Out-migrant Monitoring of Juvenile Salmonids - Hoopa Reservation

In 2023, fyke nets were deployed on six Trinity River tributaries and one Klamath River tributary, all located on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation (Reservation): Campbell creek, Hostler creek, Mill creek, Pine creek, Soctish creek, Supply creek, and Tish Tang creek. Fyke net trapping has been used to quantify the abundance of out-migrating juvenile salmonids (Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, and steelhead) in Reservation tributaries in most years since 1997. This report presents 2023 juvenile salmonid catch, proportional abundance estimates, and assesses trends across years. A total of 9,528 salmonids were trapped in 2023; 1,571 Chinook salmon, 4 coho salmon, and 7,953 steelhead. The estimated expanded annual catch across all tributaries for Chinook salmon was 3,214, 8 Coho, and 16,413 steelhead. Annual expanded catch of Chinook salmon was highest in Supply creek, 51.6% of the expanded catch. Pine creek, Mill creek, and Tish Tang creek had 25.5%, 22.5%, and 0.4% of the Chinook expanded catch, respectively. No Chinook salmon were trapped in Campbell, Hostler, or Soctish creeks. Annual expanded catch of steelhead was highest in Mill creek (48.4%), followed by Pine creek (28.1%), Supply creek (18.0%), Tish Tang creek (6.8%), Soctish creek (2.8%), Hostler creek (0.1%), and Campbell creek (0.1%). Coho outmigrants were detected only in Mill and Supply creeks in 2023; annual expanded catch in Mill creek an estimated total of six fish while there were an estimated 2 fish in Supply creek.

SONCC Coho Salmon in the lower Trinity River are identified in the Recovery Plan as being at high risk of extinction. Restoration of tributary habitat for both natal and non-natal SONCC Coho Salmon is therefore of great importance. This project facilitates the evaluation of spawning and rearing success of anadromous salmonids within Reservation streams, providing managers with necessary data to prioritize potential restoration sites and evaluate restoration success.