News from the Oregon Department of Fish and …...The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved...
10
F ISH W OR KS Fall 2013 O REGON News from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (ODFW) Fish Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) and Salmon and Trout Enhancement Programs (STEP) Coos Fall Chinook Monitoring Project Assesses Coos Hatchery Program In This Issue Coos Fall Chinook Monitoring Lofton Reservoir Treatment Clear Creek Restoration High Lakes Stocking Coos Salmon Derby SW Region Angling Opportunity Lower Columbia Fisheries Reform T he Coos River fall Chinook salmon hatchery program is the largest on the Oregon coast, releasing two million smolts into the Coos River basin annually. Over the course of this winter, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists will finish a five-year assessment of that propagation program. “We wanted to look at any impacts of hatchery fish on wild fish by the Coos River fall Chinook propagation program,” said Gary Vonderohe, ODFW assistant district fish biologist for the Coos-Coquille District. This includes looking at straying rates, where hatchery fish might mix and spawn with wild fish in Coos basin rivers, whether there is competition between wild and hatchery smolts for space in the streams, what the return rate is for hatchery and wild fish, and how much the hatchery fish are contributing to the fishery. To do that, ODFW has been conducting fall Chinook creel surveys in mid-August through November to determine how many fish anglers are harvesting, fishing pressure and other information. Then, from October through early November, fall Chinook are captured at a fish trap on the South Fork Coos River and their gill covers, called the operculum, are punched to mark them. Next, spawning surveys are conducted in November and December on Coos basin rivers and wild and hatchery fish that have been marked are counted so the straying rate can be estimated. Once the study is completed, the data obtained will be used to make recommendations to improve the hatchery program, if needed. The Coos River fall Chinook salmon hatchery program utilizes many STEP volunteers and students to help with rearing and marking fish. The R&E Program also provides about $50,000 annually for fish food and facility upgrades and maintenance. The R&E Program contributed $80,585 for the monitoring project. Both wild and hatchery fall Chinook salmon are marked at the fish trap on the South Fork Coos River so they can be identified on the spawning beds. The angler creel gives researchers data on how many people are fishing for fall Chinook, how many fish they catch and other information.
Transcript of News from the Oregon Department of Fish and …...The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved...
FISHWORKSFall 2013
OREGON
News from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlifersquos (ODFW) Fish Restoration and Enhancement (RampE) and Salmon and Trout Enhancement Programs (STEP)
Coos Fall Chinook Monitoring ProjectAssesses Coos Hatchery Program
In This Issue
Coos Fall Chinook Monitoring
Lofton Reservoir Treatment
Clear Creek Restoration
High Lakes Stocking
Coos Salmon Derby
SW Region Angling Opportunity
Lower Columbia Fisheries Reform
The Coos River fall Chinook salmon hatchery program isthe largest on the Oregon coast releasing two millionsmolts into the Coos River basin annually Over the
course of this winter Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlifebiologists will finish a five-year assessment of that propagationprogramldquoWe wanted to look at any impacts of hatchery fish on wild
fish by the Coos River fall Chinook propagation programrdquo saidGary Vonderohe ODFW assistant district fish biologist for theCoos-Coquille District This includes looking at straying rates where hatchery fish
might mix and spawn with wild fish in Coos basin riverswhether there is competition between wild and hatchery smoltsfor space in the streams what the return rate is for hatcheryand wild fish and how much the hatchery fish are contributingto the fisheryTo do that ODFW has been conducting fall Chinook creel
surveys in mid-August through November to determine howmany fish anglers are harvesting fishing pressure and otherinformation Then from October through early November fall Chinook arecaptured at a fish trap on the South Fork Coos River and their gill coverscalled the operculum are punched to mark them Next spawning surveysare conducted in November and December on Coos basin rivers and wild andhatchery fish that have been marked are counted so the straying rate can beestimatedOnce the study is completed the data obtained will be used to make
recommendations to improve thehatchery program if neededThe Coos River fall Chinook
salmon hatchery program utilizesmany STEP volunteers andstudents to help with rearing andmarking fish The RampE Programalso provides about $50000annually for fish food and facilityupgrades and maintenanceThe RampE Program contributed
$80585 for the monitoringproject
Both wild and hatchery fall Chinook salmon are marked atthe fish trap on the South Fork Coos River so they can beidentified on the spawning beds
The angler creel gives researchers data on howmany people are fishing for fall Chinook howmany fish they catch and other information
Phase I of the Clear CreekHabitat Restoration Projectwas completed in Augustincluding adding large woodymaterial to the lower reachof the creek along withreconnecting backwateralcove areas to serve as highwater flow refugiaClear Creek is a tributary
of the Clackamas River andis a high-priority stream forrecovering ESA-listed Chinook and coho salmonWoody debris was placed in Clear Creek and within the floodplain to
increase habitat diversity for salmon The photo below shows a section ofstreambank before restoration and the above photo shows the same areawith wood structures installedThe project received a $29398 grant
from the RampE Program Other groups involved in the project
included the US Forest Service TheNature Conservancy Clackamas RiverBasin Council Oregon WildlifeHeritage Foundation ODFW and
Portland Metro
More than a dozen OregonDepartment of Fish and Wildlifepersonnel spent October 22 - 24treating Lofton Reservoir withrotenone for a infestation of non-native tui chub that has caused asignificant decline in the quality ofthe reservoirrsquos rainbow trout fishingin recent yearsLocated in the Fremont-Winema
National Forest 35 miles southwestof Lakeview 42-acre LoftonReservoir traditionally providedhigh-quality angling for rainbowtrout which ODFW stocked asfingerlings that produced fish 9inches and larger for anglers toharvest by the following spring Illegal introductions of brown
bullhead and tui chub in the early1970s caused a decline in rainbowtrout size due to competition withthe invasive species requiringODFW to stock larger trout whichincreased the cost of the stockingprogram Past rotenone treatmentsremoved the bullheads but the tuichub survived necessitating themost recent treatmentRotenone is a plant-based
pesticide that only affectsorganisms with gills and eventuallydegrades and dissapears in a shorttimeWith the completion of the chub
removal ODFW will stockfingerlings legal and trophy sizetrout in 2014 to jump-start thefishery and eventually phase in afry-only release stocking programThe RampE Program provided
$18661 for the project RampE fundsin the amount of $59150 wereused to purchase treatmentequipment and a trailer that will beused to support treatmentsstatewide
Calendar 2013 - 2014Dec 13 2013 RampE Applications
Due
Dec 13 2013 STAC Mini-grant Applications Due
Jan 9 2014 STAC Meeting Salem
Jan 31 2014 STAC Mini-grant Applications Due
March 4 2014 STAC Meeting Salem
Mar 6-7 2014 RampE Board Meeting Cycle 4 Salem
April 4 2014 RampE Applications Due
June 5-6 2014 RampE Board Meeting Cycle 5 Bend
July 11 2014 RampE Applications Due2
Lofton Reservoir Treated for Tui Chub Infestation
Phase I Clear Creek Habitat Restoration Completed
At the staging area the rotenone crewprepares by donning protective suits
Biologists applied rotenone toLofton Reservoir by boat
A small tui chub removed from LoftonReservoir
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved$476880 in Fish Restoration and EnhancementProgram funds for 14 new projects at its September 62013 meeting in Salem These included
Restoration Projects
No 13-030 Cedar Creek Hatchery Railing for Pond Five $4549
RampE funds will be used to replace an old railingaround a public viewing pond to increase visitor safety
No 13-032 Alsea River Winter Steelhead Research Project $89000
This two-year grant will help fund a research project todetermine steelhead hatchery production and releasestrategies that will maximize angler harvest and avoidexcess straying
No 13-037 McKenzie Hatchery Emergency Generator $45000
An emergency back-up generator will be purchasedwith this grant
No 13-038 Mill-Bear Creek Fish Passage Project $12600
A culvert that hinders fish passage on Bear Creek inTillamook County will be replaced
No 13-041 GHID Fish Passage Improvement Project $30000
Fish passage will be improved on a Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict irrigation diversion on the Rogue River
Enhancement Projects
No 13-028 Hartman Pond Access $27200
Grant funds will be used to improve and repair anangling pier and floating dock on Hartman Pond in theColumbia River Gorge
No 13-033 Eckman Lake Angling Dock Replacement $68081
An angling dock on Eckman Lake at the WD NelsonWayside in Waldport will be replaced
No 13-035 Willamette Hatchery Disease Risks$39946
RampE funds will be used for the final field season of astudy to determine the risk of transmitting diseasesbetween hatchery fish and naturally reproducingpopulations
No 13-036 Catching Creek Basin Coho Eyed-Egg Injection $12684
This research project will evaluate the effectiveness ofusing eyed coho salmon eggs to supplement wild cohopopulations in the Coos watershed
No 13-039 Stream Nutrient Enrichment Expansion $25800
The purchase of a freezer trailer flatbed trailer andrelated equipment will increase the efficiency ofplacing salmon carcasses in Portland and Salem-areastreams
No 13-040 Triangle Lake Ladder Evaluation$6750
A camera will be purchased and installed at theTriangle Lake fish ladder to count cutthroat troutcoho salmon and steelhead and determine itseffectiveness in passing fish
No 13-042 Jack Horner Creek LWD Enhancement $70000
Fish barrier removal adding large wood andincreasing off-channel connectivity will improve fishhabitat on a tributary of the North Fork NehalemRiver
No 13-043 McKenzie Watershed Council Education amp Outreach $4590
Field-based educational materials will be purchasedwith funds from this RampE grant
No 13-045 Grants Management System for RampE Program $40670
This grant will be used to fund new RampE onlineapplication software
Fish and Wildlife Commission approves 14 New RampE Projects in September
3Download project applications and
descriptions at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishREprojects
Held September 14 - 15 the 2013Coos Basin Amateur Salmon Derby had497 participants from all over thecountry including 27 children whoreceived free tickets to a youth derby oftheir own Held concurrently with theCoquille Indian Tribal SalmonCelebration more than 300 fish werecaught during this yearrsquos event Aninformation and education booth alongwith an aquarium containing severallarge Chinook salmon was also ondisplay Derby proceeds are aninvaluable source of funds for operating
and maintaining local STEPprojects
Volunteers play a critical role in stocking high lakes in the Umpqua District each summer with 30 to 40 peoplehelping out by hauling the fish up by horseback or hiking and releasing them into the lakes Currently 13 lakesare stocked in the upper North and South Umpqua drainages upper Steamboat Creek drainage and along theRogueUmpqua Divide Six of those lakes are stocked with rainbow trout a variety of trout derived from Fish andMowich lakes stock and dubbed lsquofishwichrsquo rainbows The remaining lakes are stocked with brook trout About15000 fish are stocked in the lakes each summer half rainbows and half brookiesThe fish are transported in pop containers that hold 2 to 2 12 pounds of fish each Before heading out on the
trail the water in the containers is pumped withoxygen and crushed ice is added According toUmpqua District STEP biologist Greg Huchko thesurvival rate for the fry in the containers is 95 to 96percent The high lakes are producing fish in the 14-to 15-inch range for anglers to harvest
VolunteerFor By and About Salmon Trout Enhancement Program Volunteers
4
Volunteers Integral to High Lakes Stocking Success
Nearly 500 Participated in Coos Basin Salmon Derby
TheSTEP
Volunteers release trout fry into a high lake in the CascadeMountains Up to 96 percent of the fish survive the journey from thetrailhead
A derby particpant has his salmon checked in bya derby official The Derby is sponsored byODFW South Coast Anglers STEP and theEelTen Mile STEP Association
A catch by STEP volunteerMindy Wilson who limited herboat on both days of the Derby
Horseback is an effective and popular method forhauling trout up to the high lakes for stocking
The Salmon Trout Advisory Council approved seven new projects for atotal of $10211 at its September 2013 meeting in Tillamook They are
No 13-01 Oregonrsquos Important Waters $395
Water quality and macroinvertebrate monitoring equipment will bepurchased by Immanuel Lutheran School for a classroom water quality andhabitat monitoring project on Pringle Creek near Salem
No 13-02 Shafer Creek Habitat Enhancement and Investigation $861
A variety of equipmentpurchased with grantfunds will allow theMonroe Grade Schoolto conduct scientificstream investigationson Shafer Creek
No 13-03 MosbyCreek TemperatureMonitoring $2000
