AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY
Washington - British Columbia - Idaho Chapters

2024 CONFERENCE

April 29 - May 2 , 2024
Spokane, WA
The Centennial by Davenport Hotels | 303 West North River Drive Spokane, WA 99201

W E L CO M E T O S P O K A N E
WHAT ARE THE
TOP 10 THINGS TO
DO IN SPOKANE
ACCORDING TO
TRIP ADVISOR?
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g58759-Activitiesoa0-Spokane_Washington.html

TOP 101. Manito Park
2. Riverfront Park
3. Spokane Falls
4. Centennial Trail
5. Martin Woldson
Theater at the Fox
6. Green Bluff
7. Downtown Spokane
Shops & Trails
8. Barrister Winery
9. Northwest Museum ofArts & Culture
10. Mount Spokane

CONTENTS
PAGE
4 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
6 EXECUTIVE/PLANNING COMMITTEES
8 SPONSORS
13 MEETING INFORMATION
14 SYMPOSIA GUIDE
15 CONFERENCE MAP
16 CONCURRENT SCHEDULE
29 POSTER SESSION
31 TECH TALKS & TRADE SHOW
32 WORKSHOPS
35 PLENARY SESSION

42 SYMPOSIA ABSTRACTS
125 2025... SAVE THE DATE!
COVER PHOTO: Josh Williams, WDFWPRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Greetings AFS members and guests,
Welcome to Spokane! We are so excited to join you at thefirst-ever joint annual meeting between the WashingtonBritish Columbia and Idaho chapters. Spokane is an ideal
location for this arrangement and we hope the successof this meeting leads to future meeting collaboration
between chapters.
First of all, we all owe a debt of gratitude to the tremendous, diverse team of volunteers whose blood, sweat, andtears made this meeting possible. Both chapters havetheir own set of traditions and customs at annual meetings, so joining forces has been a process of learning andcompromising. Cross-boundary relationships and bonds
have been formed by team members that will last a lifetime, and that will be reflected in the meeting agenda.
Please see the names of the Core Planning Team in thisbrochure and thank them for all of their hard work.
The number of oral and poster presentations in the schedule, relative to the number of registrants for the meeting, is as high as you will ever see at an
AFS meeting. While this may in part be to extra armtwisting, it more accurately reflects how much ourchapter members have been looking forward to joint
attendance, and how great the planning team did
in advertising the meeting and setting up a strong,unique set of symposia. The meeting kicks off with avariety of outstanding Monday workshops, followed
by a powerhouse lineup of plenary speakers Tuesday
morning. This will set the stage for continued
strength and variety in the remainder of the meeting schedule. There is truly something for everyone
interested in building their knowledge base andsharing their findings with like-minded fisheries professionals charged with sustaining fishery resources
across the Pacific Northwest.
We also ask you to stop by the vendor booths andthank our corporate sponsors who were invaluable
partners in making this meeting affordable. And
don’t miss out on the various social events –4

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
it’s a chance to informally ask follow-up questions to speakers you heard present, and it’sa great way to network and enjoy each other’s company. Finally, we remind folks of AFS’s
meeting Code of Conduct; we will have designated ‘Safety Officers’, meaning the two of us,
so if at any point you want to speak to someone about an incident you experience or witness, please feel free to let us know.
We hope you enjoy every aspect of this meeting. We encourage you to meet new people
from your own or opposite chapters and build your networking channels. We challenge you
to learn new, innovative ways of managing and conserving the fisheries in your jurisdiction. We hope you help support our organization by participating in the various fundraisingefforts that will be ongoing throughout the meeting. And we ask you to help foster professionalism, respect, and empathy in our organization by respecting opinions and interpretations that might differ from your own. For some, this may be one of the first AFS meetings
they have ever attended; it is our hope that those people walk away a bit awestruck at thequality of the science and depth of camaraderie we all display. For the veteran meetinggoers, remember what it was like at one of your first meetings, and look for opportunities tomake a positive impression on someone new to this whole process.
We hope you enjoy your time here in Spokane, and wish you safe travels home!

Sincerely,
Kevin Meyer, President 		

Janine Bryan, President

Idaho Chapter of AFS 			

Washington-British Columbia Chapter of AFS

5

WA-BCEXECUTIVE
COMMITTEEPRESIDENT
JANINE BRYANPRESIDENT ELECTSEAN SIMMONS

VICE PRESIDENTJOSH WILLIAMSPAST PRESIDENTJEFF FRYER

TREASURER
SABRINA HANEY

SECRETARYRYAN BRANSTETTERSTUDENT LEAD
ALEX LOPEZIDAHOEXECUTIVE
COMMITTEEPRESIDENT

KEVIN MEYERPRESIDENT ELECTLAUREN ANDREWSVICE PRESIDENTJOE KOZFKAY

PAST PRESIDENTROB VAN KIRKTREASURER
JESSE MCCANE

SECRETARYERIC STARKNOMINATIONS CHAIRROB RYANSTUDENT UNITPRESIDENTS
ROBERT GREGORY
BYU-I
COURTNIE GHEREPALOUSEADAM ZAMBIEPORTNEUF

6

2024 WA-BC-ID AFS
PLANNING COMMITTEE
GENERAL MEETINGORGANIZATIONLAUREN ANDREWSSEAN SIMMONSVOLUNTEER
COORDINATIONJIM CHANDLER
COURTNIE GHERE

PROGRAMALEXA BALLINGERMARIKA DOBOSREBEKAH HORNKEVIN MEYERKRISTI STEVENSONJENN VINCENT

AUDIO & VISUALERIC BERNTSENJANINE BRYANJOSH WILLIAMSKRISTI STEVENSONWEBSITEKRISTI STEVENSONARRANGEMENTS &ACCOMMODATIONSERIC BERNTSENJANINE BRYANSABRINA HANEY
JESSE MCCANE
WORKSHOPS
JENN VINCENTKAITIE WAUHKONEN
JOSH WILLIAMSFUNDRAISING/TRADESHOW
TUCKER BRAUERSUSIE FRAWLEYJEFF FRYERNICK PORTERJOSH WILLIAMSSOCIAL EVENTSRYAN BRANSTETTER
COREY DONDEROERIC GEISTHARDTKAT GILLIES-RECTOR
ALEX LOPEZROB RYAN
MEETING LOGO &SWAGREBEKAH HORN
JOSH WILLIAMSDIVERSITY, EQUITY, &INCLUSIONKAT GILLIES-RECTORROB VAN KIRKREGISTRATIONDONA HORANJESSE MCCANEKRISTI STEVENSONPOSTERSBRETT KELLY

7

A huge “Thank You!” to the

CORPORATE SPONSORSof the 2024 WA-BC-ID AFS Meeting

8

CORPORATE SPONSORS

9CORPORATE SPONSORS

10CORPORATE SPONSORS

11

CORPORATE SPONSORS

12

MEETING INFORMATION
Registration will be open each morning at 7:30 AM in the Prefunction Area.
Oral Presenters were asked to submit their presentation prior to meeting arrival. However, if this has

not already been done, speakers are required to have their presentation uploaded the day before theirscheduled talk, with no exceptions. All talks will be woven together from start to finish for each 4-hour time
block, and there will be no opportunity to inject talks on the day of your presentation. Computers will be set
up in the Ballroom Prefunction area for uploading and review; see the schedule below for uploading times
each day, and the registration desk for details.

Poster Presenters can attach their poster to their respective poster location (coded by poster number)on Monday afternoon or any time on Tuesday in the Ballroom Prefunction area. The designated Poster
Session is Wednesday morning (see below). Posters must be dismantled by noon on Thursday.

Code of Conduct: This meeting, like all American Fisheries Society events, is governed by the AFS
Code of Conduct. Its purpose is to ensure a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all meeting
participants, including vendors and non-AFS guests. In addition to the Code of Conduct Reporting Formprovided as an online reporting mechanism for violations, we are providing onsite contacts for Code violations. Janine Bryan (WA-BC AFS President) and Kevin Meyer (ICAFS President) will accept complaints at
any time from meeting attendees. Please take time to familiarize yourself with the Code of Conduct andits importance.

Abstracts will be available for every talk and posters on the Idaho AFS website, after the meeting has
concluded. Please access these abstracts as needed once they have been posted.

Fundraising for auction and raffle items will be done using the GiveSmart virtual platform accessible

with any smartphone. The link is https://afs24.givesmart.com/, or text AFS24 to 76278. Although bidding will
be virtual, all items will be present at the meeting so winners can collect their prizes the night of the fundraising banquet. This year, we have rounded up some really great items including an Alpacka pack raft, multiple fly rods, and numerous other fantastic items. In addition to the raffle at the banquet, we will also havea raffle during the Trade Show! Only individuals that attend the Trade Show will have a chance to win. Chatwith our vendors to find out more. We’re hoping to make this one of the biggest years ever for fundraising!

Student Mock Interviews will be held from 9:30-11:30 am on Wednesday in the Willow Rooms.
Idaho AFS Mentoring Committee and WA-BC AFS are excited to host mock interviews for students andyoung professionals. Students and early career professionals can receive constructive feedback on practiceinterviews, with guidance geared toward both seasonal positions and permanent positions in the fisheries and natural resource fields. Please either bring a hard copy of your resume. Interviews are 20 minutes
including time for feedback.
Lactation Room For nursing caregivers, the Liberty Room will be provided for nursing, milk storage, orother nursing needs. A refrigerator will be provided, but bottles and a breast pump will not.

AFS Childcare Engagement Survey Your chapter would greatly appreciate your response to thisbrief survey. This is part of our efforts to best support our membership

13

SYMPOSIA GUIDE (alphabetically by Key Word)
43 ANGLER Engagement in Support of Citizen Science
45 Conservation and management of Native BULL TROUT and Dolly Varden in the 		
coastal and inland Pacific Northwest

51 DATA Longevity Achieved! Reproducibility throughout the lifecycle and beyond
54 Application of DRONES in fisheries research and environmental monitoring
58 Improving salmonid adult ESCAPEMENT abundance estimates
61 FISH PASSAGE in the Pacific Northwest
68 GENERAL Session
76 GENETICS in Fisheries Management and Conservation
81 HATCHERIES: The Need to Know
94 Science and INFRASTRUCTURE modifications for fish passage at mainstem dams:
How much has changed?

