Out-migrant Monitoring of Juvenile Salmonids - Hoopa Reservation

Objective: Estimate outmigrant abundance to assess restoration success in the Mill and Supply creeks watersheds and to prioritize future restoration actions; and Hostler, Tish Tang, Campbell, and Soctish creeks to have a baseline to compare for future restoration actions and evaluate any impacts from forestry practices in the watershed.



Project Description: This project is a mark-recapture study for the purpose of estimating the abundance of juvenile anadromous salmonids on reservation tributary streams (Tish Tang, Campbell, Supply, Mill, Soctish, and Hostler creeks). These streams provide thermal refugia and spawning habitat for anadromous salmonids and are a focus for salmonid habitat restoration. The Hoopa Tribal Fisheries Department has used the project to monitor juvenile production trends continuously since 1982. This dataset describes annual variation in migration timing and allows for evaluation of outmigrant success in the Mill and Supply Creek watersheds, which were both recently restored. To monitor outmigrants, fyke traps are installed in Reservation streams. Trapped fish are identified, measured (fork length), marked, and released. Numbers of marked and unmarked fish caught are recorded. Resulting data are used to construct abundance estimates for juvenile salmonids. These data are referenced extensively during analysis of timber sales, water withdrawals, and other projects (including drafting of ESA documentation).

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.