Post on 29-May-2020
Alouette Sockeye Adult
Enumeration Project– (Bridging Year 2015)
16.ALU.03
Prepared for:
Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program
Prepared by:
Greta Borick-Cunningham, Dip.Tech. SRM and
Sophie Smith, BSc.
Alouette River Management Society
24959 Alouette Road,
Maple Ridge, BC. V4R 1R8
2016
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 1
Executive Summary
Originally, through BC Hydro’s Water Use Plan for the Alouette Watershed, a spring surface
release from the Alouette Dam has allowed for kokanee/sockeye smolts to migrate to the ocean
from 2007 to 2015. The first surface releases occurred in 2005 and in 2007 the first adult sockeye
returned to the Alouette Watershed. The 2015 Alouette sockeye salmon run saw 4 adults returning
between August 10 and August 23, 2015. Of the 4 sockeye caught, 2 were found in an extremely
degraded condition, and 2 were in good condition. All four sockeye were transported to the
Alouette Sockeye Research Facility where they were sampled and placed in holding at the Allco
Upper Hatchery in conjunction with the “Experimental Release of Hatchery-Reared Sea-Run
Kokanee Into Alouette Reservoir” project (ALU.16.04). Fork length measurements for all four
sockeye were taken along with scale and tissue samples, weight and a pit tag injection was
administered. The measurements indicated an average fork length of 52.5cm.
Of the 4 scale samples taken, all 4 were useable for aging with each of the 4 adults being aged in
4 different age classes. The genetic sampling identified 2 adults originating from Alouette stock
and the other 2 originating from the west coast of Vancouver Island, specifically, Great Central
Lake and Sproat Lake (Godbout et al, unpublished data 2016, see Appendix A). Between the
return years of 2005-2012, the smolt to adult (return to the hatchery fish fence) survival of the
Alouette sockeye has ranged from a low of 0.06% in the 2011 smolt year to a high of 1.33% in the
2008 smolt year. (Mathews, 2015 unpublished data).
The peak of the 2015 Alouette adult sockeye return was on 23 August, when 2 fish arrived at the
Allco fish fence. Since 2007, up to and including the 2015 season, 312 adult sockeye salmon have
returned to the Allco fish fence.
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 2
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ 1
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Objectives ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Study Area ............................................................................................................................... 6 Methods........................................................................................................................................... 7 Results ........................................................................................................................................... 11
Adult Sockeye Returns .......................................................................................................... 11 Fork Length ........................................................................................................................... 11 Age Structure ........................................................................................................................ 12 Genetic Sampling and Parental Analysis ............................................................................. 13 Smolt to Spawner Survival .................................................................................................... 13
Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 15
Adult Sockeye Returns .......................................................................................................... 15 Fork Length ........................................................................................................................... 16
Age Structure ....................................................................................................................... 17
Genetic Samping and Parental Analysis .............................................................................. 18 Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 18 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 18
References ..................................................................................................................................... 19 Appendix A ................................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix B ................................................................................................................................... 29
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 3
List of Figures
Figure 1 Map of the Alouette Watershed ....................................................................................... 6
Figure 2 Allco Fish Hatchery fence and trap, May 2014 ............................................................... 7
Figure 3 Allco Fish Hatchery fence and bladder, May 2014 ......................................................... 8
Figure 4 Sockeye transport tanks, May 2014................................................................................. 9
Figure 5 Returning sockeye is photographed and dated – August 10, 2015.................................. 9
Figure 6 Returning sockeye is photographed and dated – August 20, 2015................................ 10
Figure 7 Returning sockeye is photographed and dated – August 23, 2015................................ 10
Figure 8 Returning sockeye is photographed and dated – August 23, 2015................................ 10
Figure 9 Sockeye fork length measurement for 2015 .................................................................. 12
Figure 10 Total number of sockeye returned to Alouette watershed 2008-2015 by year ............ 15
Figure 11 Fork length of returning sockeye 2008-2015 .............................................................. 16
List of Tables
Table 1 Estimated number of smolts leaving the Alouette Reservoir during the spring surface
release, 2005-2015. ......................................................................................................................... 4
Table 2 Number of returned adult sockeye to the Alouette Watershed, 2007-2015 .................... 11
Table 3 Age class for Alouette Adult Sockeye 2015 (Godbout, L. et al 2016) ........................... 13
Table 4 Alouette sockeye brood survivals, 2005-2012 ................................................................ 14
Table 5 Average sockeye fork length, 2008-2015 ....................................................................... 16
Table 6 Alouette adult sockeye age structure analysis, 2008-2015 ............................................. 17
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 4
Introduction During the 2006 review of the Alouette Water Use Plan (WUP), the consultative Alouette
Monitoring Committee identified the restoration of an anadromous sockeye salmon run as a key
issue in the Alouette River system. Construction of the dam in the 1920’s impounded the reservoir
and extirpated the sockeye run soon after. As a means of re-establishing the stock, a spring surface
release from the dam was integrated into the WUP. The testing of a specific surface release of
3m3s-1 from April to June has indeed facilitated kokanee/sockeye out-migration from the reservoir.
