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Peer Reviewed Title: Science Advancements Key to Increasing Management Value of Life Stage Monitoring Networks for Endangered Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook Salmon in California Journal Issue: San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science, 15(3) Author: Johnson, Rachel C., National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Windell, Sean, California Sea Grant Fellowship, Delta Stewardship Council Brandes, Patricia L., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Conrad, J. Louise, California Department of Water Resources Ferguson, John, Anchor QEA Goertler, Pascale A. L., California Department of Water Resources Harvey, Brett N., California Department of Water Resources Heublein, Joseph, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Israel, Joshua A., U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Kratville, Daniel W., California Department of Fish and Wildlife Kirsch, Joseph E., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Perry, Russell W., U.S Geological Survey Pisciooto, Joseph, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Poytress, William R., U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Reece, Kevin, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Swart, Brycen G., National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Publication Date: 2017 Permalink: http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6751j957 Acknowledgements: We thank Doug Killam, Colin Purdy, Arnold Ammann, Mike O’Farrell, and Noble Hendrix for contributing relevant information and thoughtful presentations for our synthesis effort. We thank members of the Interagency Ecological Program (IEP) Winter-Run Project Work Team and Science Management Team for reviews of early drafts. Discussions and comments from Steve Lindley, Will Satterthwaite, Ted Sommer, Vanessa Tobias, Alison Collins, Lauren Yamane, Brian Pyper, Peter Klimley, and an anonymous reviewer greatly improved the manuscript. We thank Charleen Gavette (National Marine Fisheries Service) for creating Figure 1, which displays existing eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide. monitoring and our summary evaluation. We greatly appreciate the support of the IEP agency directors in initiating this effort and commitment toward improving core monitoring to help manage this valuable resource. Keywords: Chinook Salmon, monitoring, conceptual models, life stage survival, migration, diversity Local Identifier(s): jmie_sfews_36508 Abstract: doi: https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2017v15iss3art1 A robust monitoring network that provides quantitative information about the status of imperiled species at key life stages and geographic locations over time is fundamental for sustainable management of fisheries resources. For anadromous species, management actions in one geographic domain can substantially affect abundance of subsequent life stages that span broad geographic regions. Quantitative metrics (e.g., abundance, movement, survival, life history diversity, and condition) at multiple life stages are needed to inform how management actions (e.g., hatcheries, harvest, hydrology, and habitat restoration) influence salmon population dynamics. The existing monitoring network for endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook Salmon (SRWRC, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in California’s Central Valley was compared to conceptual models developed for each life stage and geographic region of the life cycle to identify relevant SRWRC metrics. We concluded that the current monitoring network was insufficient to diagnose when (life stage) and where (geographic domain) chronic or episodic reductions in SRWRC cohorts occur, precluding within- and among-year comparisons. The strongest quantitative data exist in the Upper Sacramento River, where abundance estimates are generated for adult spawners and emigrating juveniles. However, once SRWRC leave the upper river, our knowledge of their identity, abundance, and condition diminishes, despite the juvenile monitoring enterprise. We identified six system-wide recommended actions to strengthen the value of data generated from the existing monitoring network to assess resource management actions: (1) incorporate genetic run identification; (2) develop juvenile abundance estimates; (3) collect data for life history diversity metrics at multiple life stages; (4) expand and enhance real-time fish survival and movement monitoring; (5) collect fish condition data; and (6) provide timely public access to monitoring data in open data formats. To illustrate how updated technologies can enhance the existing monitoring to provide quantitative data on SRWRC, we provide examples of how each recommendation can address specific management issues Copyright Information: Copyright 2017 by the article author(s). This work is made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution4.0 license, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ eScholarship provides open access, scholarly publishing services to the University of California and delivers a dynamic research platform to scholars worldwide. SEPTEMBER 2017 RESEARCH Science Advancements Key to Increasing Management Value of Life Stage Monitoring Networks for Endangered Sacramento River Winter-Run Chinook Salmon in California Rachel C. Johnson1, 2, *, Sean Windell3, Patricia L. Brandes4, J. Louise Conrad5, John Ferguson6, Pascale A. L. Goertler5, Brett N. Harvey5, Joseph Heublein7, Joshua A. Israel8, Daniel W. Kratville9, Joseph E. Kirsch4, Russell W. Perry10, Joseph Pisciotto9, William R. Poytress11, Kevin Reece5, and Brycen G. Swart7 Volume 15, Issue 3 | Article 1 ABSTRACT https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2017v15iss3art1 A robust monitoring network that provides * Corresponding author: [email protected] quantitative information about the status of imperiled 1 Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, species at key life stages and geographic locations National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and over time is fundamental for sustainable management Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, CA 95060 USA of fisheries resources. For anadromous species, 2 Center for Watershed Sciences, University of California Davis management actions in one geographic domain Davis, CA 95616 USA can substantially affect abundance of subsequent 3 California Sea Grant Fellowship, Delta Stewardship Council Sacramento, CA 95814 USA life stages that span broad geographic regions. 4 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Quantitative metrics (e.g., abundance, movement, Lodi, CA 95240 USA survival, life history diversity, and condition) at 5 California Department of Water Resources multiple life stages are needed to inform how West Sacramento, CA 95691 USA management actions (e.g., hatcheries, harvest, 6 Anchor QEA, Seattle, WA 98101 USA hydrology, and habitat restoration) influence salmon 7 California Central Valley Office, West Coast Region, population dynamics. The existing monitoring National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Sacramento, CA 95814 USA network for endangered Sacramento River winter- 8 Bay-Delta Office, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation run Chinook Salmon (SRWRC, Oncorhynchus Sacramento, CA 95825 USA tshawytscha) in California’s Central Valley was 9 Fisheries Branch, California Department of Fish and Wildlife compared to conceptual models developed for each Sacramento, CA 95811 USA life stage and geographic region of the life cycle to 10 Western Fisheries Research Center, U.S. Geological Survey identify relevant SRWRC metrics. We concluded that Cook, WA 98605 USA the current monitoring network was insufficient to 11 Red Bluff Fish and Wildlife Office, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Red Bluff, CA 96080 USA diagnose when (life stage) and where (geographic domain) chronic or episodic reductions in SRWRC cohorts occur, precluding within- and among-year comparisons. The strongest quantitative data exist in the Upper Sacramento River, where abundance estimates are generated for adult spawners and emigrating juveniles. However, once SRWRC leave the upper river, our knowledge of their identity, SAN FRANCISCO ESTUARY & WATERSHED SCIENCE VOLUME 15, ISSUE 3, ARTICLE 1 abundance, and condition diminishes, despite the to manage flooding risk and water supply reliability, juvenile monitoring enterprise. We identified six given the extreme seasonal and annual climate system-wide recommended actions to strengthen the variation. For example, numerous water storage value of data generated from the existing monitoring facilities capture surface runoff. This reduces network to assess resource management actions: downstream flooding risk in wet years, and provides (1) incorporate genetic run identification; (2) develop reliable water supply for 25 million people and juvenile abundance estimates; (3) collect data for irrigation for millions of hectares of farmland even life history diversity metrics at multiple life stages; in years with below-average precipitation. The timing (4) expand and enhance real-time fish survival and and magnitude of flows released from the storage movement monitoring; (5) collect fish condition data; facilities is heavily regulated to meet multiple state- and (6) provide timely public access to monitoring wide objectives, including water storage and supply, data in open data formats. To illustrate how updated flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife technologies can enhance the existing monitoring conservation. to provide quantitative data on SRWRC, we