Kennebec River Diadromous Fish Restoration Annual Progress Report (2001) By Gial Wippelhauser Maine Dept, of Marine Resources M. O’Donnell, N. Gray, and P. Christman Research Reference Document: 01/19 Use of these data for publication will be granted when proper acknowledgment is assured. KENNEBEC RIVER DIADROMOUS FISH RESTORA TION ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT- 2001 Eel Passage a t Benton Fails Prepared By: M. O'Donnell1, N. Gray1, G. Wippelhauser1, and P. Christman2 A p r il 2 0 0 2 lMaine Department of Marine Resources 21 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333-0021 Atlantic Salmon Commission 270 Lyons Road Sidney, ME 04330 Program activities presented in this report were funded through a cooperative agreement between the State of Maine, the Kennebec Hydro Developers Group, the Kennebec Coalition, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TA B LES .............. ......... ............. ........... ........................ .......... .............Ill LIST OF FIGURES ........................... ........ ................... .......................... V EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF 2001 ACTIVITIES:.... ...................... ....... 1 DIADROMOUS FISH RESTORATION ON THE KENNEBEC RIVER:......... 3 H i s t o r y o f t h e m a n a g e m e n t p l a n .................... ................................. .................... ............ 3 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MANAGEMENT PLAN (1986-2001)............. ...................... ...... ..........5 ALEWIFE RESTORATION METHODS:............... ........... ....... ............. ............... 7 T rap, transport, and r e le a s e ............................................................................. 7 ADULT ALEWIFE BIOSAMPLES.......... ....... .......... ........................ ............. ........ ......10 COMMERCIAL ALEWIFE HARVEST ................................. ............................... ........... 10 ALEWIFE RESTORATION RESULTS & DISCUSSION:............ ............. ............ 10 T rap, transport, and r e le a s e ............................. ............ ............ ........... ........ 10 Overview...... ..... ........... ......................... .................. ............. .................... 10 Phase I Habitat...... ....... ............................. ................ ......... 13 Nonphase I Transfers............... ....................... ................................................15 A dult alew ife b io s a m ples .............. ...... ........ ........................ ..... ................ ....15 COMMERCIAL ALEWIFE HARVEST.................. ................ .............. ............. ............. 16 AMERICAN SHAD RESTORATION METHODS:.................... ....................... 16 A dult Capture and T ranspo rt.......... ........ ...... ..... ............ ................ ............. .16 Larval culture and t r a n s p o r t ...................... ..................... ............................. 18 Hatchery evaluation................. ..... ............ .................. ................................ 19 AMERICAN SHAD RESTORATION RESULTS & DISCUSSION:....................... 19 Adult Capture and T ranspo rt................. .............................. ........ ............... ...19 Larval culture and transport ............ .......... .......... ...................... ......... ........ 20 Hatchery evaluatio n............ ........ ...... ......... ..... ............... ......................... ...21 FISH PASSAGE METHODS: ......................................... .......... ........ ................ 22 Fish passage a t lake o u t le t s ......................... ............. ......................... ........... 22 Upstream passage................................... .................. ............. ...... ................. 22 Downstream passage monitoring ................................... ............. ....................23 Fish passage a t hydropow er pr o je c t s ................... ....... ...... .............. ............... 23 Passage effectiveness studies................ ...... ..... ..... ......... ................. ........... 23 Downstream passage monitoring......................................... .......................... 24 Upstream passage..... .............................................. ............. ........ ....... ....... 24 FISH PASSAGE RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:....................... ...................... 24 Fish passage a t lake o u t le t s .................. ........ ........... ............... ......... ............ 24 Upstream passage............................................................ .............................. 24 Downstream passage monitoring ........... ................................... ....... .............. 26 1 Fish passage a t hyd ro po w er p r o je c t s ................................................................27 Passage effectiveness studies............................ ............................................. 27 Downstream passage monitoring...... ............... ....... ..... ..... ........................... 27 Upstream passage..................... .............................. ........... ........................... 29 FISH COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT:................... ............. ............ 30 FISH COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT METHODS: ............ ...................... .............. 30 Sit e s ............................. ......................... ..................... ............ .................... 30 Biological Sa m p l in g ...... ................. ........... ........................... ....... .......... ......30 Physical data co llected ......................... .......................................... ............... 31 Data an alysis..................................................... ............ ................... ............ 31 FISH COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:.... 32 AMERICAN EEL:.............. ....................... ...... .......................................... ........... .3 2 Upstream pa s s a g e ...... ...... ................. ...... ......... ........ ................................... 32 Introduction ............................... ...... ........................ ................................. ....32 Methods............................... ............. ............................... ........... ........... .........33 Results and Discussion........................ .......................... .................... .......... ..33 Downstream m ig r a t io n ..................... .............. ........... .......... ................ ........ 35 Introduction ....... ..................................... .............. .......... .............................. 35 Methods......... ................... .......... ............ ........................ ..... .........................35 Results............................ ............. ........ ......................... ............................ ....36 Discussion and recommendations............................ ........................ ....... ........37 ATLANTIC SALMON RESTORATION:......... ............. ........... .............. ........ 37 ATLANTIC SALMON POPULATION MONITORING:........................ ............... ...3 7 J uvenile At u n t i c Salm on assessments .......... ......... ........... .............................. 37 Methods........... ............ ..... ...... .......... ...... ............... ......................................37 Results and Discussion......................... ........... .................................................38 Spawning Su r v eys ...... .............. .......... ........ .................... ...... .................. 38 Methods.................. ................................................... ............................. ........38 Results and Discussion.............................. .......................... .............. ..... ....... 38 ATLANTIC SALMON HABITAT ASSESSMENT: ............... ....................... 39 Ha b ita t Su r v e y s ............... ..... .............. ..................... ........ ............................39 Methods.......... ...... ................. .................................................................... ....39 Results and Discussion............................................ ......................... .............. 39 T emperature M o n ito rin g ............................. ........................ ................. ....... ...39 Methods............... ..... ................... ................................. ....... ..... ...........39 Results and Discussion.................... ................................................... ....... .....39 APPENDIX A - SHAD HATCHERY REPORT................................................... 87 APPENDIX B - PROPOSED 2001 TRAP AND TRUCK BUDGET ..... ....... 98 APPENDIX C - PROPOSED 2001 KENNEBEC RIVER ATLANTIC SALMON RESTORATION WORK PLAN AND BUDGET................... 102 APPENDIX D - PROPOSED 2002 TRAP AND TRUCK BUDGET...................... 104 APPENDIX E - PROPOSED 2002 KENNEBEC RIVER ATLANTIC SALMON RESTORATION WORK PLAN AND BUDGET.............................108 II LIST O F TA B LES Table Page 1. 2001 Alewife Stocking Plans - Phase I Lakes...... ........... .............................. .....41 2. Alewife Trapping and Distribution from Fort Halifax, Sebasticook River - 2001.............................................. ............. ....... ............ 42 3. 2001 Alewife Distribution in Kennebec River Watershed Phase I Lakes................ .43 4. 2001 Alewife Distribution