Since 2005, smolts have successfully outmigrated through the spillway gate during the spring
release and to the ocean via the Alouette River (Table 1, Mathews et al. 2015).
Table 1 Estimated number of smolts leaving the Alouette Reservoir during the spring surface release, 2005-2015.
Year of Smolt Migration Estimated Abundance of Smolts
2005 7,900
2006 5,064
2007 62,915
2008 8,257
2009 4,287
2010 15,434
2011 35,542
2012 728
2013 6,264
2014 2,358
2015 677*
Note that the 2015 season did not have the rotary screw trap in the collection site when BC Hydro had a controlled
release of water due to storm events.
The viability and authenticity of kokanee smolt “re-anadromization” is dependent on the stocks
ability to adapt to salt water conditions, to adopt behavioural strategies to compete and avoid
predation in an ocean environment, and to recognize and return to their native lake/stream system
to spawn (Bocking & Gaboury 2003). Through the original Alouette Adult Sockeye Enumeration
monitoring program, sockeye returning to the Alouette River were collected, counted, aged,
genetically tested and released into Alouette Lake. In 2007, it was found that returning sockeye
salmon trapped at the Allco Fish Fence were genetically proven to be Alouette stock (Balcke,
2009)
The main purpose of the original seven year Alouette Adult Sockeye Enumeration monitoring
program as funded under BC Hydro’s Alouette Water Use Plan was to establish whether out-
migrating Alouette Lake Reservoir kokanee/sockeye smolts were capable of adapting to an
anadromous existence. Adaptation is considered successful when sockeye return from the ocean
environment to spawn in Alouette Lake. Additionally, the original monitoring program sought to
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 5
establish the timing and genetic structure of the returning sockeye run and to assess whether ocean
survival rates of returning re-anadromized kokanee were comparable to that of sockeye stocks
found elsewhere. During the first three years of the program (2008-2010), the Allco Hatchery fish
fence was operated from April to December to determine the timing and volume of the run
(Crowston & Borick-Cunningham, 2012). Based on the results of these efforts, the following five
years (2011-2015) had a shorter fence operation timeframe, which commenced mid-June through
to the fall. Tissue samples were also collected from all sockeye in order to ensure that returning
adults were Alouette stock and not strays from other nearby coastal systems.
Objectives The project objectives were to continue the enumeration program initially as a bridging year in
2015 between the Alouette Sockeye Adult Enumeration monitoring program (ALUMON#4), as
funded by BC Hydro under its Alouette Water Use Plan and the upcoming review of the Alouette
and Stave Water Use Plans (expected sometime in 2017). This bridging year would allow
continued data collection on the number of adult sockeye returning to the Alouette system and up
to the Allco fish fence including completion of another year of genetic sampling. This continued
sampling would reinforce the baseline data for sockeye as part of many years of ongoing efforts
to re-introduce sockeye into the upper Alouette Watershed (Alouette Watershed – Salmonid
Action Plan). The bridging year would include the continuation to trap, enumerate, sample, and
with the assistance of the BC Corrections supervisor and crew, transfer sockeye into the Alouette
Reservoir with no more than 30 sockeye adults being held back for spawning purposes as an
interim Fish Passage Strategy using an experimental sockeye hatchery as enhancement to
increase the number of sockeye juveniles in the Alouette Lake Reservoir (Plate, E. 2014). It is
envisaged that this interim Fish Passage Strategy will incorporate the continuation of the
enumeration monitor in the future along with the experimental Allco Fish Hatchery sockeye
rearing and release project and the Kokanee outmigration study project (all require FWCP
funding approval). As discussed in Plate et al technical feasibility report (Oct 2014), there have
been a variety of monitoring studies including the Alouette Sockeye Adult Enumeration Monitor
(ALUMON#4) which have contributed to many years of research and data collection about the
genetics, parentage and age of the Alouette adult sockeye (sockanee) returns. These studies were
recently compiled, along with the Kokanee Outmigration Monitor (ALUMON#2) and others,
into a technical feasibility report which synthesized all the research done to date on Alouette
sockeye and the process needed to be taken to re-establish sockeye in the Alouette Reservoir.
This synthesis report outlines and recommends various ways in which sockeye can be brought
back to the reservoir including hatchery intervention and speaks to the importance of the ongoing
adult enumeration and sampling which will be a vital part of this future work.
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 6
Study Area
The South Alouette Watershed (144 km2), comprised of the South Alouette River and Alouette
Lake Reservoir, are located within the communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows (Figure 1).
The site of the Alouette Adult Sockeye Enumeration program is approximately 8 km downstream
from the Alouette Reservoir at the Allco Fish Hatchery operated by BC Corrections Fraser
Regional Correctional Centre. The hatchery is well positioned to intercept all migrating adult
sockeye on their way back to the reservoir.