96 KOKANEE Population Dynamics and Management
98 Integration of PHYSIOLOGY and Genetics in Aquatic Resource Conservation
101 PINNIPED Interactions
103 Northern Pikeminnow & Non-native Predator Fishes in Anadromous Waters 		
(PISCIVORY)

108 Salmon Run PREDICTIONS
109 Pacific Northwest SOCKEYE Salmon
111 The Salmon Prize: SOCKEYE INTERNATIONAL Competition
112 Everything STURGEON
115 TECHnological tools and fisheries science techniques
122 TRIBAL Perspectives on Aquatic Habitat Restoration

14

CONFERENCE MAP
West Wing

2nd floor Willow rooms
12th floor Skyline Ballrooms

CONFERENCE
CENTER
Street level – 2nd floor

REGISTRATION“Lower” Wing

2nd Floor

Hotel Lobby

Street level – 2nd floor

1st Floor(under Riverfront
Ballrooms)

South Wing

Pavilion Room 2nd floor

RIVER

15

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE
Monday (April 29)

Workshops
8:00 - 9:40

Aquatic Connectivity
The Lamprey Lens

AudubonManitoSalmon Forecasting

Riverfront A

Nutrition in AquacultureRiverfront B

Genetics 101

Riverfront D

Communicating Science

Pavilion

Break with Coffee - Prefunction Area

9:40 - 10:00

10:00 - 12:00

Aquatic Connectivity
The Lamprey Lens

AudubonManitoSalmon Forecasting

Riverfront A

Nutrition in Aquaculture
Genetics 101

Riverfront B
Riverfront D

Communicating Science

Pavilion

Lunch Break (on your own)

12:00 - 1:00
1:00 - 3:00

All About PIT-Tagging

Riverfront B

Genetics 101

Riverfront D

Aquatic Connectivity

OffsiteBreak with Coffee - Prefunction Area

3:00 - 3:20
3:20 - 5:00
5:00 - 6:00

All About PIT-Tagging

Riverfront B

Genetics 101

Riverfront D

AFS EXCOM and Planning Meeting
Complimentary Suite

6:30 - 9:00

Volunteer Meeting
Prefunction Area

TRADE SHOW AND POSTER SETUP
Audubon, Manito, Riverfront A, & Prefunction Area

Alphabet Social 5:30 - 6:30
(offsite - Wonder Market)
835 N Post St, Spokane, WA 99201

Welcome Social(offsite - Wonder Market)
835 N Post St, Spokane, WA 99201

16

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE
Tuesday Morning (April 30)

Plenary Session
Riverfront A/B/C/D
8:00 - 8:10

Introduction to the Meeting

8:10 - 8:15

Introduction to the Plenary Session

8:15 - 8:45

The Future of Salmon
Urgency & Adequacy: Rebuilding Snake Basin Fish
Stocks8:45 - 9:40

Kevin Meyer
President of the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
Janine Bryan
President of the WA-BC Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
Lauren Andrews
President-Elect of the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society
Monica Tonasket
Jay Hesse & Russ Thurow

Break with Coffee/Snacks - Riverfront A

9:40 - 10:00
10:00 - 10:10 Introduction to the Plenary Session

Sean Simmons
President-Elect of the WA-BC Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

10:10 - 10:40

How cold-water fishes survive summer in warm river basins: examples of adaptive capacity from Oregon

Jonathan Armstrong

10:40 - 11:10

Linking concepts of adaptive capacity to trout and salmon
in the Pacific Northwest

Christopher Caudill

11:10 - 11:40

Exceptionally high mortality of migrating adult female
salmon: a large-scale pattern and a conservation concern

Scott Hinch

11:40 - 12:00

Break
WA-BC Chapter Annual Business Meeting & Lunch

12:00 - 1:40

ICAFS Committee Meeting Lunch

Skyline Ballroom

Anadromous Fish - Grant
Aquaculture - Corbin
Aquatic Habitat - Finch
Mentoring - Willow A
Native Fish - Willow B
Public Education - Pavilion

17

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE* Student

Tuesday Afternoon (April 30)

RoomRiverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

CorbinSymposium

Hatcheries 1

Fish Passage 1

Data

Drones 1

TribalPinnipeds

Reflections on a30+ year careerin Columbia andYakima Basin salmon
restoration

A quick look beyond
habitat loss fromdams and culverts in
the PNW

Ack! How do I cite
this? Data citation andattribution for dynamic
natural resource
databases

Monitoring Channel
Response to Low-Tech
Processed-Based
Restoration Using UAV

Traditional Ecological
Knowledge at Work:
Adapting Indigenous
Practices to Inform
Ecosystem-BasedManagement Decisionsfor Herring and Salmon
in Puget Sound

Participatory modelingto evaluate pinniped
management as a tool
for salmon recovery in
Puget Sound

Bill Bosch

Wayne Watne

Katie Barnas

Tulley Mackey*

Jayde Essex

Liz Allyn*

Columbia River Basin
Hatcheries – Mitigation
for hydrosystem
operations anddevelopment of thebasin

Aquatic Organism
Passage (AOP)
Solutions at Culverts
and Fish BarrierManagement in North
America

Data endurance:
Documenting metadata
and connecting to
published data with
MonitoringResources.
org and large language
modelsSimulating riparian
forest harvesting
impacts on stream
temperatures using
RPAS-acquired LiDAR

Aquatic Invasive &Non-Native Species: An
Indigenous Perspective

Columbia Riverpinniped predation:
A summary of
information gained froma decade-long study

Maureen Hess

Shane Scott

Samuel Cimino

Leanna Stackhouse

Anthony Capetillo

Michelle Wargo Rub*

Using Hatcheries
for Conservation:
An Overview of theIntegrated Chinook
Program in Idaho

Lower Boise River
Fish Passage Study

How large language
models rich metadata
can support greaterinteroperability of data
and movement towards
best practices.

Assessment of salmonid
spawning habitat using
Remotely Piloted
Vehicles in a large river.

Recent adaptationsof the Kootenai rivernative fish conservationaquaculture program torestore white sturgeon
and burbot

Long-term Tracking of
California Sea Lions
Using Flipper-mounted
SPOT Tags

David VendittiColin Custer

Tom Bird

Jared Stieve*

Brian Michaels

Sarah Colosimo

Evaluating Mitigation
Objectives for Spring/
Summer Chinook
Salmon Hatcheries in
the Snake River Basin

A cost-effective
approach to
implement andmonitor theeffectiveness of a fishpassage project in the
Potlatch River basin in
northern Idaho
Brian Knoth

Salish Sea Initiative
Interactive Map andMarine Survey Tool

Developing a Dronebased Community
Monitoring Program
to Engage andInspire Alaskan Tribal
Communities in Fishery
Science

Benewah Watershed
Stream and Floodplain
Restoration: Building
Climate Resilience for
Native Trout

Lower River andEstuary Pinniped
Monitoring Program

Tamara Fraser

Daniel Auerbach

Stephanie Hallock

Sam James

1:40

2:00

2:20

2:40

Jonathan D. Ebel

18

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE
Tuesday Afternoon (April 30; continued)* Student
Room

3:00

Riverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

Evaluating the successof Chinook Salmon andSteelhead hatcherymitigation programs in
Idaho: a fishery andharvest perspective

Potential Solutions to
Thermal Barriers in
the Lake Washington
Ship CanalAn ocean intelligencesystem for the North
Pacific Ocean

Eyes in the Sky: A
case study evaluating
the accuracy of UAS
enumerations of Chinook
salmon (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha) redds using
orthomosaic models.

Towards a
Prioritization Approachfor Aquatic Habitat
Restoration Projects
that Incorporates
Indigenous Interests

Brian Leth

Lucas Hall

Lara Erikson

Cade Crookshanks*

Eric Berntsen

3:20 - 3:40
Symposium

3:40

4:00

4:20

CorbinTECH TALK
Matt Knoff
LoTek

Break with Coffee/Snacks - Riverfront A
Hatcheries 2

Fish Passage 2

Anticipating andimplementing changes
in hatchery mitigation
programs - Twoexamples from theLower Snake River
Compensation Plan.

Assessing juvenile
coho access to critical
overwintering habitat
through floodgates

Rod Engle

Sturgeon

Drones 2

KokaneePhysiology

Population dynamics
Application of drones forof white sturgeon in
Snake River fall Chinook
the upper Snake River, Salmon redd surveys
Idaho: evaluation ofmanagement options
for a harvest fishery

Deadwood Reservoir:
Managing a kokanee
fishery for multiple
objectives

Influence of egg sizeand parental genetics
on the metabolic rate
of Chinook and pinksalmon embryos

Zachary Sherker*

Donavan Maude*

Timothy D'Amico

Alexander Iritani*

Deep River Net
Pens- a multifaceted
approach to the costs
and benefits of bioprogramming changes
in a remote hatcheryrearing site.

New Solutions for
Tide Gates, Fish
Passage and Working
Landscapes

Validation of
Estimating Abundance oftechniques for
Chinook Salmon Redds
estimating the age and Using Drones in Region 7
growth of known-age
White Sturgeon

A Razors Edge: The
Managing Smoltification
Balance of Predator
for Improved Outcomesand Prey in Lake Pend for Anadromous Fish
OreilleKristopher Warner

Jason Nuckols

Courtnie Ghere*

Ryan Hardy

Jesse Trushenski

Snake Basin InSeason Managementof Salmon, Steelhead,
and Coho Tribal andState Fisheries

Regulating Fish
Passage inWashington State

Failing to Thrive – Can Monitoring and Analysis
of River Corridors withtranslocation help
rebuild White Sturgeon UAV LiDAR
populations?

