THA JouErnal Pu blOished byS the SPteelheRad ComEmittee Y International Federation of Fly Fishers

Dedicated to the Preservation of Wild Steelhead • Issue No. 75 MAY 2013 Climate Change and Ocean Ecology of Northwest Steelhead

by Kate Myers and Nate Mantua — University of Washington, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service —

Kate Myers, PhD is retired from the steelhead fishing (Available at: anadromy (some mature in freshwater University of Washington’s School of http://www.ospreysteelhead.org/archiv without migrating to the ocean), adflu - Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. Nate es/TheOspreyIssue50.pdf ). In the vial (within-river) migration, freshwa - Mantua, PhD, is a scientist on the staff eight years since, we and others have ter residency of pre-smolts (1-7 years; of NOAA National Marine Fisheries focused new attention on the ocean smoltification is the physiological tran - Service Southwest Fisheries Science ecology of steelhead, and how global sition stage between freshwater and Center. The Southwest Fisheries warming might impact steelhead at ocean habits, when juveniles become Science Center web site is at: sea. silvery and streamlined), ocean entry www.swfsc.noaa.gov . timing of smolts (early spring to mid summer), pre-spawning ocean age limate plays a key role in That steelhead have structure (typically, 1-3 years), maturi - steelhead habitat. This is ty type (ocean-maturing or stream- true for steelhead in fresh - been successful for 6 maturing), seasonal races and run-tim - water, estuaries, and even ing of adults (winter, spring, summer, in the North Pacific Ocean. million years gives us fall), fecundity (number of eggs, 2,500- MCost steelhead research has focused 10,000), and iteroparity (repeat spawn - on freshwater ecology, for in streams hope they will ing, 0-6 times, sometimes skipping a and rivers steelhead are much more year between spawning events). This accessible than they are at sea. It is be able to adapt. tremendous variation reflects the wide probably not a surprise then, that cli - range of genetic adaptation and plastic mate impacts on steelhead in their Knowledge of the entire life history response (ability of an individual fish freshwater habitats have received a of steelhead is fundamental to under - to modify its physical characteristics) fair bit of attention from scientists. standing the potential effects of cli - to environmental conditions. One of us (NM) co-authored an article mate change on this species. Steelhead These multiple life-history strategies in the January 2005 issue of The exhibit a wide range of variation in enable steelhead to adjust rapidly to Osprey focused on global warming, freshwater and ocean life-history pat - new environmental conditions, provid - steelhead freshwater ecology, and terns. For example, degree of Continued on Page 4

CLIMATE STEELHEAD WILL STEELHEAD DESCHUTES MT ST HELENS SOUTHERN CHANGE & COUNTRY IS SURVIVE CLIMATE SALMON & GOLD MINE CALIFORNIA IN THIS STEELHEAD FINITE CHANGE STEELHEAD THREAT STEELHEAD ISSUE: — PAGE 1 — — PAGE 3 — — PAGE 8 — PAGE 9 — — PAGE 13 — — PAGE 15 — 2 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 FROM THE PERCH — EDITOR’S MESSAGE Surviving Climate Change THE OSPChRair EY by Jim Yuskavitch Will Atlas like to think of this issue of The his supporting article, Steelhead Editor Osprey as one that offers reason Committee member Pete Soverel gives Jim Yuskavitch for hope amidst the usual relent - additional insight, based on his exten - less flow of bad news when it sive personal experience on Russia’s comes to the state of the envi - Kamchatka Peninsula, into the possi - Contributing Editors rIonment, and for wild salmon and bility of steelhead colonization of far Pete Soverel • Bill Redman steelhead in particular. northern rivers. With recent news reports showing On the other end of the spectrum is Stan Young • Norm Ploss that 97 percent of climate scientists the story on efforts to restore southern William Atlas • Schuyler Dunphy not only believe that climate change is California steelhead by Kurt Scott Hagen real and that it is largely fueled by Zimmerman, Tim Frahm and Sam Contributors human activity, its long-term impacts Davidson — populations, though bat - Kate Myers • Nate Mantua on coldwater fish has kept many a wild tered, are still hanging on. Already Will Atlas • Pete Soverel salmon and steelhead advocate up at hard-pressed, these will be the steel - Megan Hill • Jessica Walz Schafer night. head populations that take the brunt of But consider Kate Myers and Nate the effects of climate change. But the Kurt Zimmerman • Tim Frahm Mantua’s cover story on climate authors of this piece mention, as do Sam Davidson change and steelhead, and how the fish Myers and Mantua, the steelhead’s Layout could respond to changing climatic resiliency. Already adapted to the rig - Jim Yuskavitch conditions. Their intriguing hypothesis ors of a warmer climate, perhaps with suggests that steelhead range might a little help from people — restoring Letters To The Editor ultimately expand into far northern habitat, providing coldwater refugia — and Arctic rivers that are now too cold there is enough adaptability left in The Osprey welcomes submissions and unproductive to support them as a those southern fish to survive a and letters to the editor. warming climate makes their waters warmer earth. Submissions may be more hospitable. If that is the case, It may all be wishful thinking on my made electronically or by mail. then it is feasible that as steelhead part or, just perhaps, the future of wild The Osprey range shifts north, they may well find salmon and steelhead may be less enough new habitat to colonize to gloomy than is often predicted. P.O. Box 1228 make up for habitat lost to the south. In Sisters, OR 97759-1228 [email protected] (541) 549-8914 The Osprey is a publication of The International Federation of Fly Fishers and is published three times a year. All Invest in the future of “all fish, all waters,” with a materials are copy protected and require membership in the FFF — a nonprofit permission prior to reprinting or other organization. Your membership helps make us a use. stronger advocate for the sport you love! The International Federation of Fly Fishers is a unique non-profit organiza - Federation of Fly Fishers Your membership tion concerned with sport fishing and 5237 US Hwy 89 South, Suite 11 includes a subscription fisheries to Flyfisher, the Livingston, MT 59047-9176 The Federation of Fly Fishers magazine of FFF. (FFF) supports conservation of all fish in all waters. FFF has a long standing commitment to solving fish - eries problems at the grass roots. By charter and inclination, FFF is orga - nized from the bottom up; each of its 360+ clubs, all over North America and the world, is a unique and self-directed group. The grass roots focus reflects Join by phone 406-222-9369 the reality that most fisheries solutions must come at or at www.fedflyfishers.org THE OSPREY IS PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER USING SOY INK THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAY 2013 3 CHAIR’S CORNER Steelhead Country is Finite

by Will Atlas — Chair, Steelhead Committee —

rom 100,000 feet, steelhead Vancouver, he put words to the feeling once viewed as inexhaustible, are in country has always seemed that had been growing in my gut, “I fact finite. In this rude recognition we so vast, an endless expanse used to assume there were dozens can also draw hope, from the growing of rivers ranging from the more Squamish Rivers on up the coast, and diverse chorus of citizens who northern coast of California but over the years I’ve discovered have rallied around the greatest tFo the Aleutian Peninsula in Alaska. there really is only one. And once you remaining salmon watersheds on While we collectively mourn the rivers lose it, there’s no going back.” Poul’s earth, and from the remarkable lost to dam building, development and words perfectly captured a realization resilience of salmon and steelhead. the rest of the insults brought on by a that had, in the past years of discovery Throughout their evolutionary histo - century long onslaught of development and disappointment, been growing in ry salmon and steelhead have recov - and resource extraction, we always my mind as well. That realization ered from catastrophic landslides, vol - find solace in the fact that somewhere reflects the reality that the world’s canic eruptions, floods and glaciations. out there, there are hundreds of wild, great steelhead and salmon rivers are Free from human meddling, salmon unexplored rivers where all is right in precious and irreplaceable, and when and steelhead have persisted for six the world. For decades, Americans and we have destroyed what is before us, million years in the most dynamic and Europeans have counted on British we truly have nowhere left to go. at times inhospitable habitats imagin - Columbia as their reliably wild, abun - able. This resilience continues to dant angling playground. Yes, we have buffer their populations from even the all heard of the Dean, and the many most devastating human activities, and legendary tributaries of the Skeena, The world’s great in watersheds like the Eel, Wind, but the assumption is always that there Wenatchee, Elwha, and upper must be so much more. Just looking at steelhead and salmon Deschutes, salmon and steelhead have the map, this is an understandable con - demonstrated their remarkable capac - clusion. British Columbia and Alaska rivers are precious ity for recovery, and self preservation. are indeed blessed with vast, wild Despite all the destruction of the past coastlines. and irreplacable. century, the fish continue to do their In 2009, I moved to British Columbia part, undertaking an annual migration with all the enthusiasm one would that remains among the most signifi - expect from a mid-20s American steel - cant ecological and cultural forces in Today, the perils of our cultural short head bum who has suddenly been the Pacific Northwest. Now it’s up to us sightedness are increasingly unavoid - awarded the right to fish in BC as a to do our part to stop the bleeding and able and well understood. One need legal resident. In my mind BC had long do everything we can to ensure not only witness the clearcut wastelands represented a sort of mythical another watershed is sacrificed at the of Vancouver Island or the Oregon Shangri-la of steelhead and salmon altar of greed and shortsightedness. Coast, visit a now fishless river mur - angling. An immensely wild country, dered by toxic mining waste, or con - laced with hundreds of unspoiled steel - sider for a moment the head rivers just waiting to be explored. utterly insane propos - Flash forward four years and 100,000 al to pipe Alberta’s kilometers on the odometer and my toxic heavy crude naively enthusiastic perspective has through the heart of been changed irreparably. the Skeena — our plan - In late March, I sat soaking in the et’s greatest remain - glory of an early spring day angling ing salmon sanctuary with friends, chatting over burgers — to understand that and beers at a favorite local watering rivers lost cannot sim - hole in Squamish. Poul Bech, a retired ply be replaced. We biologist and master steelhead angler, live in a time when we joined us, and in the midst of a reflec - must increasingly tion of the days gone by when the grapple with the reali - Squamish produced world class fishing ty, that resources once less than an hour away from taken for granted, 4 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 Climate Change and Sreelhead Continued from page 1