Figure 1 Map of the Alouette Watershed
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 7
Methods From the first year of monitoring in 2008, the adult sockeye run appeared to be a summer run,
arriving in the Alouette Watershed in July and August (Balcke, 2009). Taking this into
consideration, as well as the maintenance requirements, and downstream steelhead kelt passage,
the Alouette Monitoring Committee decided that in both the 2009 and 2010 the fence would be in
operation between April and December, rather than year round (Cruickshank, 2010). In 2011, the
fence operation was shortened and the monitor began on June 15, 2011. In 2015, although the
Allco fish fence went up on June 15, returning sockeye sampling dates commenced on August 10
when the first adult arrived and completed on August 23, 2015 when the last adult arrived. The
Allco fish fence went down briefly in late September 2015 but was put back up again in early-mid
October when the chum salmon started returning and egg-take operations started. The fence went
back down again in January 2016 to facilitate passage of steelhead.
Figure 2 Allco Fish Hatchery fence and trap, May 2014
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 8
Figure 3 Allco Fish Hatchery fence and bladder, May 2014
The fish fence was designed to direct sockeye and other salmon into the trap, which was monitored
daily by BC Corrections staff and crew. In case of a failure at the Allco fish fence, BC Hydro
installed a trap at the low level outlet of the Alouette Dam to catch returning sockeye that were not
captured at the Allco fence. In conjunction with the “Experimental Release of Hatchery-Reared Se-
Run Kokanee Into Alouette Reservoir” project (16.ALU.04), once trapped the sockeye were dip-
netted out of the trap, placed in nylon porous bags and transported by BC Corrections to the
Alouette Sockeye Research Facility, where they were sampled and held in tubs until spawners.
The sockeye were transported to the hatchery in specifically designed tanks fitted for both the
Allco Hatchery truck and sockeye transport trailer (Figure 4). Due to the very low number of
returning adult sockeye, no fish were released into the Alouette Lake Reservoir in 2015.
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 9
Figure 4 Sockeye transport tanks, May 2014
For each returning sockeye in 2015, the date of capture and release was recorded. Additionally,
fork length measurements and pictures were taken for all returning sockeye. Scale and tissue
samples were collected from all 4 returning adult sockeye (Figure 5 - 8). The tissue and scale
samples were sent to the Pacific Biological Station (Department of Fisheries and Oceans)
laboratories in Nanaimo, B.C. for genetic analysis.
Figure 5 Returning sockeye is photographed and dated – August 10, 2015
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 10
Figure 6 Returning sockeye is photographed and dated – August 20, 2015
Figure 7 Returning sockeye is photographed and dated – August 23, 2015
Figure 8 Returning sockeye is photographed and dated – August 23, 2015
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 11
Results
Adult Sockeye Returns
A total of four sockeye returned to the Alouette Watershed during the 2015 run (Table 2). Of the
four sockeye caught, two were found in an extremely degraded condition, and two were in good
condition. All four sockeye were transported to the Alouette Sockeye Research Facility where
they were sampled and placed in holding. No sockeye were released into the Alouette Lake
Reservoir in conjunction with the “Experimental Release of Hatchery-Reared Se-Run Kokanee Into
Alouette Reservoir” project (16.ALU.04) and holding of adult sockeye at the Allco Upper Hatchery.
Table 2 Number of returned adult sockeye to the Alouette Watershed, 2007-2015
Year of Adult Return Number of Returned
Adults
Number of Adults
Released Alive into
Alouette Reservoir
2007 28 5
2008 54 53
2009 45 43
2010 115 103
2011 11 8
2012 45 43
2013 10 7
2014 0 0
2015 4 0*
Totals 312 262 *Transported to the Alouette Sockeye Research Facility for holding
In 2015, all four sockeye were captured in the Allco fish fence trap. The peak of the return was
August 23, with two sockeye caught on this day.
Fork Length
Fork length measurements were collected for all four returning sockeye. The fork lengths ranged
from 44.5 - 57 cm, with an average fork length of 52.5cm (Appendix A).
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 12
Figure 9 Sockeye fork length measurement for 2015
Age Structure
Scale samples were analyzed from four sockeye to determine the 2015 run age structure. It was
found that the Alouette adult sockeye were older than the sockeye from the west coast of
Vancouver Island “as a result of spending either 3 years at sea instead of 1 or 2 years or going to
sea at 2 year-old instead 1 year-old” (Godbout, L.et al 2016, see Appendix A).
0
1
2
3
4
5
44
44
.5 45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
52
.5 53
53
.5 54
55
56
57
58
58
.5 59
59
.5 60
61
62
63
Nu
mb
er o
f S
ock
eye
20
15
Fork Length (cm) 2015
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 13
Table 3 Age class for Alouette Adult Sockeye 2015 (Godbout, L. et al 2016)
DNA vial/ FISH ID Origin Age Field/
PBS
2213 Great Central L. 42/42
2214 Sproat L. 32/32
2215 Alou 53/53
2216 Alou NA/52
Genetic Sampling and Parental Analysis
Tissue samples of the returned adult sockeye were analyzed for DNA using methods described by
Beacham et al. 2005 (Godbout, L. et al. 2016) and was used to assign stock proportions from the
2015 returning adults in the Alouette River to the 90 population coastwide kokanee-sockeye
genetic baseline collections. Results from this analysis indicate that two of the returning adults in
the Alouette River in 2015 were from the Alouette Lake Reservoir and two of the returning sockeye
were from the west coast of Vancouver Island, specifically from the Great Central Lake (fish ID
2213) and Sproat Lake (fish ID 2214) (Godbout, L. et al unpublished 2016). Parental analysis
was performed using the program CERVUS 3.0.7 as in previous years (see Godbout et al. 2014).