The Coast ForkWillamette WatershedCouncil will placetemperature probespurchased with grantfunds in Mosby Creekas part of an ongoing water quality monitoring project
No 13-04 Rhoades Pond Restoration Project $2000
Nestucca Anglers will use these funds to purchase a remote alarm systemfor their Rhoades Pond fish rearing facility
No 13-05 Water Supply Back-up $2000
Fish propagation equipment will be purchased with this grant for theWarrenton High School fisheries program
No 13-07 Whittaker Creek Trap Improvement and Supplies $1460
This grant will be used by the Florence STEP Group to purchase strappingmaterial to hold together the Whittaker Creek fish trap which is used tocatch and spawn adult winter steelhead
No 13-08 STEP Conservation Plan Sampling Studies $2000
This grant will allow the Oregon South Coast Fishermen to purchasesampling and safety gear for its ongoing monitoring work collecting data insupport of the Rogue Fall Chinook Conservation Plan 5
A STAC Mini-grant to the Florence STEP Group will helpkeep their Whittaker Creek steelhead trap up andrunning
Subscribe to FishWorksamp The Volunteer
FishWorks and The Volunteer areelectronic publications To subscribe go tohttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworks and sign up on our mailing list Past and current issues of FishWorks are
available on-line athttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworksIf you do not have access to e-mail orinternet please contact Debbi Farrell at503-947-6211 and ask to be kept on thehardcopy mailing list
Seven Projects Awarded Mini-grants bySalmon Trout Advisory Committee
RampE STEP CoordinatorPositions Consolidated
Fish Eggs to Fry VolunteerGuide now Available
Beginning in September the RampEProgram and STEP coordinatorpositions have been consolidatedKevin Herkamp has been appointedto the positionThe consolidation was prompted
by reductions in federal funding andincreased program costs Combiningthe two positions under onecoodinator will prevent cuts to fieldbiologistsFormer RampE Program CoordinatorJosie Thompson is now working onthe Ocean Salmon and ColumbiaRiver Program
The new Fish Eggs to FryVolunteer Guide along with PowerPoint Presentations videos andother aquatic and fishingeducational materials are nowavailable on the STEP EducationResources Page
View and download the materials at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPresources-educationasp
RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorKevin Herkamp Salem(503) 947-6232KevinHerkampstateorus
RampESTEP Program AssistantDebbi Farrell Salem(503) 947-6211DebbiLFarrellstateorus
STEP Biologists
North Coast STEPRon Rehn Tillamook(503) 842-2741RonFRehnstateorus
Mid Coast STEPChristine Clapp Newport(541) 265-8306 x253ChristineMClappstateorus
Tenmile Coos and Coquille STEPGary Vonderohe Charleston(541) 888-5515GaryRVonderohestateorus
Tom RumreichCharleston(541) 888-5515ThomasJRumreichstateorus
Umpqua STEPGreg Huchko Roseburg(541) 440-3353GregFHuchkostateorus
Lower Rogue STEPJohn Weber Gold Beach(541) 247-7605JohnAWeberstateorus
Upper Rogue STEPChuck Fustish Central Point(541) 826-8774ChuckAFustishstateorus
Lower Willamette STEPJeff Fulop Clackamas(971) 673-6034JeffSFulopstateorus
Mid Willamette STEPKaren Hans Corvallis(541) 757-4186 x251KarenMHansstateorus
Upper Willamette STEPShannon Richardson Springfield(541) 726-3515 x28 ShannonERichardsonstateorus
Eastern Oregon STEPJennifer Luke Bend(541) 388-6363JenniferALukestateorus
RampE and STEP Contacts
Oregon FishWorksThe STEP VolunteerFall 2013 Volume 17 Number 4
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Kevin Herkamp RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorDebbi Farrell RampESTEP Assistant
Restoration and Enhancement BoardJack Glass Chair Troutdale Sport FishingJohn Alto Sherwood Troll FishingDixie Boley Gold Beach Seafood ProcessingGreg Silbernagel Pendleton Public-At-Large Robert Bumstead Eugene Sport FishingGary Soderstrom Clatskanie Gillnet FishingLonnie Johnson Grants Pass Sport Fishing
STEP Advisory CommitteeRichard Bertellotti North CoastKeith Warren North CoastBrian Hudson Mid-CoastVacant UmpquaReese Bender Tenmile Coos CoquilleRichard Heap Lower RogueL Keith Miller Upper RogueLin Howell Lower WillametteTom VanderPlaat Lower WillametteDon WenzelMid-WillametteVacant Upper WillametteJames Phelps Eastern OregonDave Dunahay Eastern Oregon
STEP on the WebwwwdfwstateorusSTEPRampE Program on the Web
wwwdfwstateorusfishRE6
RampE-Funded Alsea River AccessImprovements Completed
Two access points on the lower Alsea River have recently beenimproved with funding from a $3450 RampE Program grant Thetwo locations Barclays Break and Hellion Rapids had becomeovergrown with brush and the access roads rutted and silted inImprovements included hauling out several dump truck loads ofsilt re-grading the road and adding a crushed rock surface andremoving brush Since the improvements were completed in mid-September use by anglers has increased substantially
Barclays Break access road before improvements
Barclays Break access road after improvements
ODFW Headquarters has moved
ODFW is now in its new Salem office The new address is
4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SESalem OR 97302-1142
Phone numbers remain the same
The lower Columbia River salmon fishery is among the most popular and productive on the West Coast Itbrings in millions of dollars to local communities through both its commercial and recreational fishingindustries and serves as an important economic driver and source of jobs But the fishery has also been
controversial with tensions between sport and commercial fishers over the impact of the gillnet industry onrecreational salmon seasons and on the salmon population which includes several runs listed under the federalEndangered Species Act In late 2012 and early 2013 the states of Oregon and Washington approved reformsintended to address these longstanding conflicts and questions
The Lower Columbia River Salmon FisheryFor thousands of years salmon have been a vital
natural resource for people on the lower Columbia Riverincluding Native American tribes and later European-American commercial fishers and recreational anglersHistorically the Columbia River produced runs of 11 to 16million fish that included chinook coho chum and sockeyesalmon and steelheadThe 140 river miles from Bonneville Dam downstream to
the ocean at Astoria hosts a highly popular salmon andsteelhead fishery due to its proximity to populationcenters along with a commercial gillnet fishery Over the years conflicts had grown between recreational
anglers and commercial fishers over the impact ofgillnetting on salmon and the length of the sport fishingseasonThe Columbia River salmon and steelhead fishery is
made up of both hatchery and wild fish stocks 13 of whichare federally protected This affects the fisheries on theColumbia River since catch limits and season lengths arebased on ensuring the by-catch of wild fish does not reduce ESA-listed runs below what is needed to restore thepopulation These lsquotakersquo numbers vary from one-half to two percent of a wild run That overall percentage has beendivided between recreational anglers and gillnetters mdash 60 percent to sport and 35 percent to gillnetters Once the
by-catch limit is reached for a particular species that fishery isclosed A source of conflict between recreational anglers and commercial
fishers has been the different survival rates for wild fish caughtand released by different fisheries About 40 percent of wild fishcaught by gillnet are killed compared to about 10 percent of wildfish caught and released by sport anglers Many sport anglers argued there would be longer salmon fishing
seasons for sport anglers if gillnets with their high mortality ratefor wild fish were removed from the river Without the wild fishmortalities from gillnets it would take longer to reach the impactlimit on wild fish thus lengthening the sport fishing season In the1990s and 2000s a number of voter initiatives were placed on theballot in Oregon and Washington to ban gillnetting on theColumbia but all were defeated
Improving Lower Columbia River Fisheries The Fish Workshop
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Increased hatchery production will enhanceoff-channel gillnet fisheries
The lower Columbia Riverrsquos commercial andrecreational salmon fisheries will be improved with theadoption of reforms by the Oregon Fish and WildlifeCommission
Improving Recreational and Commercial Fishing OpportunitiesIn August 2012 Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber directed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with their partners in Washington and other stakeholders includingcommercial and recreational fishing interests to develop a fisheries management plan to address the long-standingconflicts on the lower Columbia RiverThis plan which was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2012 and by the
Washington commission in early 2013allocates the majority of the availablesalmon harvest to the recreationalfishery phases out the use of gillnets inthe Columbia Riverrsquos main channel andmoves them to side-channel terminalfisheries and increases hatcheryproduction in off-channel areas toenhance the fisheries In addition thestates will test alternative commercialgear such as beach seines and tanglenets for possible use on the lowerColumbia River These reforms will result in longer
recreational salmon fishing seasonsincreasing the economic benefit toColumbia River communities and allowmore wild ESA-listed to escape upriverto spawn In addition with theincreased hatchery production directedat off-channel fisheries commercialfishers will see an increase in theircatch and income over time
Funding Fishery ImprovementsTo fund these improvements to lower Columbia River fisheries management and increased recreational fishing
opportunities the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a $975 endorsement for annual angling licenseholders or $1 for daily angling licenses to fish for salmon steelhead or sturgeon within the Columbia River basinThose funds will be used to produce more hatchery fish for the commercial fishery enhance recreational fisheriesand native fish conservation and monitor fish populations and the effectiveness of fisheries management on thelower Columbia RiverRecreational anglers will benefit from these fishery management improvements with increased salmon fishing
opportunities through longer seasons more wild fish escapement and additional fish moving into Columbia Riverbasin tributaries
Learn More About Lower Columbia River Fishery ReformsFor more information about lower Columbia River salmon fisheries reform visit the ODFW web page at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishOSCRPCRMLMCR_fisheries_mgmt_reformasp
For additional information on the Fish Restorationand Enhancement Program and STEP contactProgram Coordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
Anglers fishing for salmon in Columbia River tributaries will benefitfrom fishery management improvements on the lower Columbia River aswell
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
Phase I of the Clear CreekHabitat Restoration Projectwas completed in Augustincluding adding large woodymaterial to the lower reachof the creek along withreconnecting backwateralcove areas to serve as highwater flow refugiaClear Creek is a tributary
of the Clackamas River andis a high-priority stream forrecovering ESA-listed Chinook and coho salmonWoody debris was placed in Clear Creek and within the floodplain to
increase habitat diversity for salmon The photo below shows a section ofstreambank before restoration and the above photo shows the same areawith wood structures installedThe project received a $29398 grant
from the RampE Program Other groups involved in the project
included the US Forest Service TheNature Conservancy Clackamas RiverBasin Council Oregon WildlifeHeritage Foundation ODFW and
Portland Metro
More than a dozen OregonDepartment of Fish and Wildlifepersonnel spent October 22 - 24treating Lofton Reservoir withrotenone for a infestation of non-native tui chub that has caused asignificant decline in the quality ofthe reservoirrsquos rainbow trout fishingin recent yearsLocated in the Fremont-Winema
National Forest 35 miles southwestof Lakeview 42-acre LoftonReservoir traditionally providedhigh-quality angling for rainbowtrout which ODFW stocked asfingerlings that produced fish 9inches and larger for anglers toharvest by the following spring Illegal introductions of brown
bullhead and tui chub in the early1970s caused a decline in rainbowtrout size due to competition withthe invasive species requiringODFW to stock larger trout whichincreased the cost of the stockingprogram Past rotenone treatmentsremoved the bullheads but the tuichub survived necessitating themost recent treatmentRotenone is a plant-based
pesticide that only affectsorganisms with gills and eventuallydegrades and dissapears in a shorttimeWith the completion of the chub
removal ODFW will stockfingerlings legal and trophy sizetrout in 2014 to jump-start thefishery and eventually phase in afry-only release stocking programThe RampE Program provided
$18661 for the project RampE fundsin the amount of $59150 wereused to purchase treatmentequipment and a trailer that will beused to support treatmentsstatewide
Calendar 2013 - 2014Dec 13 2013 RampE Applications
Due
Dec 13 2013 STAC Mini-grant Applications Due
Jan 9 2014 STAC Meeting Salem
Jan 31 2014 STAC Mini-grant Applications Due
March 4 2014 STAC Meeting Salem
Mar 6-7 2014 RampE Board Meeting Cycle 4 Salem
April 4 2014 RampE Applications Due
June 5-6 2014 RampE Board Meeting Cycle 5 Bend
July 11 2014 RampE Applications Due2
Lofton Reservoir Treated for Tui Chub Infestation
Phase I Clear Creek Habitat Restoration Completed
