Reconnecting Aquatic Habitats: Validating Historical Habitat Use by Anadromous Fishes Using Telemetry and Stable Isotope Analysis Above Barriers

AN ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS OF Sierra Koch Lewis for the degree of Master of Science in Fisheries Science presented on May 3, 2013. Title: Reconnecting Aquatic Habitats: Validating Historical Habitat Use by Anadromous Fishes using Telemetry and Stable Isotope Analysis above Barriers. Abstract approved: ____________________________________________________________________ David L.G. Noakes I conducted a study to identify potential spawning habitat for anadromous salmonids above a 60-year-old hydropower dam in the headwaters of the North Umpqua River in Oregon. Like many other historical salmonid-bearing rivers, little documentation exists for anadromous fish presence above potential natural obstacles upstream of Soda Springs Dam. My prediction was that if migratory salmonids are allowed to move upstream of the dam using a new fish ladder they would utilize available upstream spawning habitat. I captured, radio-tagged, and transplanted wild adult summer steelhead, O. mykiss, above Soda Springs Dam and tracked daily movements for 1 year to observe habitat preferences. I also investigated evidence of historical anadromy throughout the North Umpqua River basin using stable isotope analysis of salmon-derived nitrogen (15N) in foliar samples from Douglas fir trees, P. menziesii, (>100 years old). I tested the hypothesis that I could identify undocumented, historical salmon spawning reaches above natural and anthropogenic obstacles based solely upon δ15N foliar deposition patterns. While tracking radio-tagged steelhead, I documented holding locations, the timing of spawning activities, and the outmigration of kelts. Tagged fish did not show any extensive movement in the river or tributaries above the dam. Most of the tagged adults showed incremental daily movements near the release site or downstream into the hydropower reservoir but did not travel further than 1 kilometer upstream in the main river channel. I recorded movements and localized activities that suggested some of the fish spawned and subsequently moved downstream towards the Pacific Ocean. My observations indicated that spawning behavior of tagged fish above Soda Springs Dam was delayed several weeks relative to fish spawning below the dam. There was no evidence from telemetry that any fish moved upstream in Fish Creek, the newly accessible habitat of interest in this project. My data suggest that steelhead will use restored habitat above dams, but that re-colonization activities are variable and may be affected by altered flow regimes within the restored habitat upstream of the dam and intra-specific density dependence. My stable isotope data indicated that the foliar δ15N deposition patterns were confounded with elevation. I documented potential “salmon-derived” false positives on the Umpqua National Forest above impassable waterfalls. Overall I found that foliar δ15N deposition patterns were highly variable and unexpectedly indicated a statistically significant negative correlation of foliar δ15N values with historical salmon presence. My linear mixed-effects modeling suggests that the presence of salmon is the most important indicator of foliar δ15N values, rather than the proximity of a sampled tree to stream flow above or below migratory barriers. I was not able to use the mixed effects model to identify previously undocumented salmon spawning habitat. My results from the foliar technique suggest that the method may not be universally applicable as has been previously suggested in the literature. © Copyright by Sierra Koch Lewis May 3, 2013 All Rights Reserved Reconnecting Aquatic Habitats: Validating Historical Habitat Use by Anadromous Fishes using Telemetry and Stable Isotope Analysis above Barriers by Sierra Koch Lewis A THESIS submitted to Oregon State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science Presented May 3, 2013 Commencement June 2013 Master of Science thesis of Sierra Koch Lewis presented on May 3, 2013. APPROVED: ____________________________________________________________________ Major Professor, representing Fisheries Science ____________________________________________________________________ Head of the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife ____________________________________________________________________ Dean of the Graduate School I understand that my thesis will become part of the permanent collection of Oregon State University libraries. My signature below authorizes release of my thesis to any reader upon request. ____________________________________________________________________ Sierra Koch Lewis, Author ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I express my sincere appreciation to David Noakes, my