Results of parentage showed none of the 2015 returning adults had a perfect match for a parental
pair of any of the sea-run kokanee that left as juveniles in 2010 (Godbout, L. et al. 2016).
Smolt to Spawner Survival
Smolt to spawner survival has ranged from a low of 0.063% to a high of 1.332% since 2005 to
2012 (see Table 4). Smolt-to-spawner survival was calculated from age specific estimates of the
number of smolts migrating out from the Alouette Lake Reservoir and the number of adults
returned to the reservoir (Bob Bocking pers. comm.1).
Current marine survival rates (smolt – adult) being experienced by the Alouette River Sockeye
(Table 4) are lower but in the same range as the Chilko Lake Sockeye which has seen marine
survivals less than 3.5% since the 2007 return year and as low as 0.3% for the 2009 adult return
year (2007 smolt year), respectively (Rensel et al. 2010). Survival rates for other Fraser River
sockeye stocks, and in particular the Pitt River and early summer run stock grouping are not
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 14
available from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. However, survival rates for Cultus Lake Sockeye
which has undergone a re-building effort have also been poor in recent years (CSAS 2010).
Table 4 Alouette sockeye brood survivals, 2005-2012
Year of Smolt Migration Survival (smolts:TRS)
2005 0.532%
2006 0.750%
2007 0.081%
2008 1.332%
2009 0.171%
2010 0.292%
2011 0.063%
2012 0.275%
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 15
Discussion
Adult Sockeye Returns
The 2015 Alouette Sockeye run continues to demonstrate timing comparable to a summer run,
arriving at the Allco Fish Hatchery trapping location in July and August (Figure 10). The peak of
the Alouette sockeye run for 2008-2015 is typically over the last week of July to the second week
of August.
Figure 10 Total number of sockeye returned to Alouette watershed 2008-2015 by year
A total of 312 adult sockeye returned to the Allco fish fence during the 2007–2015 runs, of
which 262 were successfully released back into the Alouette Lake Reservoir. Although the
number of total adult sockeye returns is low, the data shows that re-anadromization of
kokanee/sockeye to the Alouette watershed is possible. ARMS is currently trying to prove that
returning adults are able to spawn through the Experimental Sea-Run Kokanee Hatchery Project.
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
27
-Ju
n
1-J
ul
5-J
ul
9-J
ul
13
-Ju
l
17
-Ju
l
21
-Ju
l
25
-Ju
l
29
-Ju
l
2-A
ug
6-A
ug
10
-Au
g
14
-Au
g
18
-Au
g
22
-Au
g
26
-Au
g
30
-Au
g
3-S
ep
7-S
ep
11
-Se
p
15
-Se
p
19
-Se
p
23
-Se
p
27
-Se
p
1-O
ct
5-O
ct
9-O
ct
13
-Oct
17
-Oct
21
-Oct
25
-Oct
29
-Oct
To
tal
Nu
mb
er o
f S
ock
eye
by
yea
r
Date at Allco fish fence
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 16
Fork Length
Measurements were collected for all of the 2015 returning sockeye. This represented a sample size
which showed an increase from the previous year in 2014 where no sockeye returned to the Allco
fish fence. The average fork length measured in 2015 was 52.5 cm which was the second smallest
average for all the years from 2008-2015 (Table 5; Figure 11).
Table 5 Average sockeye fork length, 2008-2015
Year of Adult Return Number of Adults Measured Average Fork Length (cm)
2008 54 59.3
2009 15 59.1
2010 115 58.1
2011 10 60.4
2012 42 57.8
2013 8 46.6
2014 0 0
2015 4 52.5
Figure 11 Fork length of returning sockeye 2008-2015
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
Nu
mb
er o
f So
ckey
e 2
00
8-2
01
5
Fork Length (cm)
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 17
Age Structure
The age class analysis completed by the Pacific Biological Station (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
for the 2015 season showed that the returning adult Alouette sockeye were represented by four
fish in four different age classes (Table 6; Latham , Sellars (2014), Bocking (2012), et al,
unpublished data.).
In earlier years, the age class analyses completed by the Pacific Salmon Commission, for example
in 2008 and 2009, showed that the returning sockeye salmon were evenly distributed between 4.2
and 5.3 age classes. The 2010 returning sockeye also showed this distribution which may be typical
for Alouette sockeye, with 53% and 19% respectively. The 2011 returning sockeye had fish in the
6.3 age class, which had not been seen in other study years (Table 6; Latham, unpublished data,
2011). In 2007, there was a large smolt outmigration, which corresponded to the 2009 (4.2) and
2010 (5.3) age classes. In 2011, the age class structure was spread from 4.2 to 6.3 age classes.