At the staging area the rotenone crewprepares by donning protective suits
Biologists applied rotenone toLofton Reservoir by boat
A small tui chub removed from LoftonReservoir
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved$476880 in Fish Restoration and EnhancementProgram funds for 14 new projects at its September 62013 meeting in Salem These included
Restoration Projects
No 13-030 Cedar Creek Hatchery Railing for Pond Five $4549
RampE funds will be used to replace an old railingaround a public viewing pond to increase visitor safety
No 13-032 Alsea River Winter Steelhead Research Project $89000
This two-year grant will help fund a research project todetermine steelhead hatchery production and releasestrategies that will maximize angler harvest and avoidexcess straying
No 13-037 McKenzie Hatchery Emergency Generator $45000
An emergency back-up generator will be purchasedwith this grant
No 13-038 Mill-Bear Creek Fish Passage Project $12600
A culvert that hinders fish passage on Bear Creek inTillamook County will be replaced
No 13-041 GHID Fish Passage Improvement Project $30000
Fish passage will be improved on a Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict irrigation diversion on the Rogue River
Enhancement Projects
No 13-028 Hartman Pond Access $27200
Grant funds will be used to improve and repair anangling pier and floating dock on Hartman Pond in theColumbia River Gorge
No 13-033 Eckman Lake Angling Dock Replacement $68081
An angling dock on Eckman Lake at the WD NelsonWayside in Waldport will be replaced
No 13-035 Willamette Hatchery Disease Risks$39946
RampE funds will be used for the final field season of astudy to determine the risk of transmitting diseasesbetween hatchery fish and naturally reproducingpopulations
No 13-036 Catching Creek Basin Coho Eyed-Egg Injection $12684
This research project will evaluate the effectiveness ofusing eyed coho salmon eggs to supplement wild cohopopulations in the Coos watershed
No 13-039 Stream Nutrient Enrichment Expansion $25800
The purchase of a freezer trailer flatbed trailer andrelated equipment will increase the efficiency ofplacing salmon carcasses in Portland and Salem-areastreams
No 13-040 Triangle Lake Ladder Evaluation$6750
A camera will be purchased and installed at theTriangle Lake fish ladder to count cutthroat troutcoho salmon and steelhead and determine itseffectiveness in passing fish
No 13-042 Jack Horner Creek LWD Enhancement $70000
Fish barrier removal adding large wood andincreasing off-channel connectivity will improve fishhabitat on a tributary of the North Fork NehalemRiver
No 13-043 McKenzie Watershed Council Education amp Outreach $4590
Field-based educational materials will be purchasedwith funds from this RampE grant
No 13-045 Grants Management System for RampE Program $40670
This grant will be used to fund new RampE onlineapplication software
Fish and Wildlife Commission approves 14 New RampE Projects in September
3Download project applications and
descriptions at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishREprojects
Held September 14 - 15 the 2013Coos Basin Amateur Salmon Derby had497 participants from all over thecountry including 27 children whoreceived free tickets to a youth derby oftheir own Held concurrently with theCoquille Indian Tribal SalmonCelebration more than 300 fish werecaught during this yearrsquos event Aninformation and education booth alongwith an aquarium containing severallarge Chinook salmon was also ondisplay Derby proceeds are aninvaluable source of funds for operating
and maintaining local STEPprojects
Volunteers play a critical role in stocking high lakes in the Umpqua District each summer with 30 to 40 peoplehelping out by hauling the fish up by horseback or hiking and releasing them into the lakes Currently 13 lakesare stocked in the upper North and South Umpqua drainages upper Steamboat Creek drainage and along theRogueUmpqua Divide Six of those lakes are stocked with rainbow trout a variety of trout derived from Fish andMowich lakes stock and dubbed lsquofishwichrsquo rainbows The remaining lakes are stocked with brook trout About15000 fish are stocked in the lakes each summer half rainbows and half brookiesThe fish are transported in pop containers that hold 2 to 2 12 pounds of fish each Before heading out on the
trail the water in the containers is pumped withoxygen and crushed ice is added According toUmpqua District STEP biologist Greg Huchko thesurvival rate for the fry in the containers is 95 to 96percent The high lakes are producing fish in the 14-to 15-inch range for anglers to harvest
VolunteerFor By and About Salmon Trout Enhancement Program Volunteers
4
Volunteers Integral to High Lakes Stocking Success
Nearly 500 Participated in Coos Basin Salmon Derby
TheSTEP
Volunteers release trout fry into a high lake in the CascadeMountains Up to 96 percent of the fish survive the journey from thetrailhead
A derby particpant has his salmon checked in bya derby official The Derby is sponsored byODFW South Coast Anglers STEP and theEelTen Mile STEP Association
A catch by STEP volunteerMindy Wilson who limited herboat on both days of the Derby
Horseback is an effective and popular method forhauling trout up to the high lakes for stocking
The Salmon Trout Advisory Council approved seven new projects for atotal of $10211 at its September 2013 meeting in Tillamook They are
No 13-01 Oregonrsquos Important Waters $395
Water quality and macroinvertebrate monitoring equipment will bepurchased by Immanuel Lutheran School for a classroom water quality andhabitat monitoring project on Pringle Creek near Salem
No 13-02 Shafer Creek Habitat Enhancement and Investigation $861
A variety of equipmentpurchased with grantfunds will allow theMonroe Grade Schoolto conduct scientificstream investigationson Shafer Creek
No 13-03 MosbyCreek TemperatureMonitoring $2000
The Coast ForkWillamette WatershedCouncil will placetemperature probespurchased with grantfunds in Mosby Creekas part of an ongoing water quality monitoring project
No 13-04 Rhoades Pond Restoration Project $2000
Nestucca Anglers will use these funds to purchase a remote alarm systemfor their Rhoades Pond fish rearing facility
No 13-05 Water Supply Back-up $2000
Fish propagation equipment will be purchased with this grant for theWarrenton High School fisheries program
No 13-07 Whittaker Creek Trap Improvement and Supplies $1460
This grant will be used by the Florence STEP Group to purchase strappingmaterial to hold together the Whittaker Creek fish trap which is used tocatch and spawn adult winter steelhead
No 13-08 STEP Conservation Plan Sampling Studies $2000
This grant will allow the Oregon South Coast Fishermen to purchasesampling and safety gear for its ongoing monitoring work collecting data insupport of the Rogue Fall Chinook Conservation Plan 5
A STAC Mini-grant to the Florence STEP Group will helpkeep their Whittaker Creek steelhead trap up andrunning
Subscribe to FishWorksamp The Volunteer
FishWorks and The Volunteer areelectronic publications To subscribe go tohttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworks and sign up on our mailing list Past and current issues of FishWorks are
available on-line athttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworksIf you do not have access to e-mail orinternet please contact Debbi Farrell at503-947-6211 and ask to be kept on thehardcopy mailing list
Seven Projects Awarded Mini-grants bySalmon Trout Advisory Committee
RampE STEP CoordinatorPositions Consolidated
Fish Eggs to Fry VolunteerGuide now Available
Beginning in September the RampEProgram and STEP coordinatorpositions have been consolidatedKevin Herkamp has been appointedto the positionThe consolidation was prompted
by reductions in federal funding andincreased program costs Combiningthe two positions under onecoodinator will prevent cuts to fieldbiologistsFormer RampE Program CoordinatorJosie Thompson is now working onthe Ocean Salmon and ColumbiaRiver Program
The new Fish Eggs to FryVolunteer Guide along with PowerPoint Presentations videos andother aquatic and fishingeducational materials are nowavailable on the STEP EducationResources Page
View and download the materials at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPresources-educationasp
RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorKevin Herkamp Salem(503) 947-6232KevinHerkampstateorus
RampESTEP Program AssistantDebbi Farrell Salem(503) 947-6211DebbiLFarrellstateorus
STEP Biologists
North Coast STEPRon Rehn Tillamook(503) 842-2741RonFRehnstateorus
Mid Coast STEPChristine Clapp Newport(541) 265-8306 x253ChristineMClappstateorus
Tenmile Coos and Coquille STEPGary Vonderohe Charleston(541) 888-5515GaryRVonderohestateorus
Tom RumreichCharleston(541) 888-5515ThomasJRumreichstateorus
Umpqua STEPGreg Huchko Roseburg(541) 440-3353GregFHuchkostateorus
Lower Rogue STEPJohn Weber Gold Beach(541) 247-7605JohnAWeberstateorus
Upper Rogue STEPChuck Fustish Central Point(541) 826-8774ChuckAFustishstateorus
Lower Willamette STEPJeff Fulop Clackamas(971) 673-6034JeffSFulopstateorus
Mid Willamette STEPKaren Hans Corvallis(541) 757-4186 x251KarenMHansstateorus
Upper Willamette STEPShannon Richardson Springfield(541) 726-3515 x28 ShannonERichardsonstateorus
Eastern Oregon STEPJennifer Luke Bend(541) 388-6363JenniferALukestateorus
RampE and STEP Contacts
Oregon FishWorksThe STEP VolunteerFall 2013 Volume 17 Number 4
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Kevin Herkamp RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorDebbi Farrell RampESTEP Assistant
Restoration and Enhancement BoardJack Glass Chair Troutdale Sport FishingJohn Alto Sherwood Troll FishingDixie Boley Gold Beach Seafood ProcessingGreg Silbernagel Pendleton Public-At-Large Robert Bumstead Eugene Sport FishingGary Soderstrom Clatskanie Gillnet FishingLonnie Johnson Grants Pass Sport Fishing
STEP Advisory CommitteeRichard Bertellotti North CoastKeith Warren North CoastBrian Hudson Mid-CoastVacant UmpquaReese Bender Tenmile Coos CoquilleRichard Heap Lower RogueL Keith Miller Upper RogueLin Howell Lower WillametteTom VanderPlaat Lower WillametteDon WenzelMid-WillametteVacant Upper WillametteJames Phelps Eastern OregonDave Dunahay Eastern Oregon
STEP on the WebwwwdfwstateorusSTEPRampE Program on the Web
wwwdfwstateorusfishRE6
RampE-Funded Alsea River AccessImprovements Completed
Two access points on the lower Alsea River have recently beenimproved with funding from a $3450 RampE Program grant Thetwo locations Barclays Break and Hellion Rapids had becomeovergrown with brush and the access roads rutted and silted inImprovements included hauling out several dump truck loads ofsilt re-grading the road and adding a crushed rock surface andremoving brush Since the improvements were completed in mid-September use by anglers has increased substantially
Barclays Break access road before improvements
Barclays Break access road after improvements
ODFW Headquarters has moved
ODFW is now in its new Salem office The new address is
4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SESalem OR 97302-1142
Phone numbers remain the same
The lower Columbia River salmon fishery is among the most popular and productive on the West Coast Itbrings in millions of dollars to local communities through both its commercial and recreational fishingindustries and serves as an important economic driver and source of jobs But the fishery has also been
controversial with tensions between sport and commercial fishers over the impact of the gillnet industry onrecreational salmon seasons and on the salmon population which includes several runs listed under the federalEndangered Species Act In late 2012 and early 2013 the states of Oregon and Washington approved reformsintended to address these longstanding conflicts and questions
The Lower Columbia River Salmon FisheryFor thousands of years salmon have been a vital
natural resource for people on the lower Columbia Riverincluding Native American tribes and later European-American commercial fishers and recreational anglersHistorically the Columbia River produced runs of 11 to 16million fish that included chinook coho chum and sockeyesalmon and steelheadThe 140 river miles from Bonneville Dam downstream to
the ocean at Astoria hosts a highly popular salmon andsteelhead fishery due to its proximity to populationcenters along with a commercial gillnet fishery Over the years conflicts had grown between recreational
anglers and commercial fishers over the impact ofgillnetting on salmon and the length of the sport fishingseasonThe Columbia River salmon and steelhead fishery is
made up of both hatchery and wild fish stocks 13 of whichare federally protected This affects the fisheries on theColumbia River since catch limits and season lengths arebased on ensuring the by-catch of wild fish does not reduce ESA-listed runs below what is needed to restore thepopulation These lsquotakersquo numbers vary from one-half to two percent of a wild run That overall percentage has beendivided between recreational anglers and gillnetters mdash 60 percent to sport and 35 percent to gillnetters Once the
by-catch limit is reached for a particular species that fishery isclosed A source of conflict between recreational anglers and commercial
fishers has been the different survival rates for wild fish caughtand released by different fisheries About 40 percent of wild fishcaught by gillnet are killed compared to about 10 percent of wildfish caught and released by sport anglers Many sport anglers argued there would be longer salmon fishing
seasons for sport anglers if gillnets with their high mortality ratefor wild fish were removed from the river Without the wild fishmortalities from gillnets it would take longer to reach the impactlimit on wild fish thus lengthening the sport fishing season In the1990s and 2000s a number of voter initiatives were placed on theballot in Oregon and Washington to ban gillnetting on theColumbia but all were defeated
