Fine Sediment Intrusion

Salmonid Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E)

Monitoring
Project ID2005-Stil-05
Recovery DomainsPuget Sound
Start Date06/01/2006
End Date07/01/2007
Year2005
StatusCompleted
Last Edited01/14/2025
 
1 - 1

Description    


This study was designed to estimate survival to emergence of North Fork Stillaguamish Chinook salmon, a population of the ESU Puget Sound Chinook that are listed as threatened according to the ESA. We built 18 artificial Chinook redds in the North Fork Stillaguamish, each redd contained 6 /in situ/ sediment monitors that collected fine sediment infiltrating into the redd. Artificial redds were constructed in September and October 2006 (the time when naturally occurring Chinook spawn) and /in situ/ monitors were retrieved in January 2007 (the time when juvenile Chinook are expected to emerge from the gravel). Of the 18 redds constructed 9 were lost due to scour by the time of retrieval. Fine sediment from each monitor was seived and weighed to determine its relative composition compared to the coarser sediment in the artificial redds. The percentage of fine sediment in each redd was then compared to published results that estimated survival to emergence of Chinook embryos under different concentrations of fine sediment. As a result of this study, we were able to estimate that based on fine sediment infiltration into Chinook redds, survival of embryos to emergence was roughly 35% throughout the North Fork Stillaguamish River.

There were no circumstances that caused the project to diverge from its original intent. The scouring of redds, however, was a scenario that caused some difficulty in the analysis of the samples. Although the scouring of the artificial redds was not desired because it removed samples for analysis, it did, however, provide valuable information on the potential scouring of naturally occurring redds in the same reaches.

Project Benefit    


This project will provide information on a much-needed Chinook STE data gap in the Stillaguamish Watershed. As recovery efforts are underway for Chinook salmon, this project will provide insight on fine sediment pollution sources and their potential impact on incubating Chinook salmon eggs.

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed
Research and Monitoring
  Stream Miles Monitored 16.00

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$13,476
Report Total:$13,476


Project Map



Worksites

20043179    


  • Worksite Identifier: 20043179
  • Start Date:
  • End Date:
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Puget Sound (171100)
  • Subbasin: Stillaguamish (17110008)
  • Watershed:
  • Subwatershed:
  • State: Washington
  • Recovery Domain: Puget Sound
  • Latitude: 48.207255
  • Longitude: -122.125466

ESU

  • Puget Sound Chinook Salmon ESU

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • E.0 Salmonid Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (RM&E)Y (Y/N)
    •      . . E.0.a RM&E Funding 13,476.00
    •      . . E.0.d.1 Number of Cooperating Organizations
    •      . . E.0.d.2
      Name Of Cooperating Organizations.
      Snohomish County
    •      . . E.0.e.1 Number of reports prepared
    •      . . E.1 MonitoringY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . E.1.a Monitoring funding 13,476.00
      •      . . . . E.1.b.1 Stream Miles Monitored
      •      . . . . E.1.c.11 Habitat condition monitoringY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . E.1.e
          Description of monitoring
          Chinook egg survivial to emergence