Hood River Basin Effective Monitoring

The Hood River Basin and the Deschutes basin are both considered key cold-water refuge for imperiled ESA-listed anadromous populations. Predictions indicate that temperature drivers associated with climate change, such as diminished in-stream flow and elevated air temperatures, are anticipated to intensify over the ensuing five decades.The need to monitor the rapid changes occurring in the Hood River and Deschutes basin with unknown climate shifts enhance the efforts that often involve large, multiphase restoration projects with extended implementation timelines and response periods. To date, monitoring (tribal harvest, spawning surveys, temperature, DQ, and habitat metrics) have been implemented mostly by CTWSO historically in the Hood River and many areas along the Deschutes. Understanding basin and reach-specific temperature responses is crucial to evaluating the success of restoration efforts, refining the restoration design process, and ultimately contributes to the watershed-scale restoration strategies being implemented.



Despite tremendous investments to better understand and improve populations of CTWSRO focal fish species (i.e., Chinook Salmon, Steelhead, Bull Trout, and Pacific Lamprey) in the Hood River and lower Deschutes watersheds, fine-scale (i.e., < 10 km) distribution limits of these species remain a knowledge gap in many waterways. Accordingly, annual fisheries monitoring efforts may not be spatially representative of focal and non-native species distributions, and opportunities for habitat restoration projects aimed to expand distributions of focal species may not align with contemporary conditions. To address this knowledge gap, the CTWSRO proposes multiple projects that employ comprehensive monitoring techniques (e.g. environmental DNA (eDNA), unmanned aerial systems ‘UAS’- remote sensing, and passive integrated transponder detection ‘PIT’) for spatial and spProposed Work:



Hood River Basin #1

Environmental DNA samples will be collected at 1-km intervals using the protocol developed by the National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation (NGC). Within 60 days of sample collection, samples will be shipped to the NGC for laboratory analysis, where samples will be analyzed using established quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) protocols. Briefly, each sample will undergo a multiplex qPCR analysis to assess presence-absence of DNA from five species (i.e., Chinook Salmon, Steelhead/O. mykiss, Bull Trout, Pacific Lamprey, and Brook Trout). Also UAS will be implemented.



Worksite #2: Hood River Basin #2

Propose to collect Orthoimagery from a hyperspectral camera to identify redd distributions and attributes related to restoration validation. The CTWS Parkdale fish facility releases ~250k juveniles a year in the Hood River Basin. Spawning surveys are conducted yearly by the CTWS employees on the West, East, and Middle Fork Hood River (~18.9 RM) while also collecting pre and post restoration surveys. With remote sensing being collected by UAS the efficiency of data collection will enhance the program.



Worksite #3: Tony Creek

Tony Creek is a critical clearwater tributary to the Middle Fork Hood River. The Middle Fork Hood River Subbasin is home to bull trout population and has high intrinsic potential for steelhead habitat. Fish passage was created at RM0.55 on Tony Creek in 2023, opening five miles of clearwater habitat. The lower Tony Creek project reach currently has very limited large wood, pool habitat, or complexity. Restoration would include the placement of large wood structures and reconnection of floodplain and off-channel habitat.



Worksite #4: CTWSRO Reservation.

Propose to collect 130 eDNA samples distributed across tributaries to the Lower Deschutes (HUC8 ID 17070306) within Reservation boundaries. Environmental DNA samples will be collected at 1-km intervals across sections

This project will benefit Spring/Fall Chinook Salmon, Coho, Mid-Columbia Steelhead, Bull Trout, and Pacific Lamprey by improving understanding of the fine-scale, contemporary distribution limits of these species. Improving understanding of contemporary species distributions will maximize the likelihood that future monitoring, research, and habitat restoration efforts occur in appropriate areas and at suitable spatial scales.

In addition, the presence and potential expansion of non-native Brook Trout in waterways on the Reservation is a limiting factor for focal species. Brook Trout prey upon juvenile salmon and steelhead and hybridize with Bull Trout. Data generated from this project will inform future efforts to suppress and remove Brook Trout from waterways on the Reservation.