Draft Recovery Plan for the Southern Distinct Population Segment of North American Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) Underwater photograph of a North American green sturgeon. Credit: Thomas Dunklin January 2018 Draft Recovery Plan for the Southern Distinct Population Segment of North American Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) Prepared by National Marine Fisheries Service West Coast Region California Central Valley Office Sacramento, California Approved: Assistant Administrator for Fisheries National Marine Fisheries Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Date: Disclaimer Recovery plans delineate such reasonable actions as may be necessary, based upon the best scientific and commercial data available, for the conservation and survival of listed species. Plans are published by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), sometimes prepared with the assistance of recovery teams, contractors, State agencies and others. Recovery plans do not necessarily represent the views, official positions or approval of any individuals or agencies involved in the plan formulation, other than NMFS. They represent the official position of NMFS only after they have been signed by the Assistant Administrator. Recovery plans are guidance and planning documents only; identification of an action to be implemented by any public or private party does not create a legal obligation beyond existing legal requirements. Nothing in this plan should be construed as a commitment or requirement that any Federal agency obligate or pay funds in any one fiscal year in excess of appropriations made by Congress for that fiscal year in contravention of the Anti-Deficiency Act, 31 U.S.C. 1341, or any other law or regulation. Approved recovery plans are subject to modification as dictated by new findings, changes in species status, and the completion of recovery actions. It should be noted that the Endangered Species Act exempts recovery teams from the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) requirements. Citation of this document should read as follows: National Marine Fisheries Service. 2018. Recovery Plan for the Southern Distinct Population Segment of North American Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris). National Marine Fisheries Service, Sacramento, CA. Additional copies may be obtained from: National Marine Fisheries Service 650 Capitol Mall, Suite 5-100 Sacramento, CA 95814-4706 On Line: http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/protected_species/green_sturgeon/green_sturgeon_pg.h tml Recovery plans can be downloaded from the National Marine Fisheries Service website: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/recovery-species- under-endangered-species-act Draft Recovery Plan for the ii January 2018 sDPS of North American Green Sturgeon Acknowledgements NMFS gratefully acknowledges the commitment and efforts of the following Recovery Team members and thanks them for generously contributing their time and expertise to the development of the Green Sturgeon Recovery Plan. Green Sturgeon Recovery Team Ray Beamesderfer Josh Israel R2 Resource Consultants U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Russ Bellmer Steve Lindley California Department of Fish and Wildlife NMFS Southwest Fisheries Science Center Richard Corwin Mary Moser U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (retired) NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center Daniel Erickson Mike Parsley Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife U.S. Geological Survey (retired) Marty Gingras Bill Poytress California Department of Fish and Wildlife U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Alicia Seesholtz California Department of Water Resources NMFS WCR Green Sturgeon Team Phaedra Doukakis Jeffrey Stuart Sacramento, CA Sacramento, CA Douglas Hampton Susan Wang Sacramento, CA Long Beach, CA Joe Heublein Julie Weeder Sacramento, CA Arcata, CA Melissa Neuman David Woodbury Long Beach, CA Santa Rosa, CA (retired) Additional thanks are due to other contributors, including Charlotte Ambrose, Johnathon Bishop, Bob Coey, Julie Day, Dan Lawson, and Rick Rogers, NMFS and co-manager reviewers, and three reviewers from the Center for Independent Experts. Draft Recovery Plan for the iii January 2018 sDPS of North American Green Sturgeon Table of Contents Disclaimer ....................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iii List of Appendices .......................................................................................................................... v List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................. vi Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter I. Background ................................................................................................................... 4 Status of the Species ........................................................................................................... 4 Description and Taxonomy ................................................................................................. 4 Population Trends ............................................................................................................... 5 Distribution ......................................................................................................................... 5 Life History/Habitat Requirements ....................................................................................11 Reasons for Listing ........................................................................................................... 13 Critical Habitat .................................................................................................................. 16 Threats Assessment ........................................................................................................... 19 Known Biological Constraints and Needs ........................................................................ 37 Chapter II. Recovery Goal, Objective, and Criteria ...................................................................... 37 Recovery Goal .................................................................................................................. 37 Recovery Objective ........................................................................................................... 37 Recovery Criteria .............................................................................................................. 37 Chapter III. Recovery Strategy ..................................................................................................... 45 Biological Needs, Significant and Potential Threats ........................................................ 45 Primary Focus and Justification of Recovery Strategy ..................................................... 45 Schedule ............................................................................................................................ 57 Chapter IV. Recovery Program ..................................................................................................... 58 Supporting Program - Monitoring .................................................................................... 66 Supporting Programs – Education and Outreach .............................................................. 67 Implementation Schedule & Costs.................................................................................... 68 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................................. 77 Draft Recovery Plan for the iv January 2018 sDPS of North American Green Sturgeon List of Appendices Appendix A Threats Assessment Methodology Draft Recovery Plan for the v January 2018 sDPS of North American Green Sturgeon List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ACID Anderson–Cottonwood Irrigation District ADEC Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation Army Corps United States Army Corps of Engineers BMP Best Management Practice BRT Biological Review Team C Celsius CBE Coastal Bays and Estuaries CDFG California Department of Fish and Game (up to 12-31-2012) CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife (aka CDFG prior to 2013) CDWR California Department of Water Resources cfs cubic feet per second CALFED California Federal Bay-Delta Program CVPIA Central Valley Project Improvement Act DIDSON Dual Frequency Identification Sonar dph Days post hatch DPS Distinct Population Segment EMF Electromagnetic fields EPA United States Environmental Protection Agency ESA Endangered Species Act FMEP Fishery Management Evaluation Plan FR Federal Register GCID Glenn Colusa Irrigation District nDPS Northern Distinct Population Segment NM Nearshore Marine NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Oregon DEQ Oregon Department of Environmental Quality ODFW Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife PCBs Polychlorinated Biphenyls PCE Primary Constituent Element RBDD Red Bluff Diversion Dam RKM River Kilometer sDPS Southern Distinct Population Segment SFBDE San Francisco Bay Delta Estuary SRB Sacramento River Basin SWP State Water Project TCD Temperature Control Device TL Total Length USBR United States Bureau of Reclamation USFWS United States Fish and Wildlife