Coastal Salmon Spawning Survey Procedures Manual 2005
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COASTAL SALMON SPAWNING SURVEY PROCEDURES MANUAL 2005 OREGON ADULT SALMONID INVENTORY AND SAMPLING PROJECT (OASIS) OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE Table of Contents OREGON ADULT SALMONID INVENTORY AND SAMPLING PROJECT ................................1 COASTAL CHINOOK RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROJECT...........................................2 THE OREGON PLAN FOR SALMON AND WATERSHEDS.......................................................3 MAP OF THE OREGON COAST SHOWING MAJOR RIVERS, LOCATIONS OF SPAWNER SURVEY CREWS, AND FISHERY AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS...............4 SALMON SPAWNING SURVEYOR ID LIST ...............................................................................6 SUPPLY LIST FOR SPAWNING SURVEYORS ........................................................................10 SURVEY SITES..........................................................................................................................11 SURVEY DESCRIPTION LIST (EXAMPLE) ..............................................................................13 SPAWNING SURVEY DESCRIPTION CHANGE FORM...........................................................14 RANDOM SURVEY SITE VERIFICATION FORM (EXAMPLE).................................................15 RANDOM SURVEY SITE MAP EXAMPLE................................................................................17 LANDOWNER CONTACTS .......................................................................................................18 REPEAT SURVEY LANDOWNER CONTACT FORM (EXAMPLE) ..........................................20 FISH IDENTIFICATION ..............................................................................................................24 FIN NOMENCLATURE OF SALMON ........................................................................................25 SPAWNING SURVEY FIELD FORMS .......................................................................................31 SPAWNING SURVEY DATA FORM ..........................................................................................32 2005 SPAWNER SURVEY DATA FORM INSTRUCTIONS ......................................................33 BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING FORM ..............................................................................................39 BIOLOGICAL SAMPLING FORM (BSF) INSTRUCTIONS........................................................40 ii CODED WIRE TAG AND FIN-MARK RECOVERIES ................................................................45 2005 SNOUT ID LABELS ..........................................................................................................46 SCALE SAMPLING....................................................................................................................47 DNA SAMPLING ........................................................................................................................50 SPAWNING SURVEY EVALUATION FORM 2005....................................................................51 INSTRUCTIONS: SALMON SPAWNING SURVEY EVALUATION FORM ..............................52 DESCRIPTION OF COHO SALMON SPAWNING GRAVEL.....................................................53 METHOD OF ESTIMATION OF COHO SPAWNING GRAVEL.................................................54 GENERAL SURVEY INSTRUCTIONS.......................................................................................55 FIRST WEEK PRIORITIES.........................................................................................................56 DEALING WITH SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.........................................................................57 CELL PHONES ..........................................................................................................................58 PUBLIC RELATIONS AND SAFETY .........................................................................................59 STATE VEHICLES .....................................................................................................................60 PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.........................................................................61 LIST OF NORTH COAST DISTRICT SURVEYS .......................................................................67 LIST OF TILLAMOOK DISTRICT SURVEYS ............................................................................70 LIST OF MID-COAST DISTRICT SURVEYS .............................................................................73 LIST OF UMPQUA DISTRICT SURVEYS..................................................................................76 LIST OF COOS-COQUILLE DISTRICT SURVEYS ...................................................................79 LIST OF SOUTH COAST DISTRICT SURVEYS .......................................................................82 LIST OF UPPER ROGUE DISTRICT SURVEYS.......................................................................85 iii OREGON ADULT SALMONID INVENTORY AND SAMPLING PROJECT The Oregon Adult Salmonid Inventory and Sampling (OASIS) project is the branch of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) with the primary task of monitoring the status of naturally produced coastal and lower Columbia salmonid stocks. Stock status is monitored through spawning surveys conducted throughout coastal watersheds. Spawning fish surveys are conducted in cooperation with district biologists located in four different watershed management districts. Data generated by the project are used by State and Federal natural resource agencies in the management of Oregon's salmon resource. These data are integral in assessing progress in the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds (Oregon Plan). PROJECT OBJECTIVES Four species of salmonids are monitored through spawning surveys. Primary objectives for each of these species are as follows: Coho Salmon • Estimate population size of natural spawners. • Evaluate straying and natural spawning by hatchery fish. • Map the spatial distribution of spawners. • Monitor Threatened and Endangered stocks. • Monitor and assess abundance trends. • Integrate EMAP assessment: spawners-habitat-juveniles. • Evaluate compliance with the ODFW Native Fish Conservation Policy. • Develop and assess fishery harvest regulations. Chinook Salmon • Develop monitoring methods that estimate spawner escapement. • Monitor and assess abundance trends. • Determine life history. • Evaluate compliance with the ODFW Native Fish Conservation Policy. Chum Salmon • Monitor and assess abundance trends. • Develop and implement monitoring programs of additional coastal stocks. • Evaluate compliance with the ODFW Native Fish Conservation Policy. Steelhead • Monitor and assess annual trends in abundance and distribution • Complete the fourth year of coast-wide monitoring (winter-spring 2006). Additional project information is available on our web site at: http://www.orst.edu/Dept/ODFW 1 COASTAL CHINOOK RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROJECT ODFW is continuing a multi-year study designed to develop methods that provide reliable estimates of fall chinook spawner escapements for Oregon coastal streams. Funding for this study was obtained through a U.S. Letter of Agreement and is administered by the Chinook Technical Committee (CTC) of the Pacific Salmon Commission. The CTC is responsible for evaluating the rebuilding process of naturally spawning chinook stocks covered by the Pacific Salmon Treaty, and is comprised of scientists from the Northwest and Canada. This project is in direct response to requirements set forth by recent amendments to the Pacific Salmon Treaty and the adaptation of an Aggregate Abundance-based Management (AABM) strategy for mixed stock fisheries. This management strategy provides a means for sharing conservation responsibility of far-north migrating stocks originating from Oregon watersheds and subsequently intercepted in commercial fisheries off Canada and Southeast Alaska. The AABM model requires precise escapement estimates for selected “indicator” basins. These basins are assumed to represent the ocean distributions exhibited by coastal Oregon chinook salmon stocks as well as their genetic diversity. There are basically two objectives to achieve during the spawning season. The first is an accurate and precise escapement estimate in each of the indicator basins selected. The second objective is to develop an unbiased survey design that best correlates with actual spawner abundance. The goal of this project is to provide yearly escapement estimates, and to identify a survey design that can be used to estimate spawner abundance for coastal streams in the future. By using indicator stocks to calibrate the survey methodology the survey-based estimates can be adjusted to yearly variations in climate, run strength, and regional effects. Chinook assessment studies will be conducted in the Siletz and Siuslaw river basins and a proportion of chinook in the Coquille will be radio-tagged. These radio tagged fish will be easily identified by the presence of a wire protruding from their mouth and an anchor tag near the dorsal fin. Mark-recapture studies in the Siletz and Siuslaw will be conducted to obtain an estimate of fall chinook populations in each of these river basins. Various survey methods will be used to provide an estimate of spawner abundance in the tributary and mainstem spawning habitats. These include a random survey design where data is collected on live fish as well as carcasses, and carcass mark-recapture in mainstem habitat. Surveyors in the Siuslaw should pay special attention