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THE OSPrEY A Journal Published by the Steelhead Committee Federation of Fly Fishers Dedicated to the Preservation of Wild Steelhead • Issue No. 67 • SEPTEmbEr 2010 Nottawasaga River Steelhead A Great Lakes lesson in local adaptation and naturalization by Brian P. Morrison, Fred Dobbs and Chris Atkinson — Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority, Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority, Nottawasaga Steeheaders — Fisheries biologist Brian Morrison accidentally released into the Pine steelhead in the Canadian waters of the Ganaraska Region River, a Nottawasaga River tribu - of the Great Lakes proper. Shortly Conservation Authority, Fred thereafter, steelhead were making Dobbs, stewerdship services man - seasonal migrations between the ager for the Nottawasaga Valley Nottawasaga River and Georgian Conservation Authority and Chris Bay/Lake Huron; with these fish Atkinson of the Nottawasaga As early as 1903, likely resulting from the acciden - Steelheaders outline the establish - tal release of steelhead into the ment of a naturalized steelhead adult steelhead were Pine River. population in the Lake Huron documented in The life history characteristics of Basin, Ontario, Canada and how it the naturalized steelhead popula - might provide insight for re-intro - tributaries of the tions in the Great Lakes resemble ducing extirpated steelhead popu - those of anadromous forms native lations in other regions. Nottawasage River. to Pacific coastal drainages, although local populations display igratory rainbow varying life history traits. trout ( Oncorhynchus tary (Figure 1) by 1900, likely off - Continued on Page 4 mykiss ), also known spring of fish spawned from the as steelhead, were McLeod River, California. As Mintroduced into Lake Huron in 1876 The Osprey is now early as 1903 adult steelhead were when the AuSable River in documented in tributaries of the also available via Michigan was stocked with rain - Nottawasaga River, and it has been electronic delivery. bow trout from the Northville suggested as one of the first docu - Hatchery, MI. Steelhead were mented occurrence of wild adult See page 11 for details. NOTTAWASAGA ASIAN CARP CA STEELHEAD SMITH RIVER SALMON TUOLUMNE IN THIS STEELHEAD THREAT WIN SUIT JEWEL FEEDLOTS RELICENSING ISSUE: — PAGE 1 — — PAGE 7 — — PAGE 8 — — PAGE 9 — — PAGE 15 — — PAGE 18 — 2 SEPTEmbEr 2010 THE OSPrEY • ISSUE NO. 67 FROM THE PERCH — EDITOR’S MESSAGE THE OSPrEY The Adaptable Co-Chairs Will Atlas Scott Hagen Wild Steelhead Editor Jim Yuskavitch by Jim Yuskavitch ong-time readers of The Osprey will note that from time to Contributing Editors time we publish articles on steelhead issues from the Great Pete Soverel • Bill Redman Lakes region of the U.S. and Canada, despite the fact that these Stan Young • Norm Ploss fish are not native to the region. Because of this fact, the sub - William Atlas • Schuyler Dunphy ject of running stories on Great Lakes steelhead always stim - Scott Hagen • Thomas Buehrens Lulates discussion among members of The Osprey’s editorial board on Contributors whether or not it is an appropriate subject for us. Brian P. Morrison • Fred Dobbs Introduced runs of steelhead (and salmon) provide an important and Chris Anderson • Will Atlas popular sport fishery and, in the case of steelhead, which have been in Gerry Worden • Norm Ploss the Great Lakes and their U.S. and Canadian tributaries since the mid- Alexandra Morton • Patrick Koepele 1870s, have become part of the natural flora. Since those first Nineteenth Layout Century introductions, some steelhead have developed wild populations Jim Yuskavitch that adapted genetically and behaviorly to a life history keyed to the eco - logical conditions they encountered in this place that evolution did not initially intend them to be. Letters To The Editor That demonstration of The Osprey welcomes submissions adaptability is of particu - and letters to the editor. lar interest here at The Submissions may be Osprey , where we are not made electronically or by mail. only concerned about pre - serving currently existing The Osprey wild populations of steel - P.O. Box 1228 head and salmon, but also Sisters, OR 97759-1228 promoting the restoration [email protected] and reintroduction of wild (541) 549-8914 fish to former habitats as they are restored or made The Osprey is a publication of The once again available after Federation of Fly Fishers and is pub - dams or other limiting fac - lished three times a year. All materials are copy protected and require permis - tors have been removed. The lower Nottawasaga River, Lake Huron basin, sion prior to reprinting or other use. That’s what intrigued us Ontario, Canada. Photo by Brian Morrison when Canadian fish biolo - The Osprey © 2010 gist Brian Morrison con - The Federation of Fly Fishers is a tacted us about an article on the naturalized, wild steelhead of the unique non-profit organization con - Nottawasaga River in the Lake Huron basin and the possibility that such cerned with sport fishing and