1. Response of a spawning population of Spring Chinook salmon to flow alteration in a regulated system. Steve Corbett, Mary Moser, Andrew Dittman, Darran May, Donald Larsen

2. Outline Introduction Study area Objectives Methods- tagging and tracking Results related to flow alteration Activities in 2009

3. US Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Yakima Basin 5 storage reservoirs 9 diversion dams

4. Radio Telemetry Objectives Test homing to acclimation sites Determine holding sites and final spawning locations Estimate passage time at diversion dam Gain insight to pre-spawn mortality Compare final tag locations with results from carcass survey Measure behavioral response to annual flow alteration event

5. Radio Tagging Collected and tagged at Roza Dam May 30-June 11, 2008 Transported 7 km upstream and released 4-5 years of age 60-93 mm total length Wild n=30 Clark Flat n=29 Jack Creek n=31 Easton n=29 119 Adult Spring Chinook

6. Radio Transmitter Characteristics Length6.0 cm Diameter1.6 cm Antenna length12.0 cm Weight in air29 g Theoretical life210 d Battery type3.7 V lithium Frequencies 9, 30.170 MHz to 30.250 Mhz Band of surgical tubing 2 mm thickness Transmitter weight < 4% of total body weight Transmitter implanted intragastrically via esophogus

7. Cle Elum River Teanaway River Radio Telemetry Fixed Site n=9 Roza Dam Release Site Big Pines Recreation Area Upper Yakima River Easton Acclimation Site Jack Creek Acclimation Site Clark Flat Acclimation Site Cle Elum Research and Supplementation Facility Radio Tracking Fixed sites operated June through October Bi-monthly mobile tracking surveys conducted between June and October

8. Study Area Downstream Forebay Fallback Radio Telemetry Fixed Site n=9 Roza Dam Selah Bridge Release Site Big Pines Recreation Area

9. 119 Forebay N=21 (18%) Fallback N=24 (20%) Downstream of Study Area N=13 (11%) Study Area N=22 (18%) Clark Flat N=5 (23%) Easton N=5 (23%) Jack Creek N=3 (14%) Wild N=9 (40%) Not Contacted N=39 (33%) Fate of Radio Tagged Fish Female N=96 Male N=21 na N=2

10. Fixed Site Passage - Cumulative Percent Town Ditch Rkm 263.4 Rkm 293.1 CERSF Rkm 301 Big Pines Rkm 210.8 First entry to study area: 9 days after tagging, Jack Creek Last entry to study area: 27 days after tagging, Wild

11. Average Daily Computed Natural Flow Average Daily Flow US Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation Altered vs. Natural Hydrographs Yakima River @ Cle Elum Fox et al. 2007 Implications of Flip-Flop for Spawning Adults Hockersmith et al. 1994 Migratory Phase (Apr-Jun) Pre-spawning holding phase (Jun-Aug) Spawning phase (Aug-Oct)

12. Flow Alteration : “Flip Flop” Annual flow alteration event Late August to early September Result of court ruling Yakama Nation v. BOR, 1980 Purpose: Balance needs of irrigation with spawning salmon Began in 1982 Strategy: Flows out of Cle Elum Reservoir decreased Flows out of Rimrock Reservoir increased Spawning occurs lower in channel less flow required to cover redds Prevent redds from being dewatered

13. 296 cfs to 234 cfs 3908 cfs to 542 cfs 3619 cfs to 241 cfs Lake Cle Elum Lake Kachess Lake Keechelus Upper Yakima Basin Flow Dynamics August 18 - September 12, 2008 N Cle Elum River Yakima River

14. Did not experience flow alteration, n=9

15. Experienced flow alteration, n=5

16. May 30 June 19 June 25 June 27 July 7 July 21 Aug 5 Aug 18 Aug 29 Sep 15 *Sep 30 RA084 Origin:Wild Female 70 cm Did not experience flow alteration *Tag recovered with post-spawned carcass Total distance of upstream migration = 103 km # of relocations = 10

17. RA212 Origin: Clark Flat Female 63 cm July 2 June 6 July 21 Aug 6 Aug 18 Aug 29 July 9 Sep 15 *Oct 3 *Tag recovered with post-spawned carcass June 4 Total distance of upstream migration = 85 km # of relocations = 10 Experienced flow alteration

18. Effect of Release Date 5/30/08 6/4/08 6/11/08 Release Date 14 of 53 6 of 39 2 of 27 Percentage of radio-tagged fish that reached study area Study Area

19. Activities in 2009 Test of tag attachment method Provide insight to 2008 results Guide actions in 2010 Esophogeal Implant External Attachment Untagged Control Tag Retention, Survival

20. Final locations of radio-tagged fish occurred where carcass/redd survey results show highest densities. Homing/straying assessment requires data from larger sample size. Evidence that flow reduction prompts fish to move upstream. Some fish migrate upstream of confluence with Cle Elum River and thus do not experience Flip-flop. Majority of spawners are migrating upstream during artificially low flows in June and artificially high flows in July and August. More research needed to determine best tag attachment method. Conclusions

21. Acknowledgements NOAA Fisheries Mark Kaminski Byron Iverson Eric Hockersmith Kinsey Frick Deb Harstad Brian Burke Yakama Nation Fisheries Charlie Strom Mark Johnston Joe Hoptowit Gerald Lewis Vernon Bogar Bureau of Reclamation Scott Kline Ellensburg Water Larry Brown Funding NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center

22. Passage at Town Ditch Diversion Dam Dual antenna array, ~1 km Low 1 hr. 24 minutes High 4 days 1 hour 17 minutes Mean 1 day, 3 hours, 3 minutes

23. Clark Flat Radio Telemetry Fixed Site Easton Jack Creek Wild Final Locations of Radio Tags as Determined by Surveys Post 9/15 KOA Campground Easton CERSF Clark Flat Jack Creek Origin