Figure 1. Average sea surface temperature in April-May-June for 1971-2000, with solid contours indicating steelhead high seas habitat between the 5 and 15°C isotherms. Actual temperatures vary between months, seasons, years and decades. Dashed contours for the 3 and 13°C isotherms indicate one scenario for steelhead high seas habitat in spring after a 2°C warming of the North Pacific Ocean, which is expected to happen sometime in the 2nd half of this century. ing a survival advantage over other ing of steelhead ocean ecology, that is, north of the Subarctic Ocean less adaptable species. The successful the relationship between steelhead and Boundary, defined by the vertical 34.0 adaptation to artificial habitats (hatch - their ocean environment. (salinity) isohaline, and south of the eries, rearing pens, holding ponds, In their natural habitat in the North Aleutian Island chain (Figure 2). reservoirs), as well as its ability to Pacific Ocean, steelhead migrate and However, steelhead do venture outside establish anadromous runs in non- feed in the near-surface (epipelagic) of these bounds seeking productive native oceans (southwestern Atlantic and surface (neustonic) ocean layers. feeding grounds— southwards into the ocean off Patagonia) and in the Great Limited data from electronic tags that transition zone between subarctic and Lakes, bears testimony to the ability of record ambient temperature and subtropical waters in spring and north - this ancient (~6 million years old) swimming depths indicate maximum wards into the Bering Sea in summer. species to adapt to diverse and often dives to depths of about 50 meters (164 The known northwestward extent of unfavorable environmental conditions. ft) and most time spent in the top few North American steelhead distribu - In fact, unfavorable environmental meters. Upper ocean temperature is tion, which extends into the Russian conditions in freshwater and ocean the primary physical factor influenc - Exclusive economic (200-mile) zone in habitats drive anadromy in this ing the distribution of steelhead in the the western North Pacific, is in late species. open ocean. Thus, lines on a map con - summer-early fall. In winter, the dis - While fly fishers are usually well necting points with the same sea sur - tribution of both North American and versed in the freshwater life history of face temperature, called isotherms, Russian steelhead shifts eastward, and their favorite fish, the all-important can be used to roughly approximate by the following spring the main body ocean phase that produces the large distribution. In general, steelhead dis - of feeding-migrating steelhead is at adult fish of a steelheader's dreams is tribution in the open ocean is located the southernmost extent of its open- more of a mystery. There is still much between the 15°C (59°F) isotherm ocean range in productive waters of to discover and learn, but nearly 60 (southern boundary) and 5°C (41°F) the eastward flowing Subarctic years of marine research focused pri - isotherm (northern boundary) (Figure Current and the transition domain marily on abundant species important 1). These boundaries shift between (located just north of the Subarctic to commercial fisheries (sockeye, pink, months, seasons, years, and decades. Boundary) in the central and eastern chum, coho, and Chinook salmon) have During all seasons, the main body of subarctic North Pacific. As first noted provided a basic scientific understand - feeding-migrating steelhead is located Continued on next page THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAYY 2013 5

Figure 2. Map of the North Pacific Ocean showing the relative positions of oceanographic features that define steelhead habitat. The actual spatial locations of these features shift on decadal, annual, seasonal, and monthly scales. The main body of feeding-migrating steelhead is located north of the Subarctic Ocean Boundary (indicated by upward facing black arrows) and south of the Aleutian Islands chain. Source: Modified from base map in Quinn (2005); shading indicates the coastal range of all species of Pacific salmon and steelhead (Oncorhynchus spp.). Continued from previous page groups of steelhead are capable of con - opportunistic predators, steelhead can by a Canadian scientist, Dr. David suming a large variety of prey species readily switch their prey. When prey Welch, the open-ocean latitudinal in marine habitats. But food habits abundance is low, steelhead may feed ranges of upper and lower sea surface data indicate that steelhead prefer to non-selectively on prey of various temperature limits in spring and fresh - feed on relatively few species of high - sizes and species, while at high prey water spawning distribution of North ly visible and abundant fish and squid. densities selection of a single species American steelhead are roughly The single most important prey of of large prey and high diet overlap matched, suggesting that thermal steelhead in the open ocean is the min - with other species may occur. requirements of steelhead at ocean imal armhook squid Berryteuthis Research led by a Japanese scientist, entry might drive freshwater distribu - anonychus (Figure 3). While in pelagic Dr. Masahide Kaeriyama, and expand - tion. habitats near or over the continental ed by Megan Atcheson's recent work, Within the broad range of thermal shelf, steelhead diets are often domi - demonstrates that climate-driven habitats, currents, and oceanic nated by fish. changes in ocean conditions can affect domains occupied by steelhead, the Analyses of two long time series of diets, growth, and ecological interac - most important factor regulating steel - open-ocean steelhead food habits data tions of steelhead migrating in the head distribution is the location of by our graduate student Margaret North Pacific Ocean. For example, their preferred prey. At ocean "Megan" Atcheson showed significant strong climate changes related to El entrance, juvenile steelhead feed pri - year-to-year variation in primary prey, Niño and La Niña during 1997-1999 marily on small fish and zooplankton in as well as stomach fullness, average coincided with a large decrease in inland and coastal marine habitats. In prey energy density, and percentage of squid in the summer diets of steelhead North America, juveniles migrate steelhead with empty stomachs, and in the Gulf of Alaska. The decrease in rapidly to open-ocean habitats beyond higher year-to-year variation in far dietary squid was even larger in the the continental shelf in the Gulf of offshore regions. Variability in steel - central Subarctic North Pacific, where Alaska, where they feed on larval and head diets probably reflects changes in steelhead compete for food with pink juvenile fish and small squid. Older age the availability of preferred prey. As Continued on next page 6 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75