major advisor, for his unwavering support and willingness to let me work my way upstream on my own terms. He provided unflagging support across both time and space whenever I asked. Jason Dunham, Charlie Corrarino, and Desiree Tullos, my committee members, provided endless expertise and brainstorming ideas for conducting research in inhospitable locations; thank you for all of the feedback and intellectual support on these projects. I simply don’t have enough room to properly thank all the individuals and organizations that helped me with the complex tasks of designing and completing two separate fieldwork-intensive projects; so many people helped with the planning, funding, permitting, field work, data collection, lab work, data analysis, historical research, and editing that listing each name would fill pages upon pages. However, there are some people who simply cannot remain in the shadows. Eric Baxter, Ed Stephan, Jena Christiansen, and Gabe Dour were instrumental in the planning and execution of both projects. I also thank Rich Grost, Michael Swanson, Bert Ortiz, Pat McCrae, Dean Finnerty, Eric Figura, Bryan Deck, Gary Rowe, countless Steamboaters, flyfishers, and the OSU Fisheries & Wildlife Club for all the brainstorming and special efforts to capture wild steelhead on the North Umpqua River; those months spent chasing elusive steelhead were not in vain. I appreciate the friendships that sprouted along the river’s edge. Holly Huchko, Laura Jackson, Dave Harris, Sam Moyers, and Dan Meyer of ODFW-Roseburg were indispensable in the planning and permitting of the telemetry work. I give thanks for Ralph Lampman, who helped me with both telemetry setup and trouble shooting. The local, historical knowledge gained from Jeff Dose, Frank Moore, Craig Street, and countless others is priceless; there are many things you cannot learn from a book. Projects such as these cannot be accomplished without substantial financial support and investments in both time and equipment; I thank the staff of the Umpqua National Forest, Oregon Dept of Fish & Wildlife, Oregon Hatchery Research Center, PacifiCorp, and the Federal Highways Administration for the financial support, collaboration, and cooperation over the duration of the project. Scholarships from Oregon State University, the North Umpqua Foundation, the Federation of Fly Fishers, and several others helped pay for tuition, lodging, and fuel to travel back and forth weekly between campus and Toketee for several years. Telemetry and fish transport equipment was graciously loaned by ODFW, specifically the Oregon Hatchery Research Center, Rock Creek Hatchery, Alsea Hatchery, and the Oregon State University Department of Fisheries & Wildlife. I wish to thank my family and close friends who helped me wade through grad school, field projects, overgrown forests, dirty creeks, and other dark places. Finally, I wish to thank my husband, Ray Lewis, for keeping me warm, fuzzy, and sane through this whole process; my life would not be the same without you. Thank you! “I sit in happy meditation on my rock, pondering, while my line dries again, upon the ways of trout and men. How like fish we are: ready, nay eager, to seize upon whatever new thing some wind of circumstance shakes down upon the river of time! And how we rue our haste, finding the gilded morsel to contain a hook.” –From A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold CONTRIBUTION OF AUTHORS David L.G. Noakes (Oregon Hatchery Research Center / Department of Fisheries and Wildlife / Oregon State University) contributed to the study design, data analysis, and editing of all sections of this manuscript. Jennifer McKay (CEOAS Stable Isotope Lab / Oregon State University) contributed to the lab analysis of all the isotopic analyses and revision of both manuscripts. Bruce Morrison (Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Lake Ontario Fisheries Management Unit, Glenora Fisheries Station) provided modeling expertise for the mixed-effects modeling work on stable isotopes in this manuscript. Eric Baxter, Jena Christiansen, Gabe Dour, and Ed Stephan assisted with all aspects of sample and data collection for all sections of this manuscript. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1 STUDY OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................... 3 GENERAL METHODS ......................................................................................... 5 STUDY LOCATION ............................................................................................. 7 CHAPTER 2. BEHAVIOR, HOLDING, AND OUTMIGRATION PATTERNS OBSERVED IN WILD SUMMER STEELHEAD, O. MYKISS, ABOVE A HYDROPOWER DAM IN THE HEADWATERS OF THE NORTH UMPQUA RIVER ..........................................................................................

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