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Review of the Status of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) from Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho Under the U.S

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Review of the Status of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) from Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho Under the U.S Review of the Status of Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) from Washington, Oregon, California, and Idaho under the U.S. Endangered Species Act Prepared by the West Coast Chinook Salmon Biological Review Team 17 Dec 1997 The Biological Review Team (BRT) for chinook salmon included, from NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center: Peggy Busby, Dr. Stewart Grant, Dr. Robert Iwamoto, Dr. Robert Kope, Dr. Conrad Mahnken, Gene Matthews, Dr. James Myers, Philip Roni, Dr. Michael Schiewe, David Teel, Dr. Thomas Wainwright, F. William Waknitz, Dr. Robin Waples, and Dr. John Williams; NMFS Southwest Region: Gregory Bryant and Craig Wingert; NMFS Southwest Region (Tiburon Laboratory): Dr. Steve Lindley, and Dr. Peter Adams; NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center (Auke Bay Laboratory): Alex Wertheimer; and from the USGS National Biological Service: Dr. Reginald Reisenbichler. iii CONTENTS List of Figures ................................................................... ix List of Tables .................................................................. xiii Executive Summary ............................................................... xv Acknowledgments .............................................................. xxvii Introduction ...................................................................... 1 The "Species" Question ....................................................... 3 Background of Chinook Salmon under the ESA ..................................... 4 Summary of Information Presented by the Petitioners ................................. 5 Distinct Population Segments ............................................ 5 Population Abundance ................................................. 6 Causes of Decline for Chinook Salmon ..................................... 7 Information Relating to the Species Question ............................................. 9 General Biology of Chinook Salmon ............................................. 9 Ecological Features ......................................................... 12 Geological Events .................................................... 12 Ecoregions ......................................................... 13 Coastal Range (#1) ............................................. 13 Puget Lowland (#2) ............................................ 18 Willamette Valley (#3) .......................................... 18 Cascades (#4) ................................................. 22 Sierra Nevada (#5) ............................................. 22 Southern and Central California Plains and Hills (#6) ................... 23 Central California Valley (#7) .................................... 23 Eastern Cascades Slopes and Foothills (#9) .......................... 23 Columbia Basin (#10) .......................................... 24 Blue Mountains (#11) ........................................... 24 Snake River Basin/High Desert (#12) ............................... 25 Northern Rockies (#15) ......................................... 25 Marine Habitat ...................................................... 26 Chinook Salmon Life History and Ecology ........................................ 27 Juvenile Life History .................................................. 27 Ocean Distribution ................................................... 30 Size and Age at Maturation ............................................. 32 Run Timing ........................................................ 34 Straying ........................................................... 35 Fecundity and Egg Size ................................................ 37 Other Life-History Traits .............................................. 39 Regional Variation in Life-History Traits .................................. 39 iv Puget Sound to the Strait of Juan de Fuca ............................ 40 Washington and Oregon coasts (Hoko River to Cape Blanco) ............. 55 California and southern Oregon coast (south of Cape Blanco) ............. 56 California Central Valley ........................................ 58 Columbia River ocean type ....................................... 63 Lower Columbia River (to the Cascade Crest) .................. 63 Upper Willamette River ................................... 66 Columbia River (east of the Cascade Crest) .................... 69 Columbia River Stream Type ............................... 74 Genetic Information ......................................................... 78 Background ........................................................ 78 Statistical Methods ................................................... 78 Previous Genetic Studies ............................................... 80 Alaska ...................................................... 80 Pacific Northwest overview ...................................... 81 Yukon and British Columbia ..................................... 83 Washington .................................................. 85 Columbia River Basin .......................................... 86 California and Oregon .......................................... 89 Levels of Genetic Differentiation among Populations .......................... 92 New Studies ........................................................ 94 Regional patterns of genetic variability .............................. 94 British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California ................. 103 Columbia and Snake Rivers ..................................... 107 Summary ......................................................... 109 Discussion and Conclusions on ESU Determinations ............................... 111 Evolutionary Significance of Life-History Forms ............................ 111 Major Chinook Salmon Groups ......................................... 113 California Central Valley ....................................... 113 Coastal basins and Puget Sound .................................. 113 Columbia River .............................................. 114 ESU Descriptions ................................................... 115 1) Sacramento River Winter-Run ESU ............................ 115 2) Central Valley Spring-Run ESU ............................... 118 3) Central Valley Fall-Run ESU ................................. 119 4) Southern Oregon and California Coastal ESU ..................... 119 5) Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers ESU ......................... 120 6) Oregon Coast ESU ......................................... 121 7) Washington Coast ESU ..................................... 121 8) Puget Sound ESU .......................................... 122 9) Lower Columbia River ESU .................................. 122 10) Upper Willamette River ESU ................................. 123 11) Mid-Columbia River Spring-Run ESU .......................... 124 12) Upper-Columbia River Summer- and Fall-Run ESU ................ 124 13) Upper Columbia River Spring-Run ESU ......................... 125 v 14) Snake River Fall-Run ESU ................................... 126 15) Snake River Spring- and Summer-Run ESU ...................... 127 Relationship to State Conservation Management Units ....................... 127 Relationship to ESU Boundaries for other Anadromous Pacific Salmonids ......... 131 Artificial Propagation ...................................................... 133 Overview of Artificial Propagation ...................................... 135 Asia and Oceania ............................................. 135 Japan ................................................ 135 Russia ............................................... 135 New Zealand .......................................... 135 North America ............................................... 135 Alaska ............................................... 135 British Columbia ....................................... 136 Columbia River Basin ................................... 138 Scale of Hatchery Production .......................................... 140 Introduction of Non-Native Chinook Salmon into Hatcheries ................... 149 West Coast Artificial Propagation Activities ............................... 150 1) Sacramento River Winter-Run ESU ............................ 150 2) Central Valley Spring-Run ESU ............................... 151 3) Central Valley Fall-Run ESU ................................. 152 4) Southern Oregon and California Coast ESU ...................... 153 5) Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers ESU ......................... 155 6) Oregon Coast ESU ......................................... 156 7) Washington Coast ESU ..................................... 158 8) Puget Sound ESU .......................................... 159 9) Lower Columbia River ESU .................................. 161 10) Upper Willamette River ESU ................................. 163 11) Mid-Columbia River Spring-Run ESU .......................... 165 12) Upper Columbia Summer- and Fall-Run ESU ..................... 167 13) Upper Columbia River Spring-Run ESU ......................... 170 14) Snake River Fall-Run ESU ................................... 171 15) Snake River Spring- and Summer-Run ESU ...................... 173 Assessment of Risk Extinction ...................................................... 177 Background .............................................................. 177 Absolute Numbers .................................................. 178 Historical Abundance and Carrying Capacity .............................. 180 Trends in Abundance ................................................ 180 Naturally-spawning
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