Continued from previous page open-ocean thermal habit of steelhead or reduced only slightly (1%–2%), salmon, particularly during odd-num - in summer under 3 different scenarios which was less than typical year to bered years when the abundance of representing relatively low, medium, year variations in 1980s potential habi - Asian pink salmon is extremely high. and higher rates of climate warming. tat caused by short term climate In 1997 steelhead diets in the central Each warming scenario results in a changes. In Figure 1 we show the 3° Subarctic North Pacific contained the northward shift and east–west contrac - and 13°C isotherms to illustrate how a highest proportion of marine debris, tion in the southern (warmest) thermal 2°C warming in the North Pacific, including potentially toxic plastic, boundary, particularly in the Subarctic which is expected to happen in the mid observed over the 19-year time series North Pacific, Okhotsk Sea, and Gulf of to late 21st century, could shift spring - of data. Recent decades have brought Alaska by the 2040s and substantial time open ocean thermal habitat for record high levels of pink salmon reductions in these regions by the steelhead to the north. In summary, a abundance throughout most of the 2080s. In the 1980s, estimated poten - warming climate may result in a north - North Pacific region, supporting the tial thermal habitat of steelhead dur - ward shift in steelhead distribution. As idea that late 20th century warming of ing winter covered an east–west band, temperatures warm in the Bering Sea, the North Pacific Ocean and salmon including most of the Gulf of Alaska conditions may be more favorable for rivers of the Pacific Rim was good for and Subarctic North Pacific; however, steelhead in eastern Kamchatka and pink salmon. the Okhotsk Sea, Bering Sea, and western Alaska streams, regions that Arctic Ocean did not provide any currently host only resident rainbow Global warming and changes in the potential thermal habitat suitable for trout. high seas distribution of steelhead steelhead during winter. Modeled Due to bioenergetic constraints, changes in potential winter thermal warming ocean temperatures may habitat by the 2040s and 2080s showed have a greater impact on older age Pioneering research by Dr. David a northward shift of the northern groups of steelhead. For example, Welch predicted a substantial reduc - (coldest) boundary in most of the bioenergetic model simulations by tion in open ocean thermal habitats of Bering Sea and Okhotsk Sea; however, Megan Atcheson used to estimate steelhead by middle of the 21st centu - these habitat gains were almost com - tradeoffs between metabolic demands ry under a climate change scenario pletely offset by almost equal losses and growth potential indicate that opti - with doubled atmospheric CO2 concen - due to the northward shift of the south - mal temperatures for growth in the trations. New analyses by our Post- ern (warmest) boundary. Thus, the open ocean are 14°C (57.2°F) for juve - Doctoral student, Dr. Omar Abdul- total area of potential winter habitat in nile (ocean age-0) steelhead and 12°C Aziz, modeled reductions in potential future periods was similar to the past Continued on next page

As the worldwide climate warms, so do the world’s oceans. For now, we can only speculate on what the long-term impacts might be for steelhead, salmon and other ocean life. Photo by Jim Yuskavitch. THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAY 2013 7

Continued from previous page and perhaps in freshwater. more disturbing is the fact that the (53.6°F) for older (ocean age-1) steel - Ocean acidification, sometimes called ongoing rise in atmospheric and ocean - head. However, observed distribution global warming’s evil twin, is a related ic CO2 has been compressed into a of juvenile steelhead in the Gulf of threat that may cause dramatic blink of geologic time, with no signs of Alaska at less than optimal tempera - changes in steelhead habitat at sea. slowing down. The bottom line is that tures for growth suggests that when Ocean acidification is likely to have a the North Pacific Ocean is crucial habi - temperatures are within the range of large impact on open ocean food webs, tat for steelhead, and climate change thermal tolerance, other factors may particularly in regions where epipelag - and acidification threats to habitat in play an important role in open-ocean ic squid are the preferred prey of the ocean may become as great as distribution of steelhead. steelhead. Squid are very sensitive to those in our most imperiled streams. Source material and additional reading:

u Abdul-Aziz, O. I., N. J. Mantua, and K. W. Myers. 2011. Potential climate change impacts on thermal habitats of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in the North Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 68:1660-1680. u Atcheson, M. E., K. W. Myers, D. A. Beauchamp, and N. J. Mantua. 2012a. Bioenergetic response by steelhead to variation in diet, thermal habitat, and climate in the North Pacific Ocean. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 141:1081-1096. u Atcheson, M. E., K. W. Myers, N. D. Davis, and N. J. Mantua. 2012b. Potential trophodynamic and environ - mental drivers of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) productivity in the North Pacific Ocean. Fisheries Oceanography 21:321-335. u Fabry, V. J., Seibel, B. A., Feely, R. A., and Orr, J. C. 2008. Impacts of The stomach of this high seas hatchery-origin steelheaded included a minimal ocean acidification on marine fauna armhook squid and juvenile rockfish. Photo by R.V. Walker and ecosystem processes. ICES Journal of Marine Science 65:414–432. u Kaeriyama, M., M. Nakamura, R. In the 1990s and 2000s, summer sea acidic (low pH) conditions, which Edpalina, J. R. Bower, H. Yamaguchi, surface temperatures (SSTs) did not interfere with oxygen binding at the R. V. Walker, and K. W. Myers. 2004. reach optimal temperatures for open- gills, reducing oxygen consumption Change in feeding ecology and trophic ocean steelhead growth except during and scope for activity. This is an dynamics of Pacific salmon the El Niño summer of 1997. Modeled extremely important area for future (Oncorhynchus spp.) in the central growth potential of steelhead under open-ocean research on steelhead, Gulf of Alaska in relation to climate future SST scenarios showed reduced squid, and ocean food webs more gen - events. Fisheries Oceanography growth as temperatures warm beyond erally. 13:197-2004. the optimum growth temperature for a On one hand, the fact that steelhead u Quinn, T. P. 2005. The Behavior and given feeding rate and body mass of have been a successful species for 6 Ecology of Pacific Salmon and Trout. steelhead. The combined reduction in million years should give us hope that University of Washington Press, physiological maximum feeding rate they will be able to adapt to the many Seattle, WA. and increasing metabolic costs pre - environmental changes related to glob - u Welch, D. W., Y. Ishida, K. Nagasawa, vent any potential increases in steel - al warming predicted for the near and and J. P. Eveson. 1998. Thermal limits head feeding rate or energetic prey distant future. On the other hand, on the ocean distribution of steelhead quality from sustaining historical recent CO2 measurements have docu - trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). North growth rates. The resulting growth mented atmospheric concentrations Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission decline might become a strong selec - exceeding 400 parts per million, some - Bulletin 1:396-404. Available: tive force in shifting the geographic thing that is estimated to have not hap - www.npafc.org/new/pub_bulletin.html/ distribution of steelhead in the ocean pened for at least 3 million years. Even (July 2012). 8 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 Will Climate Change Adversely Impact Steelhead?

By Pete Soverel — The Osprey Editorial Committee —

Author Pete Soverel is a member of and rivers in eastern Kamchatka, fish rather than “runs” which, never - The Osprey editorial committee, Chukotka, NW Alaska, as well as US, theless imply that anadromy is inher - founder of The Wild Salmon Center and Canadian and Russian Arctic systems ent in the species. With favorable President of The Conservation Angler. will open to colonization by O. mykiss . oceanic conditions, it is reasonable to He is a long-time steelhead angler and These systems provide pristine and suppose that O. mykiss will respond wild fish advocate. largely uninhabited habitat that, in the - with increased levels of anadromy. ory, should be capable of dramatic Simultaneously, it seems that coloniza - onventional wisdom says increases in total smolt production tion of more northern rivers is highly that global warming/cli - which will be able to benefit from the likely, especially since most of those mate change is, or will, under exploited marine prey base. rivers, especially those in eastern impact adversely on crea - O. mykiss are highly plastic and Kamchatka, Chukotka and the eastern tures we care about includ - extremely adaptable with existing pop - Arctic are uninhabited and their iCng steelhead. Is this necessarily so? ulations from LA to Shantar Island off upland resources, at least presently, Based upon various models, as the mouth of the Amur. The range of unexploited. described by Kate Myers and Nate environmental conditions that support In other words, steelhead are very Mantua elsewhere in this issue of The O. mykiss populations across their dis - likely to be moving to more friendly Osprey , the total area of the oceanic tribution is unmatched by other environs — ones much more able to range of steelhead will change little in salmonids. We know that this ancient produce many more smolts than the forecasted warming climate, at least species has lived through and thrived degraded systems in the current over the remainder of this century. It in spite of numerous ice ages and range. I see steelhead trading up: seems to me that Onchorynchus thaws, Lake Missoula floods, volcanic mykiss may well respond positively to eruptions and so on. In each instance, • the Ventura River (population per - the predicted conditions. the species quickly reclaimed favor - haps 50-100) for say Kamchatka’s Throughout much of the present able habitat. Even in alien locations Snotalvayam (population 7,000-9,000); range of steelhead, their overall abun - such as the southeast coast of • Carmel River (population perhaps a dance is far below historic levels most - Argentina, Sweden’s Baltic coast, even few hundred) for the Utkholok River ly. In the lower 48, steelhead are prob - the north coast of Kola, O. mykiss have (population 15,000-18,000) ably less than 1% of their historic or are colonizing their new environ - abundance. Gone forever, or at least ments. All of this suggests that south - • The hundreds of rivers and streams irretrievably damaged, are huge ern populations will adjust their life in North America where steelhead are swaths of their range – San Joaquin histories to their new circumstances permanently extinct for the thousands (1,000,000); Sacramento (1,000,000); while in northern areas O. mykiss will of Western Pacific, Bering Sea and Klamath (750,000); Columbia/Snake (at do what they have done repeated over Arctic systems with their cold water, least 2-3,000,000); Puget Sound the last 5,000 millennia – colonize habi - pristine habitat and abundant ocean (800,000) and so on. I think it is reason - tat that suits any of the life histories forage. able to posit that these freshwater sys - inherent within the species. In north - This doesn’t sound too bad to me. So tems are not likely to be restored to ern Pacific and Arctic, pink and chum what can we do to help this process? I their former levels of productivity in salmon and Dolly Varden trout are suggest we stay out of the way and let the near or even far distant future. rapidly colonizing the Asian and steelhead do what they have been This means that the freshwater habitat American Arctic, followed by Chinook doing for the past 5-7 million years – within current range of O. mykiss will and coho. It seems to me that steelhead that is respond rapidly to climate never again produce sufficient smolts are likely to be close behind. change, taking advantage of their to fully utilize the oceanic prey base. Currently, O. mykiss are abundant in inherent life history diversity expand Global warming will not only shift eastern Kamchatkan streams from the their fresh and marine range to encom - the oceanic habitat northward (without southern tip of the Peninsula up to the pass all habitat suitable to one or more significantly diminishing it), it will also Ozernaya River (just north of the of the many life histories. In short, create freshwater habitat favorable to Kamchatka River). Based upon my don’t try to help things along with the species. Currently O. mykiss are personal experience and discussions hatcheries, which suppress the very distributed around the Pacific Rim to with local commercial fishermen, characteristics necessary for the about 59 degrees North latitude. As the these rivers currently produce small species’ success. climate warms, thousands of streams numbers of steelhead – i.e. individual THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAY 2013 9 Restoring Salmon and Steelhead to Oregon’s Upper Deschutes Basin

