Gates Creek Juvenile and Adult Salmonid Assessment 2014 (14.SON.01) D’Arcy, BC FWCP Project No. 14.SON.01 Prepared for: Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program Lillooet Tribal Council Fisheries and Oceans Canada Prepared by: InStream Fisheries Research Inc. 1698 Platt Crescent North Vancouver, BC V7J 1Y1 Canada T: +1 (604) 837-9870 File no. GATESCHAN.0009 Report prepared with financial support of the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program on behalf of its program partners BC Hydro, the Province of BC, First Nation and Public Stake Holders and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. March 2015 This Fish & Wildlife Compensation Program report presents the results for the combined 2014 assessment operations in Gates Creek. The 2014 salmonid outmigration study on Gates Creek is presented in the first section and the results of the 2014 adult component of the Gates Creek salmonid out-migration study are in the second section. Not presented in this report is the data collected during the Level 1 Habitat Survey which will be included as a separate report. Note on the diversion of riparian planting funds to Level 1 Fish Habitat Assessment: Riparian planting on Gates Creek was originally a component of 2014 proposal. Lillooet Tribal Council and N’Quatqua Fisheries were under the impression this task was to be completed on lands upstream of the spawning channel; however, LTC was informed in summer 2014 the request for planting by FWCP was intended for around the spawning channel (Patrice Rothers pers. comm.). After discussion with representatives from FWCP, planting around the channel was determined to be an unwise use of funds: vegetation is a hindrance to required maintenance and spawning channel operations. Consultation was done with FWCP and Split Rock Environmental on FWCP properties 9523A Portage Road in September 2014 to assess the possibility of planting riparian vegetation on this property. It was determined that knowledge of fish habitat quality and limitations in Gates Creek were necessary to guide any future restoration activities. Therefore, diversion of planting funds to a Level 1 Fish Habitat Survey (FHAP) were approved in November 2014 (Trevor Oussoren email dated November 4th, 2014). i Table of Contents Section 1: Gates Creek Juvenile Salmonid Outmigration Assessment - Spring 2014 ......... v 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Study Objectives .......................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Study Area and Trapping Locations ............................................................................. 2 2.0 METHODS ...................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Fish Trap Operations ................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 Gates Creek Traps - Rotary Screw and Incline Plane Traps ................................. 3 2.1.2 Channel Trap ........................................................................................................ 4 2.2 Sockeye Fry Marking and Recapture ........................................................................... 4 2.3 Coho Juvenile Marking and Recapturing ...................................................................... 5 2.4 Length and Weight ....................................................................................................... 5 2.4.1 Sockeye Fry .......................................................................................................... 5 2.4.2 Coho Smolt Data Collection .................................................................................. 6 2.5 Environmental Monitoring ............................................................................................ 6 2.5.1 Temperature Monitoring ........................................................................................ 6 2.5.2 Water Level data ................................................................................................... 6 2.6 Population Estimate Methods ...................................................................................... 7 2.6.1 Total Sockeye Fry Abundance .............................................................................. 7 2.6.2 Gates Creek Spawning Channel Sockeye Fry Abundance.................................... 8 2.6.3 Gates Creek Sockeye Fry Abundance .................................................................. 8 2.6.4 Egg-to-fry Survival and Fry per Effective Female .................................................. 8 3.0 RESULTS ........................................................................................................................ 9 3.1 Fish Trap Operations ................................................................................................... 9 3.1.1 Incline Plane Trap/ Rotary Screw Trap.................................................................. 9 3.1.2 Channel Trap ........................................................................................................ 9 3.2 Length and Weight Sampling ....................................................................................... 9 3.2.1 Sockeye Fry Length and Weight ........................................................................... 9 3.2.2 Coho Smolt Length and Weight ...........................................................................10 3.3 Environmental Monitoring ...........................................................................................10 3.3.1 Temperature ........................................................................................................10 3.3.2 Water Level .........................................................................................................11 ii 3.4 Sockeye Population Estimates ....................................................................................11 3.4.1 Total Abundance of Sockeye Fry .........................................................................11 3.4.2 Gates Creek Spawning Channel Sockeye Fry Abundance...................................11 3.4.3 Gates Creek Sockeye Fry Abundance .................................................................12 3.4.4 Egg-to-fry Survival and Fry per Effective Female .................................................12 3.4.5 Coho Catch Data .................................................................................................13 4.0 DISCUSSION .................................................................................................................14 4.1 Trap Operations ..........................................................................................................14 4.1.1 IPT/ RST ..............................................................................................................14 4.1.2 Channel Trap .......................................................................................................14 4.2 Fry Length and Weight Sampling ................................................................................15 4.3 Water Temperature and ATU’s ...................................................................................15 4.4 Sockeye Fry Migration ................................................................................................15 4.4.1 Sockeye Fry Abundance ......................................................................................15 4.4.2 Egg-to-Fry Survival and Fry per Effective Female ................................................17 4.4.3 Sockeye Fry Run-Timing .....................................................................................17 5.0 SUMMARY and RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................19 TABLES ....................................................................................................................................22 FIGURES ..................................................................................................................................31 REFERENCES .........................................................................................................................46 Section 2: Gates Creek Adult Sockeye Abundance, Fall 2014 .............................................50 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................57 2.0 METHODS .....................................................................................................................59 2.1 Loading Strategy .........................................................................................................59 2.2 Temperature Monitoring ..............................................................................................59 2.3 Generation of Abundance Estimates ...........................................................................60 2.3.1 Visual Survey Validation of Counter(s) .................................................................60 2.3.2 Video Validation of Counters ................................................................................61 2.4 Classification of Female Percent Spawn .....................................................................61 2.5 Fecundity Sampling ....................................................................................................62 2.6 Percent Spawn and Total Egg Deposition ...................................................................62