R-• . Study of Wild Spring Chinook Salmon in the John Day River
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Study of Wild Spring Chinook Salmon in the John Day River System 1985 Final Report .r-• by l R.B. Lindsay W.J. Knox M.W. Flesher B.J. Smith E.A. Olsen L.S. Lutz Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 506 S.W. Mill Street, P.O. Box 59 Portland, Oregon 97207 Funded by Larry Everson, Project Manager U.S. Department of Energy Bonneville Power Administration . Division of Fish and Wildlife Contract No. DE-Al79-83BP39796 Project No. 79-4 February 1986 CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION........................................................ 1 STUDY AREA.......................................................... 2 METHODS ............................................................ 8 Catch in Ocean and Columbia River.............................. 8 Smolt Migration................................................ 10 Abundance and Survival......................................... 12 Freshwater LifeHistory........................................ Adult Holding Areas........................................ Spawning................................................... Emergence Timing........................................... Distribution of Fingerlings................................ Size and Growth of Juveniles............................... Abundance of Fingerlings................................... Scales..................................................... Stock-Recruitment.............................................. 20 Hatchery Supplementation....................................... 22 RESULTS............................................................. 23 Catch in Ocean and Columbia River.............................. 23 Smolt Migration Timing.................t. ........................ 24 Abundance and Survival......................................... 30 Freshwater Life History........................................ Adult Holding Areas........................................ ;; Spawning................................................... 32 Emergence Timing........................................... 37 Distribution of Fingerlings................................ Size and Growth of Juveniles ............................... ii Abundance of Fingerlings................................... 45 Scales..................................................... 48 Stock-Recruitment.............................................. 50 CONTENTS (Continued) Page DISCUSSION.......................................................... 67 Catch in Ocean and Columbia River.............................. 67 Smolt Migration................................................ 68 Abundance...................................................... 69 Survival....................................................... 70 Freshwater Life History........................................ 70 Adult Holding Areas......................................... 70 Spawning................................................... 71 Emergence.................................................. 72 Distribution of Fingerlings................................ 72 Stock Recruitment.............................................. 73 Hatchery Supplementation....................................... 84 Hatchery Location and Alternatives......................... 85 Brood Stock............................................... 86 Rearing and Release........................................ 87 Evaluation................................................. 89 RECOMMENDATIONS..................................................... 91 FOOTNOTES........................................................... 94 REFERENCES.......................................................... 95 APPENDIXES.......................................................... 101 FIGURES NUMBER 1 Page 1. Map of John Day basin .i. .: . 3 2. Map of upper Mainstem John Day River......................... 4 3. Map of the Norh Fork John Day River ..*.......,*..*......,... 5 4. Map of the Middle Fork John Day River........................ 6 5. Trap sites and seining areas where smolts were captured in the John Day River. 9 6. Timing of migration of spring chinook salmon smelts past Spray (km 286) in the John Day River, 1979-84................ 27 7. Migration rates for weekly mark: groups from the North Fork scoop trap to the Spray seining area, 1984. ....... 29 8. Average redd densities in index areas (all streams combined) in the John Day River system, 1959-85................. 33 9. Cumulative thermal units from week of peak spawning to week of end of emergence in the John Day River spawnig areas, 1980-81............................................ 39 10. Cumulative thermal units from week of peak spawning to end of emergence, 1982-83........................ 