By Megan Hill — Portland General Electric —

Author Megan Hill is Native Fish Studies Team Leader for Portland General Electric. Her team conducts research to evaluate the reintroduction and fish passage program in the upper Deschutes basin, which is a require - ment of the FERC license to operate the dams. The studies aim to provide PGE and the fish managers with useful information to improve the fish reintro - duction and passage programs. For more information about the pro - ject visit www.deschutespassage.com .

n September 14, 2012 the first adult steelhead was passed above Round Butte Dam on the Deschutes River in over 40 years. TOhe steelhead was one of the thou - sands of hatchery fry that were out - planted into the Deschutes and Lake Billy Chinook is formed by Round Butte Dam constructed at the confluence of Crooked rivers and tributaries since the Deschutes, Crooked and Metolius rivers. The Selective Water Withrawal facility 2007. The story of this steelhead is visible on the left. Photo by Jim Yuskavitch began in 2005 when Portland General Electric (PGE) and the Confederated of Central Oregon. Originating in Lava A three-dam project, The Pelton Tribes of the Warm Springs Lake in the Cascade Mountains and Round Butte project is located six Reservation of Oregon (CTWS) joined by the Metolius and Crooked miles west of Madras, Oregon. Built received a new FERC operating Rivers, it drops 4,589 feet on its 252- between 1957 and 1964, Pelton Round license for their three-dam project on Butte is the largest hydroelectric pro - the Deschutes. Among many other ject located entirely in Oregon. It gen - requirements, the new license Ultimately, the project erates 1.5 billion kWh per year, enough required PGE and CTWS to build fish to power a city the size of Salem. passage facilities and begin reintro - seeks to restore self- The lowermost dam is the re-regulat - ducing Chinook, steelhead and sockeye ing dam. It is used to steady down - upstream of the Project. Ultimately, sustaining populations stream river flows even when the the project seeks to restore self-sus - upstream dams discharge variable taining and harvestable populations of of summer steelhead, flows to meet peak power demands. native summer steelhead, spring Pelton, the middle dam, forms Lake Chinook salmon and sockeye salmon in spring Chinook and Simtustus, a popular recreation loca - the Deschutes River and its tributaries tion. The uppermost dam in the system upstream from the Pelton Round Butte sockeye salmon. is Round Butte, which forms Lake Project, and to reconnect native resi - Billy Chinook, a 4,000-acre reservoir. dent fish populations including bull Lake Billy Chinook is unique because it trout that are currently fragmented by mile journey to the Columbia River. is created by the confluence of three the Pelton Round Butte Project. The Deschutes is important habitat for rivers. As a consequence it has three Chinook salmon, steelhead, redband arms: the Deschutes (9 miles long), the Project Overview trout (rainbow trout), Pacific lamprey, Crooked (7 miles long) and the and bull trout, providing a fish harvest Metolius (13 miles long). The Deschutes River is the lifeblood for CTWS and a significant resource for recreation and tourism. Continued on next page 10 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 Continued from previous page

The three rivers upstream of Round Butte dam provide diverse habitat for reintroduced steelhead, Chinook and sockeye. Big Falls, on the Deschutes at river mile 132 near Redmond, is the upstream barrier to anadromous fish. Historically, the Deschutes was home to steelhead and Chinook. Whychus Creek, a tributary to the Deschutes just upstream from the reservoir, con - tains an additional 39 miles of historic steelhead habitat. The lower stream reaches may also support Chinook. The Crooked River, downstream of Bowman dam, offers 43 stream miles to anadromous fish. In addition, McKay and Ochoco creeks provide 35 miles of habitat for steelhead and Chinook. The Metolius River origi - nates from a spring at the base of Black Butte, flowing north 27 miles to Lake Billy Chinook. Because the Metolius River is a spring-fed system, Since 2007, more than 600,000 steelhead fry and 500,000 spring Chinook salmon have it is a relatively cool and stable. Suttle been released into mainstem and tributary streams above the Pelton-Round Butte Lake, which feeds into the Metolius Hydroelectic Project. Photo by Jim Yuskavitch River via Lake Creek, was the histori - cal origin of Lake Billy Chinook’s koka - nee population. In a sum, the fish pas - sage program at Pelton Round Butte re-opens over 250 miles of stream to anadromous fish.

