Klamath Mountains Province Summer chances for survival: poor 2 Steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss

lamath Mountains Province summer steelhead are distinct from middle Klamath River (Bluff, Red Cap, Camp, Dillon, Clear, be possible. The Steelhead Restoration and Management 1 2 3 4 5 STEELHEAD Elk, Indian, and Thompson Creeks), the Salmon River, and Plan for California recognizes the importance of protecting winter steelhead because of their springtime entry into the Klamath the Trinity River. In the Salmon River, they are found in the healthy sub-basins, allowing natural processes to take River, their lack of sexual maturity at entry, and the upstream location North Fork, South Fork, and Wooley Creek. In the Trinity precedence over human activities that cause degraded River, populations are present in Canyon Creek, Hayfork habitat conditions and maintaining a natural flow regime. Likely Historic Distribution Of Klamath K Mountain Province Summer Steelhead, of spawning. Klamath Mountains Province summer steelhead enter the rivers Creek, North Fork Trinity, East Fork Trinity, South Fork Intense management that focuses on reducing human Including Migratory Pathways Trinity, and New Rivers. In addition, the Smith River also impacts and improving habitats is needed in the few water- during April through June and migrate upstream in early summer to mature supports a few summer steelhead. sheds where these summer steelhead are most abundant. Abundance: Little is known about past abundance In particular, maintaining cooler water temperatures in the in deep pools. Summer steelhead spawn in upstream regions that include the since records of Klamath Mountains summer steelhead summer is of critical importance. smaller headwater streams which are largely unavailable to winter steelhead. population numbers exist only for recent decades. Given Conservation Recommendations: In conjunction the available habitat, it is likely that they are at only a with improved water flows in the Klamath andT rinity Rivers, Peak spawning occurs from December to March and thus Distribution: The Klamath Mountains Province summer small fraction of their original numbers and have declined management plans should address better enforcement of summer steelhead are separated in time and spawning areas steelhead range includes the Klamath and Trinity Rivers precipitously in the past 30 to 40 years. fishing and land use regulations, minimizing sedimentation, from winter steelhead. Half-pounders, sub-adults that and other streams north to the Elk River near Port Orford, Factors Affecting Status: The major factors providing healthy water quality, and improving habitat for have spent only two to four months in the Klamath estuary, Oregon. Their range includes the Smith River in California causing population declines include, (1) dams and water current populations. Restoration of extirpated populations is are included in annual surveys of summer steelhead in the and the Rogue River in Oregon. In California, these summer diversions, (2) logging, (3) mining, (4) poaching, and (5) also needed as well as additional research on summer steel- Photo: Matt Stoecker Salmon, New, and South Fork Trinity Rivers. steelhead currently inhabit the larger tributaries to the human disturbance. This species is exceptionally vulnerable head genetics, spawning areas, juvenile habitat requirements, to human activities because adult fish are conspicuous in the effect of poaching, gold dredging and recreation on the their summer pools. In addition, because all life stages are adult fish, and Trinity River restoration and flow increases. Present California Trout is Category Score Explanation present at all times in the rivers, these fish can suffer acutely Range 2 Summer steelhead in the Klamath Mountain Province have several populations that from habitat degradation. There for the Fish! probably vary independently of one another Status 2: Klamath Mountains Province summer steelhead In 1972, California Trout and others led Population size 2 A majority of subpopulations are very small and isolated have a high likelihood of becoming extinct within the next the passage of the California Wild and Intervention needs 3 No intervention is being undertaken to assist in long term survival, but it is 50 to 100 years. They are a U.S. Forest Service sensitive Scenic Rivers Act. The result of this badly needed species and are a species of special concern of the California landmark legislation was to mothball plans for almost 20 dams slated for con- Tolerance 2 Adults require cold water refuges Department of Fish and Game. They are not federally listed struction on the Klamath, Trinity, Smith as endangered because they are part of the more abundant Genetic risk 2 Hybridization risk with hatchery fish is high, which could result in loss of distinctive and Eel Rivers. Because of California life history traits Klamath Mountains Province steelhead DPS. There is a Trout’s leadership in establishing the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, threatened Climate change 1 Highly vulnerable and temperatures and flows already marginal in many areas general lack of basin-wide management actions to protect Klamath Mountains Province summer them, increasing the likelihood of local extirpations. Present Overall status 2 steelhead are benefitting. management focuses on monitoring to assess if the popula- Reliability 3 Well documented in literature tions are recovering to the point where some harvest will Trinity River. Photo: Jeff Bright 48 SOS: California’s Native Fish Crisis California Trout 49