Improving Lower Columbia River Fisheries The Fish Workshop
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Increased hatchery production will enhanceoff-channel gillnet fisheries
The lower Columbia Riverrsquos commercial andrecreational salmon fisheries will be improved with theadoption of reforms by the Oregon Fish and WildlifeCommission
Improving Recreational and Commercial Fishing OpportunitiesIn August 2012 Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber directed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with their partners in Washington and other stakeholders includingcommercial and recreational fishing interests to develop a fisheries management plan to address the long-standingconflicts on the lower Columbia RiverThis plan which was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2012 and by the
Washington commission in early 2013allocates the majority of the availablesalmon harvest to the recreationalfishery phases out the use of gillnets inthe Columbia Riverrsquos main channel andmoves them to side-channel terminalfisheries and increases hatcheryproduction in off-channel areas toenhance the fisheries In addition thestates will test alternative commercialgear such as beach seines and tanglenets for possible use on the lowerColumbia River These reforms will result in longer
recreational salmon fishing seasonsincreasing the economic benefit toColumbia River communities and allowmore wild ESA-listed to escape upriverto spawn In addition with theincreased hatchery production directedat off-channel fisheries commercialfishers will see an increase in theircatch and income over time
Funding Fishery ImprovementsTo fund these improvements to lower Columbia River fisheries management and increased recreational fishing
opportunities the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a $975 endorsement for annual angling licenseholders or $1 for daily angling licenses to fish for salmon steelhead or sturgeon within the Columbia River basinThose funds will be used to produce more hatchery fish for the commercial fishery enhance recreational fisheriesand native fish conservation and monitor fish populations and the effectiveness of fisheries management on thelower Columbia RiverRecreational anglers will benefit from these fishery management improvements with increased salmon fishing
opportunities through longer seasons more wild fish escapement and additional fish moving into Columbia Riverbasin tributaries
Learn More About Lower Columbia River Fishery ReformsFor more information about lower Columbia River salmon fisheries reform visit the ODFW web page at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishOSCRPCRMLMCR_fisheries_mgmt_reformasp
For additional information on the Fish Restorationand Enhancement Program and STEP contactProgram Coordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
Anglers fishing for salmon in Columbia River tributaries will benefitfrom fishery management improvements on the lower Columbia River aswell
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved$476880 in Fish Restoration and EnhancementProgram funds for 14 new projects at its September 62013 meeting in Salem These included
Restoration Projects
No 13-030 Cedar Creek Hatchery Railing for Pond Five $4549
RampE funds will be used to replace an old railingaround a public viewing pond to increase visitor safety
No 13-032 Alsea River Winter Steelhead Research Project $89000
This two-year grant will help fund a research project todetermine steelhead hatchery production and releasestrategies that will maximize angler harvest and avoidexcess straying
No 13-037 McKenzie Hatchery Emergency Generator $45000
An emergency back-up generator will be purchasedwith this grant
No 13-038 Mill-Bear Creek Fish Passage Project $12600
A culvert that hinders fish passage on Bear Creek inTillamook County will be replaced
No 13-041 GHID Fish Passage Improvement Project $30000
Fish passage will be improved on a Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict irrigation diversion on the Rogue River
Enhancement Projects
No 13-028 Hartman Pond Access $27200
Grant funds will be used to improve and repair anangling pier and floating dock on Hartman Pond in theColumbia River Gorge
No 13-033 Eckman Lake Angling Dock Replacement $68081
An angling dock on Eckman Lake at the WD NelsonWayside in Waldport will be replaced
No 13-035 Willamette Hatchery Disease Risks$39946
RampE funds will be used for the final field season of astudy to determine the risk of transmitting diseasesbetween hatchery fish and naturally reproducingpopulations
No 13-036 Catching Creek Basin Coho Eyed-Egg Injection $12684
This research project will evaluate the effectiveness ofusing eyed coho salmon eggs to supplement wild cohopopulations in the Coos watershed
No 13-039 Stream Nutrient Enrichment Expansion $25800
The purchase of a freezer trailer flatbed trailer andrelated equipment will increase the efficiency ofplacing salmon carcasses in Portland and Salem-areastreams
No 13-040 Triangle Lake Ladder Evaluation$6750
A camera will be purchased and installed at theTriangle Lake fish ladder to count cutthroat troutcoho salmon and steelhead and determine itseffectiveness in passing fish
No 13-042 Jack Horner Creek LWD Enhancement $70000
Fish barrier removal adding large wood andincreasing off-channel connectivity will improve fishhabitat on a tributary of the North Fork NehalemRiver
No 13-043 McKenzie Watershed Council Education amp Outreach $4590
Field-based educational materials will be purchasedwith funds from this RampE grant
No 13-045 Grants Management System for RampE Program $40670
This grant will be used to fund new RampE onlineapplication software
Fish and Wildlife Commission approves 14 New RampE Projects in September
3Download project applications and
descriptions at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishREprojects
Held September 14 - 15 the 2013Coos Basin Amateur Salmon Derby had497 participants from all over thecountry including 27 children whoreceived free tickets to a youth derby oftheir own Held concurrently with theCoquille Indian Tribal SalmonCelebration more than 300 fish werecaught during this yearrsquos event Aninformation and education booth alongwith an aquarium containing severallarge Chinook salmon was also ondisplay Derby proceeds are aninvaluable source of funds for operating
and maintaining local STEPprojects
Volunteers play a critical role in stocking high lakes in the Umpqua District each summer with 30 to 40 peoplehelping out by hauling the fish up by horseback or hiking and releasing them into the lakes Currently 13 lakesare stocked in the upper North and South Umpqua drainages upper Steamboat Creek drainage and along theRogueUmpqua Divide Six of those lakes are stocked with rainbow trout a variety of trout derived from Fish andMowich lakes stock and dubbed lsquofishwichrsquo rainbows The remaining lakes are stocked with brook trout About15000 fish are stocked in the lakes each summer half rainbows and half brookiesThe fish are transported in pop containers that hold 2 to 2 12 pounds of fish each Before heading out on the
trail the water in the containers is pumped withoxygen and crushed ice is added According toUmpqua District STEP biologist Greg Huchko thesurvival rate for the fry in the containers is 95 to 96percent The high lakes are producing fish in the 14-to 15-inch range for anglers to harvest
VolunteerFor By and About Salmon Trout Enhancement Program Volunteers
4
Volunteers Integral to High Lakes Stocking Success
Nearly 500 Participated in Coos Basin Salmon Derby
TheSTEP
Volunteers release trout fry into a high lake in the CascadeMountains Up to 96 percent of the fish survive the journey from thetrailhead
A derby particpant has his salmon checked in bya derby official The Derby is sponsored byODFW South Coast Anglers STEP and theEelTen Mile STEP Association
A catch by STEP volunteerMindy Wilson who limited herboat on both days of the Derby
Horseback is an effective and popular method forhauling trout up to the high lakes for stocking
The Salmon Trout Advisory Council approved seven new projects for atotal of $10211 at its September 2013 meeting in Tillamook They are
No 13-01 Oregonrsquos Important Waters $395
Water quality and macroinvertebrate monitoring equipment will bepurchased by Immanuel Lutheran School for a classroom water quality andhabitat monitoring project on Pringle Creek near Salem
No 13-02 Shafer Creek Habitat Enhancement and Investigation $861
A variety of equipmentpurchased with grantfunds will allow theMonroe Grade Schoolto conduct scientificstream investigationson Shafer Creek
No 13-03 MosbyCreek TemperatureMonitoring $2000
The Coast ForkWillamette WatershedCouncil will placetemperature probespurchased with grantfunds in Mosby Creekas part of an ongoing water quality monitoring project
No 13-04 Rhoades Pond Restoration Project $2000
Nestucca Anglers will use these funds to purchase a remote alarm systemfor their Rhoades Pond fish rearing facility
No 13-05 Water Supply Back-up $2000
Fish propagation equipment will be purchased with this grant for theWarrenton High School fisheries program
No 13-07 Whittaker Creek Trap Improvement and Supplies $1460
This grant will be used by the Florence STEP Group to purchase strappingmaterial to hold together the Whittaker Creek fish trap which is used tocatch and spawn adult winter steelhead
No 13-08 STEP Conservation Plan Sampling Studies $2000
This grant will allow the Oregon South Coast Fishermen to purchasesampling and safety gear for its ongoing monitoring work collecting data insupport of the Rogue Fall Chinook Conservation Plan 5
A STAC Mini-grant to the Florence STEP Group will helpkeep their Whittaker Creek steelhead trap up andrunning
Subscribe to FishWorksamp The Volunteer
FishWorks and The Volunteer areelectronic publications To subscribe go tohttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworks and sign up on our mailing list Past and current issues of FishWorks are
available on-line athttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworksIf you do not have access to e-mail orinternet please contact Debbi Farrell at503-947-6211 and ask to be kept on thehardcopy mailing list
Seven Projects Awarded Mini-grants bySalmon Trout Advisory Committee
RampE STEP CoordinatorPositions Consolidated
Fish Eggs to Fry VolunteerGuide now Available
Beginning in September the RampEProgram and STEP coordinatorpositions have been consolidatedKevin Herkamp has been appointedto the positionThe consolidation was prompted
by reductions in federal funding andincreased program costs Combiningthe two positions under onecoodinator will prevent cuts to fieldbiologistsFormer RampE Program CoordinatorJosie Thompson is now working onthe Ocean Salmon and ColumbiaRiver Program
The new Fish Eggs to FryVolunteer Guide along with PowerPoint Presentations videos andother aquatic and fishingeducational materials are nowavailable on the STEP EducationResources Page
View and download the materials at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPresources-educationasp
RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorKevin Herkamp Salem(503) 947-6232KevinHerkampstateorus
RampESTEP Program AssistantDebbi Farrell Salem(503) 947-6211DebbiLFarrellstateorus
STEP Biologists
North Coast STEPRon Rehn Tillamook(503) 842-2741RonFRehnstateorus
Mid Coast STEPChristine Clapp Newport(541) 265-8306 x253ChristineMClappstateorus
Tenmile Coos and Coquille STEPGary Vonderohe Charleston(541) 888-5515GaryRVonderohestateorus
Tom RumreichCharleston(541) 888-5515ThomasJRumreichstateorus
Umpqua STEPGreg Huchko Roseburg(541) 440-3353GregFHuchkostateorus
Lower Rogue STEPJohn Weber Gold Beach(541) 247-7605JohnAWeberstateorus
Upper Rogue STEPChuck Fustish Central Point(541) 826-8774ChuckAFustishstateorus
Lower Willamette STEPJeff Fulop Clackamas(971) 673-6034JeffSFulopstateorus
Mid Willamette STEPKaren Hans Corvallis(541) 757-4186 x251KarenMHansstateorus
Upper Willamette STEPShannon Richardson Springfield(541) 726-3515 x28 ShannonERichardsonstateorus
Eastern Oregon STEPJennifer Luke Bend(541) 388-6363JenniferALukestateorus
RampE and STEP Contacts
Oregon FishWorksThe STEP VolunteerFall 2013 Volume 17 Number 4
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Kevin Herkamp RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorDebbi Farrell RampESTEP Assistant
Restoration and Enhancement BoardJack Glass Chair Troutdale Sport FishingJohn Alto Sherwood Troll FishingDixie Boley Gold Beach Seafood ProcessingGreg Silbernagel Pendleton Public-At-Large Robert Bumstead Eugene Sport FishingGary Soderstrom Clatskanie Gillnet FishingLonnie Johnson Grants Pass Sport Fishing
STEP Advisory CommitteeRichard Bertellotti North CoastKeith Warren North CoastBrian Hudson Mid-CoastVacant UmpquaReese Bender Tenmile Coos CoquilleRichard Heap Lower RogueL Keith Miller Upper RogueLin Howell Lower WillametteTom VanderPlaat Lower WillametteDon WenzelMid-WillametteVacant Upper WillametteJames Phelps Eastern OregonDave Dunahay Eastern Oregon
STEP on the WebwwwdfwstateorusSTEPRampE Program on the Web
wwwdfwstateorusfishRE6
RampE-Funded Alsea River AccessImprovements Completed
Two access points on the lower Alsea River have recently beenimproved with funding from a $3450 RampE Program grant Thetwo locations Barclays Break and Hellion Rapids had becomeovergrown with brush and the access roads rutted and silted inImprovements included hauling out several dump truck loads ofsilt re-grading the road and adding a crushed rock surface andremoving brush Since the improvements were completed in mid-September use by anglers has increased substantially
Barclays Break access road before improvements
Barclays Break access road after improvements