The History

The dams were originally constructed with both upstream and downstream fish passage facilities. However, once the dams were built, unforeseen changes in the river currents and water temperature led to confusing surface currents in Lake Billy Chinook, and salmon and steelhead smolts did not find the fish collector at Round Butte dam. Water from the Metolius, being cold - er than the other two rivers, sank to the bottom of Lake Billy Chinook. The turbine intake was located at 270 feet below the water surface, and, as a con - sequence, the cold Metolius water was A Chinook salmon smolt captured at the collection facility at Round Butte Dam will passed downstream during generation. be trucked downstream and released below the dams to continue its journey to the To fill in the gap, much of the warmer sea. Photo by Jim Yuskavitch water of the Crooked River and the upper Deschutes flowed over the top of current. Smolts following the river 1968. Round Butte Fish Hatchery was the colder water and back up the currents did not find the downstream built below the dams to maintain the Metolius. The water that did flow down fish passage entrance. fish population in the lower Deschutes. toward the dam, where the down - Due to the failure of the downstream Annually, 160,000 steelhead and stream fish passage was located, ended fish collector to attract fish, the fish 240,000 Chinook smolts are released up swirling in eddies with no distinct passage program was abandoned in Continued on next page THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAY 2013 11 Continued from previous page Beginning in December 2009, down - The Research stream migrating fish began entering into the lower river as mitigation for the facility through two 40-foot tall by The federal license to operate the the loss of upper basin production. 45 feet wide entrances to V-screens, Pelton Round Butte Project requires The majority of sockeye converted to a each capable of drawing 3,000 CFS of PGE and CTWS to conduct many test kokanee life history, rearing in Lake water. Primary, secondary, and ter - and verification studies to study the Billy Chinook and spawning in the tiary screens reduce up to 6,000 cfs of efficacy of the reintroduction and fish Metolius River. flow down to 12 cfs. This 12 cfs deliv - passage program. In one study, we are ers the fish to holding raceways. measuring the percentage of steelhead The Solution During transit, smolts pass through a and Chinook to successfully migrate PIT tag array before arrival in a small After several years of planning, PGE downstream to the collector; we are or medium fish raceway. At this point and CTWS settled on a solution to also studying their migratory routes PGE staff can collect biological infor - restore downstream fish passage: a and travel time through Lake Billy mation on the fish such as length, rebuilt dam intake with an underwater Chinook. To do this we implant PIT weight, and tag IDs. Each fish is then tower and fish collection facility just and radio/acoustic tags in a sample of given a right maxillary clip. This clip upstream from Round Butte dam. The Chinook and steelhead captured at identifies that the fish reared in the Selective Water Withdrawal (SSW) tributary screwtraps. The PIT tags upper Deschutes basin. Initially, only tower and associated fish passage allow us to tag a statistically signifi - adult returns with maxillary-only facilities allow PGE to withdraw water cant sample of fish to measure sur - marks, identifying them as upper from both the surface and bottom of vival. The radio/acoustic tags allow us Deschutes basin fish, are to be passed Lake Billy Chinook. During the spring to track their movement. During the above Round Butte dam as adults. when salmon and steelhead smolts past 3 years, we have found that Within 24 hours, the fish are loaded migrate downstream, the warmer sur - between 20.6% and 64.5% of PIT- onto a truck. Smolts captured and face water is withdrawn to modify the tagged Chinook and 11.2 and 31.1% of marked are then transported 15 miles reservoir currents and water tempera - PIT-tagged steelhead are collected at downstream around Pelton and the tures and attract fish into the collection Round Butte Fish Capture Facility. Regulating dams and released into the facility. In the summer months a blend The proportion of fish collected lower Deschutes to continue their of warm surface water and cooler bot - appears to vary with river arm and migration to the ocean. Since it tom water is withdrawn to manage the stream flow. In all three years, the became operable in December of 2009, temperature of the Deschutes River Chinook from the Metolius River have the SWW has allowed PGE to transport downstream to about what it would be lower survival than the Chinook origi - 274,194 sockeye, 98,068 Chinook and if the dams were not present. Both the nating in the Crooked River system. 25,867 steelhead into the lower river. surface and bottom withdrawals are We have also observed that a higher Survival through the facility exceeded 100% screened to protect fish. percentage of Chinook and steelhead 96% during all three years of opera - Because Chinook and steelhead had tion. been extirpated from the upper basin Continued on next page since 1968, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and CTWS began a reintroduction effort in 2007. ODFW and CTWS began outplanting hatchery Chinook and steelhead fry from Round Butte hatchery into the upper basin tributaries. This annual effort, involv - ing many volunteers, seeks to put between 325,000 and 430,000 Chinook fry and 574,000 and 994,000 steelhead fry into the upper basin tributaries. These fish then rear for 1-2 years before migrating downstream to the collector. The plan for steelhead and Chinook is to reduce and eventually eliminate fry releases as adults return to spawn naturally. The strategy for the establishment of a sockeye run is very different. Rather than stock hatchery fish, the plan is to convert a portion of the existing wild kokanee population back to anadromy, so that both the anadramous (sockeye) and Upstream migrating Chinook salmon and steelhead are captured at a fish trap below adfluvial (kokanee) life histories are the dams, and hatchery fish are separated from upper basin origin fish which will be maintained in the Deschutes basin. trucked and released above the dams. Photo by Jim Yuskavitch 12 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75

Continued from previous page mately half with radio tags. These data, 7 sockeye were spotted during tags allowed us to track the adults to redd surveys. Steelhead begin return - reach the collector during springs with the spawning grounds. Total returning ing to the Pelton trap in August and relatively high river flows. Our radio adults to date are 50 Chinook, 86 sock - continued to return into April. To-date data indicates that many Chinook and eye and 130 steelhead. The 2012 we have radio-tagged 34 steelhead. steelhead are “wanderers.” For exam - Chinook and sockeye runs are com - The majority of the steelhead were ple, many steelhead move quickly plete, while the steelhead run is ongo - located in the Crooked River. Four down the Crooked River; however, ing. Of these, 25 Chinook, 86 sockeye have been detected in the upper when they reach Lake Billy Chinook and 70 steelhead were passed Crooked River near Prineville, one has they slow down significantly and make been detected in McKay Creek. excursions up the Deschutes or Two of the steelhead entered the Metolius reservoir arms before Deschutes River, and possibly entering the forebay and/or col - Whychus Creek. We continue to lector. Because of this wander - track steelhead in the upper ing behavior and relatively long basin. forebay residence times, in This year has been busy and 2012, we began an acoustic exciting in the Deschutes basin. study to better understand This spring, we are continuing to these fishes’ behavior in the work on our juvenile studies. immediate vicinity of the collec - One change for 2013 is that we tor. are looking more closely at fish We are also investigating the behavior in the vicinity of the potential issues that smolts face collector. We positioned a 3- during their trip through Lake dimensional acoustic array in the Billy Chinook including: preda - forebay to monitor Chinook and tion, disease and harvest. Bull steelhead response to the collec - trout, northern pikeminnow and tor and hopefully identify smallmouth bass are all identi - options to increase collection fied as potential predators. efficiency. In addition, we will Currently, we are conducting tag bull trout with acoustic tags three years of a bull trout study, in the forebay. This will help us which will be followed up by a determine if bull trout are resid - second year of smallmouth bass ing in the vicinity of the collector study. Bull trout are collected and preying on smolts or inhibit - during the spring and fall, and ing their entrance. In addition, their stomach contents are non- bull trout diet samples continue lethally sampled by gastric to be collected throughout Lake lavage. The stomach contents A volunteer plants native vegetation along Whychus Billy Chinook to monitor their then are identified in the labora - Creek, an important historical spawning stream for potential impact on the Chinook, tory by the use of diagnostic salmon and steelhead. Habitat improvement is an inte - steelhead and sockeye popula - bones. During the past two gral part of the restoration project. Photo by Jim tions. And we look forward to years of study, the bull trout Yuskavitch the second year of returning diet has consisted primarily of Chinook and sockeye this sum - kokanee/sockeye and inverte - upstream. Last summer we radio- mer. In 2013, all returning brates. No identifiable steelhead have tagged 14 Chinook and 34 sockeye. adults will be passed upstream, and we been found in the stomachs, and a very Thirteen of the Chinook headed up the will radio-tag a higher percentage of few juvenile Chinook have been identi - Metolius River arm of Lake Billy fish. The first Chinook returned this fied. Northern pikeminnow are not Chinook, one was detected in the April. Because it had a PIT-tag we very numerous in Lake Billy Chinook Deschutes River near the confluence know that it was a 3-salt Chinook; it and do not appear to be a major threat with Whychus Creek. An additional, had been PIT-tagged as a smolt at our to smolts. three Chinook (without radio tags) Metolius screwtrap in 2010. Another With the passage of adult Chinook, were reported in the Crooked River. noteworthy milestone this year will be sockeye and steelhead starting in sum - One radio-tagged Chinook was detect - the second round of Pelton Habitat mer 2012 our adult migration study ed upstream of Prineville in the Fund grants. Approximately $6 mil - began. Of the returning Chinook and Crooked River. All of the radio-tagged lion will be available for agencies and steelhead, half were passed upstream sockeye headed up the Metolius arm of non-profits to complete habitat to spawn naturally and half were taken Lake Billy Chinook. Six fish were improvement projects to benefit rein - to ODFW’s Round Butte Hatchery to detected in the Metolius River, the troduced salmon and steelhead in the provide brood for next year’s upper uppermost sockeye was located near Deschutes basin. basin fry releases. Of the adults the Camp Sherman store (river mile passed upstream, we tagged approxi - 39). In addition to radio-tag tracking THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAY 2013 13 One Crater, Not Two Proposed exploratory drilling threatens Mt. St. Helens area

