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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 Ironment, 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 Fto 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.