ODFW Headquarters has moved
ODFW is now in its new Salem office The new address is
4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SESalem OR 97302-1142
Phone numbers remain the same
The lower Columbia River salmon fishery is among the most popular and productive on the West Coast Itbrings in millions of dollars to local communities through both its commercial and recreational fishingindustries and serves as an important economic driver and source of jobs But the fishery has also been
controversial with tensions between sport and commercial fishers over the impact of the gillnet industry onrecreational salmon seasons and on the salmon population which includes several runs listed under the federalEndangered Species Act In late 2012 and early 2013 the states of Oregon and Washington approved reformsintended to address these longstanding conflicts and questions
The Lower Columbia River Salmon FisheryFor thousands of years salmon have been a vital
natural resource for people on the lower Columbia Riverincluding Native American tribes and later European-American commercial fishers and recreational anglersHistorically the Columbia River produced runs of 11 to 16million fish that included chinook coho chum and sockeyesalmon and steelheadThe 140 river miles from Bonneville Dam downstream to
the ocean at Astoria hosts a highly popular salmon andsteelhead fishery due to its proximity to populationcenters along with a commercial gillnet fishery Over the years conflicts had grown between recreational
anglers and commercial fishers over the impact ofgillnetting on salmon and the length of the sport fishingseasonThe Columbia River salmon and steelhead fishery is
made up of both hatchery and wild fish stocks 13 of whichare federally protected This affects the fisheries on theColumbia River since catch limits and season lengths arebased on ensuring the by-catch of wild fish does not reduce ESA-listed runs below what is needed to restore thepopulation These lsquotakersquo numbers vary from one-half to two percent of a wild run That overall percentage has beendivided between recreational anglers and gillnetters mdash 60 percent to sport and 35 percent to gillnetters Once the
by-catch limit is reached for a particular species that fishery isclosed A source of conflict between recreational anglers and commercial
fishers has been the different survival rates for wild fish caughtand released by different fisheries About 40 percent of wild fishcaught by gillnet are killed compared to about 10 percent of wildfish caught and released by sport anglers Many sport anglers argued there would be longer salmon fishing
seasons for sport anglers if gillnets with their high mortality ratefor wild fish were removed from the river Without the wild fishmortalities from gillnets it would take longer to reach the impactlimit on wild fish thus lengthening the sport fishing season In the1990s and 2000s a number of voter initiatives were placed on theballot in Oregon and Washington to ban gillnetting on theColumbia but all were defeated
Improving Lower Columbia River Fisheries The Fish Workshop
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Increased hatchery production will enhanceoff-channel gillnet fisheries
The lower Columbia Riverrsquos commercial andrecreational salmon fisheries will be improved with theadoption of reforms by the Oregon Fish and WildlifeCommission
Improving Recreational and Commercial Fishing OpportunitiesIn August 2012 Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber directed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with their partners in Washington and other stakeholders includingcommercial and recreational fishing interests to develop a fisheries management plan to address the long-standingconflicts on the lower Columbia RiverThis plan which was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2012 and by the
Washington commission in early 2013allocates the majority of the availablesalmon harvest to the recreationalfishery phases out the use of gillnets inthe Columbia Riverrsquos main channel andmoves them to side-channel terminalfisheries and increases hatcheryproduction in off-channel areas toenhance the fisheries In addition thestates will test alternative commercialgear such as beach seines and tanglenets for possible use on the lowerColumbia River These reforms will result in longer
recreational salmon fishing seasonsincreasing the economic benefit toColumbia River communities and allowmore wild ESA-listed to escape upriverto spawn In addition with theincreased hatchery production directedat off-channel fisheries commercialfishers will see an increase in theircatch and income over time
Funding Fishery ImprovementsTo fund these improvements to lower Columbia River fisheries management and increased recreational fishing
opportunities the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a $975 endorsement for annual angling licenseholders or $1 for daily angling licenses to fish for salmon steelhead or sturgeon within the Columbia River basinThose funds will be used to produce more hatchery fish for the commercial fishery enhance recreational fisheriesand native fish conservation and monitor fish populations and the effectiveness of fisheries management on thelower Columbia RiverRecreational anglers will benefit from these fishery management improvements with increased salmon fishing
opportunities through longer seasons more wild fish escapement and additional fish moving into Columbia Riverbasin tributaries
Learn More About Lower Columbia River Fishery ReformsFor more information about lower Columbia River salmon fisheries reform visit the ODFW web page at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishOSCRPCRMLMCR_fisheries_mgmt_reformasp
For additional information on the Fish Restorationand Enhancement Program and STEP contactProgram Coordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
Anglers fishing for salmon in Columbia River tributaries will benefitfrom fishery management improvements on the lower Columbia River aswell
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
Held September 14 - 15 the 2013Coos Basin Amateur Salmon Derby had497 participants from all over thecountry including 27 children whoreceived free tickets to a youth derby oftheir own Held concurrently with theCoquille Indian Tribal SalmonCelebration more than 300 fish werecaught during this yearrsquos event Aninformation and education booth alongwith an aquarium containing severallarge Chinook salmon was also ondisplay Derby proceeds are aninvaluable source of funds for operating
and maintaining local STEPprojects
Volunteers play a critical role in stocking high lakes in the Umpqua District each summer with 30 to 40 peoplehelping out by hauling the fish up by horseback or hiking and releasing them into the lakes Currently 13 lakesare stocked in the upper North and South Umpqua drainages upper Steamboat Creek drainage and along theRogueUmpqua Divide Six of those lakes are stocked with rainbow trout a variety of trout derived from Fish andMowich lakes stock and dubbed lsquofishwichrsquo rainbows The remaining lakes are stocked with brook trout About15000 fish are stocked in the lakes each summer half rainbows and half brookiesThe fish are transported in pop containers that hold 2 to 2 12 pounds of fish each Before heading out on the
trail the water in the containers is pumped withoxygen and crushed ice is added According toUmpqua District STEP biologist Greg Huchko thesurvival rate for the fry in the containers is 95 to 96percent The high lakes are producing fish in the 14-to 15-inch range for anglers to harvest
VolunteerFor By and About Salmon Trout Enhancement Program Volunteers
4
Volunteers Integral to High Lakes Stocking Success
Nearly 500 Participated in Coos Basin Salmon Derby
TheSTEP
Volunteers release trout fry into a high lake in the CascadeMountains Up to 96 percent of the fish survive the journey from thetrailhead
A derby particpant has his salmon checked in bya derby official The Derby is sponsored byODFW South Coast Anglers STEP and theEelTen Mile STEP Association
A catch by STEP volunteerMindy Wilson who limited herboat on both days of the Derby
Horseback is an effective and popular method forhauling trout up to the high lakes for stocking
The Salmon Trout Advisory Council approved seven new projects for atotal of $10211 at its September 2013 meeting in Tillamook They are
No 13-01 Oregonrsquos Important Waters $395
Water quality and macroinvertebrate monitoring equipment will bepurchased by Immanuel Lutheran School for a classroom water quality andhabitat monitoring project on Pringle Creek near Salem
No 13-02 Shafer Creek Habitat Enhancement and Investigation $861
A variety of equipmentpurchased with grantfunds will allow theMonroe Grade Schoolto conduct scientificstream investigationson Shafer Creek
No 13-03 MosbyCreek TemperatureMonitoring $2000
The Coast ForkWillamette WatershedCouncil will placetemperature probespurchased with grantfunds in Mosby Creekas part of an ongoing water quality monitoring project
No 13-04 Rhoades Pond Restoration Project $2000
Nestucca Anglers will use these funds to purchase a remote alarm systemfor their Rhoades Pond fish rearing facility
No 13-05 Water Supply Back-up $2000
Fish propagation equipment will be purchased with this grant for theWarrenton High School fisheries program
No 13-07 Whittaker Creek Trap Improvement and Supplies $1460
This grant will be used by the Florence STEP Group to purchase strappingmaterial to hold together the Whittaker Creek fish trap which is used tocatch and spawn adult winter steelhead
No 13-08 STEP Conservation Plan Sampling Studies $2000
This grant will allow the Oregon South Coast Fishermen to purchasesampling and safety gear for its ongoing monitoring work collecting data insupport of the Rogue Fall Chinook Conservation Plan 5
A STAC Mini-grant to the Florence STEP Group will helpkeep their Whittaker Creek steelhead trap up andrunning
Subscribe to FishWorksamp The Volunteer
FishWorks and The Volunteer areelectronic publications To subscribe go tohttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworks and sign up on our mailing list Past and current issues of FishWorks are
available on-line athttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworksIf you do not have access to e-mail orinternet please contact Debbi Farrell at503-947-6211 and ask to be kept on thehardcopy mailing list
Seven Projects Awarded Mini-grants bySalmon Trout Advisory Committee
RampE STEP CoordinatorPositions Consolidated
Fish Eggs to Fry VolunteerGuide now Available
Beginning in September the RampEProgram and STEP coordinatorpositions have been consolidatedKevin Herkamp has been appointedto the positionThe consolidation was prompted
by reductions in federal funding andincreased program costs Combiningthe two positions under onecoodinator will prevent cuts to fieldbiologistsFormer RampE Program CoordinatorJosie Thompson is now working onthe Ocean Salmon and ColumbiaRiver Program
The new Fish Eggs to FryVolunteer Guide along with PowerPoint Presentations videos andother aquatic and fishingeducational materials are nowavailable on the STEP EducationResources Page
View and download the materials at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPresources-educationasp
RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorKevin Herkamp Salem(503) 947-6232KevinHerkampstateorus
RampESTEP Program AssistantDebbi Farrell Salem(503) 947-6211DebbiLFarrellstateorus
STEP Biologists
North Coast STEPRon Rehn Tillamook(503) 842-2741RonFRehnstateorus
Mid Coast STEPChristine Clapp Newport(541) 265-8306 x253ChristineMClappstateorus
Tenmile Coos and Coquille STEPGary Vonderohe Charleston(541) 888-5515GaryRVonderohestateorus
Tom RumreichCharleston(541) 888-5515ThomasJRumreichstateorus
Umpqua STEPGreg Huchko Roseburg(541) 440-3353GregFHuchkostateorus
Lower Rogue STEPJohn Weber Gold Beach(541) 247-7605JohnAWeberstateorus
Upper Rogue STEPChuck Fustish Central Point(541) 826-8774ChuckAFustishstateorus
Lower Willamette STEPJeff Fulop Clackamas(971) 673-6034JeffSFulopstateorus
Mid Willamette STEPKaren Hans Corvallis(541) 757-4186 x251KarenMHansstateorus
Upper Willamette STEPShannon Richardson Springfield(541) 726-3515 x28 ShannonERichardsonstateorus
Eastern Oregon STEPJennifer Luke Bend(541) 388-6363JenniferALukestateorus
RampE and STEP Contacts
Oregon FishWorksThe STEP VolunteerFall 2013 Volume 17 Number 4
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Kevin Herkamp RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorDebbi Farrell RampESTEP Assistant
Restoration and Enhancement BoardJack Glass Chair Troutdale Sport FishingJohn Alto Sherwood Troll FishingDixie Boley Gold Beach Seafood ProcessingGreg Silbernagel Pendleton Public-At-Large Robert Bumstead Eugene Sport FishingGary Soderstrom Clatskanie Gillnet FishingLonnie Johnson Grants Pass Sport Fishing
STEP Advisory CommitteeRichard Bertellotti North CoastKeith Warren North CoastBrian Hudson Mid-CoastVacant UmpquaReese Bender Tenmile Coos CoquilleRichard Heap Lower RogueL Keith Miller Upper RogueLin Howell Lower WillametteTom VanderPlaat Lower WillametteDon WenzelMid-WillametteVacant Upper WillametteJames Phelps Eastern OregonDave Dunahay Eastern Oregon
STEP on the WebwwwdfwstateorusSTEPRampE Program on the Web
wwwdfwstateorusfishRE6
RampE-Funded Alsea River AccessImprovements Completed
Two access points on the lower Alsea River have recently beenimproved with funding from a $3450 RampE Program grant Thetwo locations Barclays Break and Hellion Rapids had becomeovergrown with brush and the access roads rutted and silted inImprovements included hauling out several dump truck loads ofsilt re-grading the road and adding a crushed rock surface andremoving brush Since the improvements were completed in mid-September use by anglers has increased substantially