Kokanee population
trends in an eastern
Idaho reservoir

Jason Voegel

Matt Curtis

Jacob Hughes

John Heckel

Analysis of changing
gene expression acrosssemelparous migration
illuminate phenotypes
driving end of life
histories in Pink salmon
gorbuscha
Max Butensky

Bill Arnsberg

Noah Frost

Cody Marschner

19

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE* Student

Tuesday Afternoon (April 30; continued)

Room

Riverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

CorbinSymposium

Hatcheries

Fish Passage 2

Sturgeon

Drones 2

KokaneePhysiology

Improving the growth of
kokanee using nitrogen
addition: a case studyof Dworshak Reservoir

Predicting the likelihoodof gas bubble trauma
in fishes exposed toelevated total dissolved
gas in the lower Clark
Fork River, Idaho

Sean Wilson

Paul Kusnierz

4:40

5:00

Monitoring hatchery
Squalicum Creek
success and Chinook
Barrier Removal andsalmon recovery in the Estuary Restoration
Nooksack watershed

An evaluation of
the White Sturgeon
population and sport
fishery at C.J. Strike
Reservoir in responseto an acute, localizedmortality eventZoë Lewis

Miah Whiteaker

Philip Branigan

After the Sunset:
A Case Exampleof the Outcome ofSuspending Hatchery
Propagation at a Large
Regional Scale

Lessons Learned
from Forest Road
Treatments with
Applications to the
PNW Transportation
Network

15 Years of Shovelnose
Sturgeon Monitoringin the Missouri River,Montana: River
Discharge and Water
Temperature Cue
Different Stages ofMovement Including
Tributary Entrance

Tom Chance

Wayne Watne

Brian Tornabene

5:20 - 5:30
5:30 - 6:30

TECH TALK
Silvana Germana
Innovasea

Kokanee Discussion

Sex Reversal of
Brown Trout Exposed
to Differing Estradiol
Treatments

Elizabeth Mamer

Break
Trade Show with snacks and beverages
Audubon/Manitou/Riverfront A

Student Mentoring Panel Discussion
Riverfront D

6:30 - 9:00

Student/Professional Mixer - Riverfront B/C

20

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE* Student

Wednesday Morning (May 1)

RoomRiverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

CorbinSymposium

Hatchery 3

Fish Passage 3

Tech 1

Anglers

Bull Trout 1

General 1

Genetic monitoring of
hatchery salmonids
with multi-generational
pedigrees

Resilient Waters - A
systems thinking
approach to fishpassage and flood
infrastructure forthe Lower Fraser
Watershed

Juvenile Anadromous
Fish Utilization ofSide Channels in theLemhi River, Idaho

Engaging Anglers
to Support Fisheries
Research andManagement ThroughApp Based Fishing
Tournaments

Completing the Bull
Trout Species Status
Assessment and next
steps for Bull Trout
Recovery

Salmon and Climate
Initiative: advancing
a climate-resilient
recovery approachfor Pacific salmon
throughout their North
American range

Rebekah L Horn

Dan Straker

Michael Hall

Sean Simmons

Dan Nolfi

Lucas Hall

Effects ofSupplementation inUpper Yakima River
Chinook Salmon

Washington
Department of Fish
and Wildlife Fish
Passage Resources

Modular, adaptive,
mechanistic evolutionof Whooshh
Technologies: Howthey Work

Postrelease mortality ofspring Chinook Salmon
from a mark-selective
recreational fisheryin the Yakima River,Washington.

Collaboration in Bull
Trout Recovery

How Do Management
Goals for Wild Chinook
Salmon Align with
Feasibility?

Ilana Koch

Kaylee Kautz

Redwood Stephen

Anthony Fritts

Aimee Taylor

Tim Copeland

Genetic consequencesof Chinook salmon
strays from hatcheries
in Southern British
Columbia

Improving Fish
Passage ThroughFlood Protection Lessons Learned

Utilizing the Spotting
Patterns of Bull Trout
to Identify Individuals
in Photo Identification
Software

Big Fjord Cutthroat Trout Warm Creek
Project
Restoration Project: Is
piscicide compatible
with Bull Troutconservation?

Integrating research,
restoration,and hatcherysupplementation toconserve and recovera Snake River Spring
Chinook Salmon
population

Timothy Healy

Sarah Lawrie

Lonnie Parry-Gillis*

Gregory Shimek

Brett HighBrian Simmons

Hatchery Practices canIncrease the Effective
Population Size of a
Captive Broodstock

Returning Home
Within the
Neighborhood –Understanding and
Mitigating the Effects
of Fragmentation in
the Clark Fork - Pend
Oreille Basin
Paul Spruell

Automating fishpassage counting
using AI/ML

Collaborating with
Anglers to Monitor aPelagic Fishery in Lake
Pend Oreille

Bull Trout biology andthe importance ofconnectivity.

A state-space modelfor estimating smolt
abundance at rotaryscrew traps

James Joslin

Jeff Strait

Judith Neibauer

Luciano Chiaramonte

8:00

8:20

8:40

9:00

Craig Steele

21

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday Morning (May 1; continued)* Student
RoomRiverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

CorbinSymposium

Hatchery 3

Fish Passage 3

Tech 1

Anglers

Bull Trout 1

General 1

Metrics for Estimating
Strike Injuries During
Fish Passage throughKaplan Turbines

An assessment fromthe intensive watertemperature monitoring
consortium in the
Teanaway Community
ForestProviding Bull
Trout Passage
Through Central
CascadeReservoirs

Lasting Effects of Juvenile Life
Histories: Freshwater Migratory
Diversity and Long-term
Consequences in a Populationof Spring Chinook salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Tao Huang

Gabriel Temple

Danny Didricksen Sam Owens*

9:20

TECH TALK
Doug Bonham
Stream Data
Science

9:40-10:00
10:00-11:40

Break with Coffee/Snacks - Riverfront A

Poster Session - Prefunction Area

Idaho DEI Meeting
10:00 - 11:00

Salmon Run Predictions
Pavilion

11:40 - 1:40
1:00

Introducing a Novel StockSpecific Indicator of Salmon
Survival in the Marine
Environment
Brian Burke

ICAFS Business LucheonRiverfront B/C

WA-BC Chapter Working Groups(Breakout Box Lunches)
Angler Engagement & Citizen Science - Grant
Fish Passage & Habitat Restoration - Corbin
Hatchery Evaluation - Finch
Pinniped Interactions - Willow A
Sockeye - Willow B

1:20

Winter ichthyoplankton
community composition andpredicting Columbia River
spring Chinook salmon adultreturns for 2024
Elizabeth Daly

1:40

Assessing the Impacts ofEnvironmental and Ecological
Variables on the Performanceof Fraser Sockeye
Yi Xu

2:00

Incorporating marine climate
indicators to predict Chum
Salmon Oncorhynchus keta
returns in south Puget Sound,
Washington
Matthew Bogaard

22

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday Afternoon (May 1; continued)* Student
RoomRiverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

CorbinSymposium

Hatchery 4

Fish Passage 4

Tech 2

Escapement 1

Bull Trout 2

General 2Contribution ofnaturally and artificiallyreconditioned repeat
spawning female
steelhead to spawning
above Lower Granite
Dam: repeat spawning
pathways andlife histories

Fish Passage
Improvement Structure(Fishway) Assessment& MaintenanceTechnology
modifications to extend
application potential:
Eel to Pacific Lamprey

Integrating data on the
Snake River steelhead
fishery enhances
reporting of protectednatural-origin stocks

The genomics ofisolated lake bull trout

Impacts of lakeelevation decline on
spawning habitat of a
critical, native forage
species

Laura Jenkins

Danny Didricksen

Whitney Goodwin

Ryan Vosbigian*Alexandra Fraik

Sarah Barnes

Living life on thestraight-and-narrowor a merry-goround: developing
physiological tools
to assess juvenile
salmonid rearing incircular vessels

Fishes in Ditches: Fish
Removal as a Toolfor Identifying Fish
Passage Prioritization

Next-Generation
Miniature Transmitter
Development for Fish
Passage Monitoring

Using an integrated
model to estimate
Chinook Salmon
spawner abundance in
the Middle Fork Salmon
River basin, Idaho

Population Genetic
Structure of an Isolated
species assemblageof Bull Trout, Dolly
Varden, and Rainbow
Trout in the North
Cascades.

Interactions Among
Yellow Perch, Northern
Pikeminnow, andSmallmouth Bass in
Lake Cascade, Idaho

Dina Spangenberg

Adam Crispin

Daniel Deng

Joshua McCormick

Erin Lowery

Bryce Marciniak*

Developing methods
to Improve the homing
fidelity of hatcheryreared salmon

Audit of RemediatedBottlenecks to Survival Estimation of Adult
Culvert Barriers in thefor Chinook, Coho,
Steelhead in a Coastal
Fraser River Watershed and Steelhead
River Using SONAR

Population
Demographics andDynamics of Juvenile
Bull Trout in a Montane
Ecosystem

Smallmouth Bass
response to tournament
displacement in ahighland Idaho reservoir

Andrew Dittman

Patrick Zubick*Jamieson Atkinson

Kevin See

Sage Unsworth*Eli Felts

A review of Chinook(Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha) andCoho Salmon(Oncorhynchus
kisutch) hatcheryrelease practices in
British Columbia
Sam James

Understanding andPrioritizing Aquatic
Organism Passage at
Watershed Scales

Detection ofEnvironmental DNA
using CRISPR-Cas12
Technology

Reanalysis of lower
Columbia wintersteelhead spawning datausing a spatio-temporal
model

Assessment of the
Potential Extirpation ofa Bull Trout Populationin the Wenatchee River
Basin, WA

Abundance and density
dependent survival of
Burbot in the Kootenai
River’s hatcheryaugmented fishery

Dan DauwalterTholen Blasko

Jeremy Harris

Jose Vazquez

Joshua Heishman*

1:40

2:00

2:20

2:40

23

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE* Student

Wednesday Afternoon (May 1; continued)

Room

Riverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

CorbinSymposium

Hatchery 4

Fish Passage 4

Tech 2

Escapement 1

Bull Trout 2

General 2

3:00

How does varying
age at maturation inhatchery fall Chinook
affect evaluation ofhatchery releases?