By Jessica Walz Schafer — Gifford Pinchot Task Force —

Jessica Walz Schafer is Conservation from continuing to seek opportunities and the USFS into taking a deeper look Director for the Portland, Oregon- in the future. at this project and conducting an based Gifford Pinchot Task Force. Visit At that time General Moly opted to Environmental Assessment. During their webbsite at: not pursue the mineral lease further this time, GPTF gathered a coalition of www.gptaskforce.org and GPTF celebrated this success. 15 conservation groups and submitted However, that celebratory mood was detailed comments on the project. Our rospecting and mining in the short lived, because in 2010 a Canadian members and supporters rallied and West has seen a resurgence company, Ascot Resources Inc, in the sent the BLM and FS approximately with gold prices sky rocket - midst of the sky rocketing gold prices, 5,500 comments expressing deep oppo - ing and investors scram - sought an option for General Moly’s sition. On December 20, 2012, despite bling to be in on the next big interest in this land and began the our work, the BLM and FS issued per - fiPnd. There is no place immune to this most recent project to dig. mits to allow limited exploratory threat, including the iconic Mount St. drilling to continue. Although this is a Helens. After several failed attempts setback, we continue to fight for this in the past few years to secure a min - Exploratory drilling landscape and the clean waters that ing lease to an area 12 miles from the flow through this valley. Just recently crater of Mount St. Helens, a Canadian poses a major threat to GPTF filed a complaint against the company, Ascot Resources Inc., took BLM and USFS opposing this project the gamble and is seeking the right to the clean waters of for the environmental effects it will conduct exploratory drilling less than have on the public’s land and water. a mile from the clean waters of the the Green River The exploratory drilling proposed by Green River, historic Ryan Lake, the Ascot is an exploratory drill project Green River Horse Camp, and 12 miles and its wild intended to pull rock cores for analysis from the Mount St. Helens volcanic of minerals. The project proposes to crater itself. salmon and steelhead. include a total of 63 rock core holes This is not the first time this area has from 23 drill pads. The drills will oper - been threatened by a mine. In March ate 24 hours a day 7 days a week, cre - of 2005 Idaho General Mines, Inc. (now In 2010, the United States Forest ating both noise and light interference known as General Moly, Inc.) submit - Service (USFS) permitted Ascot’s for birds and wildlife in the area. ted a Hardrock Mineral Lease exploratory drilling project without Previously decommissioned roads will Application for minerals (gold, copper undergoing an Environmental be reopened to allow the drill rigs to and molybdenum) located within the Assessment (EA) process, which pass, and up to 5,000 gallons of water a same deposit. IGMI acquired a 50% blocked the access of the public to day (potentially more) will be used interest in the deposit in 2004, and was comment on this project. Ascot, a for - along with chemicals to lubricate the seeking a lease to begin mining in the eign owned company, was allowed to drill rigs. The total overall area affect - area based on that interest. At that drill a dozen holes in this area, reopen ed is not large, but the potential effects time, spokespeople for IGMI stated roads closed in by regrowth, block to the environment are great. that the only economically feasible public access to our public national Exploratory drilling, even in a limit - mine in this location would need to be forest land, and pump water without ed capacity, poses a major threat to the close to 3,000 acres. undergoing a public environmental clean waters of the Green River. The In April of 2008, after 3 years of orga - review of the project. When Ascot area proposed for drilling is a highly nizing by the Gifford Pinchot Task Resource sought to conduct more reactive environment with approxi - Force (GPTF) and over 33,000 public drilling in 2011, the GPTF filed suit in mately 22 seismic episodes a month comments, a majority of which were in federal district court to oppose drilling due to the volcanic nature of the opposition to this mine lease, the BLM in this landscape without undergoing region. The Environmental released a "no decision" on the IGMI an environmental review. Upon our fil - Assessment that looked at this project application based on the public inter - ing the USFS rescinded the original failed to address many relevant fac - est criteria, effectively ending IGMI’s permit and the project went under an tors associated with the Green River bid to begin mining. Unfortunately, EA review. and the clean water that it provides for the BLM’s decision for this lease appli - In 2011, the Gifford Pinchot Task downstream users as well as valuable cation did not stop mining interests Force was successful in forcing the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Continued on next page 14 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75

Continued from previous page drilling will use a large amount of mental non-profits helping to protect water, approximately 5,000 gallons per this landscape and oppose drilling and fish stock. day, from an aquifer less than ½ mile mining near Mount St. Helens. GPTF The Green River starts its journey in from the Green River. The reduction in just recently filed a complaint in feder - the valley and flows downstream to the flow due to this water withdrawal may al court to stop the current process Toutle River, bringing with it cold, cause an increase in water tempera - because of the inadequate EA that clean water that is home to a vast tures, which could greatly affect the failed to take a hard look at all issues, array of fish and aquatic insects and current fish habitat. The drilling including gathering baseline data on providing drinking water for down - could also cause increased run-off into the true effects of drilling on the stream communities. The Green River the river from road use and potentially watershed. We remain committed to has a healthy population of cutthroat lead to contamination with chemicals fight this drilling threat through all and non-native brook trout, as well as not properly contained in the sumps. means necessary and to monitor the several species of aquatic insects, Increased sediment and chemicals in project should it move forward to including mayflies, caddis, stoneflies, watersheds can have severe effects on ensure our clean waters are untainted and midges, and contains important the aquatic habitat and spawning areas by drilling and mining waste, our current and potential habitat to candi - needed for fish survival. Chemicals to recreational opportunities are not cur - date and listed winter steelhead, fall be used during the drilling process and tailed by foreign investors, and our Chinook and coho. It has also been des - potentially produced during the public lands remain open to us all. ignated by the Washington process including acid mine drainage Please join us in protecting our wild Department of Fish and Wildlife as a can, in large quantities, be lethal to fish places. “Wild Stock Gene Bank” for salmonoid populations. If not properly contained species. Sediment and chemicals from in the sumps or due to extreme weath - the exploratory drilling have the abili - er, chemicals can run off into the ty to affect approximately 2.4 miles of streams, contaminating the river’s Morrison Mine cutthroat and steelhead habitat. habitat and the water that flows down - Exploratory drilling, even in a limited stream to Washington communities. Rejected capacity, would cause tremendous The Gifford Pinchot Task Force has a damage to this system. long history of working to protect and In a landmark decision last fall, Two major concerns from this conserve our special places in the British Columbia's Liberal govern - exploratory drilling project for aquat - Pacific Northwest. Over the last few ment denied an environmental cer - ic species in this area are: (1) the years, the GPTF has continued to tificate to Pacific Booker Minerals impacts that road building and drilling oppose this project to protect the pub - for a proposed mine in the Morrison will have on sediment loading in lic’s valuable resources. We have filed Lake in the headwaters of the rivers, streams, and other water bod - lawsuits to force the EA process, Babine watershed. The Babine is the ies close to the proximity of the worked to inform the public about the largest single producer of sockeye drilling site and groundwater usage issue, gathered over 5,500 comments in British Columbia and sustains the for drilling needs that could affect the in opposition to drilling in this location, majority of the commercial and water table in this area; and (2) the and organized a coalition of environ - indigenous fisheries in the region. A new open pit mining project would have spelled disaster for the Babine Lake ecosystem and the Skeena more generally, prompting even the pro-mining liberal government to conclude the risks far outweighed the benefits. Now in what is among the most outrageous, and obnoxious developments yet, the company has opted to sue the province over their decision on the project. This repre - sents a troubling theme in Canadian resource development, with decision making power increasingly being taken away from local governments, and consolidated in the hands of the companies which profit from envi - ronmentally destructive resource extraction. Will Atlas and Ken Rabnett cov - ered the Morrison Mine controversy The Green River’s clean water, along with its populations of salmon and steelhead, in the September 2012 issue of The are at risk from proposed exploratory drilling near Mount St. Helens. Photo courtesy Osprey . Gifford Pinchot Task Force THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAY 2013 15 Recovering California Steelhead South of Santa Cruz