Barclays Break access road before improvements
Barclays Break access road after improvements
ODFW Headquarters has moved
ODFW is now in its new Salem office The new address is
4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SESalem OR 97302-1142
Phone numbers remain the same
The lower Columbia River salmon fishery is among the most popular and productive on the West Coast Itbrings in millions of dollars to local communities through both its commercial and recreational fishingindustries and serves as an important economic driver and source of jobs But the fishery has also been
controversial with tensions between sport and commercial fishers over the impact of the gillnet industry onrecreational salmon seasons and on the salmon population which includes several runs listed under the federalEndangered Species Act In late 2012 and early 2013 the states of Oregon and Washington approved reformsintended to address these longstanding conflicts and questions
The Lower Columbia River Salmon FisheryFor thousands of years salmon have been a vital
natural resource for people on the lower Columbia Riverincluding Native American tribes and later European-American commercial fishers and recreational anglersHistorically the Columbia River produced runs of 11 to 16million fish that included chinook coho chum and sockeyesalmon and steelheadThe 140 river miles from Bonneville Dam downstream to
the ocean at Astoria hosts a highly popular salmon andsteelhead fishery due to its proximity to populationcenters along with a commercial gillnet fishery Over the years conflicts had grown between recreational
anglers and commercial fishers over the impact ofgillnetting on salmon and the length of the sport fishingseasonThe Columbia River salmon and steelhead fishery is
made up of both hatchery and wild fish stocks 13 of whichare federally protected This affects the fisheries on theColumbia River since catch limits and season lengths arebased on ensuring the by-catch of wild fish does not reduce ESA-listed runs below what is needed to restore thepopulation These lsquotakersquo numbers vary from one-half to two percent of a wild run That overall percentage has beendivided between recreational anglers and gillnetters mdash 60 percent to sport and 35 percent to gillnetters Once the
by-catch limit is reached for a particular species that fishery isclosed A source of conflict between recreational anglers and commercial
fishers has been the different survival rates for wild fish caughtand released by different fisheries About 40 percent of wild fishcaught by gillnet are killed compared to about 10 percent of wildfish caught and released by sport anglers Many sport anglers argued there would be longer salmon fishing
seasons for sport anglers if gillnets with their high mortality ratefor wild fish were removed from the river Without the wild fishmortalities from gillnets it would take longer to reach the impactlimit on wild fish thus lengthening the sport fishing season In the1990s and 2000s a number of voter initiatives were placed on theballot in Oregon and Washington to ban gillnetting on theColumbia but all were defeated
Improving Lower Columbia River Fisheries The Fish Workshop
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Increased hatchery production will enhanceoff-channel gillnet fisheries
The lower Columbia Riverrsquos commercial andrecreational salmon fisheries will be improved with theadoption of reforms by the Oregon Fish and WildlifeCommission
Improving Recreational and Commercial Fishing OpportunitiesIn August 2012 Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber directed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with their partners in Washington and other stakeholders includingcommercial and recreational fishing interests to develop a fisheries management plan to address the long-standingconflicts on the lower Columbia RiverThis plan which was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2012 and by the
Washington commission in early 2013allocates the majority of the availablesalmon harvest to the recreationalfishery phases out the use of gillnets inthe Columbia Riverrsquos main channel andmoves them to side-channel terminalfisheries and increases hatcheryproduction in off-channel areas toenhance the fisheries In addition thestates will test alternative commercialgear such as beach seines and tanglenets for possible use on the lowerColumbia River These reforms will result in longer
recreational salmon fishing seasonsincreasing the economic benefit toColumbia River communities and allowmore wild ESA-listed to escape upriverto spawn In addition with theincreased hatchery production directedat off-channel fisheries commercialfishers will see an increase in theircatch and income over time
Funding Fishery ImprovementsTo fund these improvements to lower Columbia River fisheries management and increased recreational fishing
opportunities the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a $975 endorsement for annual angling licenseholders or $1 for daily angling licenses to fish for salmon steelhead or sturgeon within the Columbia River basinThose funds will be used to produce more hatchery fish for the commercial fishery enhance recreational fisheriesand native fish conservation and monitor fish populations and the effectiveness of fisheries management on thelower Columbia RiverRecreational anglers will benefit from these fishery management improvements with increased salmon fishing
opportunities through longer seasons more wild fish escapement and additional fish moving into Columbia Riverbasin tributaries
Learn More About Lower Columbia River Fishery ReformsFor more information about lower Columbia River salmon fisheries reform visit the ODFW web page at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishOSCRPCRMLMCR_fisheries_mgmt_reformasp
For additional information on the Fish Restorationand Enhancement Program and STEP contactProgram Coordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
Anglers fishing for salmon in Columbia River tributaries will benefitfrom fishery management improvements on the lower Columbia River aswell
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
The Salmon Trout Advisory Council approved seven new projects for atotal of $10211 at its September 2013 meeting in Tillamook They are
No 13-01 Oregonrsquos Important Waters $395
Water quality and macroinvertebrate monitoring equipment will bepurchased by Immanuel Lutheran School for a classroom water quality andhabitat monitoring project on Pringle Creek near Salem
No 13-02 Shafer Creek Habitat Enhancement and Investigation $861
A variety of equipmentpurchased with grantfunds will allow theMonroe Grade Schoolto conduct scientificstream investigationson Shafer Creek
No 13-03 MosbyCreek TemperatureMonitoring $2000
The Coast ForkWillamette WatershedCouncil will placetemperature probespurchased with grantfunds in Mosby Creekas part of an ongoing water quality monitoring project
No 13-04 Rhoades Pond Restoration Project $2000
Nestucca Anglers will use these funds to purchase a remote alarm systemfor their Rhoades Pond fish rearing facility
No 13-05 Water Supply Back-up $2000
Fish propagation equipment will be purchased with this grant for theWarrenton High School fisheries program
No 13-07 Whittaker Creek Trap Improvement and Supplies $1460
This grant will be used by the Florence STEP Group to purchase strappingmaterial to hold together the Whittaker Creek fish trap which is used tocatch and spawn adult winter steelhead
No 13-08 STEP Conservation Plan Sampling Studies $2000
This grant will allow the Oregon South Coast Fishermen to purchasesampling and safety gear for its ongoing monitoring work collecting data insupport of the Rogue Fall Chinook Conservation Plan 5
A STAC Mini-grant to the Florence STEP Group will helpkeep their Whittaker Creek steelhead trap up andrunning
Subscribe to FishWorksamp The Volunteer
FishWorks and The Volunteer areelectronic publications To subscribe go tohttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworks and sign up on our mailing list Past and current issues of FishWorks are
available on-line athttpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPfishworksIf you do not have access to e-mail orinternet please contact Debbi Farrell at503-947-6211 and ask to be kept on thehardcopy mailing list
Seven Projects Awarded Mini-grants bySalmon Trout Advisory Committee
RampE STEP CoordinatorPositions Consolidated
Fish Eggs to Fry VolunteerGuide now Available
Beginning in September the RampEProgram and STEP coordinatorpositions have been consolidatedKevin Herkamp has been appointedto the positionThe consolidation was prompted
by reductions in federal funding andincreased program costs Combiningthe two positions under onecoodinator will prevent cuts to fieldbiologistsFormer RampE Program CoordinatorJosie Thompson is now working onthe Ocean Salmon and ColumbiaRiver Program
The new Fish Eggs to FryVolunteer Guide along with PowerPoint Presentations videos andother aquatic and fishingeducational materials are nowavailable on the STEP EducationResources Page
View and download the materials at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishSTEPresources-educationasp
RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorKevin Herkamp Salem(503) 947-6232KevinHerkampstateorus
RampESTEP Program AssistantDebbi Farrell Salem(503) 947-6211DebbiLFarrellstateorus
STEP Biologists
North Coast STEPRon Rehn Tillamook(503) 842-2741RonFRehnstateorus
Mid Coast STEPChristine Clapp Newport(541) 265-8306 x253ChristineMClappstateorus
Tenmile Coos and Coquille STEPGary Vonderohe Charleston(541) 888-5515GaryRVonderohestateorus
Tom RumreichCharleston(541) 888-5515ThomasJRumreichstateorus
Umpqua STEPGreg Huchko Roseburg(541) 440-3353GregFHuchkostateorus
Lower Rogue STEPJohn Weber Gold Beach(541) 247-7605JohnAWeberstateorus
Upper Rogue STEPChuck Fustish Central Point(541) 826-8774ChuckAFustishstateorus
Lower Willamette STEPJeff Fulop Clackamas(971) 673-6034JeffSFulopstateorus
Mid Willamette STEPKaren Hans Corvallis(541) 757-4186 x251KarenMHansstateorus
Upper Willamette STEPShannon Richardson Springfield(541) 726-3515 x28 ShannonERichardsonstateorus
Eastern Oregon STEPJennifer Luke Bend(541) 388-6363JenniferALukestateorus
RampE and STEP Contacts
Oregon FishWorksThe STEP VolunteerFall 2013 Volume 17 Number 4
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Kevin Herkamp RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorDebbi Farrell RampESTEP Assistant
Restoration and Enhancement BoardJack Glass Chair Troutdale Sport FishingJohn Alto Sherwood Troll FishingDixie Boley Gold Beach Seafood ProcessingGreg Silbernagel Pendleton Public-At-Large Robert Bumstead Eugene Sport FishingGary Soderstrom Clatskanie Gillnet FishingLonnie Johnson Grants Pass Sport Fishing
STEP Advisory CommitteeRichard Bertellotti North CoastKeith Warren North CoastBrian Hudson Mid-CoastVacant UmpquaReese Bender Tenmile Coos CoquilleRichard Heap Lower RogueL Keith Miller Upper RogueLin Howell Lower WillametteTom VanderPlaat Lower WillametteDon WenzelMid-WillametteVacant Upper WillametteJames Phelps Eastern OregonDave Dunahay Eastern Oregon
STEP on the WebwwwdfwstateorusSTEPRampE Program on the Web
wwwdfwstateorusfishRE6
RampE-Funded Alsea River AccessImprovements Completed
Two access points on the lower Alsea River have recently beenimproved with funding from a $3450 RampE Program grant Thetwo locations Barclays Break and Hellion Rapids had becomeovergrown with brush and the access roads rutted and silted inImprovements included hauling out several dump truck loads ofsilt re-grading the road and adding a crushed rock surface andremoving brush Since the improvements were completed in mid-September use by anglers has increased substantially
Barclays Break access road before improvements
Barclays Break access road after improvements
ODFW Headquarters has moved
ODFW is now in its new Salem office The new address is
4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SESalem OR 97302-1142
Phone numbers remain the same
The lower Columbia River salmon fishery is among the most popular and productive on the West Coast Itbrings in millions of dollars to local communities through both its commercial and recreational fishingindustries and serves as an important economic driver and source of jobs But the fishery has also been
controversial with tensions between sport and commercial fishers over the impact of the gillnet industry onrecreational salmon seasons and on the salmon population which includes several runs listed under the federalEndangered Species Act In late 2012 and early 2013 the states of Oregon and Washington approved reformsintended to address these longstanding conflicts and questions
The Lower Columbia River Salmon FisheryFor thousands of years salmon have been a vital
natural resource for people on the lower Columbia Riverincluding Native American tribes and later European-American commercial fishers and recreational anglersHistorically the Columbia River produced runs of 11 to 16million fish that included chinook coho chum and sockeyesalmon and steelheadThe 140 river miles from Bonneville Dam downstream to
the ocean at Astoria hosts a highly popular salmon andsteelhead fishery due to its proximity to populationcenters along with a commercial gillnet fishery Over the years conflicts had grown between recreational
anglers and commercial fishers over the impact ofgillnetting on salmon and the length of the sport fishingseasonThe Columbia River salmon and steelhead fishery is
