Wild Winter Steelhead Run Timing How It Has Been Reshaped by Fisheries Management in Washington

Questions Examined: When did hatchery steelhead significantly enter the catch What proportion of historic catches were prior to March Has there ever been differential harvest opportunity Has a shift in wild steelhead run timing occurred What are the biological values of early run timing Mid-Sauk River, Jan. 24, 2003

Washington’s Historic Hatchery Steelhead Steelhead fry releases began 1903; fingerlings 1936; not only was there little return but “Ironically, steelhead runs…were reduced by the hatcheries…” (Crawford 1979) Green River tagging study: “Artificial propagation appears to contribute very little towards the maintenance of steelhead trout populations.” (Pautzke & Meigs 1941) 3.4% hatchery steelhead in Green River sport catch 1940; ~2% in 1941 (Pautzke & Meigs 1940; 1941)

Pautzke and His Supertrout From Sports Illustrated Feb “In 1950 he planted seven rivers. In 1953 he planted 760,000 … fingerlings in 35 rivers…”

Historic Wild Winter Steelhead Run-Timing Sport Catch 1955 & 1956: nine Washington steelhead rivers [WDG summaries] Tribal Catch : nine Washington steelhead rivers [Taylor 1979] Sport Catch : all Washington steelhead rivers [Royal 1972]

Hoh River Tribal Steelhead Catch ( ) Hoh River Sport Steelhead Catch (1955 & 1956)

Nisqually River Tribal Steelhead Catch ( ) Nisqually River Sport Steelhead Catch (1955 & 1956)

Nooksack River Tribal Steelhead Catch ( ) Nooksack River Sport Steelhead Catch (1955 & 1956)

Queets River Tribal Steelhead Catch ( ) Queets River Sport Steelhead Catch (1955 & 1956)

Quinault River Tribal Steelhead Catch ( ) Quinault River Sport Steelhead Catch (1955 & 1956)

Return of Marked Hatchery Steelhead and Wild Steelhead at 5 Rivers from Field Checks [Royal 1972] Chambers Ck. stock hatchery steelhead available to the sport fishery earlier than wild with substantial % in December The differential run-time provides an essential management tool Elochoman 1963 & 1964 DecJanFebMarApr Wild closed Hatchery closed %Hatchery49%51%49%21% ---

Chambers Ck. stock hatchery steelhead available to the sport fishery earlier than wild with substantial % in December The differential run-time provides an essential management tool Sol Duc 1955 DecJanFebMarApr Wild Hatchery %Hatchery38%23% 3%2% Satsop 1954 DecJanFebMarApr Wild Hatchery %Hatchery19%7%8%3%0%

Chambers Ck. stock hatchery steelhead available to the sport fishery earlier than wild with substantial % in December The differential run-time provides an essential management tool Humptulips 1963 DecJanFebMarApr Wild closed Hatchery closed %Hatchery79%71%52%43% --- Bogachiel 1971 DecJanFebMarApr Wild closed Hatchery closed %Hatchery71%78%48%0% ---

Among the few Washington rivers that better fit the 1972 Royal model for potential differential harvest of hatchery steelhead were the 1956 Skagit & 1955 Dungeness River steelhead examples that were then largely wild Nevertheless 56% of the largely wild Skagit catch & 50% of the Dungeness largely catch were Dec through Feb

Steelhead Consequences Of Misinterpreting History Today the majority of winter steelhead are caught in December and January and are as much as 90% hatchery steelhead [Crawford 1979]

Hoh River Steelhead Management (30-35 years after 1962) Interaction between wild & hatchery stocks is minimal because hatchery fish return earlier than wild & are managed for high exploitation (up to 95%) in terminal sport & commercial fisheries [McHenry et al. 1996] Given high hatchery fish exploitation rate of about 80%, healthy wild spawner escapements, & difference in spawn timing of hatchery fish (Jan/Feb) & wild fish (mid Feb through May), potential for interbreeding is limited [Washington State Salmon and Steelhead Stock Inventory (SASSI) 1994]

Queets River sport steelhead catch in 1955 & 1956 compared to 1995 & 1996 by monthly area of distribution Differences in hypothetical bell curves in wild winter steelhead return based on catch

Pysht River sport steelhead catch in 1955 & 1956 compared to 2001 & 2002 by monthly area of distribution Differences in hypothetical bell curves in wild winter steelhead return based on catch

Why Early Run Timing? Provides option for early spawning to increase overall fit to broadest range of temperature and flow patterns Can result in earlier emergence; larger size into 1 st winter; & ability to migrate from/within intermittent streams Can provide more staggered emergence & resultant staggered use of available food resources in critical 1st months Provides for destination adjustments to fluctuating basin conditions (rainfall, temperature, volcanic episodes, landslides, etc.) Provides males the opportunity for multiple spawnings over the broadest period of time & broadest area

Lower Clearwater Sub-basin of Queets: Examples of Early Run Timing Importance [Cederholm 1984] Spawning began in January in both the mainstem and tributaries but spawning peaked earlier in the tributaries Spawning peak varied by tributary potentially reflecting differing flow/temperature/scour patterns Warmest water year spawning peaked 39 days earlier than coldest year [steelhead entry time remained same each year as indicated by tribal catch] Late emergence: small size going into 1 st winter; Early emergence: large size going into 1 st winter

Steelhead redds in 5 tributaries of the Clearwater Basin in 1978 (only year both Jan. & Feb. trib surveys were made) Differing spawn times in each of 5 Clearwater Basin tributaries in 1978

Three Siuslaw Basin Tributaries on Oregon Coast Wild Steelhead Trapped on Creek Entry [Lindsay et al. 1991; 1992; 1993; & pers com Ken Kenaston ODFW] Females thought to spawn within few days and leave Males remained longer, including two that averaged 35 days Early spawning may be needed to emerge prior to reduced flow

Studies at Snow Ck. demonstrate steelhead mating complexity & that early arriving males are particularly successful ( Seamons et al & 2004) Variable dates of first steelhead arrivals: December-March Males arrived avg. 15 days prior to female they mated with Females mated with males that arrived before them Males spawned with as many as 10 females Females spawned with as many as 5 males One early arriving male sired 40% of all YOY in study area

Early-Run/Tributary Relation Skagit River Basin [Phillips et al. 1980; & 1981] 75% steelhead spawn in tributary streams Skagit River Basin [Freymond 1984] Skagit River tributaries in 1983 had 13.7 redds/km; mainstem 9.2 redds/km Rogue River [Everest 1973] Greatest spawning intensity in small tribs: <25 sq mi; <50 cfs winter flow; dry by mid-June Many support large populations from which fry must migrate soon after emergence

The whole is the sum of its parts