoring pikeminnow moving forward. This outcome will provide sustained benefits to addressing this key limiting factor beyond the life of the project.

• Increased tribal capacity for fisheries management and restoration. Implementation of this project and developing partnerships with academic, State, and Federal scientists and fisheries co-managers will greatly augment the Wiyot Tribe’s Natural Resources Department ability to implement additional research, monitoring, and restoration projects in Eel River watershed.

To ensure the above benefits are achieved and measured in a scientifically robust manner, the WNRD PI will work closely, with field staff, the Stillwater Sciences team, a Technical Advisory Committee, and other stakeholders throughout the project.

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed
Instream Habitat
  Stream Miles Treated 5.00

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$275,000
Report Total:$275,000


Project Map



Worksites

SF 01-58    


  • Worksite Identifier: SF 01-58
  • Start Date:
  • End Date:
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Northern California Coastal (180101)
  • Subbasin: South Fork Eel (18010106)
  • Watershed: Lower South Fork Eel River (1801010604)
  • Subwatershed: Canoe Creek-South Fork Eel River (180101060407)
  • State: California
  • Recovery Domain: N Central California Coast
  • Latitude: 40.354284
  • Longitude: -123.927683

ESU

  • California Coastal Chinook Salmon ESU
  • Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast Coho Salmon ESU
  • Northern California Steelhead DPS

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • C.0 Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
    •      . . C.0.a Habitat restoration and acquisition funding .00
    •      . . C.0.b Length of stream treated/protected
    •      . . C.0.c
      Project identified in a Plan or Watershed Assessment
    •      . . C.0.d.1 Project Monitoring (LOV)
    •      . . C.0.d.2 Monitoring Location (LOV)
    •      . . C.4 Instream Habitat ProjectY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . C.4.a Instream Habitat Funding
      •      . . . . C.4.b Total length of instream habitat treated
      •      . . . . C.4.i.1 Predator/competitor removalY (Y/N)