Rogue Background and Context Unique: Native Freshwater Fish
Fall chinook Sculpin—four spp Spring chinook Pacific lamprey Winter steelhead Threespine Summer steelhead stickleback Coho salmon Klamath smallscale sucker Resident Rb trout Green sturgeon Coastal Ct trout White sturgeon Speckled dace Unique: Comparison Populations Unique: Corps dams
“Fishery Enhancement” a primary purpose as authorized by Congress
Multi-port outlet tower Stored water for fish Rogue Basin research project Unique: Climate From Coho Status Review NOAA 1995 Annual max monthly stream temp From Coho Status Review NOAA 1995
<65F Max temp 7 Day Max Days over 17.8C Period Whiskey Cr 21C 20.5C 55 7/9/03-9/23/03 Howard Cr 22C 21.6C 60 7/9/03-9/23/03 Missouri Cr 19C 18.5C 13 7/10/03-9/24/03 Mule Creek 21C 20C 59 7/10/03-9/24/03 Wild and Scenic streams
Max temp 7 Day Max Days over 17.8C Period Whiskey Cr 21C 20.5C 55 7/9/03-9/23/03 Howard Cr 22C 21.6C 60 7/9/03-9/23/03 Missouri Cr 19C 18.5C 13 7/10/03-9/24/03 Mule Creek 21C 20C 59 7/10/03-9/24/03 616 cfs at Gold Ray summer 1931
85F Rogue at Illahee Aug 8, 1955 Air temp 112F
Reservoir heating Gold Ray and Savage? Most years minimal 1936 temp incr Gold Ray 3.8F and Savage Rapids 2F Rogue Chinook ocean distribution
ChF 48% Oregon; 51% California ChS 51% Oregon; 48% California Rogue coho ocean distribution
Coho salmon released from the southernmost facilities (those south of Cape Blanco) had the most southerly recovery patterns: primarily in California (65-92%) some recoveries in Oregon (7-34%) almost none (<1%) in Washington or BC
Rogue Coho 30% Oregon; 66% California Rogue steelhead ocean distribution
More time moving back and forth river and ocean than other stocks Half pounder run 1 salt winter steelhead Repeat spawners are consecutive year spawners Rogue steelhead ocean distribution
Tagged Rogue StS recovered off northern California and southern Oregon Rogue River south. Everest—primary offshore rearing area Rogue StS is off northern California coast Six coded wire tagged steelhead have been captured in ocean fisheries off California, and five were from releases in California. Status Review for KMP Steelhead NOAA
Pearcy Steelhead originating south of Cape Blanco rarely recovered north of Cape Blanco in high seas or near shore collections southern stocks of coho salmon/steelhead “may not be highly migratory and may feed in the strong upwelling off northern California and southern Oregon rather than migrate long distances into productive subarctic waters” 2020 Indicators – Ocean Conditions
Cape Blanco
15 The Fish We Don’t Want in the River
1 Redside shiner 2 Umpqua pikeminnow 3 Golden shiner 4 Common carp 5 Goldfish 6 Tui chub 7 Fathead minnow 8 Gambusia 9 Brook trout 10 Brown trout 11 Largemouth bass 12 Smallmouth bass 250m drop vs 75m drop/150km 13 Bluegill 14 Pumpkinseed 15 Yellow perch 16 Black Crappie 17 American shad 18 Brown bullhead 20 Green sunfish 21 Channel catfish Redside shiner/Umpqua pikeminnow Nonlocal minnows in the Rogue
Aug 57 first redside shiner July 78 pikeminnow found in found; Jumpoff Joe Creek private pond Grave Cr trib Sept 62 spread of redside May 80 pikeminnow caught shiner reported. Now in near Rand (RM 73) Saunders Cr, Williams Cr, Oct 83 found RM 41-87 Gold Ray By 1990s widely distributed July 73 increase in redside Gold Beach to Grants Pass; shiners above Shady Cove; angler caught fish reported a first observed Big Butte last Salmon Rock and near summer Touvelle Summer Steelhead
Grave Creek upstream Spawn mid-December through mid-March Preference for smaller streams/intermittent Rear in larger tribs and mainstem in summer 42% Age 1 55% Age 2 3% Age 3 Half pounders Rogue StS reputation as being one of the smallest steelhead in Oregon—Rivers 1957 Half pounders
