Chena River Chinook Salmon Escapement – Phase 6

This project will enumerate Chinook (and chum) salmon from an elevated counting tower as they pass over a continuous band of white fabric panels strung across the river bottom near the Moose Creek Dam. Two sonars will be placed just upstream of the counting tower on both sides of the river to ensonify the river and record the number of migrating salmon throughout the run, especially during periods of high water. Carcasses of spawned-out Chinook salmon will also be collected to estimate the age, sex, and length (ASL) composition of the escapement.

Escapement monitoring provides the foundation for salmon management in Alaska. This project will provide three additional annual estimates of Chinook salmon escapement and composition for one of the largest spawning systems in the Yukon River drainage. Chinook salmon bound for the Chena River to spawn will be harvested by subsistence users from Alakanuk to Tanana within the mainstem Yukon River and from Tanana to Nenana on the Tanana River tributary. This project will provide inseason information regarding run strength that can be used to make management decisions regarding subsistence harvest opportunities. Additionally, a continuous series of escapement estimates such as these are critical for evaluating the efficacy of management systems throughout the Yukon River drainage and for refining escapement goals by examining Chinook salmon productivity associated with different levels of escapement and environmental conditions.