By Kurt Zimmerman, Tim Frahm and Sam Davidson — California Trout, Trout Unlimited — Kurt Zimmerman is Southern Steelhead genetics evince unique documents, intended to help achieve California Regional Manager for characteristics region-by-region (and recovery goals by describing strate - California Trout. Tim Frahm and Sam even watershed-by-watershed), as the gies and recommended actions likely Davidson are California Central Coast fish adapted to the particular condi - required to restore viable wild popula - Steelhead Coordinator and California tions and climate factors of coastal tions. Communications Manager for Trout streams from the Baja Peninsula to In early 2012, after years of public Unlimited. Visit their web sites at: Alaska. Today, steelhead south of San and agency input, NMFS released the www.caltrout.org Mateo County in California are catego - Final Southern California Recovery www.tucalifornia.org rized by the National Marine Fisheries Plan for the SCC steelhead. Later that Service (NMFS) into two “Distinct year, the agency released for public any anglers consider Population Segments” (DPS): the comment a Review Draft of the the steelhead trout (O. “South Central California Coastal” Recovery Plan for the South Central mykiss) the “perfect Coastal steelhead. These two Recovery fish.” Steelhead are Plans identify area-wide threats as widely revered for well as threats specific to particular tMheir power and grace in the water, and watersheds. Common threats are the Steelhead have for the high challenge of actually three “Ds”: Dams, Diversions and catching one. Sport fishing for steel - declined across much Diminished Aquatic and Riparian head is a major contributor to many Habitats. According to NMFS, success - local economies along the California of their range along ful implementation of actions leading coast. to recovery “depends on the voluntary Steelhead are rainbow trout exhibit - the West Coast, but cooperation of multiple stakehold - ing an anadromous (i.e., migrating to ers…at the local, regional, state, and and from the ocean) life history. they are a remarkably national levels.” Unlike salmon, however, steelhead do not perish after the first spawning sea - resilient fish. The South-Central California son, and may complete the cycle of Coastal DPS anadromy multiple times. Steelhead populations have declined Steelhead that populate central (SCCC) DPS and the “Southern precipitously across much of their California streams from the Pajaro California Coastal” (SCC) DPS’s. range along the west coast of North River in Monterey County south to Genetic studies suggest that steelhead America. Yet, steelhead are a remark - Arroyo Grande Creek in San Luis from these DPS’ are the progenitors of ably resilient salmonid, and even in the Obispo County are included in the all steelhead on the west coast of the most degraded habitats, remnant pop - South-Central California Coastal DPS. United States. These DPS’s tolerate ulations still persist. This fact, and the Rivers here are of two types: short warmer water and more episodic legal status of steelhead, have led to a streams which drain coastal mountain stream flows — traits that could con - multi-party effort to recover the ranges; and rivers which flow through tribute to their long-term survival in species south of San Francisco Bay by gaps in the coastal mountains along the face of global climate change. restoring habitat, improving stream - broad inland valleys. Some of the In 1997, the SCCC DPS was “listed” as flows and fish passage opportunities, rivers in this DPS feature productive Threatened (still persisting across and even rescuing juveniles, as river lagoons, where juveniles rear and some of its historic range but with sub- segments dry up or become discon - grow; others have no functional lagoon optimal population numbers and man - nected during summer. For more than at all. Each watershed has its own agement intervention probably neces - two decades, steelhead advocacy “personality” in terms of steelhead sary) and the SCC DPS as Endangered groups such as California Trout habitat. (CalTrout) and Trout Unlimited have (at serious risk of extirpation) under the federal Endangered Species Act driven this effort, working in partner - Carmel River ship with local steelhead conservation (ESA). The ESA requires the agency organizations, resource agencies, with jurisdiction over the listed species to prepare a Recovery Plan for The Carmel River originates in the municipalities, agricultural interests, Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres and water providers. restoring that species within its native range. Recovery Plans are “guidance” Continued on next page 16 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 Continued from previous page

National Forest and drains the wine/golf mecca of Carmel Valley before flowing into Monterey Bay near Carmel. The main channel of the Carmel is 28 miles long, but the main - stem is fed by seven significant peren - nial stream tributaries. A severely diminished run of native steelhead persists in the Carmel River. As many as 5,000-10,000 steelhead may have returned each year to this river prior to construction of San Clemente Dam in 1921 and Los Padres Dam (1949) upstream of San Clemente. Today, steelhead returns vary from an estimated 300-900 adults. Due to loss of access to spawning habitat in the upper watershed and low streamflows at times during the winter and spring, it is estimated that 50% of Carmel River steelhead spawn below San Clemente Dam in sub-optimal habitat. Carmel River steelhead have been Although beleaguered from a host of threats, southern California steelhead are a the focus of an intensive, multi-decade resilient fish. With enough help they will make a comeback. Photo by Tim restoration effort by the Carmel River Frahm/Trout Unlimited Steelhead Association (CRSA) and resource agencies. CRSA and the municipal water which will reduce ular river/ocean connectivity for use Monterey Peninsula Water demand on the river, and CRSA and the by migrating steelhead. In addition, Management District rescue juvenile water management district will contin - for the last century the riparian corri - steelhead from disconnected pools in ue to rescue stranded steelhead as the dor has been ‘managed’ by adjacent the tributaries and mainstem each lower river dries up each summer. landowners to reduce flooding on farm - year and relocate them to a rearing lands. The result has been substantial facility or to segments of the mainstem Salinas River depletion of vegetative and stream bed which remain watered. This effort structure needed to create adequate may have prevented extirpation of The Salinas River watershed is the steelhead habitat and cooler water wild steelhead from this river during fourth largest watershed in California. temperatures. To address these issues, recent multi-year periods of drought. This river has an axis of 170 miles and NMFS has instituted a working group The biggest impediments to steel - flows north from its headwaters in San of stakeholders to begin integrating head recovery in the Carmel River are Luis Obispo County through one of the the needs of steelhead into river mouth the four dams within this watershed most productive row crop regions in management, and recently a Draft and water diversions. The four dams the world. The watershed encompass - River Channel Maintenance Program impede or prevent access to approxi - es nearly 4,600 square miles and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) mately 50% of the watershed, while includes the San Antonio River, the was released. The EIR proposes surface and groundwater extractions Nacimiento River and Arroyo Seco changes in river management that will cause the lower portion of the main- River as tributaries. The Salinas is benefit steelhead, and food safety audit stem to dry up during the summer. the biggest watershed south of San requirements are being modified to Trout Unlimited and CRSA are work - Francisco supporting a persistent reflect “co-management” of food safe - ing to remove and reduce these imped - steelhead population. ty and natural resource concerns. iments to recovery, most importantly Trout Unlimited is working with local to support the long political and plan - angling groups such as the Salinas Pajaro River ning process which recently produced Valley Fly Fishers to advance steel - an agreement to remove San Clemente head recovery in the Salinas River. The Pajaro River is the most norther - Dam. This historic project (it will be Due to significant manipulation of the ly river in the SCCC DPS. In 2006, the largest dam yet removed in river, the Salinas now requires American Rivers designated the California) commences in 2013, and mechanical breaching to ensure timely Pajaro as America's most endangered will restore access for steelhead to 25 opening of its mouth. Unfortunately, river, due to flood control levies along miles of good spawning habitat. In steelhead requirements have not been its lower 22 miles and severe runoff addition, local water purveyors are the trigger for such action; rather, into the river from agricultural fields. developing alternative sources for agricultural field inundation has been Despite its degraded condition, steel - the impetus. The result has been irreg - Continued on next page THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAY 2013 17

Continued from previous page sportsmen, land-owners, NGOs and Flycasters, the San Diego Chapter of governmental agencies committing the Audubon Society, San Diego head consistently enter this watershed time and effort to the recovery of Coastkeeper, and the Chaparral Lands and migrate to spawning habitat in the steelhead here. Conservancy.) SanDOC Coalition mem - upper tributaries. A 1966 memo from bers are finalizing a strategic plan and the California Department of Fish and have identified multiple steelhead Game estimated the run from 500 to The Southern California Coastal DPS restoration projects. Coalition mem - 2000 spawning pairs (although most bers are actively working to fund these current authorities believe present projects. CalTrout recently received a steelhead numbers in the Pajaro are The range of the SCC DPS extends from the Santa Maria River in the $50,000 grant from Wells Fargo’s well below these numbers). Environmental Solutions for Trout Unlimited is working with north to the Tijuana River (the U.S- Mexico border) in the south. NMFS Communities Grant Program. The CHEER (Coastal Habitat Education grant, administered through the and Environmental Restoration) and estimates that historic steelhead num - bers in this DPS were over 45,000 fish, National Fish & Wildlife Foundation, sportsmen’s groups to bolster steel - will fund a water quality monitoring head recovery in this watershed. and anglers were still catching stringers-full of steelhead in the 1940s. and public outreach program in the Specifically, the two groups are work - San Luis Rey River. ing with farmers and homeowners in Human development, in particular the construction and operation of dams CalTrout has also submitted grant the Little Arthur Creek drainage. Little proposals to the FRGP to fund other Arthur Creek is one of the last remain - and other water diversions, has caused this steelhead population to decline Southern California steelhead pro - ing "inland" central coast steelhead jects, including removal of an ‘Arizona streams with viable runs of fish and it nearly 99% percent. Today, only about 500 adult fish survive in the DPS. Crossing’ to restore fish passage on the is one of only a few tributaries to the Los Alamos Creek; removal of small Pajaro with effective summer rearing There are reasons, however, to be optimistic about this endangered fish’s dams to restore fish passage to tribu - habitat. NMFS introduced TU to taries of Trabuco Creek and San Juan CHEER and local landowners to chances. NMFS, the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, and Creek; removal of invasive species to address low streamflow, which the restore steelhead habitat in the Santa agency considers “the most significant organizations like CalTrout and Trout Unlimited are collaborating to save the Margarita River; and a study to identi - limiting factor to the Little Arthur fy sources of the invasive species and steelhead fishery.” TU and CHEER are Southern California steelhead from extinction. long-term solutions to the threats these currently in discussions with landown - species pose to steelhead. Trout ers about installing farm ponds and as The San Diego/Orange Counties Unlimited has also submitted an FRGP many as 10 sets of residential water proposal to evaluate habitat, fish pas - Watersheds Steelhead Recovery tanks as a way to take pressure off sage barriers, water quality and quan - summer diversions. Coalition tity in Trabuco Creek.

