National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Natural Resource Program Center Long-term Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout Monitoring in Coastal Marin County 2007 Annual Monitoring Report Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SFAN/NRTR—2009/269 ON THE COVER Adult coho salmon on John West Fork - Olema Creek Photograph by: Greg Brown Juvenile coho salmon on Olema Creek Photo by: Sarah Carlisle Smolt coho salmon on Redwood Creek Photograph by: Casey Del Real Long-term Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout Monitoring in Coastal Marin County 2007 Annual Monitoring Report Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SFAN/NRTR—2009/269 Sarah Carlisle 1 Michael Reichmuth 2 Erin Brown 3 Casey del Real 1 1Point Reyes National Seashore Association, Coho and Steelhead Restoration Project 1 Bear Valley Road Point Reyes Station, Ca 94956 2National Park Service, San Francisco Bay Area Network Inventory and Monitoring Program, Point Reyes National Seashore 1 Bear Valley Road Point Reyes Station, Ca 94956 3Conservation Corps North Bay 1 Bear Valley Road Point Reyes Station, Ca 94956 November 2009 U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service Natural Resource Program Center Fort Collins, Colorado The National Park Service, Natural Resource Program Center publishes a range of reports that address natural resource topics of interest and applicability to a broad audience in the National Park Service and others in natural resource management, including scientists, conservation and environmental constituencies, and the public. The Natural Resource Technical Report Series is used to disseminate results of scientific studies in the physical, biological, and social sciences for both the advancement of science and the achievement of the National Park Service mission. The series provides contributors with a forum for displaying comprehensive data that are often deleted from journals because of page limitations. All manuscripts in the series receive the appropriate level of peer review to ensure that the information is scientifically credible, technically accurate, appropriately written for the intended audience, and designed and published in a professional manner. This report received informal peer review by subject-matter experts who were not directly involved in the collection, analysis, or reporting of the data. Views, statements, findings, conclusions, recommendations, and data in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect views and policies of the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the National Park Service. This report is available from San Francisco Bay Area I&M Network website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/im/units/SFAN) and the Natural Resource Publications Management website (http://www.nature.nps.gov/publications/NRPM). Please cite this publication as: Carlisle, S., M. Reichmuth, E. Brown, and S. C. Del Real. 2008. Long-term coho salmon and steelhead trout monitoring in coastal Marin County 2007: annual monitoring progress report. Natural Resource Technical Report NPS/SFAN/NRTR—2009/269. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. NPS 641/100681, November 2009 ii Contents Page Figures............................................................................................................................................ ix Tables............................................................................................................................................ xv Appendixes .................................................................................................................................. xxi Executive Summary................................................................................................................... xxiii Acknowlegements....................................................................................................................... xxv 1 - Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ....................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Fish Resources .................................................................................................................. 3 1.2.1 Coho Salmon.......................................................................................................... 3 1.2.2 Steelhead ................................................................................................................ 5 1.2.3 Chinook Salmon ..................................................................................................... 6 1.2.4 Essential Fish Habitat............................................................................................ 6 1.3 Monitoring Rationale ........................................................................................................ 6 1.3.1 Monitoring Questions ............................................................................................ 7 1.3.2 Monitoring Objectives............................................................................................ 8 1.4 Watershed Background..................................................................................................... 8 1.4.1 Olema Creek .......................................................................................................... 8 1.4.2 Cheda Creek........................................................................................................... 8 1.4.3 Redwood Creek ...................................................................................................... 8 1.4.4 Pine Gulch Creek ................................................................................................... 9 2 - Sampling Design and Methods................................................................................................ 11 2.1 Adult Escapement Surveys ............................................................................................. 11 2.1.1 Rationale for Sampling Design............................................................................ 11 iii 2.1.2 Field Methods ...................................................................................................... 11 2.1.3 Olema Creek ........................................................................................................ 12 2.1.4 Lagunitas Creek Watershed - Cheda Creek......................................................... 14 2.1.5 Redwood Creek .................................................................................................... 15 2.1.6 Pine Gulch Creek ................................................................................................. 17 2.1.7 Escapement Data Analysis................................................................................... 18 2.1.8 Other Monitoring Programs ................................................................................ 18 2.2 Outmigrant Smolt Trap ................................................................................................... 18 2.2.1 Rationale for Sampling Design............................................................................ 19 2.2.2 Fyke/Pipe Trap Field Methods ............................................................................ 19 2.2.3 Fish Handling ...................................................................................................... 20 2.2.4 Site Locations....................................................................................................... 20 2.2.5 Sampling Period................................................................................................... 22 2.2.6 Smolt Trap Data Analysis .................................................................................... 22 2.3 Juvenile Surveys ............................................................................................................. 22 2.3.1 Rational for Sampling Design.............................................................................. 23 2.3.2 Juvenile Survey Field Methods ............................................................................ 23 2.3.3 Index Reach Monitoring....................................................................................... 23 2.3.4 Electrofishing/Handling....................................................................................... 24 2.4 Basinwide Estimate Methods.......................................................................................... 24 2.4.1 Habitat Surveys.................................................................................................... 24 2.4.2 Basinwide Snorkel Surveys .................................................................................. 25 2.5 General Systematic Sample Design ................................................................................ 25 2.5.1 Juvenile Survey Sample Dates ............................................................................. 25 3 - Results ..................................................................................................................................... 27 iv 3.1 WY 2007 Rainfall Totals – Bear Valley Headquarters................................................... 27 3.2 Olema Creek Escapement.............................................................................................. 28 3.2.1