TECH TALKBiji Kobara
BioSonics

Brian Beckman

3:20-3:40

Acoustic Telemetry
Techniques andApplications forAssessing Juvenile
Salmon Passage
Behavior at
Pacific Northwest
Hydroelectric Facilities

Can mark-recapture
methods improve redd
based escapement
estimates?

Predator-preyinteractions between
bull trout and sockeye
salmon in Chilko Lake,
British Columbia

Seasonal variationin small-bodied fish
communities in sidechannel habitats
before and after culvert
removalDrew Stang

Dan Rawding

Adam Kanigan*

Eric Harmon*

Break with Coffee/Snacks - Riverfront A

RoomRiverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

CorbinSymposium

Hatchery 5

Passage 5

Tech 3

Escapement 2

Bull Trout 3

General 3

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion

Effectiveness of Tools
used to Evaluate Bull
Trout Capture at the
Cabinet Gorge Dam
Fish Passage Facility

A method to computeadult anadromous
salmonid abundance
by PIT tagging juvenile
outmigrants

What Controls The
Abundance Of
Nonnative Brook Trout
In Central Idaho Bull
Trout Streams?

Shifting climate
conditions affectrecruitment in
Midwestern stream
trout, but depend on
seasonal and spatial
context

Tyler Zumwalt

Jason Neuswanger

Nicholas Voss*

Bryan Maitland

Low head, bidirectional,
self-energy generating,continuous passage
technology

Estimating Aggregate
Coho Salmon Terminal
Run and Escapement
to the Lower Fraser
Management Unit

Spatiotemporal
distribution of juvenile
Bull Trout in KachessReservoir, Washington

Using MYY Brook Trout
stocking and manualsuppression to eradicate
nonnative Brook Trout in
Idaho

Mike Messina

Steven Rossi

Blake Hamilton

Jennifer Vincent

3:40

4:00

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion

24CONCURRENT SCHEDULE* Student

Wednesday Afternoon (May 1; continued)

Room

Riverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

CorbinSymposium

Hatchery 5

Passage 5

Tech 3

Escapement 2

Bull Trout 3

General 3

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion

Using visual
recognition technology
to automate sonarcounts of salmonids
returning to spawn

Escapement Discussion

4:20

Evaluation of using
biological control tosuppress Brook Trout
populations in Idaho
mountain lakes
Brett Kelly

Erik Young

4:40

5:00

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion

Panel Discussion

Use of an Acoustic
Escapement Discussion
Telemetry Pressure Tag
to Evaluate Behaviorand Approach Depth ofJuvenile Salmonids at
Yale Dam

Nonlethal Methods ofAssessing Bull Trout(Salvelinus confluentus)
Reproductive Status
and Life History
Strategies in the Upper
Salmon River Basin

Fish population
monitoring in responseto the Quagga Mussel
treatment in the midSnake RiverLeah Nagel

Joe Hirsch*

Mike Peterson

Local hydraulics
influence habitat
selection andswimming behavior
in adult California
Central Valley Chinook
salmon at a large riverconfluence

Escapement Discussion

Sean Luis

5:30 6:30
6:30 9:00

Spawning Run - Meet in Prefunction Area

Eastern Washington
University Alumni Social
PavilionGrand Social/Auction - Riverfront A/B/C/D & Audubon/Manito
25

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE* Student

Thursday Morning (May 2)

RoomRiverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

Symposium

Hatchery 6

Genetics 1

Piscivory 1

Sockeye 1

Infrastructure

Can reducing smolt size help
adult returns? Comparing
rearing strategies for a
Chinook salmon hatchery
program

An improved genetic marker
panel for conservation
monitoring of Upper Kootenay
River burbot

Northern Pikeminnow
and Non-Native Predator
Fishes in Anadromous
WatersDeborah Harstad

Audrey Harris

Marika Dobos

Biotic and abiotic factors
affecting adult survival of
Snake River hatchery fall

Efficient species identification
for Pacific salmon genetic
monitoring programs

Comparison of Pectoral
Fin Rays and Lapilli For
Estimating Age of Northern
Pikeminnow

William Young

Zachary Robinson

Caleb Wilson*

PBT and PIT tags: Lyons
Ferry Hatchery M&E of
Snake River Fall Chinook

Preliminary results of
population distribution,
genetic structure and diversityof Coastal Cutthroat Trout(Oncorhynchus clarkii)
throughout Washington andOregon states

Not all those who wander
are lost: leveraging PIT tag
data to better understandnorthern pikeminnow
movement

Michael Herr

Amelia Louden

Jessica Diallo*

Relative post-release
performance of Rainbow
Trout fry stocked at two
target lengths in alpine lakesof Idaho

How can the genomic
history of introduced
salmonids inform their native
range conservation andmanagement?

Interannual and seasonal
diet patterns of sympatric
non-native predatory fish
inferred through DNA
metabarcoding

Will Lubenau

Morgan Sparks

John Winkowski

8:00

8:20

8:40

9:00

Sockeye International
Competition

Design and Biological
Testing of Two New
Hydroturbines Installed atIce Harbor Dam

Bradly Trumbo
Sockeye International
Competition

Restoration elements of the
klamath river renewal project(i.E. Lower
Klamath project)

Sockeye International
Competition

Daniel Chase

Sockeye International
Competition

The More, the Merrier:
Using Adult Pacific Lamprey
Translocations to Increase
Passage Rates at Wells
Dam, Columbia River

Mariah Mayfield

26

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE* Student

Thursday Morning (May 2; continued)

Room

Riverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

Symposium

Hatchery 6

Genetics 1

Piscivory 1

Sockeye 1

Infrastructure

Mobile spontaneous
autopolyploidy testing for
determining and removing
12n hatchery kootenai riverwhite sturgeon

Examining the evolutionary
history of Rainbow Trout
using mitochondrial
sequences and nuclear
single nucleotide
polymorphisms

Biological Trends for
Sockeye International
Three Piscine Predators
Competition
During 33 Years of Reward
Based Recreational
Fisheries for Northern
Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus
oregonensis)

Native fishes and theHells Canyon Complex
Relicensing

Mark Elliston

Tyler Breech*

Grant Waltz

Erin Kenison

9:20

9:40-10:00

Break with Coffee/Snacks - Riverfront A

RoomRiverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

Symposium

Hatchery 7

Genetics 2

Piscivory 2

Sockeye 2

General 4

Initial Results from a
Chinook Mass Marking Pilot:
Broodstock Management
and Mark Selective Fisheries

The Effect of YY Male
Stocking and Concurrent
Electrofishing Suppression
on Two Brook Trout
Populations in Central Idaho

Insights from Recent
Studies of SmallmouthBass Predation on Juvenile
Fall Chinook Salmon in theLower Snake River

Life-cycle model reveals
sensitive life stages andevaluates recovery options
for a dwindling sockeye
salmon population

A stunted Walleye fisheryin a southern Idaho
reservoir

Michael Thom

Dan Schill

Ken Tiffan

Neala Kendall

Conor McClure

Use of feed rings inInterspecific hybridization in
reduction of waste of feeding a large-river population of
eventsYellowstone cutthroat trout:a 20-year programmatic
evaluation

A collaborative effort tocontrol the spread ofinvasive Northern Pike inthe upper Columbia River
Basin.

Bringing the salmon
home – Evaluating thefeasibility of sockeye salmon
reintroduction to historic
habitat in the ColumbiaRiver upstream of Grand
Coulee Dam

Response of
Macroinvertebrates toChanges in Water Supply
and Temperature in the
Henry’s Fork Snake River

Kaleb Barclay*

Charles Lee

Patrick Zubick

Rob Van Kirk

10:00

10:20

John Hargrove27

CONCURRENT SCHEDULE
Thursday Morning (May 2; continued)* Student
RoomRiverfront B

Riverfront C

Riverfront D

Grant

Finch

Symposium

Hatchery 7

Genetics 2

Piscivory 2

Sockeye 2

General 4

10:40

11:00

11:20

11:40

Evaluation of fall Chinook
subyearling and yearling
release strategies in Hood
Canal

Introgression in native
Redband Trout from adesert watershed

Population dynamics ofWalleye in Lake Roosevelt

Snake River Sockeye
Salmon Captive Broodstockand Springfield Hatchery
Smolt Program: a 10-year
perspective

The feasibility ofGrandparentage testing
to monitor genetic risks
posed by straying hatcherysteelhead in the Snake
River Basin

Devin West

Kyle Rufo

Danny Garrett

Eric Johnson

Matthew Campbell

Evaluation of alternative
approaches to hatcherypropagation of steelhead tominimize fitness loss.

Genetic pedigree analyses
reveal differences inmovement and growth
patterns for ‘rescued’
young-of-year steelhead

Food Habits and Growthof Walleyes in Lake Pend
Oreille, Idaho

40 years of Sockeye Salmon
Research at Bonneville Dam

Exploitation and catch-andrelease of salmonids inIdaho high mountain lakes

Christopher Tatara

Haley Ohms

Susan Frawley

Jeffrey Fryer

Kevin Meyer

Age at release affects
developmental physiology
and sex-specificphenotypic diversity ofhatchery steelhead trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Does habitat extent
predict a decline in genetic
diversity for fragmented
populations of redband
trout?

Suppression andManagement of an
Introduced Walleye
Population

Don Larsen

Adam Zambie*

Eric Geisthardt

Conference Wrap-up with Best Paper and Poster Awards - Riverfront B/C

12:20-2:20

WA-BC and Idaho Chapters EXCOM Post-Meeting (Box Lunch) - Skyline Ballroom
28

POSTER SESSION#

Poster Title

Author1

Western Division American Fisheries Society and You!