made up of both hatchery and wild fish stocks 13 of whichare federally protected This affects the fisheries on theColumbia River since catch limits and season lengths arebased on ensuring the by-catch of wild fish does not reduce ESA-listed runs below what is needed to restore thepopulation These lsquotakersquo numbers vary from one-half to two percent of a wild run That overall percentage has beendivided between recreational anglers and gillnetters mdash 60 percent to sport and 35 percent to gillnetters Once the
by-catch limit is reached for a particular species that fishery isclosed A source of conflict between recreational anglers and commercial
fishers has been the different survival rates for wild fish caughtand released by different fisheries About 40 percent of wild fishcaught by gillnet are killed compared to about 10 percent of wildfish caught and released by sport anglers Many sport anglers argued there would be longer salmon fishing
seasons for sport anglers if gillnets with their high mortality ratefor wild fish were removed from the river Without the wild fishmortalities from gillnets it would take longer to reach the impactlimit on wild fish thus lengthening the sport fishing season In the1990s and 2000s a number of voter initiatives were placed on theballot in Oregon and Washington to ban gillnetting on theColumbia but all were defeated
Improving Lower Columbia River Fisheries The Fish Workshop
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Increased hatchery production will enhanceoff-channel gillnet fisheries
The lower Columbia Riverrsquos commercial andrecreational salmon fisheries will be improved with theadoption of reforms by the Oregon Fish and WildlifeCommission
Improving Recreational and Commercial Fishing OpportunitiesIn August 2012 Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber directed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with their partners in Washington and other stakeholders includingcommercial and recreational fishing interests to develop a fisheries management plan to address the long-standingconflicts on the lower Columbia RiverThis plan which was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2012 and by the
Washington commission in early 2013allocates the majority of the availablesalmon harvest to the recreationalfishery phases out the use of gillnets inthe Columbia Riverrsquos main channel andmoves them to side-channel terminalfisheries and increases hatcheryproduction in off-channel areas toenhance the fisheries In addition thestates will test alternative commercialgear such as beach seines and tanglenets for possible use on the lowerColumbia River These reforms will result in longer
recreational salmon fishing seasonsincreasing the economic benefit toColumbia River communities and allowmore wild ESA-listed to escape upriverto spawn In addition with theincreased hatchery production directedat off-channel fisheries commercialfishers will see an increase in theircatch and income over time
Funding Fishery ImprovementsTo fund these improvements to lower Columbia River fisheries management and increased recreational fishing
opportunities the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a $975 endorsement for annual angling licenseholders or $1 for daily angling licenses to fish for salmon steelhead or sturgeon within the Columbia River basinThose funds will be used to produce more hatchery fish for the commercial fishery enhance recreational fisheriesand native fish conservation and monitor fish populations and the effectiveness of fisheries management on thelower Columbia RiverRecreational anglers will benefit from these fishery management improvements with increased salmon fishing
opportunities through longer seasons more wild fish escapement and additional fish moving into Columbia Riverbasin tributaries
Learn More About Lower Columbia River Fishery ReformsFor more information about lower Columbia River salmon fisheries reform visit the ODFW web page at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishOSCRPCRMLMCR_fisheries_mgmt_reformasp
For additional information on the Fish Restorationand Enhancement Program and STEP contactProgram Coordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
Anglers fishing for salmon in Columbia River tributaries will benefitfrom fishery management improvements on the lower Columbia River aswell
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorKevin Herkamp Salem(503) 947-6232KevinHerkampstateorus
RampESTEP Program AssistantDebbi Farrell Salem(503) 947-6211DebbiLFarrellstateorus
STEP Biologists
North Coast STEPRon Rehn Tillamook(503) 842-2741RonFRehnstateorus
Mid Coast STEPChristine Clapp Newport(541) 265-8306 x253ChristineMClappstateorus
Tenmile Coos and Coquille STEPGary Vonderohe Charleston(541) 888-5515GaryRVonderohestateorus
Tom RumreichCharleston(541) 888-5515ThomasJRumreichstateorus
Umpqua STEPGreg Huchko Roseburg(541) 440-3353GregFHuchkostateorus
Lower Rogue STEPJohn Weber Gold Beach(541) 247-7605JohnAWeberstateorus
Upper Rogue STEPChuck Fustish Central Point(541) 826-8774ChuckAFustishstateorus
Lower Willamette STEPJeff Fulop Clackamas(971) 673-6034JeffSFulopstateorus
Mid Willamette STEPKaren Hans Corvallis(541) 757-4186 x251KarenMHansstateorus
Upper Willamette STEPShannon Richardson Springfield(541) 726-3515 x28 ShannonERichardsonstateorus
Eastern Oregon STEPJennifer Luke Bend(541) 388-6363JenniferALukestateorus
RampE and STEP Contacts
Oregon FishWorksThe STEP VolunteerFall 2013 Volume 17 Number 4
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Kevin Herkamp RampE ProgramSTEP CoordinatorDebbi Farrell RampESTEP Assistant
Restoration and Enhancement BoardJack Glass Chair Troutdale Sport FishingJohn Alto Sherwood Troll FishingDixie Boley Gold Beach Seafood ProcessingGreg Silbernagel Pendleton Public-At-Large Robert Bumstead Eugene Sport FishingGary Soderstrom Clatskanie Gillnet FishingLonnie Johnson Grants Pass Sport Fishing
STEP Advisory CommitteeRichard Bertellotti North CoastKeith Warren North CoastBrian Hudson Mid-CoastVacant UmpquaReese Bender Tenmile Coos CoquilleRichard Heap Lower RogueL Keith Miller Upper RogueLin Howell Lower WillametteTom VanderPlaat Lower WillametteDon WenzelMid-WillametteVacant Upper WillametteJames Phelps Eastern OregonDave Dunahay Eastern Oregon
STEP on the WebwwwdfwstateorusSTEPRampE Program on the Web
wwwdfwstateorusfishRE6
RampE-Funded Alsea River AccessImprovements Completed
Two access points on the lower Alsea River have recently beenimproved with funding from a $3450 RampE Program grant Thetwo locations Barclays Break and Hellion Rapids had becomeovergrown with brush and the access roads rutted and silted inImprovements included hauling out several dump truck loads ofsilt re-grading the road and adding a crushed rock surface andremoving brush Since the improvements were completed in mid-September use by anglers has increased substantially
Barclays Break access road before improvements
Barclays Break access road after improvements
ODFW Headquarters has moved
ODFW is now in its new Salem office The new address is
4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SESalem OR 97302-1142
Phone numbers remain the same
The lower Columbia River salmon fishery is among the most popular and productive on the West Coast Itbrings in millions of dollars to local communities through both its commercial and recreational fishingindustries and serves as an important economic driver and source of jobs But the fishery has also been
controversial with tensions between sport and commercial fishers over the impact of the gillnet industry onrecreational salmon seasons and on the salmon population which includes several runs listed under the federalEndangered Species Act In late 2012 and early 2013 the states of Oregon and Washington approved reformsintended to address these longstanding conflicts and questions
The Lower Columbia River Salmon FisheryFor thousands of years salmon have been a vital
natural resource for people on the lower Columbia Riverincluding Native American tribes and later European-American commercial fishers and recreational anglersHistorically the Columbia River produced runs of 11 to 16million fish that included chinook coho chum and sockeyesalmon and steelheadThe 140 river miles from Bonneville Dam downstream to
the ocean at Astoria hosts a highly popular salmon andsteelhead fishery due to its proximity to populationcenters along with a commercial gillnet fishery Over the years conflicts had grown between recreational
anglers and commercial fishers over the impact ofgillnetting on salmon and the length of the sport fishingseasonThe Columbia River salmon and steelhead fishery is
made up of both hatchery and wild fish stocks 13 of whichare federally protected This affects the fisheries on theColumbia River since catch limits and season lengths arebased on ensuring the by-catch of wild fish does not reduce ESA-listed runs below what is needed to restore thepopulation These lsquotakersquo numbers vary from one-half to two percent of a wild run That overall percentage has beendivided between recreational anglers and gillnetters mdash 60 percent to sport and 35 percent to gillnetters Once the
by-catch limit is reached for a particular species that fishery isclosed A source of conflict between recreational anglers and commercial
fishers has been the different survival rates for wild fish caughtand released by different fisheries About 40 percent of wild fishcaught by gillnet are killed compared to about 10 percent of wildfish caught and released by sport anglers Many sport anglers argued there would be longer salmon fishing
seasons for sport anglers if gillnets with their high mortality ratefor wild fish were removed from the river Without the wild fishmortalities from gillnets it would take longer to reach the impactlimit on wild fish thus lengthening the sport fishing season In the1990s and 2000s a number of voter initiatives were placed on theballot in Oregon and Washington to ban gillnetting on theColumbia but all were defeated
Improving Lower Columbia River Fisheries The Fish Workshop
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Increased hatchery production will enhanceoff-channel gillnet fisheries
The lower Columbia Riverrsquos commercial andrecreational salmon fisheries will be improved with theadoption of reforms by the Oregon Fish and WildlifeCommission
Improving Recreational and Commercial Fishing OpportunitiesIn August 2012 Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber directed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with their partners in Washington and other stakeholders includingcommercial and recreational fishing interests to develop a fisheries management plan to address the long-standingconflicts on the lower Columbia RiverThis plan which was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2012 and by the
Washington commission in early 2013allocates the majority of the availablesalmon harvest to the recreationalfishery phases out the use of gillnets inthe Columbia Riverrsquos main channel andmoves them to side-channel terminalfisheries and increases hatcheryproduction in off-channel areas toenhance the fisheries In addition thestates will test alternative commercialgear such as beach seines and tanglenets for possible use on the lowerColumbia River These reforms will result in longer
recreational salmon fishing seasonsincreasing the economic benefit toColumbia River communities and allowmore wild ESA-listed to escape upriverto spawn In addition with theincreased hatchery production directedat off-channel fisheries commercialfishers will see an increase in theircatch and income over time
Funding Fishery ImprovementsTo fund these improvements to lower Columbia River fisheries management and increased recreational fishing
opportunities the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a $975 endorsement for annual angling licenseholders or $1 for daily angling licenses to fish for salmon steelhead or sturgeon within the Columbia River basinThose funds will be used to produce more hatchery fish for the commercial fishery enhance recreational fisheriesand native fish conservation and monitor fish populations and the effectiveness of fisheries management on thelower Columbia RiverRecreational anglers will benefit from these fishery management improvements with increased salmon fishing
opportunities through longer seasons more wild fish escapement and additional fish moving into Columbia Riverbasin tributaries
Learn More About Lower Columbia River Fishery ReformsFor more information about lower Columbia River salmon fisheries reform visit the ODFW web page at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishOSCRPCRMLMCR_fisheries_mgmt_reformasp
For additional information on the Fish Restorationand Enhancement Program and STEP contactProgram Coordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
Anglers fishing for salmon in Columbia River tributaries will benefitfrom fishery management improvements on the lower Columbia River aswell
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
The lower Columbia River salmon fishery is among the most popular and productive on the West Coast Itbrings in millions of dollars to local communities through both its commercial and recreational fishingindustries and serves as an important economic driver and source of jobs But the fishery has also been
controversial with tensions between sport and commercial fishers over the impact of the gillnet industry onrecreational salmon seasons and on the salmon population which includes several runs listed under the federalEndangered Species Act In late 2012 and early 2013 the states of Oregon and Washington approved reformsintended to address these longstanding conflicts and questions
The Lower Columbia River Salmon FisheryFor thousands of years salmon have been a vital
natural resource for people on the lower Columbia Riverincluding Native American tribes and later European-American commercial fishers and recreational anglersHistorically the Columbia River produced runs of 11 to 16million fish that included chinook coho chum and sockeyesalmon and steelheadThe 140 river miles from Bonneville Dam downstream to