The low returns for 2011 left considerable uncertainty in these age results (Table 6; Bocking,
unpublished data, 2012). The age structure for 2012 showed a distribution from 4.2 to 6.4 age
classes. There were 3 aged 4.2 scale samples which were determined to be resorbed. This may
indicate that the age of these 3 sockeye is actually 5.2 due to the unreliability of the samples.
The overall number of sampled sockeye count for 2008 to 2015 was 171. The majority (77.3%)
of these sampled returning spawners were age 4.2 years and 5.3 years fish (i.e. 51% were 2 years
old and 26.3% were 3 years old when they left the Alouette Reservoir and then spent 2 years in
the marine environment). Five other age classes have been identified for the Alouette sockeye,
representing 21.4% of the fish sampled (Table 6).
Table 6 Alouette adult sockeye age structure analysis, 2008-2015
Year (%
of
sampled)
Age Class (Gilbert Rich Scale)
3.2 4.2 4.3 5.2 5.3 5.4 6.3 6.4
2008 (53) 19 (36%) 1 (2%) 14 (26%) 19 (36%)
2009 (11) 7 (63%) 4 (36%)
2010 (68) 36 (53%) 3 (4%) 13 (19%) 1 (1%) 15
(22%)
2011 (6) 3 (50%) 1 (17%) 2 (33%)
2012 (29) 20 (69%) 8 (28%) 1(3%)
2013a (4) 2 (50%) 2 (50%)
2014b (0)
2015 (4) 1 (25%) 1 (25%) 1 (25%) 1 (25%)
Total
(175)
1 (0.6%) 88 (50%) 1 (0.6%) 18 (10%) 48 (27%) 1 (0.6%) 2
(1%)
16
(9%)
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 18
a Of the four fish sampled in 2013 only two were successfully aged at 4.2, the other two samples were hypothesized to be age 5.3. b No adult sockeye returned to the Allco fish fence in 2014.
Genetic Samping and Parental Analysis
Of the adult sockeye sampled in 2015 only two of the four that were sampled were determined to
be of Alouette stock (Godbout et al, unpublished data, 2016). The other two adult sockeye that
were sampled were found to originate from the west coast of Vancouver Island. (See Appendix
A, Godbout, L. et al. 2016).
Recommendations To ensure the beginning of the sockeye run is captured, the Allco fish fence should continue
to operate from the middle of June each year.
Sockeye should continue to be caught then transported to the Alouette Sockeye Facility on
the same day and handled as little as possible.
Samples will not take place until after the sockeye has died, during the egg take.
Measures will continue to be taken to ensure future scale samples are obtained from the
correct location above the lateral line on the fish body, correctly placed in the sample
booklets, and not taken near scars.
Sockeye sampling will continue in 2016 as per 2015, with fork length and scale and tissue
samples taken for all returning sockeye.
Acknowledgements This project was part of the Alouette River Sockeye Reanadromization Project committee’s efforts
to establish fish passage over the Alouette Dam. Committee members include: Alouette River
Management Society (ARMS), BC Corrections Allco Fish Hatchery, BC Hydro, Department of
Fisheries and Oceans, City of Maple Ridge, Katzie First Nations, LGL Limited and Ministry of
the Environment. Our appreciation is extended to the following individuals: Geoff Clayton and
Ken Stewart (ARMS); Dr. Chris Wood and Lyse Godbout (Pacific Biological Station-DFO); Bob
Bocking, Megan Matthews, and Elmar Plate (LGL Limited); Shannon Harris and Brett Van
Poorten (Ministry of the Environment); Ron MacLean and Mike Ilaender (BC Corrections Allco
Fish Hatchery); Maurice Coulter-Boisvert, Matt Foy and Dave Nanson (Fisheries and Oceans
Canada); Brent Wilson, Alf Leake, and Alexis Hall (BC Hydro); James Bruce (Creekside Aquatic
Services); Mike Leon, Debbie Miller and George Moody (Katzie First Nation).
ARMS would also like to acknowledge BC Hydro’s Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program for
funding this project in its bridging year.
16.ALU.03
16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 19
References Balcke, A. 2009. Alouette Adult Sockeye Enumeration: 2008. Report prepared for BC Hydro.
Report prepared by the Alouette River Management Society, Maple Ridge, BC.
Bocking, R.C. 2011-March-22. Alouette Sockeye Brood Survivals [Unpublished data]. LGL
Limited, Sidney, B.C.
Borick-Cunningham, G. 2013. Alouette Adult Sockeye Enumeration: 2012. Report prepared for
BC Hydro. Report prepared by the Alouette River Management Society, Maple Ridge, BC.
Crowston, A. & Borick-Cunningham, G. 2012. Alouette Adult Sockeye Enumeration: 2011.
Report prepared for BC Hydro. Report prepared by the Alouette River Management Society,
Maple Ridge, BC.
Cruickshank, A. 2010. Alouette Adult Sockeye Enumeration: 2009. Report prepared for BC Hydro.
Report prepared by the Alouette River Management Society, Maple Ridge, BC.
Cruickshank, A. and A.R. Crowston. 2011. Alouette Adult Sockeye Enumeration: 2008-2010.