Timothy Copeland

2

Using a Shiny App and PTAGIS Data to predict salmon returns to facilitate improved in season harvest
and brood stock management

Hayley Muir

3

Defining Thermal Thresholds for Bull Trout and Brook Trout in Glacial Headwaters.

Nichole Ring*

4

Effects of Euryhelmis cotti on Shorthead Sculpin in Birch Creek, Idaho

Logan Thompson*

5

Revisiting karyotype counts of Mountain Whitefish

Emily Underwood

6

Collaborative efforts to increase in-hatchery rearing survival and adult-return success of threatened
Upper Columbia summer steelhead at Winthrop National Fish Hatchery

C.J. Smith

7

Distribution of Brook Trout and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout in Moody Creek, ID

Dylan Bair*

8

Fish Distribution in Brush Creek

Shaelyn Haberman

9

Spatiotemporal Variability of Trace Elements in the Skagit River, WA

Nikhil Amin*

10

Making their home in Idaho: status of Least Chub in the upper Snake River

Eric Billman

11

Can you tell me where your home is? Using rotary screw trap fry capture data and degree days toestimate the location of spring-run Chinook Salmon redds in Clear Creek, Redding, CA.

Chelsey Hand

12

Density and distribution of snails, the first intermediate hosts of Euryhelmis cotti, in Birch Creek, Idaho

Daniel Rosso*

13

Rostral Teeth of Endangered Sawfish Hold Important Life History Information in Their Internal Structure
and Chemical Makeup.

Linh Truong*

14

Changes in fish habitat resulting from the Eightmile Creek Stream Restoration Project

Ashton Buma

15

Assessing spatial and temporal changes in stream fish communities of the upper Salmon River
headwaters

Luke Anderson* Student

29

POSTER SESSION#

Poster Title

Author16

Comparison of Genetic Preservation Methods for Fish Tissue Samples in the Columbia River Basin

Janae F. Cole

17

Precocial Chinook Salmon in the Lemhi River, Idaho

Ian Mott18

Upper Thermal Tolerance of native Cottus spp. from the Blue Mountains of Washington and Oregon.

Rachael Valeria*

19

Analysis of Chinook Salmon Otoliths to Examine Early Life History

Julia Grams*

20

Investigating the relationships between biotic and abiotic factors that affect migratory behavior inWestslope Cutthroat Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi) within the Priest River system.

Kyle Keenan*

21

Burbot At The College of Southern Idaho

Avery DeWit*

22

Fish Passage Barriers and Stranding Associated with Irrigation Diversions

Jenni Novak

23

The Influence of Ecoregions and Land Use and Land Cover on Fish Assemblages in Southern
Minnesota

Masaki Hara

24

Factors influencing bull trout populations on the Salmon Challis National Forest

Patrick Catalano

25

Efforts toward development of a standardized visual survey protocol for western North American freshwater mussels

John Erhardt

26

Seasonal dynamics of Contracaecum multipapillatum infection in brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans)Sarah Flores*
Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge

27

Pacific Salmon Data Discovery Tool

Katie Barnas

28

Juvenile salmonids surprisingly swap streams separated by saltwater shorelines

Stuart Munsch29

Length and Fecundity of Yellow Perch

Amber Young

30

Stream temperature monitoring in forested tributaries of the Skagit River Basin

Susannah Maher* Student

30

TECH TALKS & TRADE SHOWTRADE SHOW! Come see all of our awesome sponsors and vendors at the trade show on Tuesday, April 30th from 5:30 PM to 6:30
PM in the Audubon/Manitou Rooms!

TECH TALKS
Company: LoTek (Tuesday, April 30, 3:00 PM, Corbin)
Title: Creating compatibility in acoustic telemetry

Presenter: Matt Knoff
Abstract: Acoustic telemetry is widely used to investigate aquatic animal movement. Pulse position modulation (PPM)
is an acoustic telemetry method that allows multiple unique identification codes to be transmitted at a single acoustic
frequency, typically in the 69 kHz range. However, because the potential number of unique identification codes (i.e.
tags) is ultimately limited by the number of pulses in the PPM signal, this poses a practical limitation. In addition, different manufacturers have developed different approaches to encoding the transmitted data, hampering compatibility
across brands. A lack of broad compatibility across telemetry systems restricts users to a single manufacturer and operating system, reduces market competition and limits innovation. As the aquatic animal tracking research community
organizes towards networks of devices and data, incompatibility becomes more problematic and jeopardizes the uniquescientific benefits offered by the networking approach. Here, we introduce the new Open Protocol encoding systems
to address this need for cross compatibility between manufacturers and networks, for both a short term and long termsolution.

Company: Innovasea (Tuesday, April 30, 4:40 PM, Grant)			
Title: NexTrak: The Future of Acoustic Telemetry

Presenter: Silvana Germana
Abstract: NexTrak, Innovasea’s breakthrough acoustic telemetry system, is ushering in a new era of science, collaboration, and discovery for aquatic animal researchers by delivering improved performance and higher quality data. The R1
receiver is the first product available as part of a larger NexTrak ecosystem of new receivers, transmitters, and enhanced
cloud-based tools that will provide researchers with a richer, more complete picture of animal behaviour. Recent R1 fieldtests show 40 percent greater range than previous receivers which reduces the number of receivers required to cover
the same area. Its advanced processor is better at filtering out noise and decoding tag transmissions leading to twice as
many detections while also enabling researchers to reliably track fish in new habitats and challenging acoustic environments.

Company: BioSonics (Wednesday, May 1, 3:00 PM, Riverfront C)
Title: BioSonics Automated Riverine Smolt Counter
Presenter: Biji Kobara

Company: Stream Data Science (Wednesday, May 1, 9:20 AM, Riverfront C)
Title: Seeking Feedback on Fish Counter Concept for Small Streams
Presenter: Doug Bonham

Company: Bio-Oregon (No Presentation)
Contact: Loren Jensen, 360-556-0811, loren.jensen@bio-oregon.com

Description: At Bio-Oregon, we are dedicated to producing top-quality feed. Bio-Oregon fish feeds are specificallyformulated to support fish immune systems, optimize growth, and provide the best conversion rates. All our feeds arebacked by extensive research and field trials. We constantly strive for improvements in feed performance, logistics andcustomer service. Bio-Oregon is committed to supplying nutritious diets that are economically, ecologically, socially,
and culturally responsible. That is why our feed mills were the first in North America to achieve the Best Aquaculture
Practices certification. Whether you are looking for starter feeds, grower feeds, health-boosting formulas, or brood
feed, Bio-Oregon has the right diet for your program.

31

WORKSHOPS
Monday, April 29th 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Genetics 101
Full Day (8am - 5pm); Riverfront D
Instructors: Rebekah Horn and Hayley Nuetzel, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission(CRITFC), and Audrey Harris, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC)
Description: Genetic data are becoming more widely incorporated into fisheries management, withapplications including the quantification of adaptive diversity and population resiliency to climatechange, genetic identification of samples to species and origin in forensic cases, and genetic monitoring of hatchery stocks through pedigree-based analysis. Though managers and biologists may notcollect genetic data firsthand, a baseline understanding of the types of genetic data available, theirutility, and how results may apply to management plans can prove extremely useful. This workshop is
designed for non-geneticists within the field of fisheries and will cover 1) introductory genetic basics
and terms, 2) best practices for DNA sample collection, 3) the laboratory workflow from sample togenetic data, and 4) the types of genetic analyses and results fisheries managers and biologists can
expect to encounter. Participants in the workshop will experience a mix of lectures from experienced
geneticists and hands-on activities with workshop material that participants can take home for futurereference.

Aquatic Connectivity, Flood Capacity, and Structural Integrity Associatedwith Road-Stream Crossings: Concepts and Tools for Management
Full Day (8am - 12pm Classroom, 1pm - 5pm in Field); Audubon Room
Instructors: Kat Hoenke, Southeastern Aquatic Resource Partnership, Dan Dauwalter, Trout Unlimited,

and Carlos Camacho, Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Description: Aquatic organism passage (AOP), capacity to pass flood flows, and infrastructure integrity are important features of road-stream crossings. This full day workshop will cover these basic features associated with road-stream crossings, how to assess them using common protocols, and how
the data can be integrated into frameworks and tools to prioritize crossings for removal, replacement,
or improvement. The workshop will highlight a protocol used by the Southeastern Aquatic Resource
Partnership (SARP) and show how using it will help build a national database to help prioritize crossingsthat should be removed or modified to allow for aquatic organism passage. The workshop will include
half-day classroom portion and half-day field training portion where organizers will train attendees on
how to collect data using the SARP protocol and its associated tools, access the data from SARP’s database, and see how collected data
are used in the National Aquatic Barrier Prioritization Tool
(Aquaticbarriers.org).

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

32

WORKSHOPS continued
Monday, April 29th 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
The Lamprey Lens - Incorporating Lampreys into Restoration andMonitoring Projects
Half Day (8am - 12pm); Manito Room
Instructors: Monica Blanchard, Christina Wang, Ann Grote, and Max Calloway U.S Fish andWildlife Service
Description: Pacific and Western River lampreys are native anadromous fish that live throughout the northwest; however, though their populations have declined in concert with Pacificsalmonids, they are rarely incorporated into stream monitoring projects and restoration efforts.
Lack of awareness has been identified as a key threat to the protection and restoration of Pacific
Lamprey and other native lamprey species across their historical range. This is especially truein the northern reaches of their range, in Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska. The goalof this workshop is to address this lack of awareness and train biologists and practitioners toevaluate projects through a “lamprey lens”. This workshop will educate participants about native
lamprey species, basic biology and habitat use, ecological importance, and known distributions.
Participants will learn how to incorporate lampreys into project planning and implementation,with a focus on restoration and passage projects. The workshop will provide tools that participants can apply in their home watersheds, including techniques for monitoring and identification of lamprey species and life stage, as well as best management guidelines for incorporating
lampreys into projects.

