FY20 Dungeness and Strait of Juan de Fuca Streams Stock Assessments

The Tribe continued to collect and assess critical stock data on streams along the Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, within the Tribe’s Usual and Accustomed Priority Area. Continuing tasks included:

- Conducting spawning ground surveys of adult fish (including redd, live and carcass counts) in Dungeness River for use in producing salmonid escapement estimates. Chum and Coho surveys occurred September 2022 - January 2023.

- Recording any Chinook observations during the Chum/Coho surveys, and forwarding information to WDFW.

- Recording live and/or carcass counts of adult fish observed during spawning ground surveys and providing information to WDFW.

- Assessing 2022 smolt trap season data and sharing results with co-,managers for stock assessment and forecasting purposes.

- Assessing 2022 marked smolts released from the Matriotti smolt trap (to assist WDFW in their Dungeness Screw Trap efficiency estimates).

- Conducting 2023 site visits at five smolt trap locations (Jimmycomelately, Matriotti, McDonald, Siebert, and Bell Creeks) prior to smolt trap installation to assess needs for this seasons smolt trap monitoring (Coho, Steelhead and Cutthroat).



Note that the 2023 trap installation, as well as the task of tracking the number of fin-clipped smolts out-migrating from Matriotti Creek (a tributary of the Dungeness River) to inform Dungeness wild salmonid production estimates occurred after 2020-JSKT-02 project funds were fully expended. Therefore, that task will be covered with FY2021 funding, and will be included in the progress report for Project ID 2021-JSKT-02. [Reminder that this and all tasks within this project are considered ongoing/continuing monitoring efforts].

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.

Smolt trap monitoring efforts will allow us to continue assessing juvenile salmon production and migration patterns within these streams. Spawning ground surveys provides a continuous (multi-year) evaluation tool, and they, along with smolt trapping, are essential for measuring and tracking overall salmon abundance, productivity, and escapement in the Tribe’s area of interest. This information also informs the Tribe’s stream habitat, restoration, and water quality planning programs. 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.