Report prepared for BC Hydro. Report prepared by the Alouette River Management Society,
Maple Ridge, BC.
CSAS. 2010. Assessment of Cultus Lake Sockeye Salmon in British Columbia in 2009 and
evaluation of recent recovery activities. Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Science
Advisory Report 2010/056: 7 p.
Candy, J.R. 2010, January. Genetic Structure of Alouette-Coquitlam Kokanee-Sockeye Salmon
[Unpublished data]. Molecular Genetics Lab, Pacific Biological Station, DFO, Nanaimo, BC.
Godbout, L. 2014. DNA analysis of the 2013 Alouette returning sockeye adults [Unpublished
data]. Pacific Biological Station, DFO, Nanaimo, BC
Godbout, L. & Wood, C. 2015. Experimental release of hatchery-reared sea-run kokanee into
Alouette Reservoir to evaluate the feasibility of re-establishing sockeye salmon. Supplement
of Information.
Godbout, L., Wood, C., and O’Brien, M. 2016. Experimental Hatchery Release Project
[Unpublished]
Mathews, M.A. 2015. ARMS Alouette report tables from LGL 6 Oct 2015. [Unpublished]
Mathews, M.A. and R.C. Bocking. 2011. Evaluation of the migration success of O. nerka
(Kokanee/Sockeye) from the Alouette Reservoir, 2010. Report prepared for BC Hydro.
Report prepared by LGL Limited, Sidney, BC.
Plate, E.M., Mathews, M.A., Bocking, R.C. October 2014. Technical Feasibility and
Recommendations for Alouette Lake Sockeye Salmon Re-establishment Above the Alouette
Dam.
Rensel, J.E. Jack, Haigh, N., and Tynan, T.J. 2010. Fraser river sockeye salmon marine survival
decline and harmful blooms of Heterosigma akashiwo. Harmful Algae 10: 98-115
Sellars, J. 2014. 2013 Age Composition of Adults [Unpublished data]. Pacific Salmon
Commission, Vancouver, BC.
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 20
Appendix A
Experimental hatchery release project
L. Godbout, C.C. Wood and M. O’Brien
Introduction
This report summarizes investigations of adult O. nerka returning to the Alouette River in 2015.
Our objectives were to:
- Identify their population of origin
- Assess their health status
- Determine their sex and fecundity
- Determine their age and assign to brood year - Carry out a parental analysis to determine if any were the progeny of adult sea-run
kokanee that had returned in previous years.
Methods
In summer 2015 four adult fish were captured in the Alouette River and transferred to the
Alouette Salmon Facility for a pilot captive breeding project. Fish were held in circular tubs in
10°C water with 98% DO saturation. All fish died before spawning and their carcasses were
shipped on ice to the Pacific Biological Station in Nanaimo for investigation on October 22,
2015, along with scale and tissue samples and other information (Table 1). The carcasses were
picked up at the seaplane depot and a necropsy and additional sampling were performed the
same day.
Tissue samples were analyzed for DNA (14 microsatellite loci) based on procedures described
by Beacham et al. (2005) and used to determine the population of origin stock ID using 90 coast-
wide populations of sockeye and kokanee. The probability of an individual’s belonging to a
given population was calculated, and each individual was assigned to the population for which it
had the highest marginal probability. Sex was determined by examining the shape of the vent,
and confirmed by the presence/ absence of eggs during dissection. The ripeness of the female
fish was visually assessed and eggs were extracted at the time of necropsy and preserved in
ethanol for further investigation. To estimate fecundity, three subsamples of eggs were weighed,
counted, and measured using Image Pro Premier version 9.1. The average egg weight and count
from each sample was then used to convert the total weight of the eggs to an estimate of total egg
count. An additional set of fish scales was collected during the necropsy and both set of scales
were used to age the returning adults and to determine their brood year. Parental analysis was
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carried out to determine if any of the 2015 Alouette sea run kokanee were the progeny of sea run
kokanee that had returned previously in the corresponding brood year. Parental analysis was
performed using CERVUS version 3.0.7 as in previous years (see Godbout et al. 2014).
Results and discussion
Stock of origin and fish age
Two of the returning adults (fish ID 2215 and 2216) were O. nerka from the Alouette Reservoir
while the other two were sockeye salmon that had strayed from the Somass River on the west
coast of Vancouver Island (fish 2213 from Great Central Lake and fish 2214 from Sproat Lake,
Table 2). This unusual straying behaviour seems to be related to the unusually warm ocean
condition in 2015. Both set of scales matched for the XX% of fish scales that could be aged
(Table 2). Both Alouette sea-run kokanee were older than the West Coast Vancouver Island
sockeye as a result of spending 3 years at sea (rather than 1 or 2 years) or going to sea at age 2
rather than age 1. These ages indicated that both O. nerka from Alouette were potentially
progeny of Alouette sea-run kokanee that had returned to the Alouette River in 2010 .
Fish health, sex, and egg counts
Fish 2215 died from bacterial gill disease caused by systemic infection with Flavobacterium. A
definitive cause of death could not be determined for fish 2213, 2214, and 2216, but all were
infected with unidentified bacteria that probably started growing post-mortem (they were not
examined immediately after death) (Table 1). Fish 2213 also had minor/ incidental nematode
and bacterial kidney disease infections (details of the results are in Appendix 1).