Communicating Science: A Guide to Scientific Storytelling
Half Day (8am - 12pm); Pavilion Room
Instructor: Katherine Strickler, Washington State University
Description: Communication is an essential part of being a scientist. Fisheries biology is gen-erally an applied science, and for it to be effectively used, we need to share scientific knowledge
with other scientists, managers, the public, journalists, and policymakers. Many of us have been
trained to share our work with other scientists but have had little (or no) training in communicating fisheries science with other audiences. Regardless of the audience, the heart of all effective communication is the ability to tell a good story. In this half-day workshop, participants willlearn and practice principles of good storytelling, including crafting narratives of their work, targeting messages for different audiences, and using their excitement about their work to create
a story that sticks. The majority of the workshop will feature a format of interactive, hands-on
activities. Participants will use their own or others’ research to create messages to communicate
with their intended audiences. The skills we practice in the workshop will help participants tellbetter science stories, whether in a journal article, a newsletter, a policy paper, or a conversation
with a landowner concerned about fisheries management.

33

WORKSHOPS continued
Monday, April 29th 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Nutrition in Aquaculture: What are we feeding our fish and why?
Half Day (8am - 12pm); Riverfront B
Instuctors: Riley Brown, Idaho Power, Tyson Fehringer, Idaho Department of Fish and Game,and Melissa Wagner, College of Southern Idaho
Description: This workshop will encompass a wide perspective on fish nutrition. Talks fromfisheries professionals around the Pacific Northwest will focus on the key ingredients in common feeds, species-specific needs, the importance of quality nutrition for overall fish health,and the nuts and bolts of developing feed projections.

Predicting Salmon Returns - A survey of Existing Models and an
Exploration of New Methods for Building Better Predictions
Half Day (8am - 12pm); Riverfront A
Instructors: Matt Falcy, Assistant Professor, College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho

and Mark Scheuerell, Associate Professor, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University ofWashington
Description: Predicting salmon returns is a critical part of salmon management, howevermodels used in the past such as the Ricker stock recruit relationship, are not performing well intoday’s rapidly changing environments. This workshop will walk participants through the rangeof models used to predict salmon returns, and then explore new strategies for building bettermodels.

All About PIT Tagging
Half Day (1pm - 5pm); Riverfront B
Instructor: Nick Porter, BioMark
Description: In this workshop we will discuss

PIT tag theory and function, site selection,
examples, and species-specific tagging. Armedwith knowledge you will better understand thecapabilities of PIT technology and when to useit.
Josh Williams, WDFW

34

PLENARY SESSION
Tuesday, April 30th 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM

The Future of Salmon
with Monica Tonasket

A welcome from the Spokane Tribe andvideo on Salmon reintroduction project.

ABOUT
Monica Tonasket is an enrolled Member of the Spokane Tribe of Indians.
She currently serves on the Spokane Tribal Business Council as the Council
Secretary. She has 29 years’ experience working in various positions at
Casinos, Enterprises and Tribal Government, and 25 years of experiencein Supervisory, Managerial and Director Positions. She has spent the
majority of her career as a Human Resources Director and Administrative
Director for the Spokane Tribe. Monica graduated from Gonzaga University
with a Bachelor’s degree in General Studies with a concentration in
Organizational Leadership. She serves as a founder and mentor of the
Spokane Tribal Youth Council and serves on a variety of boards in the areasof Health, Education, Natural Resources, and Environmental Justice. She isa mother of four children and is very involved with her family and community and enjoys participating in community events.

35

PLENARY SESSION
Tuesday, April 30th 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM

Urgency & Adequacy: Rebuilding Snake
Basin Fish Stocks
with Jay A. Hesse & Russ Thurow

Anadromous fish in the Snake River basin are cultural and ecological cornerstones. Theirhistorical ubiquity is well documented, but their contemporary plight and the necessary
restorative measures have lacked urgency - this appears to be changing. A vision for restoring these iconic species to healthy and abundant levels was established by a diverse groupof sovereign entities and stakeholder parties through the Columbia Basin Partnership (CBP)
Phase 2 Report. The National Marine Fisheries Service outlined a suite of actions necessary to achieve the CBP mid-range goals by 2050, which includes breaching of the four
lower Snake River dams as a centerpiece action in their Rebuilding Interior Columbia Basin
Salmon and Steelhead report. The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation,
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm
Springs Reservation, Nez Perce Tribe, State of Oregon, and State of Washington advanced
the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI) which is being supported by the UnitedStates Government Commitments as part of a Stay to long-standing litigation on the
Columbia River System Operations. In addition, this presentation will describe the current
status of stocks relative to goals. Adult returns of wild-origin Snake Basin stocks in 2023
were; ~7,500 spring/summer Chinook salmon, ~15,000 steelhead, ~9,000 fall Chinook
salmon, and <100 sockeye salmon). With the exception of fall Chinook salmon, all were
well below even the lowest management threshold required for ESA-delisting and also
resulted in many populations at or below quasi-extinction thresholds (50 or fewer spawners). Hatchery-origin returns make up a vast majority of the total number of salmon andsteelhead returning to the Snake River basin, however hatchery-origin returns continue tobe below their mitigation goals (i.e. not meeting promised compensation for hydro-system
impacts). Consistently achieving adequate returns of anadromous fish into the Snake Riverbasin requires a shift in focus from one of not increasing failure risk (jeopardy standard) to
one of achieving success (healthy and abundant).

36

PLENARY SESSION
Tuesday, April 30th 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM

ABOUT
Jay Hesse is the Director of Biological Services
for the Nez Perce Tribe’s Department of
Fisheries Resources Management; and has
worked for the Nez Perce Tribe for 30 years. He
helps manage the Tribe’s Research Division, ateam of over 60 staff, working on fish population status and trends monitoring and hatcheryevaluation projects. His recent work assignments focus on hydro-system operations,
including development of the 2019-2021 Spill
Operations Agreement. Mr. Hesse has expertisein anadromous fish population dynamics, hatchery effectiveness research, strategic planning,
effective communications and multi-entity collaboration. He provides technical and management representation for the Nez Perce Tribe inmultiple Columbia River basin fisheries co-management forums. Mr. Hesse served as presidentof the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries
Society (2016-2017) and is recipient of the John
Robertson Award for outstanding leadership.
He routinely mentors students and has coauthored multiple peer reviewed publications,
including therecent Water
Biology andSecurity article“A review ofpotential conservation andfisheries benefits of breaching four dams in
the Lowe Snake
River.”
Mr. Hesse
graduatedfrom Michigan
State University
with Bachelorof Scienceand Master of
Science degrees
in Fisheries andWildlife.

ABOUT
Russ Thurow is an Emeritus Fisheries
Scientist with the US Forest ServiceRocky Mountain Research Station.
He has fisheries degrees from theUniv. of Wisconsin- Stevens Point andthe Univ. of Idaho. For more than 40
years, he has been investigating wild
Snake River basin salmon and steelhead. Russ is intimately familiar with
Central Idaho’s Middle Fork Salmon
River basin and its remarkable aquatic
resources.

Josh Williams, WDFW

37

PLENARY SESSION
Tuesday, April 30th 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM

How cold-water fishes survive summer inwarm river basins: examples of adaptive
capacity from Oregon
with Jonathan Armstrong
Large river basins exhibit a variety of thermal regimes, which in turn present different challenges and opportunities to mobile poikilotherms, such as fish. For cold-water taxa such as salmonids, physiologically optimal temperatures expand and contract across landscapes throughout
the annual cycle. In this talk I explore how fish track this shifting mosaic of physiological potential, and I focus specifically on how trout in large rivers cope with warm summer temperatures
through three tactics: move, migrate, or tolerate. I will share the results of field studies in the
Willamette and Klamath river basins that show a diversity of responses that will likely confer
adaptive capacity in the face of climate warming.

ABOUT
After growing up in Southern Oregon, Armstrong
did his graduate research in Bristol Bay Alaska,
working with the University of Washington
Alaska Salmon Program. He was awarded a
Smith Conservation Research Fellowship to
conduct postdoctoral studies at the Universityof Wyoming and then joined the faculty at the
OSU Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, andConservation Sciences in 2016. Armstrong’s
research group works at the nexus of physiological ecology, animal behavior, and landscape ecology to advance climate adaptation planning.

38

PLENARY SESSION
Tuesday, April 30th 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM

Linking concepts of adaptive capacity totrout and salmon in the Pacific Northwestwith Christopher C. Caudill
Assessing ecological and evolutionary effects across multiple scales remains a key challenge to predicting
the response of populations to environmental change. Adaptive capacity is an emerging concept in climatechange science that considers how biological and human systems interact in the face of altered environments to allow populations to persist (or not). I will present: 1) a framework for synthesizing concepts ofadaptive capacity from several disciplines; 2) summarize our recent work on redband trout attempting to
identify key drivers of adaptive capacity from genomic to social-ecological system (SES) scales; and 3) provide
two case studies on ESA-listed salmon and steelhead that illustrate biological and management elements ofadaptive capacity. The studies highlight the potential for ecological-evolutionary feedbacks and the importance of identifying the relative role of genetic, phenotypic, and environmental factors that may ameliorate
impacts of changing climate at local scales. While dams and reservoirs have strong negative impacts tonative salmonids, several past and on-going efforts contribute to adaptive capacity in warming landscapes.
Recent modeling approaches in the current age of ‘Big Data’ provide the opportunity for unprecedented
integration across scales in coming years. More broadly, consideration of adaptive capacity elements, including connections andfeedbacks among physical, biotic, and social system components,
can enhance mechanistic understanding and identify conservation
opportunities under current and future conditions.

