1. Documenting O. mykiss life histories in the White Salmon River prior to the reintroduction of anadromous fish above Condit Dam.
Brady Allen and Patrick J. Connolly
U.S. Geological Survey-Biological Resources Discipline
Western Fisheries Research Center
Columbia River Research Laboratory

2. Big Brother Falls Buck Ck. Falls White Salmon River BZ Falls Falls
Trout Lake Creek
White Salmon River BZ
Falls
Falls
Husum Falls
Rattlesnake Creek
Falls
Condit Dam
Columbia River

3. Condit Dam Facts Built in 1913 92 acre reservoir
2.4 million cubic yards (1.8 m3) sediment
Watershed = 390 square miles
Average flow of 1000 cfs
Draining will take 6 hrs at 11,000 cfs
(~ 100 yr flood event)
Highest flow recorded was 45,000 cfs in 1996
Much of the river is in a narrow basalt canyon
Once passable for fish it will open
33 miles for steelhead
14 miles for chinook

4. Overview White Salmon Working Group Focal species Options identified
Options recommended
Science guided plans

5. White Salmon Working Group
An update of fish salvage and reintroduction plan was necessary
Working group was formed and first met in February 2007
Information sharing and identification of reintroduction options
Coordination of fish salvage prior to removal
Pre and post removal monitoring and evaluation
Opportunities to work with partners on fisheries and habitat restoration in the basin
In preparation for the restoration of fish passage to the historically anadromous portion of the White Salmon River

6. Species considered: summer and winter steelhead fall Chinook salmon
spring Chinook salmon
coho salmon
chum salmon
bull trout
pacific lamprey

7. Options considered:
No action, natural colonization, re-evaluate in 5-10 yrs
Salvage wild fish and outplant above Condit Dam, prior to removal
Salvage wild adults, spawn in hatchery, release juveniles in White Salmon River after removal
Use adjacent hatchery/wild stock, release juveniles/adults in White Salmon River after removal

8. Options recommended by the White Salmon Workgroup
Summer and winter steelhead, and spring Chinook salmon - monitor natural escapement, re-evaluate options in 5 years
The results of recent collaborative research projects in the White Salmon River were used to help guide the re-introduction and management plans to meet restoration goals of the various species. These projects include fish assessments in Rattlesnake Creek, a resident trout movement study in the White Salmon River above Condit Dam, juvenile fish population and genetic assessments below Condit Dam, Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment modeling, and past genetic assessments of salmonid populations from nearby watersheds.

9. Conclusions
Options incorporated into NOAA’s Endangered Species Act recovery plans for Middle Columbia River steelhead and Lower Columbia River Chinook, coho, and chum salmon
The existing datasets and findings provide some information prior to reintroduction, much more could be learned

10. Two types of tags for tracking fish in the White Salmon subbasin:
Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) Tags
&
Radio Tags
Radio Tags
PIT Tags
Uniquely identify
individuals.
Can be read from long
distances.
Cannot be put in small
fish.
Tags are expensive.
Battery life is limited.
Uniquely identify
individuals.
Cannot be read from
long distances.
Can be put in small fish.
Tags are not expensive.
No battery, lasts the
life of the fish, or longer.

11. Connectivity within the White Salmon watershed _________
BZ Falls
White Salmon River
Connectivity within the
White Salmon watershed
_________
How do fish use the system?
Upper Buck Cr. Falls
Lower Buck Cr. Falls
Falls
Rattlesnake Creek
Buck Creek
Husum Falls
Mill Creek
Northwestern Lake
Condit Dam
White Salmon River
Columbia River

12. White Salmon River Basin (WA)
Habitat use and life history characteristics of rainbow trout in the White Salmon River above Condit Dam
Objective
Assess connectivity of Northwestern Lake with mainstem White Salmon River and its tributaries
Funded by:
Good rainbow fishing in the river and lake. The forest service manages the wild and scenic segment above the reservoir. Condit removed in Oct 08.
Condit Dam,
White Salmon River Basin (WA)

13. Fish collection:
hook and line
Data collected:
location, length, weight, scale sample, and genetic sample
PIT tagging
surgery if radio tagged

15. Radio Tagging: 2001: 44 tags 2002: 20 tags 12 above Husum
BZ Falls
Radio Tagging:
2001: 44 tags
12 above Husum
9 below Husum
23 in reservoir
2002: 20 tags
10 above Husum
10 below Husum
Waterfall
Husum Falls
Remote PIT
tag interrogator
Condit Dam

16. Conclusions: Most fish moved less than 3 km
Rattlesnake and Buck creek are used as spawning tributaries
Resident trout can pass above Husum Falls
Behavior of trout in the White Salmon River watershed is diverse

17. Bonneville Power Administration
Assess Current and Potential Salmonid Production in Rattlesnake Creek Associated with Restoration efforts
Objectives
1.) Characterize fish populations, isotopes, water quality/quantity, and habitat prior to re-introduction
2.) Identify restoration needs
Funded by:
Bonneville Power Administration

18. Rattlesnake Creek Instream PIT-tag interrogation system
Falls
Instream PIT-tag interrogation system
Rattlesnake Creek
Fish sampled and tagged (n=4,813)
Species, abundance, movement, growth, disease
Falls
White Salmon River
Husum Falls
Add picture of backpack shocking- explain
Indian Creek
Indian Creek
Condit Dam

19. Rattlesnake Creek antenna system
To AC Power and Data Storage
Flow
>95% efficient at all fish all flows, add better schematic
Multiplexing
transceiver

20. White Salmon watershed How do fish use the system?
Falls
Connectivity to the
White Salmon watershed
_________
How do fish use the system?
1% (289)
Instream PIT-tag interrogation system
Rattlesnake Creek
White Salmon River
0.1% (1,184)
Falls
Husum Falls
0.7% (1,329)
22% (1,102)
12% (438)
21% (116)
Indian Creek
12% (355)
Indian Creek
Condit Dam

21. Flow and downstream fish movement
specific locations but only where you have gear

22. East Sand Island Bonneville Dam Bonneville Dam
27 Oct 2004: Tagged at 156 mm in lower Rattlesnake Creek
27 April 2005: Detected leaving Rattlesnake Creek
15 Nov 2005: Tag found at East Sand Island Caspian tern colony
Bonneville Dam
16 Sept 2004: Tagged at 98 mm in Indian Creek (tributary)
29 March 2005: Detected leaving Rattlesnake Creek
22 July 2006: Detected moving up through Bonneville adult fish ladder as a one-salt summer steelhead
Bonneville Dam

23. Fish Behavior in Rattlesnake Creek:
Summary of findings
Fish Behavior in Rattlesnake Creek:
Husum Falls was not a barrier to larger resident trout
Little connection between trout above and below lower Rattlesnake Creek waterfall at RKM 2.4
Spawning resident trout from the White Salmon River use Rattlesnake and Buck creeks
Some White Salmon trout over-winter in Rattlesnake Creek
Many Rattlesnake and Indian creek trout emigrate to the White Salmon River, during spring, smolt like – some continue to express anadromy

24. Now.
Future?
Options incorporated into NOAA’s Endangered Species Act recovery plans for Middle Columbia River steelhead and Lower Columbia River Chinook, coho, and chum salmon