Sex determination based on the shape of the vent were confirmed during the necropsy. Three
fishes were female (2213, 2215, 2216) and one was male (2214) (Table 2). Eggs of fish 2215
were ripe and had begun to loosen (Figure 1a), while those of fish 2216 (Figure 1b) were not yet
fully ripe. Eggs of fish 2215 were 20% more numerous and heavier on average than those of fish
2216 (Table 2). The egg count of the 2015 sea-run kokanee (3697-4451)tended to be higher
than those for 6 sea run kokanee sampled (as morts) between mid July and mid August 2010
which averaged 3153 eggs (2944-3460)
Parental Analysis
Analysis using CERVUS indicated that neither of the 2015 Alouette sea run kokanee perfectly
matched any parental pair of the 112 sea run kokanee that had returned to the Alouette River and
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had been transferred to the Alouette Reservoir in 2010. Fish 2215 perfectly matched one of the
2010 Alouette sea-run kokanee and fish 2216 nearly matched (mismatch of 1) another 2010 sea
run kokanee. It should be noted that while a perfect match with a parental pair almost certainly
implies parentage, a perfect match with only one parent might also occur by chance (not by
parentage) given the low diversity in this population.
Recommendation/Suggestions:
Sockeye salmon from other sockeye populations have been observed to return in the Alouette
River in both 2010 (6 from Weaver) and 2015 (2 from the west Coast of Vancouver Island). It is
therefore important to hold the returning adults in an isolation tank until their origin has been
confirmed via DNA. Evaluation of infection by the parasite Parvicapsula should be performed
in the future. Consideration should also be given to incubating eggs and rearing fry from
Alouette kokanee at the Upper Hatchery under the same conditions as proposed for the sea-run
kokanee. This additional experimental component would provide a control to assess knowledge
gaps 4 to 6 (Godbout and Wood 2015). Given that kokanee and sea-run kokanee derived from
the same gene pool in the previous generation, the release of progeny of kokanee in both the
reservoir and river would also provide an opportunity to increase the number of emigrating
smolts and returning adult sea-run kokanee. The number of emigrating smolts is relatively small
and currently limits the number of returning adults as well as the possibility of resolving
knowledge gaps.
References
Godbout, L., Wood, C.C., O’Brien, M.R., and Menard.D. 2014. Assessment of smolt production
from anadromous O. nerka transferred into the Alouette Reservoir: Brood years 2008-
2012. Report for BC Hydro Bridge Coastal Restoration Program. 73p.
Godbout L. and C.C. Wood. 2015 Experimental release of hatchery-reared sea-run kokanee
into Alouette Reservoir to evaluate the feasibility of re-establishing sockeye salmon.
Supplement of Information submitted to FWCP and MOE May 2015. 7 p.
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16.ALU.03 Final Report – 18 April 2016 23
Table 1: Fish information on 4 fish carcasses received at PBS on Oct 22 2016.
DNA vial/
FISH ID
Date of
capture
Date of
death
FL
(cm)
Weight
(g)
Condition
at PBS’s
arrival
2213 Aug-10-2015 Aug-18-2015 52.5 1560 Frozen
2214 Aug-20-2015 Aug-23-2015 44.5 840 Frozen
2215 Aug-23-2015 Oct-22-2015 56 1930 Fresh
2216 Aug-23-2015 Sept-9-2015 57 2090 Frozen
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Table2: Information on the stock of origin, age based on scales collected in the field and at PBS
(field/PBS), sex based on the vent and organs, brood year and pit tag number (Pit tag no.) . NA
indicate that the scales could not be read.
DNA vial/ FISH ID Origin Age
Field/
PBS
Sex
vent
Sex
organs
Brood
year
Pit
Tag no.
2213
Great
Central L. 42/42 F F 2011 30600015C13GAO
2214 Sproat L. 32/32 M M 2012 No
2215 Alou 53/53 F F 2010 No
2216 Alou NA/52 F F 2010 Found, not read
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Table 3a: Mean values for the measurements of the egg samples taken from fish 2215 and 2216
Fish Id
Sub-sample size (n=3) 2215 2216
Mean egg count 121.33 89.67
Mean egg mass 5.59 3.20
Ratio = mass/count 0.046 0.036
3b: Total egg mass and estimated number of eggs for fish 2215 and 2216
Fish ID
2215 2216
Total egg mass 205.1 131.8
Total Egg
count* 4451 3697
*Total mass/ratio
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Figure 1: Necropsy photos of fish 2215 of the eggs (panel A) and of the whole fish (panel B)
Figure 2: Photo of the eggs from fish 2216. Scale is in cm.