ABOUT
Chris Caudill is faculty in the Department of Fish and Wildlife
Sciences at the University of Idaho where he has studied anadromous fish migration, aquatic ecology and environmental changeusing interdisciplinary approaches since 2003. In recent years,
he has co-led a large multidisciplinary effort funded by NSF
and Idaho-EPSCoR to integrate studies from genomic to watershed to social-ecology-systems scales in resident redband trout
populations of Idaho. He continues to pursue the application ofmolecular and modeling approaches to conservation and management issues in aquatic systems.

39

PLENARY SESSION
Tuesday, April 30th 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM

Exceptionally high mortality of migrating
adult female salmon: a large-scale pattern
and a conservation concern
with Scott Hinch
Sex ratios are fundamental to the demographics and characteristics of populations yet factors responsible for observed sex ratios on salmonid spawning grounds are rarely examined.
Historically, female sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) were the majority on Fraser River
spawning grounds, but in recent decades, there has been a decline in the relative proportionof females in several populations. Differential mortality between sexes in spawning sockeye salmon is believed to originate during or after their anadromous ocean life. Coincident
with the decline in proportion of females on spawning grounds has been large changes tooceanic, estuarine and river migration environments. Over the past 30 years, numerous
telemetry tracking and laboratory studies from our group have examined mortality of adultFraser River sockeye salmon during their freshwater homing migrations. We reviewed 19
published studies which provided 40 situations where male and female mortality could bedirectly compared during riverine homing migrations. Female mortality averaged 2.1 times
greater than males, and up to 8-fold higher in some cases. High female mortality was also
evident in migrating coho (O. kisutch) and Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), as well as forsockeye in other non-Fraser systems. Female mortality was highest when migration conditions were challenging (e.g. high / turbulent flows, high temperatures, fisheries gear escape,confinement and/or handling), and towards the end of river migration. There are indications
that differential mortality could be caused by energy exhaustion, physiological stress, and/or pathogens, but strong evidence suggests cardiac performance may be the key factor.
Relatively higher migratory female mortality is probably a common phenomenon in salmonids during challenging migrations, but has been difficult to study. Our findings from thelargest salmon producing river in Canada raises concerns for the long-term sustainability ofwild migratory salmonids everywhere, and we encourage research into how global change
could be affecting sex-specific mortality in other fish species and regions. Given the pace ofclimate-change induced riverine warming, female-specific mortality will certainly become
more pronounced in coming years.

40

PLENARY SESSION
Tuesday, April 30th 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM

ABOUTJosh Williams, WDFW

Dr. Hinch is a Professor and Associate Dean in
the Department of Forest and Conservation
Sciences at the University of British Columbia
where he leads the Pacific Salmon Ecology andConservation Laboratory (https://www.pacificsalmonecologyconservationlab.ca/). He is an expert
in the field of fish migrations, ecophysiology andbehavioral ecology and is the Pacific leader ofCanada’s Ocean Tracking Network. He pioneered
the field of conservation physiology in salmon.
His current work utilizes telemetry tracking andgenomic transcriptome approaches to examine
behaviour and mortality of smolts and adults
during their coastal and riverine migrations, theeffects of migration obstacles (dams, high temperatures, and fisheries gear encounters) on
adult salmon, and the role that pathogens, disease and climate change has on these migration
issues. He works closely with fisheries managers
so that research results can be readily appliedand has served on several federal investigations
into declining salmon stocks. In collaboration
with social scientists, he is investigating ways thatscience and knowledge can be more effectively
mobilized by stakeholders and decision makers.
He has authored ~ 300 peer-reviewed papers andbook chapters, has been cited >20,500 times,
and has an h-index of 81. He has trained 70 MSc
and PhD students, and 30 PDFs and Research
Associates. He is a Fellow of the Royal Societyof Canada, a Fellow of the American Fisheries
Society (AFS), has been awarded the AFS Awardof Excellence (their highest award), and the
AFS Award in Fisheries Education. He is also a
Distinguished University Scholar, UBC’s highest
honour for researchers.

41

SYMPOSIA ABSTRACTS

42

Angler Engagement in Support of Citizen Science
Moderator: Sean Simmons

Back to Guide

Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 9:40 AM

Symposium Abstract
Anglers play an important role in providing scientists and managers with valuable data about the state of ourfisheries and this is increasingly being described as “Citizen Science”. Local fish and wildlife clubs and otherconservation groups have a long history of supporting fisheries research and management. More recently,
new forms of electronic reporting through mobile apps have been developed which has greatly expanded thecapacity of anglers to play meaningful roles in fisheries. This means anglers are becoming ever more importantto fisheries research and management. For this symposium we are seeking fisheries professionals and anglers
who have led (or been part of) a fisheries science project that supports research or management goals in ameaningful way. One of the important outcomes from this symposium will be a better understanding of therange of strategies used by fisheries professionals to engage anglers, and also the best practices that arenecessary to achieve long-term angler engagement. This symposium is open to fisheries professionals andanglers alike.

8:00 AM			Engaging Anglers to Support Fisheries Research andManagement Through App Based Fishing Tournaments
Anglers play an important role in providing scientists andmanagers with valuable data about the state of our fisheries.
Often referred to as “Citizen Science”, it has a long history
in fisheries research and management, through programs
like angler log books and other self-reported tools. Morerecently, new forms of electronic reporting through mobile
apps have greatly expanded the capacity of anglers to playmeaningful roles in fisheries. In this talk, we will be sharing our
experience of using app-based fishing tournaments to collectfisheries data for both research and management purposes.
The presentation will cover all stages of the process, from
integrating the experimental design requirements into therules of the event, developing appropriate incentive structuresthat motivate anglers to participate, and applying suitable
quality controls (both automated and manual) to ensure data
integrity. This event based approach is flexible enough toyield benefits across a wide range of fisheries research andmanagement objectives, and can also be carried out at lower
costs than many conventional fisheries
methods.

Sean Simmons,sean@anglersatlas.
com

8:20 AM				
Postrelease mortality of spring Chinook Salmon from amark-selective recreational fishery in the Yakima River,Washington.
Fishery managers often implement mark-selective fishing regulations that provide harvest opportunity on
abundant hatchery salmon populations while requiring
release of at-risk natural-origin populations. However,
implementing these decisions requires fisheries managers to account for post-release mortality of any naturalorigin fish caught and released by anglers, which canbe variable and is unknown for spring Chinook Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha recreational fisheries ineastern Washington. Using fish largely caught by recreational anglers, we conducted a two-year paired control
and treatment radio-telemetry study to estimate thepost-release mortality of adult spring Chinook Salmoncaught and released in a mark-selective fishery in the
Yakima River, Washington. Our results validate the post
release survival rates commonly applied to inland salmon
catch and release fisheries allowing managers to responsibly manage inland salmon fishing seasons and ensure
conservation objectives are met.
Anthony Fritts, anthony.fritts@dfw.wa.gov

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

43Angler Engagement (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 9:40 AM
8:40 AM				Big Fjord Cutthroat Trout Project
Anadromous Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii
clarkii are one of the least studied salmonids but are a highly
prized target in sport fisheries in coastal waters of the PacificNorthwest. We utilized recreational anglers and fishingguides to assist the Coastal Cutthroat Coalition (CCC), Hood
Canal Salmon Enhancement Group and the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife in collecting genetic samples
and completing stream restoration work. Specifically, thegoals of this project are to describe the genetic stock structure of Coastal Cutthroat Trout in Hood Canal, WA in orderto (1) provide genetic baseline for a major geographic regionof Puget Sound (2) identify source populations of fish caught
in the marine sport fishery (3) describe migratory patterns ofindividual Cutthroat Trout and (4) carry out stream restoration
based on project findings. With the help of the fishing community, we captured and sampled 147 cutthroat trout across 12months and reported preliminary results throughout the study
period on social media and on the CCC webpage. Additional
results from this work will be discussed.

Gregory Shimek, gregs47@icloud.com

9:00 AM				
Collaborating with Anglers to Monitor a Pelagic Fishery in
Lake Pend Oreille
Engagement with anglers has greatly improved the ability of
Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) to understandthe state of the Gerrard-strain Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus
mykiss, Gerrard) fishery on Lake Pend Oreille (LPO).
Numerous species introductions have created challenges forfisheries managers, and yet, have provided incredible angling
opportunities. Most notably, the Gerrard fishery gained popularity after their introduction in 1941. This trophy fishery has
been highly valued by anglers and a major management focus
for IDFG. Gerrards are pelagic and difficult to sample with traditional fisheries techniques, making research and monitoring
difficult for managers. As species composition and population
dynamics of LPO change over time, evaluation of the Gerrard
population is critical for effective management. The Angler
Science Program began in 2016 to assist IDFG biologists
monitoring the recovery of the trophy status of the Gerrard
fishery following a Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) suppres-sion program that began in 2006. Angler logbooks reported
valuable information on effort, catch rates, and size structureof the fishery. Anglers were also trained to collect pectoral
fin rays for age and growth analyses. These structures wereused to quantify the relationship between lake conditionsand Gerrard growth rates. More recently, angler efforts wereused to increase the number of T-bar anchor tags deployed toestimate exploitation and use rates. The program has grownover the years to meet new objectives and address challenges
such as participation and data quality. The management ofGerrards in LPO has greatly benefited from collaboration with
anglers.

Jeff Strait, jstrait41@gmail.com

9:20 AM				An assessment from the intensive water temperature monitoring consortium in the Teanaway Community Forest
The United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change predicts that climate change will disproportionately
impact inland freshwater systems in northern latitudes in the
coming years as climate change advances. A general increasing trend in global temperatures has been observed frompast to present and is anticipated to continue into the future
unless there is a major societal shift to reduce greenhousegas emissions that are thought to be the primary contributing factor. These trends will likely lead to warming inlandstreams contributing to a shifting distribution of suitable
habitats for cold water adapted fish such as Cutthroat Trout
Oncorhynchus clarki and Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus.
With the help of citizen scientists, state and tribal biologists,
and NGO’s, we developed a water temperature monitoring
network across the Teanaway Community Forest located incentral Washington State. Our aim was to better understandcurrent thermal conditions and to assess decadal trends instream temperatures across this watershed. We coupledstream temperature information with instream flow measurements to provide an overview of aquatic conditions from thepast and present relative to future projections for this basin.
We believe this information will play a critical role in shaping
cold water fish conservation efforts moving forward into an
uncertain future.

