Oregon Steelhead Status, Recovery Planning and Monitoring

Kevin GoodsonOregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Pacific Coast Steelhead Management MeetingMarch 4, 2008

Outline

• Review status assessments from 2005

• Review status assessments from recovery planning efforts in the Mid-Columbia, Lower Columbia, Upper Willamette and Snake DPSs

• Describe monitoring efforts for steelhead in Oregon

2005 Oregon Native Fish Status Report

• Last formal assessment for many management units

• Shared at 2006 steelhead management meeting

• Snapshot of current status, not assessment of extinction risk

• Status not believed to have changed significantly

2005 Oregon Native Fish Status ReportWinter Steelhead

2005 Oregon Native Fish Status ReportSummer Steelhead

Oregon Recovery Planning Efforts for Steelhead

• Mid-Columbia recovery plan public draft expected this spring

• Lower Columbia recovery plan public draft by 12/08

• Upper Willamette recovery plan in 2009

• Snake River recovery plan led by NOAA

Middle Columbia Steelhead Populations - Oregon

Viability Assessment Results for Cascade Eastern Slope MPG

Oregon Populations

Abundance Productivity Overall

PopulationExtant/Extinct Mean Mean

A/PRisk

IntegratedSS/D Risk

Population Viability Rating

Fifteenmile Creek Extant 703 1.82 Low Low Viable

Deschutes RiverEastside

Extant 1,599 1.89 Low Moderate Viable

Deschutes RiverWestside Extant 456 1.05 High Moderate High Risk

Deschutes Crooked River Extinct 0 0 Extinct NA Extinct

Viability Assessment Results for John Day River MPG

Abundance Productivity Overall

PopulationExtant/Extinct Mean Mean

A/PRisk

IntegratedSS/D Risk

Population Viability Rating

Lower Mainstem John Day River

Extant 1,800 2.99 Moderate Moderate Moderate Risk

North Fork John Day River

Extant 1,740 2.41 Very Low Low Highly Viable

Middle Fork John Day River

Extant 756 2.45 Moderate Low Moderate Risk

South Fork John Day River

Extant 259 2.06 Moderate Low Moderate Risk

Upper Mainstem John Day River

Extant 524 2.14 Moderate Moderate Moderate Risk

Viability Assessment Results for Umatilla/Walla Walla Rivers MPG

Oregon Populations

Abundance Productivity Overall

PopulationExtant/Extinct Mean Mean

A/PRisk

IntegratedSS/D Risk

Population Viability Rating

Willow Creek Extinct 0 0 Extinct NA Extinct

Umatilla River

Extant 1,472 1.50 Moderate Moderate Moderate Risk

Walla Walla River

Extant 650 1.34 Moderate ModerateModerate

Risk

Mid-Columbia Recovery Scenario

for each MPG• One half of historic populations

• Proportional size representation

• All life histories represented

• One population highly viable

• All populations not viable should be maintained

Cascades Eastern Slope Tributaries MPG

Recovery Scenario• Fifteenmile Creek: winter run and basic size

• Deschutes Rv Eastside: summer run and intermediate size

• Deschutes Rv Westside: summer run and large size

• Klickitat River: winter/summer run and intermediate size

• Rock Creek maintained

John Day River MPGRecovery Scenario

• Lower Mainstem John Day: very large size

• North Fork John Day: large size

• Middle Fork or Upper John Day: intermediate size

• South Fork maintained

Umatilla/Walla Walla Rivers MPG

Recovery Scenario

• Umatilla River: only large size available

• Walla Walla River or Touchet River: intermediate size

Mid-Columbia River Steelhead Abundance/Productivity Gaps

Middle Columbia Steelhead Gaps

0.000.100.200.300.400.500.600.700.800.90

Gap

Lower Columbia Steelhead DPS

Lower Columbia DPS Strata

Oregon LCR Steelhead Status

Extinction Risk Category

Population

Abundance and

ProductivitySpatial

Structure DiversityOverall

Population Status

Clackamas Low Low Low Low

Sandy High High Moderate High

Lower Gorge High Low High High

Upper Gorge Moderate Low Moderate Moderate

Hood Moderate Low Moderate Moderate

Hood Summer Very High Low Moderate *Very High

Upper Willamette Steelhead

DPS

Upper Willamette Steelhead DPS Current Status

Extinction Risk Category

Population

Abundance and

ProductivitySpatial

Structure DiversityOverall

Population Status

Molalla Moderate Low Moderate Moderate

North Santiam Low High Moderate Moderate

South Santiam Low Moderate Moderate Low

Calapooia Moderate Moderate Moderate Moderate

OVERALL DPS MODERATE

Viability Assessment Results for Grande Ronde River MPG

Abundance Productivity Overall

PopulationExtant/Extinct Mean Mean

A/PRisk

IntegratedSS/D Risk

Population Viability Rating

Lower Grande Ronde

Extant TBD TBD TBD

Joseph Creek Extant Very Low Low Highly Viable

Wallowa Extant Moderate Low Moderate Risk

Upper Grande Ronde Extant Moderate Moderate Moderate Risk

Viability Assessment Results for Imnaha River MPG

Abundance Productivity Overall

PopulationExtant/Extinct Mean Mean

A/PRisk

IntegratedSS/D Risk

Population Viability Rating

Imnaha ExtantModerate Moderate Moderate Risk

Oregon Monitoring Efforts

• Slowly adding to annual efforts for steelhead

• Some data from efforts for coho

• Most surveys utilize probabilistic sampling

• In addition to dam/trap counts, and other basin-specific efforts

• Recovery and conservation plans will identify additional monitoring needs

Steelhead Spawning Surveys

• Currently conducted in Klamath Mountains Province (KMP) and Oregon Coast DPSs along with the John Day Basin

• Counting and marking redds

• Useful to examine abundance, productivity and spatial structure

• Currently estimating DPS abundance

Coastal STW Spawning Trends

Spawning Year

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Coa

stal

Red

d E

stim

ate

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

KM

P R

edd

Est

imat

e

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

Coastal STW EstimateKMP STW Estimate

Western Oregon Rearing Project

• Summer juvenile snorkel surveys• Only in pool habitat and within coho distribution• Currently conducting surveys in KMP, Oregon Coast

and Lower Columbia DPSs• Provides trend information on densities and

distribution

Mid Coast

020406080100

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

Mea

n P

ool O

ccup

ancy

(%

)

Mid-South Coast

020406080100

Juve

nile

Ste

elhe

ad/M

eter

2

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

Umpqua

Snorkel Year

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008020406080100

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

North Coast

020406080100

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

Aquatic Habitat Inventory Surveys

• Conducted in the KMP, Oregon Coast and Lower Columbia DPSs

• Surveys inventory multiple habitat components• Will provide ability to track changes with

reasonable sensitivity

Summary

• Current status in most non-listed management units in Oregon appears stable

• Oregon is working hard to develop conservation/recovery plans

• Securing funding to continue and increase monitoring is a priority

Questions?