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Appendix B
Media and Acknowledgment
ARMS Website page
http://www.alouetteriver.org/projects/alouette-sockeye-adult-enumeration-monitor-bridging-
project-for-2015
Alouette Sockeye Adult Enumeration Monitor (Bridging Project for 2015)
April 01, 2016
by Sophie Smith
0 Comment
Since 2008, the Alouette River Management Society and the Fraser Regional Correctional Centre have administered the Alouette
Sockeye Adult Enumeration Monitoring Program (ALUMON#4) under BC Hydro’s Alouette Water Use Plan (AWUP). The
plan included a seven year monitoring component trapping, enumerating, and obtaining tissue samples from returning adult
sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). When funding under the AWUP ended in 2014, ARMS applied to BC Hydro’s Fish and
Wildlife Compensation Program (FWCP) for a bridging year of funds for 2015 and was successful in its application. The FWCP
approved project funding to the amount of $16,354.
With this bridging fund, ARMS was able to complete another year of sampling returning adult sockeye spawners, extremely
valuable information to build on the dataset that was started in 2008. This information and the work of the Alouette River
Sockeye Reanadromization Project committee, is building towards a business case to present to BC Hydro’s Board of Directors
to get fish passage over the dam for sockeye salmon and other species that have been excluded from their traditional spawning
grounds in the upper Alouette Watershed since 1929. Sockeye salmon were extirpated from the Alouette system for close to
eighty years when in 2005, with an accidental release of water through the Alouette spillway, some resident kokanee swam out
and two years later came back as sockeye salmon.
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The Allco Fish Hatchery is located approximately 5.5 kilometres (km) south of the Alouette Dam and associated reservoir
(otherwise known as Alouette Lake) in Maple Ridge, British Columbia and has operated since 1979 under the direction of BC
Corrections with authorization and guidance from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
South Alouette Fish Trap and Fence
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South Alouette Fish Fence
Sockeye Salmon Transportation Trailer
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ARMS Facebook page – 1st April 2016
https://www.facebook.com/AlouetteRiverManagementSociety/?fref=nf
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Maple Ridge News report – November 5, 2015
Sockanee not coming back to South Alouette
About 25,000 juvenile fish will be released into Alouette Lake and 10,000 into the river over the next two years. — Image Credit: THE NEWS/Files
by Phil Melnychuk - Maple Ridge News
posted Nov 5, 2015 at 1:00 PM
They’ve tried releasing thousands of kokanee over the spillway of the Alouette reservoir
dam each spring, attempting to rebuild the sockeye fishery in the South Alouette River.
With returns inconsistent, that hasn’t worked out so well for the Alouette River Management
Society.
Now, the river keepers are getting serious.
Instead of trusting the freshwater kokanee salmon to migrate down the South Alouette
River, spend a few years in the Pacific Ocean and come back as sockeye, and eventually
rebuild the run that’s been extinct since the 1920s, the group wants to see if raising fish in a
hatchery will speed up the process.
Over the next two years, the society will be raising fry, which are a couple centimetres long,
as well as finger-length smolts, and releasing them into both the lake and the river.
“The ratio of return is less than one per cent right now. We want to get it to two per cent,”
said Nicole Driedger, of ARMS.
“Our best chance is releasing the smolts into the river.”
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About 25,000 juvenile fish will be released into the lake and 10,000 into the river over the
next two years. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Environment have
both approved the study. A request for funding the project will be made to B.C. Hydro’s Fish
and Wildlife Compensation Program.
The fish will be the progeny of both the limited numbers of sockeye that actually return to
the South Alouette, as well as the kokanee that are resident in the lake.
The number of returnees will be compared with the sockeye that normally return, to see
which species, purebred sockeye, kokanee, or hybrids and which method of release will
produce greater returns.
The results, it’s hoped, will confirm if a hatchery can be an effective, intermediary step to re-
establishing a full-fledged sockeye run in the South Alouette River and bolster the case for
building ARMS’s long-term dream of building a fishway or ladder around the 11-metre high
dam so fish can access the lake.
The ultimate goal is to re-establish the sockeye run in the South Alouette River that was
wiped out in 1926, when B.C. Hydro built the dam, sealing the sockeye in the lake and
cutting off those in the river from their spawning grounds.
Driedger compared the attempt to rebuild the run as a Jurassic Park-type experiment.
After the dam blocked the lake the trapped sockeye became kokanee, with successive
generations swimming in the lake, awaiting a return to the Pacific Ocean.
Now, almost a century later, those fish could again become ocean-going sockeye salmon,
with all the tourist and economic potential that sockeye bring.
“Our sockeye are kind of like dinosaurs, they were extinct. So making something out of
nothing is pretty cool.”
Persuading B.C. Hydro to build a fishway will give fish a direct connection from the river to
the lake, where sockeye spawn. Other species of salmon and trout also will benefit by
reconnecting to the entire lake system.
This year has seen healthy runs of chum and pinks returning to the South Alouette River.
“We have so many chum that the coho can’t find spawning grounds,” said Driedger.
The huge numbers of decaying fish, however, provide fertilizer and nutrients for plants
along the river, as well as eggs and fry in the river.
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Driedger points out that many groups each year visit the Rivers Heritage Centre, which in
October included a Chinese delegation. Members were surprised to learn there was no
fishway connecting the river to the lake.
She was told that all new dams in China are required to have fishways.