Evaluate Habitat Use and Population Dynamics of Lampreys in Cedar Creek BPA - 200001400 Christina Luzier USFWS Columbia River Fisheries Program Office – Vancouver, WA

Outline Critical Uncertainties Project History Objectives Adaptive Changes 2004 Updates Future of the Project

Critical Uncertainties Lamprey Status: Distribution/Abundance Basic Biology/Ecology Genetic Structure Passage Survival Estimates Limiting Factors Restoration Activities Education and Outreach Petition for listing, not warranted Waiting for finding – to see if status review is warranted on PCL or any of the 3 other species

Project Overview/History BPA Project # 200001400 4th year of project operations Lewis River Drainage, SW Washington Year-around field activity Staff: 3 FTE’s, fish biologists $204,000 yearly

Location Map Cedar Creek, WA. N 5 km

Objectives Abundance and migration timing of adults Larval distribution and habitat use Outmigrant abundance and migration timing Spawning habitat requirements Objectives

Objective 1 Adults Pacific (PCL) Migration timing, biology and behavior, population estimates Method: Adult Pot traps and Adult Fish Ladder Length, weight, sex, spawning condition PIT tag, fin clip (for 2nd mark and genetics) Mark-recapture for population estimates

Capturing Adults Adult Ladder Pot Trap WDFW adult ladder 4km upstream and pot trap Adult Ladder Pot Trap

Objective 1 Results Population estimates PCL Population estimates 2001 – 87; 2002 – 700; 2003 – 693 Migration timing: potentially two migration periods early summer/fall

2001–2003 Adult PCL Movement

2002 Adult PCL Movement Two pulses early summer and late fall Negative relationship with discharge

Objective 1 Population Estimation Escapement Location of marking Challenges Population Estimation Location of marking Capture method efficiency Poor recapture efficiency PIT retention rates Equal capture of marked v. unmarked Escapement Incomplete coverage of nest counts

Objective 1 Changes Pop Estimates Escapement Challenges for Population estimates. Marking too far upstream – put trap line at mouth. Capture efficiencies for different methods unknown – now tracking methods Poor recapture efficiencies in ladder and pots – WDFW improved flow at entrance of fish ladder, added more pots to ladder, improved pot trap design. PIT retention unknown – added second mark (also for genetic analysis) Escapement – incomplete coverage of redd counts 1. Spatial coverage - good 2. Expanded temporal coverage 3. Estimated redd life Next - Relating population estimates to escapement

Objective 2 Larval lamprey distribution and habitat use Method: Stratified systematic point sampling technique Electrofishing 70% depletion Habitat Stratified systematic design, for purposes of comparison with CTUIR study (describe layout) At each sample point, lamprey removed and habitat assessed Logistic regressions and categorical regression trees computed

Sample Site Diagram Transect 6 10 m Transect 5 Transect 4 Water Flow = Sample Points

Objective 2 Results Fish in relation to their habitat Stone and Barndt 2004 (J. Freshwat. Ecol.) Highly aggregated, non-random Negative relationship with water velocity Positive relationship with clay, silt, sand Backwater, depositional, side channel areas

Objective 2 Challenges Low number of successes at sample points, i.e. lots of zeroes Concerns about gear efficiency Catchability concerns in presence areas Changes Plans to develop sampling design to address low success rate (adaptive cluster method, etc.) Continuation of gear efficiency work including lower densities and probability of capture Continuation of gear efficiency work including: modeling probability of capture

Gear Efficiency Ability to get sufficient test fish for trials Challenges: Ability to get sufficient test fish for trials Substrate sterility and validation: time consuming Gear Efficiency Trials Cedar Creek 2004

<60 mm Ammocoetes Only Gear Efficiency Preliminary Results Depletion model Regression correction Perfect world At high densities with smaller fish 70% depletion model overestimates Regression technique reduces some error 2004 we are working on lower densities both larger and smaller fish. These are densities that we are seeing in the real world <60 mm Ammocoetes Only

Objective 3 Outmigrant abundance and migration timing Method: 5’ screw trap, 4 km upstream of mouth Length, weight, stage Tag and release Trap efficiency Trap retention

Objective 3 Results Abundance estimates not calculated due to poor trap efficiencies

Ammocoete Movement 2001 - 2003

2001-2003 Macropthalmia Movement

2003 Am and Mac Movement

Objective 3 Screwtrap upstream from majority of CDC productivity Challenges Screwtrap upstream from majority of CDC productivity (172 nests downstream!) consistent effort with high flow without compromising safety Changes Section 10 permit to move screw trap to mouth of CDC Safety Consistent effort Improve migration timing estimates and mark/recapture

Objective 4 Evaluate spawning habitat requirements of adult lampreys Index 3 Index 5 Index 2 Index 1 Index 6 Index 4 Method: Spawning ground surveys throughout Cedar and Chelatchie Creeks Index 7

Pacific Lamprey Nest Dimensions Substrate Habitat type Flow #/sex Eggs present Nest longevity

Objective 4 Results PCL Nests 2001 - 20; 2002 – 124; 2003 – 109 Habitat types: Pool tail outs, runs, low gradient riffles with large gravel Appearance: Round depression, 21-23 in (53-58 cm) in diameter, substrate stacked around perimeter Flow: 2-3 ft/sec Results varied between years May be related to environmental conditions, observer variation, experience at nest identification Pool tail-outs and runs are popular habitats for spawning Species distribution and Index Surveys

Objective 4 Results WBL Nests 2001 – 24; 2002 – 13; 2003 – 22 Habitat types: Pool tail outs, low gradient runs with small gravel Appearance: small gravel, 4-14 in. diameter (cattle hoof print) Flow: 1.3 ft/sec Results varied between years May be related to environmental conditions, observer variation, experience at nest identification Pool tail-outs and runs are popular habitats for spawning Species distribution and Index Surveys

2002 2003

PCL Nest Construction/Digging

PCL Adult Video

Objective 3 Challenges Moving beyond Phase 1: Collection of descriptive nest data Phase 2: Development of predictive model of spawning habitat Changes Improved sampling design for use and non-use data Use vs. non-use habitat characteristics To this end, developed improved sampling regime for use and non-use habitat data PCL 273 use points (i.e. redds) and 108 non use points – describe briefly WBL 27 use points and 16 non-use points Evaluate relationships between use and non-use habitats PCL–273 use/108 non-use; WBL–27 use/16 non-use

Current Work Future Work Continue with four Objectives Improving adult abundance estimation Continuing work on Gear Efficiency and larval depletion models Logistical analysis of screw trap move Predictive modeling of spawning habitat Future Work Juvenile spatial distribution within substrate Recruitment in Rosgen side-channels Population genetics

http://columbiariver.fws.gov Acknowledgments BPA Howard Schaller CRFPO Jen Stone Sam Lohr Bao Le Greg Silver http://columbiariver.fws.gov

WBL Double Feature