FY 2024 Makah Umbrella Creek Sockeye Broodstock/Adult Escapement Monitoring

This project will enable us to monitor: the relative contribution of hatchery-origin and natural-origin sockeye (HOR and NOR); the proportions of hatchery origin spawners (pHOS) and natural origin sockeye brood stock (pNOB); the proportionate natural influence (PNI) of the Umbrella Creek spawners; and HOR straying to the Lake Ozette spawning beaches.

Characterizing the population is vital to effectively structuring the hatchery program and to rapidly respond if undesirable population shifts are detected. Brood stock retention of this ESA listed stock is restricted to the lesser of 100 pair or 15% of the total Umbrella Creek escapement, therefore accurate escapement monitoring is crucial to maximizing the benefits of the hatchery program without overwhelming the natural population. The short rearing window caused by ever diminishing instream flows makes fin clipping a nonviable hatchery mark. We therefore rely upon mark/recapture methods to provide in-season escapement estimates, and DNA & otolith mark analysis to retroactively detect straying to the Lake Ozette beaches and to monitor NOR and HOR contribution rates.