Rogue River Klamath River Mad River Eel River Russian River • Sacramento/San Joaquin has somewhat similar fish Summer steelhead
First spawning migrant Half pounder; to sea following summer; spawn 2 years after smolt
Second spawning migrant Half pounder; to sea following summer; spawn 2 years after smolt; repeat spawn
Third spawning migrant Half pounder; to sea following summer; spawn 2 years after smolt; repeat spawn, repeat spawn
**Repeat spawning is done in consecutive years Kane Creek marked steelhead fry first summer riffles in river Kane Creek marked fry First winter Partial barriers and juvenile fish Compare densities young steelhead above and below
Fish/1000’ Fish/1000’ Stream Barrier Below Above
Kane I-5 206 16
Galls I-5 413 94
Jones RR Xing 425 3
Fruitdale Hwy 99 222 109 Kane Creek I5 Frontage Rd Culvert Gold Hill Before After
Winter steelhead Spawn February-June Preference for larger streams, mainstem areas Anywhere—drought more in mainstem 12% Age 1 66% Age 2 21% Age 3 Entered ocean mostly 8-10” Generally Illinois older; Applegate younger Oldest smolts tend to return as largest adults Half pounders 30% 2 Salt 51.2% (25-27”) 2 summers in ocean; spawn 2 years after smolt
First spawning migrant 16.4% (21-22”) Half pounder; to sea following summer; spawn 2 years after smolt
1 Salt 8.2% (17-19”) 1 summer in ocean; spawn 1 year after smolt
Two salt, first spawning migrant 7.6% Half pounder; to sea following summer; second summer in ocean; spawn 3 years after smolt
Second spawning migrant 4.9% Half pounder; to sea following summer; spawn 2 years after smolt; repeat spawn
Two salt repeat spawner 4.2% 2 summers in ocean; spawn 2 years after smolt; repeat spawn
**Repeat spawning is done in consecutive years
Current Status
Wild half-pounder counts have been strong in recent years
80,000
70,000
60,000
Pounders 50,000 -
40,000
30,000
20,000
10,000 Unmarked Half Unmarked
0
Year
29 Current Status
Half-pounder counts are historically correlated with adult winter steelhead returns in the Rogue
30 Gold Ray Dam Fish Passage by Biweekly Period, 1966-2004
45.0%
40.0%
35.0%
30.0%
25.0%
20.0% Percent of Run 15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
1/1-15 2/1-15 3/1-15 4/1-15 5/1-15 6/1-15 7/1-15 8/1-15 9/1-15 1/1-15 1/16-31 2/16-29 3/16-31 4/16-30 5/16-31 6/16-30 7/16-31 8/16-31 9/16-3010/1-1510/16-3111/1-1511/16-3012/1-1512/16-31 Date
Winter Steelhead Summer Steelhead Spring Chinook Fall Chinook Coho 2009 StW count Gold Ray
1,600
1,400
1,200
1,000 Total StW Total
800
600
400
200
0 1/1-15 1/16-31 2/1-15 2/16-28 3/1-15 3/16-31 4/1-15 4/16-30 5/1-15
Two week period
Momentum for Restoration Cole Rivers
…several hundred dams within migratory ranges of the Rogue fish runs…before 1941.
During winters with low flows, the distribution of steelhead on the spawning grounds has been limited by low dams of less than 30 inches in height.
MRS Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Letter to Jim Martin, Governors Office—
Removal of Savage Rapids Dam Removal of Gold Ray Dam Opening of Elk Creek Dam to fish migration Removal of three large old dams on Evans Fielder, Wimer, Upper Alphonso Continue with removal of Pickett Creek dam MRS Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Letter to Governors Office—
Removal of Savage Rapids Dam 2009 Removal of Gold Ray Dam 2010 Opening of Elk Creek Dam to fish migration 2009 Removal of three large old dams on Evans Fielder 2015 Wimer 2015 Upper Alphonso late 90s Continue with removal of Pickett Creek dam late 90s