Big Sur River San Diego and Orange Counties The Santa Clara River Watershed (SanDOC) encompass the largest Steelhead Coalition This beautiful river pours out of the stretch of undeveloped coastline in Santa Lucia mountains in a watershed southern California. A complicated The Santa Clara River watershed that is predominately public land, exit - ownership picture, coupled with the straddles Los Angeles and Ventura ing to the ocean at Andrew Molera surrounding urban and suburban Counties and encompasses more than State Park. Steelhead habitat in the Big sprawl, present complex jurisdictional 1625 square miles. The main stem of Sur River is characterized as ‘good’ by issues and impose huge demands on the Santa Clara and its principal tribu - NMFS and the small steelhead streams resources, particularly water. Many taries, Sespe Creek, Santa Paula Creek along the Big Sur coast are considered streams here, including the Santa and Piru Creek, contain exceptional the best preserved within the entire Margarita and San Luis Rey Rivers, steelhead habitat. Unfortunately, dams DPS. However, high volume groundwa - and San Mateo, San Juan, and Trabuco and diversions block access to historic ter extraction in the lower portion of Creeks, historically supported steel - spawning habitat as well as out-migra - the Big Sur impacts streamflows and head runs. tion of juveniles and adults. CalTrout essential habitat for juvenile steel - In 2012, with funding from the has been working with the United head. Trout Unlimited and other stake - California Department of Fish & Water Conservation District and holders are actively negotiating with Wildlife’s Fisheries Restoration Grant resource agencies to implement fish water rights holders and the State Program (FRGP), CalTrout and Trout passage solutions at Vern Freeman and Water Board to modify the pattern and Unlimited laid the groundwork for suc - Santa Felicia – two of the largest dams magnitude of extractions to minimize cessful implementation of restoration in the watershed. impacts on steelhead. projects in this region, and the first- Funding from the FRGP also laid the Each of the rivers within this DPS ever San Diego and Orange Counties groundwork for successful implemen - has the potential for improved condi - Steelhead Restoration Coalition took tation of restoration projects in this tions for steelhead, and there is a shape. (In addition to CalTrout and watershed. Under CalTrout’s leader - growing group of conservation-minded Trout Unlimited, SanDOC Coalition members include the Golden State Continued on next page 18 MAY 2013 THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75

Continued from previous page Bradbury. This process was stalled for Canal, and subsequently, NMFS man - several years. In 2012, however, State dated minimum flows to ensure fish ship, the Santa Clara River Watershed Board hearings resumed, with the passage. Casitas sued the United Steelhead Coalition took shape — Environmental Defense Center (EDC) States claiming that the government which also includes the Nature now representing CalTrout. Because was illegally ‘taking’ its water. Conservancy, Friends of the Santa steelhead continue to utilize habitat CalTrout was an Amicus party in this Clara River, Keep the Sespe Wild, below the dam, EDC and CalTrout are case. In a significant victory for steel - Ventura Coastkeeper/WishToyo monitoring the environmental review head, the trial court ruled in favor of Foundation, the Santa Clara River process for the proposed installation of the United States, and its decision was Conservancy, and Stoecker Ecological municipal wells that could negatively affirmed on appeal. This is a signifi - — and has identified multiple steelhead impact this lower watershed. In addi - cant, precedent-setting decision that restoration projects. CalTrout has sub - tion, the Bureau of Reclamation will be will benefit steelhead in this and poten - mitted grant proposals to the FRGP to issuing a Biological Assessment ana - tially other watersheds. underwrite some of these projects, lyzing effects on steelhead as part of including elevation of the creek bed at the proposed relicensing of the Dam, Santa Monica Mountains the Harvey Diversion by insertion of and NMFS will issue a more detailed Restoration ‘H’ beams to provide interim fish pas - Biological Opinion. CalTrout and other sage until the diversion can be advocates will closely monitor and Steelhead historically populated notched; and a monitoring program comment on these evaluations as well. addressing upstream migration, fry creeks that drain the Santa Monica Mountains (between Santa Monica and and juvenile rearing, smolt outmigra - Ventura River Restoration tion, overall steelhead abundance and Oxnard), but as in other waters in this steelhead habitat suitability. In addi - DPS, these populations are now a tiny Matilija Creek is a major tributary of tion, the Coalition is finalizing a strate - fraction of their historic average. In the Ventura River. Historically, both gic plan to identify and implement 2006, CalTrout released the Santa waters provided miles of high-quality even more steelhead restoration pro - Monica Mountains Steelhead Habitat steelhead habitat. Matilija Dam is a jects in the coming years. Study, which laid the scientific founda - 190-ft. structure with a reservoir that tion for a steelhead recovery campaign is now filled with 6 million cubic yards Santa Ynez River Restoration in this area. Since then, stakeholders of sediment. In its current state, the have been working to implement criti - dam poses seismic risks and complete - cal restoration actions including The Santa Ynez River in the Santa ly blocks fish passage. restoration of Malibu Creek lagoon, Barbara area once supported the CalTrout helped launch an initiative restoration of the Topanga Creek rodeo largest steelhead run south of San to remove Matilija Dam through for - grounds, the proposed removal of Francisco. In the 1950s, steelhead lost mation of the Matilija Coalition and the Rindge Dam, and California Trout’s access to roughly half of the water - Matilija Dam Technical Advisory proposed removal of an ‘Arizona road shed, and more than two-thirds of his - Committee (TAC). Over the past year, crossing’ on Zuma Creek to restore fish toric spawning habitat was blocked by the TAC has completed a draft work passage. construction of Bradbury Dam. plan addressing preliminary tasks for When the SCC DPS was listed in 1997, the removal of the dam. In March 2013, Conclusion CalTrout filed a water rights challenge a Request for Qualifications was sent at the State Water Board to obtain ade - to consultants seeking their qualifica - quate flows and fish passage at Although sport fishing for steelhead tions to perform critical functions is not allowed in the southern steel - associated with dam head DPS (due to its Endangered sta - removal, including selecting tus), fishing for steelhead is allowed in feasible removal methods, some streams of the South-Central generating cost estimates, Coastal DPS. This is a catch-and- sediment transport model - release, barbless hook, limited season ing, and creating a mitigation fishery with low flow closures as fur - plan to address sediment that ther protection in some streams. would be deposited tem - Despite these limitations, there are porarily into Matilija Creek dedicated local anglers that continue and the Ventura River during their quest for the SCCC steelhead, the dam removal process. which can reach 36 inches and 20 Another major passage bar - pounds. Hearing old-timers’ stories of rier for steelhead in the steelhead fishing on the Arroyo Seco, Ventura River watershed is or of the push of fish into the Foster the Robles Diversion on the Hole on the Pajaro and the active grab Casitas Water Diversion at the turn of the tide, now keeps us at Many streams in Orange and San Diego counties, Canal. CalTrout helped the vise, crafting the perfect pattern such as the Santa Margarita River, once supported secure construction of the for this perfect fish. steelhead runs. Photo courtesy California Trout Robles Fish Ladder on the THE OSPREY • ISSUE NO. 75 MAY 2013 19

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