fisheries an article might provide a useful example of how steelhead could even - The Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) supports con - tually re-populate restored habitat in its natural range. You’ll find that servation of all fish in all waters. FFF has a long standing commit - the lead story for this issue of The Osprey . ment to solving fisheries problems at You’ll also find another upper Midwest region story in these pages cov - the grass roots. By charter and inclina - ering the potential dire impacts of Asian carp on populations of salmon, tion, FFF is organized from the bottom up; each of its 360+ clubs, all over steelhead and other aquatic life if these fish establish themselves in the North America and the world, is a Great Lakes, by Gerry Worden of the Great Lakes Council of the unique and self-directed group. The grass roots focus reflects the reality Federation of Fly Fishers, a group of dedicated steelheaders who are that most fisheries solutions must come working to conserve their unique and valuable fisheries just as FFF coun - at that local level. cils are doing throughout America whether or not they live in steelhead country. THE OSPREY IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER USING SOY INK THE OSPrEY • ISSUE NO. 67 SEPTEmbEr 2010 3 CHAIR’S CORNER Will Good Science Finally Influence Salmon Policy on the Columbia and Snake Rivers? by Will Atlas — Co-Chair, Steelhead Committee — n the long running battle imperiled Columbia River wild The Columbia system is home to over the Columbia River’s stocks. Among the recommended 178 hatchery programs, many of water, hydro system, fish actions in the DEIS are reductions which are supported by funds from and wildlife, conservation - in the number of hatchery fish the Mitchell Act, originally desig - ists have, for the most part, released in many systems, the con - nated as mitigation for the 15 Ibeen forced to rely on court deci - struction of weirs to sort hatchery mainstem dams on the Columbia sions to advance management and Snake Rivers which have practices that benefit wild largely destroyed wild runs. salmonids. Beginning in 1994 when Unfortunately, huge hatchery pro - the first contested Columbia River President Obama’s grams have come with the unin - Biological Opinion was issued by promise to “restore tended consequence of dramatical - the Clinton Administration, the ly reducing the genetic integrity federal government has shown science and its rightful and productivity of many ESA list - almost no desire to upset the status ed wild stocks. quo on the Columbia. Under the place” gave wild fish Now for the first time it appears Bush Administration, the federal that good science has been allowed government proved equally disin - advocates hope. to influence policy, and Columbia terested in the recovery of wild and Snake salmon and steelhead salmonids on the Columbia and should benefit greatly. The court fish out of spawning populations, Snake, and some government sci - case and attendant controversy and changes in the management entists complained of political around the Obama BioOp remain. goals for hatchery programs fund - interference in their work. With Let’s hope this is a sign of things to ed by federal Mitchell Act dollars. the election of Barack Obama and come for the Columbia. his promise to “restore science to its rightful place”, many in the conservation community were hopeful that the feds would make an about face on the Columbia. Two years and one failed BiOp later, it seems as though little has changed. Then last month, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) released its most recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for its efforts to reform the hatchery system on the Columbia. While the DEIS has its flaws, and is yet to be adopted officially, if implemented, it will be a major step forward for hatchery reform on the Columbia. The DEIS includes ambitious goals and a number of critically important management actions to reduce the The Columbia and Snake river system produced an estimated 12 million salmon annu - level of hatchery influence in ally before the federal hydro dams were constructed. Photo by Jim Yuskavitch 4 SEPTEmbEr 2010 THE OSPrEY • ISSUE NO. 67 Nottawasaga River steelhead Continued from page 1 Spawning takes place in the spring, though mature fish may enter their home tributary as early as August of the previous year. Mature fish migrating in the summer/fall will generally travel greater distances than their spring cohorts. They are usually first to spawn in the winter/spring and appear neces - sary to maximize recruitment in headwater areas. Fall migrants are thought to have an advantage over spring migrants due to warmer water temperatures and more stable discharge regimes, which allow for a greater opportu - nity to navigate obstacles such as rapids, waterfalls, and dams/fish - ways. The life history strategy of fall migration may have developed from summer run steelhead trans - planted from their native range.

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