An Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska
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EPA 910-R-14-001B | January 2014 An Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska Volume 2 – Appendices A-D Region 10, Seattle, WA www.epa.gov/bristolbay EPA 910-R-14-001B January 2014 AN ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL MINING IMPACTS ON SALMON ECOSYSTEMS OF BRISTOL BAY, ALASKA VOLUME 2—APPENDICES A-D U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 Seattle, WA CONTENTS VOLUME 1 An Assessment of Potential Mining Impacts on Salmon Ecosystems of Bristol Bay, Alaska VOLUME 2 APPENDIX A: Fishery Resources of the Bristol Bay Region APPENDIX B: Non-Salmon Freshwater Fishes of the Nushagak and Kvichak River Drainages APPENDIX C: Wildlife Resources of the Nushagak and Kvichak River Watersheds, Alaska APPENDIX D: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Characterization of the Indigenous Cultures of the Nushagak and Kvichak Watersheds, Alaska VOLUME 3 APPENDIX E: Bristol Bay Wild Salmon Ecosystem: Baseline Levels of Economic Activity and Values APPENDIX F: Biological Characterization: Bristol Bay Marine Estuarine Processes, Fish, and Marine Mammal Assemblages APPENDIX G: Foreseeable Environmental Impact of Potential Road and Pipeline Development on Water Quality and Freshwater Fishery Resources of Bristol Bay, Alaska APPENDIX H: Geologic and Environmental Characteristics of Porphyry Copper Deposits with Emphasis on Potential Future Development in the Bristol Bay Watershed, Alaska APPENDIX I: Conventional Water Quality Mitigation Practices for Mine Design, Construction, Operation, and Closure APPENDIX J: Compensatory Mitigation and Large-Scale Hardrock Mining in the Bristol Bay Watershed AN ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL MINING IMPACTS ON SALMON ECOSYSTEMS OF BRISTOL BAY, ALASKA VOLUME 2—APPENDICES A-D Appendix A: Fishery Resources of the Bristol Bay Region Fishery Resources of the Bristol Bay Region Daniel Rinella, PhD. Alaska Natural Heritage Program University of Alaska Anchorage Beatrice McDonald Hall, Suite 106 Anchorage, AK 99508 [email protected] 907.786.4963 Rebecca Shaftel Alaska Natural Heritage Program University of Alaska Anchorage Beatrice McDonald Hall, Suite 106 Anchorage, AK 99508 [email protected] 907.786.4965 Dave Athons Environmental Protection Agency Kenai River Center 514 Funny River Road Soldotna, AK 99669 [email protected] 907.714.2481 November 2013 1 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 ECOLOGY AND LIFE HISTORY OF BRISTOL BAY FISHES .................................................................................. 3 General salmon life history ....................................................................................................................... 3 Species-specific life history and ecology ................................................................................................... 4 Sockeye salmon ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Chinook salmon ..................................................................................................................................... 7 Rainbow trout ....................................................................................................................................... 9 Coho salmon ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Pink salmon ......................................................................................................................................... 12 Chum salmon ...................................................................................................................................... 12 BRISTOL BAY FISHERIES AND FISHERIES MANAGEMENT ............................................................................ 15 Historical perspective on commercial salmon fisheries ......................................................................... 15 Current management of commercial salmon fisheries .......................................................................... 16 Description of sport fisheries .................................................................................................................. 19 Management of sport fisheries ............................................................................................................... 21 Chinook salmon ................................................................................................................................... 21 Sockeye salmon ................................................................................................................................... 21 Rainbow trout ..................................................................................................................................... 22 SALMON ABUNDANCE TRENDS AROUND THE NORTH PACIFIC, WITH REFERENCE TO BRISTOL BAY POPULATIONS ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Sockeye salmon ....................................................................................................................................... 23 Size of Bristol Bay, Kvichak, and Nushagak sockeye salmon returns .................................................. 23 Factors affecting Bristol Bay sockeye salmon abundance .................................................................. 30 The decline in Kvichak River sockeye salmon runs ............................................................................. 31 Chinook salmon ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Threatened and endangered salmon and conservation priorities ......................................................... 37 KEY HABITAT ELEMENTS OF BRISTOL BAY RIVER SYSTEMS (OR WHY DO BRISTOL BAY WATERSHEDS PRODUCE SO MANY FISH?) ......................................................................................................................... 42 Habitat quantity ...................................................................................................................................... 42 Habitat quality......................................................................................................................................... 45 Habitat diversity ...................................................................................................................................... 48 i Tables Table 1. Mean harvest by species and fishing district, 1990-2009. ........................................................... 17 Table 2. Bristol Bay escapement goal ranges for sockeye salmon. ........................................................... 18 Table 3. Bristol Bay escapement goal ranges for Chinook and chum salmon ........................................... 19 Table 4. The number of businesses and guides operating in the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds in 2005, 2008 and 2010 .................................................................................................................................. 20 Table 5. Mean annual returns of sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay, 1956-2010, and percent of total by river system ......................................................................................................................................................... 32 Table 6. Chinook average run sizes for 2000-2009 for rivers across the North Pacific ............................. 34 Table 7. Endangered Species Act listings for salmon ESUs in the United States ....................................... 40 Table 8. Comparison of landscape features potentially important to sockeye salmon production for watersheds across the North Pacific and across the Bristol Bay watershed .............................................. 43 Table 9. A summary of life history variation within the Bristol Bay stock complex of sockeye salmon .... 49 Table 10. Variation in time spent rearing in fresh water and at sea for Bristol Bay sockeye salmon ....... 49 Figures Figure 1. Major river systems and fishing districts in Bristol Bay, Alaska. ................................................... 2 Figure 2. Sockeye salmon distribution in the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds ....................................... 6 Figure 3. Chinook salmon distribution in the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds ....................................... 8 Figure 4. Coho salmon distribution in the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds……………………………………… 10 Figure 5. Pink salmon distribution in the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds…………………………………........12 Figure 6. Chum salmon distribution in the Nushagak and Kvichak watersheds………………………………………13 Figure 7. Relative abundance of wild sockeye salmon stocks in the North Pacific, 1956-2005 ................ 23 Figure 8. Wild sockeye salmon abundances by region in the North Pacific, 1956-2005 ........................... 24 Figure 9. Total sockeye returns by river system in Bristol Bay, 1956-2010 ............................................... 26 Figure 10. Sockeye salmon abundances for major rivers of the North Pacific, 1956-2010 ..................... 298 Figure 11. Chinook salmon abundances by river system, 1966-2010 ..................................................... 365 Figure 12. Map of surveyed anadromous streams in the Nushagak