Baseline Assessment of Salmonids in Tributaries of the Snake and Grande Ronde Rivers in Southeast Washington
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Baseline Assessment of Salmonids in Tributaries of the Snake and Grande Ronde Rivers in Southeast Washington 2006-2007 Final Report By Glen Mendel, Jeremy Trump, Michael Gembala, and Chris Fulton Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Program - Fish Management Division 529 West Main Street, Dayton, WA 99328 For Asotin County Conservation District United States Fish and Wildlife Service Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife December 2008 Baseline Assessment of Salmonids in Tributaries of the Snake and Grande Ronde Rivers in Southeast Washington 2006-2007 Final Report By Glen Mendel, Jeremy Trump, Michael Gembala, and Chris Fulton Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Program - Fish Management Division 529 West Main Street, Dayton, WA 99328 For Asotin County Conservation District United States Fish and Wildlife Service Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife December 2008 Acknowledgments Funding for this study was provided by multiple sources. Jim Uehara, (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife) provided some funding available from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Scott Deeds (U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USFWS) provided some funding for genetic sampling and analysis of native bull trout populations in the Tucannon Subbasin. The Asotin County Conservation District provided funding from BPA for surveys in Asotin County; special thanks to Megan Stewart. In 2006, Michael Faler (USFWS) provided personnel and field accommodations for Tucannon River bull trout sampling and PIT tagging with U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) funding (for USFWS activities). The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife provided additional funding and assistance. We would like to extend thanks to the following individuals with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife who contributed their efforts in collecting, entering, and summarizing data: Derek Gloyn, Steve Jeffers, and Larabee Miller. We would also like to thank Carrie Bretz and the other USFWS personnel for their assistance with Tucannon River sampling in 2006. Thanks to Bill Dowdy and the USFS for assistance with logistics and field sampling in the Wenaha and Grande Ronde River drainages. Dave and Sas Waldron of Western Life Outfitters provided outfitter services for a portion of the bull trout sampling in the upper Tucannon River subbasin in 2006. We would also like to thank all of the private landowners for granting access to perform fieldwork on their properties. Without access to the streams on private property, significant portions of these efforts would not have been possible. Baseline Assessment of Salmonids in Tributaries of the Snake and i Grande Ronde Rivers in Southeast Washington. Table of Contents List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................v List of Figures............................................................................................................................... vii List of Photos ................................................................................................................................. ix Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................1 Introduction......................................................................................................................................2 Study Purpose and Objectives .............................................................................................3 Methods............................................................................................................................................4 Study Area...........................................................................................................................4 Stream Reach...........................................................................................................5 Individual Site Selection..........................................................................................5 Habitat Assessment..............................................................................................................5 Stream Flow.............................................................................................................5 Stream Temperatures ...............................................................................................5 Limiting Factor Identification..................................................................................5 Fish Stock Assessment.........................................................................................................6 Distribution, Relative Abundance and Species Composition..................................6 Electrofishing Surveys.................................................................................6 Quantitative......................................................................................6 Qualitative........................................................................................7 Spawning Surveys........................................................................................8 Tissue Sampling...........................................................................................8 Genetic Sampling Protocol for the upper Tucannon Subbasin..........................................................................8 Results and Discussion ..................................................................................................................10 Habitat Assessment............................................................................................................11 Stream Flow...........................................................................................................11 Stream Temperatures .............................................................................................11 Fish Stock Assessment.......................................................................................................11 Distribution and Abundance..................................................................................11 1. Lower Grande Ronde Tributaries, Couse Creek, Tenmile Creek, the Asotin Creek Drainage, and Alpowa Creek .............................12 Electrofishing Survey.....................................................................12 Steelhead Spawning Surveys.........................................................25 Bull Trout Spawning Surveys........................................................28 Tissue Sampling.............................................................................29 Stream Profiles of Lower Grande Ronde Tributaries......................................................................................30 Baseline Assessment of Salmonids in Tributaries of the Snake and ii Grande Ronde Rivers in Southeast Washington. Wenatchee Creek...............................................................30 Indian Tom Creek..............................................................36 Shumaker Creek.................................................................37 Joseph Creek......................................................................40 Stream Profiles of Lower Snake and Asotin Creek Tributaries......................................................................................45 Couse Creek (Lower Snake River Tributary)....................45 Tenmile Creek (Lower Snake River Tributary) ...........................................................................47 North Fork Asotin Creek...................................................48 Cougar Canyon..................................................................51 Middle Branch of North Fork Asotin Creek......................52 South Fork of North Fork Asotin Creek ............................54 George Creek.....................................................................55 Pintler Creek......................................................................58 Alpowa Creek....................................................................60 2. Wenaha River Tributaries in Washington State....................................68 Electrofishing Surveys...................................................................68 Bull Trout Spawning Surveys........................................................74 Spring Chinook Spawning Survey.................................................75 Tissue Sampling.............................................................................75 Stream Profiles of Upper Wenaha River Tributaries.....................76 North Fork Wenaha River..................................................76 West Fork Butte Creek.......................................................84 Preacher Creek...................................................................87 Rainbow Creek...................................................................88 East Fork Butte Creek........................................................90 Butte Creek........................................................................92 3. Tucannon River Drainage.....................................................................93 Electrofishing Survey.....................................................................93 Bull Trout Spawning Surveys......................................................104 Tissue Sampling...........................................................................106 Stream Profiles of the Tucannon River Subbasin........................107