the ocean at Astoria hosts a highly popular salmon andsteelhead fishery due to its proximity to populationcenters along with a commercial gillnet fishery Over the years conflicts had grown between recreational
anglers and commercial fishers over the impact ofgillnetting on salmon and the length of the sport fishingseasonThe Columbia River salmon and steelhead fishery is
made up of both hatchery and wild fish stocks 13 of whichare federally protected This affects the fisheries on theColumbia River since catch limits and season lengths arebased on ensuring the by-catch of wild fish does not reduce ESA-listed runs below what is needed to restore thepopulation These lsquotakersquo numbers vary from one-half to two percent of a wild run That overall percentage has beendivided between recreational anglers and gillnetters mdash 60 percent to sport and 35 percent to gillnetters Once the
by-catch limit is reached for a particular species that fishery isclosed A source of conflict between recreational anglers and commercial
fishers has been the different survival rates for wild fish caughtand released by different fisheries About 40 percent of wild fishcaught by gillnet are killed compared to about 10 percent of wildfish caught and released by sport anglers Many sport anglers argued there would be longer salmon fishing
seasons for sport anglers if gillnets with their high mortality ratefor wild fish were removed from the river Without the wild fishmortalities from gillnets it would take longer to reach the impactlimit on wild fish thus lengthening the sport fishing season In the1990s and 2000s a number of voter initiatives were placed on theballot in Oregon and Washington to ban gillnetting on theColumbia but all were defeated
Improving Lower Columbia River Fisheries The Fish Workshop
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Increased hatchery production will enhanceoff-channel gillnet fisheries
The lower Columbia Riverrsquos commercial andrecreational salmon fisheries will be improved with theadoption of reforms by the Oregon Fish and WildlifeCommission
Improving Recreational and Commercial Fishing OpportunitiesIn August 2012 Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber directed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with their partners in Washington and other stakeholders includingcommercial and recreational fishing interests to develop a fisheries management plan to address the long-standingconflicts on the lower Columbia RiverThis plan which was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2012 and by the
Washington commission in early 2013allocates the majority of the availablesalmon harvest to the recreationalfishery phases out the use of gillnets inthe Columbia Riverrsquos main channel andmoves them to side-channel terminalfisheries and increases hatcheryproduction in off-channel areas toenhance the fisheries In addition thestates will test alternative commercialgear such as beach seines and tanglenets for possible use on the lowerColumbia River These reforms will result in longer
recreational salmon fishing seasonsincreasing the economic benefit toColumbia River communities and allowmore wild ESA-listed to escape upriverto spawn In addition with theincreased hatchery production directedat off-channel fisheries commercialfishers will see an increase in theircatch and income over time
Funding Fishery ImprovementsTo fund these improvements to lower Columbia River fisheries management and increased recreational fishing
opportunities the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a $975 endorsement for annual angling licenseholders or $1 for daily angling licenses to fish for salmon steelhead or sturgeon within the Columbia River basinThose funds will be used to produce more hatchery fish for the commercial fishery enhance recreational fisheriesand native fish conservation and monitor fish populations and the effectiveness of fisheries management on thelower Columbia RiverRecreational anglers will benefit from these fishery management improvements with increased salmon fishing
opportunities through longer seasons more wild fish escapement and additional fish moving into Columbia Riverbasin tributaries
Learn More About Lower Columbia River Fishery ReformsFor more information about lower Columbia River salmon fisheries reform visit the ODFW web page at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishOSCRPCRMLMCR_fisheries_mgmt_reformasp
For additional information on the Fish Restorationand Enhancement Program and STEP contactProgram Coordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
Anglers fishing for salmon in Columbia River tributaries will benefitfrom fishery management improvements on the lower Columbia River aswell
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
Improving Recreational and Commercial Fishing OpportunitiesIn August 2012 Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber directed the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission and Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife to work with their partners in Washington and other stakeholders includingcommercial and recreational fishing interests to develop a fisheries management plan to address the long-standingconflicts on the lower Columbia RiverThis plan which was adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December 2012 and by the
Washington commission in early 2013allocates the majority of the availablesalmon harvest to the recreationalfishery phases out the use of gillnets inthe Columbia Riverrsquos main channel andmoves them to side-channel terminalfisheries and increases hatcheryproduction in off-channel areas toenhance the fisheries In addition thestates will test alternative commercialgear such as beach seines and tanglenets for possible use on the lowerColumbia River These reforms will result in longer
recreational salmon fishing seasonsincreasing the economic benefit toColumbia River communities and allowmore wild ESA-listed to escape upriverto spawn In addition with theincreased hatchery production directedat off-channel fisheries commercialfishers will see an increase in theircatch and income over time
Funding Fishery ImprovementsTo fund these improvements to lower Columbia River fisheries management and increased recreational fishing
opportunities the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission approved a $975 endorsement for annual angling licenseholders or $1 for daily angling licenses to fish for salmon steelhead or sturgeon within the Columbia River basinThose funds will be used to produce more hatchery fish for the commercial fishery enhance recreational fisheriesand native fish conservation and monitor fish populations and the effectiveness of fisheries management on thelower Columbia RiverRecreational anglers will benefit from these fishery management improvements with increased salmon fishing
opportunities through longer seasons more wild fish escapement and additional fish moving into Columbia Riverbasin tributaries
Learn More About Lower Columbia River Fishery ReformsFor more information about lower Columbia River salmon fisheries reform visit the ODFW web page at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishOSCRPCRMLMCR_fisheries_mgmt_reformasp
For additional information on the Fish Restorationand Enhancement Program and STEP contactProgram Coordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
Anglers fishing for salmon in Columbia River tributaries will benefitfrom fishery management improvements on the lower Columbia River aswell
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
The 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan developed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is designedto ensure that Oregon anglers can count on having high quality fisheries throughout the state over the nextquarter century The plan provides a road map and direction to that end through its array of goals and a
directive that states ldquoTo enhance develop and promote diverse and productive recreational fishing opportunitiesthat are consistent with the conservation needs of native species provide balanced economic and social benefits andconnect Oregonians with fish water and the outdoorsrdquoFish biologists in each of ODFWrsquos four regions mdash High Desert Northeast Northwest and Southwest mdash are
working to implement the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan to improve fishing opportunity and quality in theirregions This series will highlight some of the ways that each region is working towards those goals with this issuefocusing on the Southwest Region The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program and the Salmon TroutEnhancement Program are important players in these statewide efforts to improve and increase anglingopportunities in Oregon
Diamond Lake Creel 2013A creel survey has been done each year on Diamond Lake
since 2006 when the lake was treated with rotenone toremove invasive tui chub that had significantly suppressedthe trout fishery and caused declines in water quality dueto toxic algae blooms Beginning in 2013 the lake offersyear-round fishing and the creel survey will evaluate itssuccess in providing angling opportunities by measuringcatch rates harvest pressure numbers and size of fishcaught and other data The 2013 creel survey conductedover spring and early summer was partially funded by a$4313 Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program grant
Indian Creek Hatchery WalkwaysThe Indian Creek Hatchery near Gold Beach operated byvolunteers from Curry Anadromous Fishermen is a major contributor to the lower Rogue River fall Chinookfishery raising and releasing about 90000 fall Chinook fry into the river each year The wooden walkways to thehatcheryrsquos holding tanks were more than 30 years old and unsafe for hatchery workers to use The walkways werereplaced extending the hatcheryrsquos life and making it safer for STEP volunteer workers The Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program contributed $15000 towards the project
Coastal Wild Coho Fisheries 2013 Creel SurveysCreel surveys are conducted by ODFW during wild coastal coho fisheries to monitor angler effort and harvest
Because Oregon wild coastal coho salmon are listed as Threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act thecoho fishery along the Oregon coast was closed in 1994 But beginning in 2009 there have been enough returningwild fish to allow an annual limited harvest coho fishery However to ensure that the harvest does not threaten theviability of the wild runs the federal government requires ODFW to conduct creel surveys to track catch rates so
ODFW Southwest RegionRestoring and Enhancing your
Fishing Access and Opportunities
An Educational Series Presented by the RampE and STEP Programs
Fall 2013
Indian Creek walkways have been replaced toincrease the hatcheryrsquos life and improve workersafety
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
Learn More about the 25-YearRecreational Angling PlanThe 25-year Recreational Angling Plan has two primary goals
Goal 1 Provide diverse stable and productive anglingopportunities The Department seeks to maintain and restorenaturally produced fish to provide opportunities for consumptiveand non-consumptive recreational fisheries and to manage non-native fish and hatchery-based fisheries to optimize user benefits
Goal 2 Increase angling participation Diverse stable andproductive angling opportunities form the basis for increased
angling participation We need to retain our current angler base recruit new anglers especially young people andanticipate future demands for angling opportunities from a growing population
A copy of the 25-Year Recreational Angling Plan may be found on the ODFW website at
httpwwwdfwstateorusfishprogramsasp
the season can be ended once the harvest quota isreached The wild coho season generally runs from mid-September through November or until the harvest quotais reached Which coastal basins are open each year tocoho harvest depends on run size projections for thatyear The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Programhas provided a $139931 grant to fund the creel surveysfor the next two seasons
Gold Hill Irrigation District FishPassage Improvement ProjectOne of the best ways to increase fish populations and
fishing opportunity is to improve passage conditions forfish at irrigation diversions The Gold Hill IrrigationDistrict over the next two years will reduce harmfulimpacts to Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead atone of its irrigation diversions on the mainstem Rogue River This project which received a $30000 grant from theFish Restoration and Enhancement Program will modify the irrigation structures to reduce the incidence ofstranding fish make them less vulnerable to predation provide easier passage through the diversion along withother improvements
Bradley Lake Boat RampA new boat ramp at Bradley Lake three miles south of Bandon has been constructed that will provide improvedboat and angling access opportunities to fish from the dock for anglers who do not own a boat as well as make iteasier for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to stock the lake with trout Previously low water in thesummer and aquatic weed growth made boat launching fishing and trout stocking access difficult The OregonMarine Board helped fund this project
For additional information on Fish Restoration andEnhancement Program and STEP contact ProgramCoordinator Kevin Herkamp (503) 947-6232
The new boat ramp at Bradley Lake near Bandon willgreatly improve angling opportunities
- FishWorks_Fall_2013_Final
- Ed_Insert_Fall_2013_Final
- SW_Region_Fall_2013_Final
-