40 11. Relation between juvenile distribution in the Middle Fork and water temperature the week. prior to sampling, 15 June to 15 September 1980-82 and 84. Water tempera- 41 ture was measured at km 51..................... 12. Relation between juvenile distribution in the North Fork and water temperature the week prior to sampling, 15 June to 15 September,1980-84. Water temperature was measured at km 71. ............................................................... 41 13. Mean weekly water temperature in Clear Creek (km 107) and the Middle Fork (km 103), 1983. ...................... 44 e 14. Mean weekly water temperature in Camp Creek (km 76) and the Middle Fork (km 76), 1981. ......................... 44 15. Mean lengths of juvenile chinook salmon in the Mainstem, Middle Fork, North Fork, and Granite Creek, 1979-84........ 46 FIGURES (continued) NUMBER Page 16. Estimated returns per spawner in the North Fork Johri Day River, 1964-80 broods. 52 17. Estimated returns per spawner in the Granite Creek system (includes Clear and Bull Run creeks; Bull RunCreek was inaccessible to spawning until 1962), 1959-80 broods....... 53 18. Estimated returns per spawner in the Middle Fork John Day River, 1960-80 brood. ...................... 54 19. Estimated returns per spawner in the Mainstem John Day River, 1959-80,broods. .................... 55 20. Estimated returns per spawner in the John Day River system (all streams combined), 1964-80 broods..................... 56 21. Relationship between spawning stock density and returns/ spawner for 1969-79 broods in the Mainstem John Day River.. '57 22. Relationship between spawning stock density and returns/ spawner for 1960179 broods in the Middle Fork, John Day River. ..................... 58 23. Relationship between spawning stock density and returns/ spawner for 1964-79 broods in the North Fork John Day River.,......,.....,,..........,........................... 59 24. Relationship between spawning stock density and returns/ spawner for 1959-79 broods in the Granite Creek system (includes Clear and Bull Run creeks)....................... 60 25. Beverton-Holt stock recruitment curve for 1959-69 broods in the Mainstem John Day River. Data for 1970-79 broods are included for comparison..*,,.,,,,.......,.....~........ 62 26. Beverton-Holt stock-recruitment curve for 1960-69 broods in the Middle Fork John Day River. Data for 1970-79 broods are included for comparison,............................... 63 27. Beverton-Holt stock recruitment curve for 1964-69 broods in the North Fork John Day River. Data for 1970-79 broods are included for comparison .,........i..................... 64 TABLES Number Page 1. Description of extensive and index spawning survey sections in the John Day River.. ......................... ' 15 2. Description of, supplemental spawning survey sections in the John Day River. 16 3. Catch and escapement of upriver spring chinook salmon that entered, the Columbia River,, 1957-84................. 21 4. Estimated number and percentage of spring chinook salmon smolts coded-wire tagged in the John Day River, 1978-80 brood.s . ....................................... 23 5. Columbia River recoveries of adult spring chinook salmon marked Ad-CWT as juveniles in the John Day River, 1981-84 ................................................... 24 6. Percent length class composition of spring chinook salmon from John Day' River spawning surveys and from Columbia River fisheries, 1982 ..................................... 25 7. Estimated relative contribution of John Day River spring' chinook salmon, to Columbia River fisheries, 1981-84...... 25. 8. Catch of spri'ng chinook salmonsmolts at trapping and seining sites, 1980-84 ...........................................,....,..... 26 I 9. Dates that smolts marked'in the ‘John Day River were recaptured in the Columbia River, 1979-84;;...........,. 28 I,’ 10. Migration rates of spring chinook salmon smolts through' the John Day 'and Columbia rivers, 1982-84................ 30 11. Estimated abundance (thousands) of spring chinook salmon in the John Day River at several life history stages, 1978-85 brood. .s . ......................... 31 . 12. Estimated percent survival of spring chinook salmon in the John Day River at several life history stages, 1978-82 broods. 31 13. Salmon redds counted during extensive (Ext) and index surveys and estimated spawning escapements (at 3 fish/ redd) in the John Day River, 1978-85..................... 32 14. Redd density in index areas of the John Day River system in redds/mile (r/m) and redds/kilometer (r/k), 1959-85... 34 TABLES Number Page 15. Dates index spawning ground surveys in the John Day River should be conducted to maximize redd counts.................. 36 16. Coded-wire tag recoveries from spawning ground surveys in the John Day River, 1981-85 . 36 17. Comparisons of emergence timing based on field