Linking physical habitatcharacteristics to Chinook spawning

distribution in the Yakima River

Jeremy Cram1, Christian Torgersen2, Ryan Klett1,

George Pess3, Andrew Dittman3, Darran May3

1. University of Washington, College of Forest Resources, Seattle, WA 98195 USA2. U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Cascadia Field Station, University of Washington, College of Forest Resources, Seattle, WA 98195 USA3. NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center, 2725 Montlake Boulevard East, Seattle, Washington 98112, USA

www.usgs.gov

Yakima River• Habitat degradation:

– Dams and irrigation canals– Bank armoring– High temperatures in downstream reaches– Invasive species

• Restoration action:– Supplementation in 1997– Acclimation facilities to extend spawning

distribution

Study Area

Objectives• Develop and evaluate extensive survey

methods for lotic habitat and fishes

• Relate physical habitat to spawning site selection and homing by wild- and hatchery-origin salmon

• Link community structure of resident fishes to habitats associated with salmon spawning distribution

Methods

• Extensive habitat and snorkel survey (2007)

• Intensive survey (2008)

• Carcass and redd surveys (2002 – 2008)

• Depth and temperature profiling (2009)

• Channel type (1,2,3)• Unit type (PO,GP,GR, RI)• Channel width• Depth• Substrate• Cover• Wood• Fish abundance

125 m

140 km mainstem

20 km side channel

Survey summary

flow

Extensive survey September 2007

• Gradient• Temperature• Conductivity• Velocity

125 m

82 sites

.35 km2

Survey summary

flow

Intensive survey September – October 2008

• Surveys conducted by Yakama Nation and NOAA Fisheries

– GPS location– Origin (CWT)– Gender– Age class– Length

125 m

flow

2007 Redds

2002-2008 Redds

Carcass and redd surveys (2002 – 2008)

• Near-bottom depth and temperature logged every 2 seconds

• Merged with GPS tracklog based on time stamp

125 m

flow

2009 (winter) – temperature and depth profiling

Preliminary results

• Extensive habitat and snorkel survey (2007)

• Intensive survey (2008)

• Carcass and redd surveys (2002 – 2008)

• Depth and temperature profiling (2009)

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

WILD_FEM (1km)0

510

1520

2530

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

WILD_FEM (2km)

05

1015

2025

30

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

WILD_FEM (4km)

05

1015

2025

301 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

HAT_FEM (1km)

05

1015

2025

30

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

HAT_FEM (2km)0

510

1520

2530

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

HAT_FEM (4km)

05

1015

2025

30

1 km

Distance upstream (km)

De

ns

ity

(h

atc

he

ry f

em

ale

ca

rca

ss

es

/km

)

D

en

sit

y (

wil

d f

em

ale

ca

rca

ss

es

/km

) 4 km2 km

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

SUM_REDDNU (1km)0

2040

6080

100

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

SUM_REDDNU (2km)

020

4060

8010

0

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

SUM_REDDNU (4km)

020

4060

8010

0

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

CHAN_TYPE.2 + CHAN_TYPE.3 (1km)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

CHAN_TYPE.2 + CHAN_TYPE.3 (2km)0.

00.

51.

01.

52.

02.

53.

0

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

CHAN_TYPE.2 + CHAN_TYPE.3 (4km)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

D

ensi

ty (

sid

e ch

ann

els/

km)

D

ensi

ty (

red

ds/

km)

Distance upstream (km)

1 km 2 km 4 km

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

PER_BOULDE + PER_FINES + PER_BEDROC (1km)

020

40

60

80

100

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

PER_BOULDE + PER_FINES + PER_BEDROC (2km)

020

40

60

80

100

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

PER_BOULDE + PER_FINES + PER_BEDROC (4km)

020

40

60

80

100

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

SUM_REDDNU (1km)0

20

40

60

80

100

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

SUM_REDDNU (2km)

020

40

60

80

100

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

SUM_REDDNU (4km)

020

40

60

80

100

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

PER_GRAVEL (1km)

02

04

06

08

01

00

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

PER_GRAVEL (2km)

02

04

06

08

01

00

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

PER_GRAVEL (4km)

02

04

06

08

01

00

Distance upstream (km)

% G

rave

l

%

Po

or

sub

stra

tes

Den

sity

(re

dd

s/km

) 1 km 2 km 4 km

Acclimation site

BoulderFinesBedrock

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

RTA (1km)

010

020

030

040

050

060

0

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

RTA (2km)

010

020

030

040

050

060

0

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

RTA (4km)

010

020

030

040

050

060

0

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

SUM_REDDNU (1km)

020

4060

8010

0

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

SUM_REDDNU (2km)

020

4060

8010

04 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

SUM_REDDNU (4km)

020

4060

8010

0

1 km 2 km 4 km

Den

sit

y (r

edd

s/km

)

D

ens

ity

(rai

nb

ow

tro

ut/

km)

Distance upstream (km)

16 redds in 2007/8

15:3

0:00

15:3

2:30

Tem

per

atu

re (

oC

)

2.0

2.1

2.2

2.3

2.4

2.5

Temperature

Distance (m)

0 1000 2000 3000

Rel

ativ

e d

epth

0

20

40

60

80

100

Relative depth

Te

mp

era

ture

(oC

)

1.8

2.0

2.2

2.4

2.6

Temperature

Distance (m)

0 50 100 150 200

Re

lati

ve

de

pth

0

10

20

30

40

50

Relative depth

16 redds in 2007 & 2008

(25 %)

(16

%)

Preliminary conclusions• Hatchery- and wild-origin Chinook have similar

spawning distributions at scales ≥ 1km• The influence of habitat factors on spawning site

selection depends on spatial scale• Redd density is correlated with rainbow trout

distribution at broad scales (4 km)

Acknowledgments• Logistics and GIS: Darran May, Hiroo Imaki,

Ethan Welty, John Vaccaro, Patricia Haggerty

• Housing and support: everyone at the Cle Elum supplementation and research facility

• Funding: NOAA BiOP, The Water Center• Photography: Ethan Welty• Aerial photos: NAIP – Allyson Jason• LiDAR – Robert Hilldale

What’s next?

• Data analysis

– Extensive– Intensive– Temperature/depth

profile– Redd/carcass

distribution– Lidar

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

COVV_PERC + COVW_PERC (1km)

020

40

60

80

10

0

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

COVV_PERC + COVW_PERC (2km)

020

40

60

80

10

0

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

COVV_PERC + COVW_PERC (4km)

020

40

60

80

10

0

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

SUM_REDDNU (1km)0

20

40

60

80

10

0

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

SUM_REDDNU (2km)

020

40

60

80

10

0

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

SUM_REDDNU (4km)

020

40

60

80

10

0

1 11 23 35 47 59 71 83 95

WET_WIDTH (1km)

020

40

60

80

10

0

2 12 24 36 48 60 72 84 96

WET_WIDTH (2km)

020

40

60

80

10

0

4 16 28 40 52 64 76 88

WET_WIDTH (4km)

020

40

60

80

10

0

Den

sity

(re

dd

s/km

)%

co

ver

Mea

n w

et w

idth

(m

)1 km 2 km 4 km

Distance upstream (km)

Background

Acclimation site

Acclimation site

Hatchery

Cle Elum R.

Teanaway R.

Den

sity

(re

dd

s/km

)

Distance upstream (km)

Redds 2007