Gabriel M. Temple, gabriel.temple.wabc.afs@gmail.com

44Conservation and management of Native Bull Trout and Dolly
Varden in the coastal and inland Pacific Northwest
Moderator: Judy Niebauer

Back to Guide

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Symposium Abstract
Bull Trout and Dolly Varden are collectively the native char of the Pacific Northwest, and have been conservation-listed
at the state, provincial, and federal level. The two species interact within marine and freshwater ecological communities
across coastal and inland watersheds within the region. The diversity of life history and migration patterns of these native
char results in a broad range of habitats used that face natural and anthropogenic challenges. These species require
access between very cold headwater tributary spawning and rearing areas and lower elevation foraging and overwintering
habitats in lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and marine areas. Research informs conservation efforts and management program
objectives across the variety of spatial habitat and population scales. New information addresses key questions such as
abundance monitoring, migration behaviors, timing and use of connected habitats, population genetics and resilience,and management of threats. Findings from these efforts inform species status assessments for future conservation andrecovery. This symposium provides the opportunity to share new science and presentations will be organized to address
the following topics: 1) current species status, 2) new species information and population dynamics, 3)management andconservation actions, and 4) efforts that inform conservation and management pathways for maintaining Pacific Northwest
native char across their range into the future.

8:00 AM			
Completing the Bull Trout Species Status Assessmentand next steps for Bull Trout Recovery
The coterminous population of bull trout was listed as
Threatened under the Endangered Species Act (Act) in1999. The Act requires periodic 5-year review (Review) oflisted species to assess its progress towards recovery andthus determine if the species still warrants protections
under the Act. Incorporated into the current Review
for bull trout is the Species Status Assessment (SSA), a
relatively new analytical framework developed to deliver
foundational science for informing decisions under theAct. The process allows for increased transparency andrepeatability while promoting collaboration with ourpartners in the review of best available science. The SSA
process has three successive stages: 1) species needs, 2)current condition, and 3) future condition. It incorporates
modeling and scenario planning to predict extinction risk
through the lens of the “3R” conservation
principles(resiliency, redundancy,
andrepresentation). The SSA results ina characterization of species
viability (extinction risk)
at givenpoints in
2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Societytime, current and future. The SSA culminates in apeer and partner reviewed scientific document thatremains dynamic, and thus more easily updated as new
information is obtained. For bull trout, the SSA follows
previous Reviews in recognizing the Core Area as thefundamental unit of analysis.
Daniel Nolfi, daniel_nolfi@fws.gov

8:20 AM				
Collaboration in Bull Trout Recovery
The Yakima River Basin Bull Trout Working Group(BTWG) is a diverse group of people with the shared goalof recovering 15 populations of threatened Bull Troutin the Yakima River Watershed. Regional groups likethis one should be looked to as an example on how toprogress Bull Trout recovery in an efficient manner. The
BTWG is comprised of individuals from state and federal
agencies, the Yakama Nation tribe, non-profits, Central
Washington University, landowners, and the public. The
BTWG meets every other month to contribute newideas, discuss, and delegate recovery actions.
Members of the BTWG join forces in thefield and on data analysis. Work
includes45

Bull Trout (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
annual collection of demographic and redd data, therescue-and-rear program, research on fish movement
and migration, and preparing for future restoration andreintroduction efforts. With a concise plan laid out by
the BTWG, smaller entities like Mid-Columbia Fisheries
Enhancement Group’s Bull Trout Task Force (BTTF) can
provide boots-on-the-ground support. BTTF collects data
to support species status assessments and potential fortranslocation. They provide extensive education and outreach to the public and remove passage barriers. In 2023
alone, BTTF conversed with 514 recreationists in Bull Troutcountry, removed 115 rock dams blocking passage, rescued 500 Bull Trout fry, assisted on 36 redd surveys and 12
demographic surveys. The Yakima Basin BTWG and BTTF
are a great example of how partnerships, diverse perspectives, and a shared common goal can have measurable
impacts on endangered species recovery.
Aimee Taylor, bttf@midcolumbiafisheries.org

8:40 AM				
Warm Creek Restoration Project: Is piscicide compatible
with Bull Trout conservation?
Warm Creek, a tributary to Sawmill Creek in central
Idaho is home to one of ten local populations of Bull
Trout Salvelinus confluentus in the Little Lost River Core
Area. Brook Trout S. fontinalis have recently becomea threat to this population. Warm Creek had been
disconnected from Sawmill Creek until 2004 when astream habitat project reconnected the system. Prior to
the reconnect, Brook Trout had not been observed inWarm Creek. However, after the project, Brook Trout
from Sawmill Creek began expanding their distribution
upstream into Warm Creek. In response, multiple organizations initiated a project to protect Bull Trout in Warm
Creek from hybridization and competition. The project
involved installing a fish barrier and removing Brook Trout
upstream. In 2022, collaborative efforts led to barrier site
selection, the design of a barrier, and a species distribution survey. The following year, collaborators completed
planning and permitting requirements, installed the fishbarrier, and conducted a rotenone piscicide treatment
on the lower 1.6 km section of Warm Creek. Prior to thetreatment, backpack electrofishing crews removed fishfrom within the treated section and chemical deactiva-tion zone. All Bull Trout were held in a live well outsideof the treatment area and were returned to Warm Creek
post-treatment. With an upstream fish passage barrier inplace in Warm Creek and Brook Trout removed, reinvasion should not occur, and Bull Trout in Warm Creek aresecured. This timely project indicates that piscicide treatments for Bull Trout can be beneficial for conservation.
Brett High, brett.high@idfg.idaho.gov andBart L. Gamett, bart.gamett@usda.gov

9:00 AM				
Bull Trout biology and the importance of connectivity.
Bull Trout and Dolly Varden belong to the family
Salmonidae, along with other trout, salmon, grayling,
and whitefish. These Char are included in the genus
Salvelinus. Bull Trout were considered Dolly Varden until
1978, when formally recognized as a distinct species(Cavender 1978). They were petitioned and listed understate, provincial, and federal authorities at varying levels
since the early 90s. They exist as smaller residents andlarger migratory forms, some migrating between lakes
and rivers or fresh and marine waters, daily and seasonally. In comparison to salmon, Bull Trout and Dolly
Varden are iteroparous and use their habitat year-round.
Migrations are necessary between spawning, rearing, forage, cover, cold water, and overwintering areas for all life
histories and life stages. Survival depends on access andconnectivity between such habitats. Studies show thatthe timing and use of habitats varies between populations. Today studies describe spawner abundance, genetics, habitat needs, and extensive migrations for both
fluvial and anadromous bull trout. Data gaps exist inunderstanding life stages, such as, egg, fry, juveniles, andsubadults; while there is a need to understand life histories, distribution, refugia, hooking mortality, predation,
prey base, etc. Managing the survival of bull trout and
Dolly Varden and their ecologically connected habitat iscomplicated. Collecting and calibrating this information
is essential for improving numbers, reproduction, and distribution. Continuing to communicate and share information, including linking it to the status and threats, will help
to inform recovery and management.
Judith Neibauer, jneibauer9395@gmail.com

46

Bull Trout (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
9:20 AM				
Providing bull trout passage through central Cascade
reservoirs
Fish passage conditions on tributaries to Rimrock,
Keechelus, Bumping and Kachess reservoirs in the
Cascade Mountains of Washington State are monitored
to identify and remedy fish passage issues that develop as
reservoir levels decline annually. Fish passage monitoringis conducted by the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW), through a contract with The
United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR). Monitoring
typically occurs from June into October with drought andwater storage issues playing a role in the timing, duration,and extent of stream de-watering and degradation offish passage. Monitoring these streams allows WDFW
to provide immediate relief as passage issues develop.
At each site, small scale fish passage features areconstructed and maintained by hand throughout thesummer. Dozens of features at each site are removed,
modified, or built each year to maintain fish passage. In
some years drought conditions require that a temporary
fish passage flume be constructed to facilitate fishpassage from the reservoirs into the natal spawning
tributaries of Bull Trout.
Danny Didricksen, daniel.didricksen@dfw.wa.gov

1:40 PM				The genomics of isolated lake bull trout
Multiple life history forms of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) are known across their native range. These
include anadromous, fluvial, adfluvial and non-migratory
stream-residents. Although a few bull trout populations
located in small, sub-alpine lakes have been reported, thebiology of this life history form is incomplete. We undertook a genomic characterization of four subalpine lake
populations of bull trout in the Clearwater and Salmon
River basins in Idaho to determine whether a fifth, nonmigratory, lake resident life history form is possible. Bull
trout were sampled from both the lake populations as wellas the closest spwaning populations that retained accessto other habitats. Using >50,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we estimated patterns of diversity anddivergence between the lake and creek populations. We
found significant, but variable, patterns of genetic divergence between each pair of lake and creek populationsof bull trout providing strong support for reproductive
isolation. Additionally, we found evidence suggesting thatlake populations in the Salmon River shared more recent
common genetic ancestry amongst each other than theirclosest, physical stream populations. We similarly foundsupport for divergence of Fish Lake Bull trout from anyother Clearwater or Lochsa population. Although questions remain, the evidence to date implies that lake bull
trout are non-migratory and are genetically distinct fromthe closest, physical genetic populations. The implicationof these findings is important because there are conservation concerns for bull trout in the US, and life history
diversity and small population persistence are key featuresof recovery plans for this species.
Alexandra Fraik, afraik@uidaho.edu

2:00 PM				
Population Genetic Structure of an Isolated species
assemblage of Bull Trout, Dolly Varden, and Rainbow Troutin the North Cascades.
We analyzed a combination of GT-Seq SNPs, microsatellites, and genotyping by sequencing data to describe thediversity, structure, and effective population size Bull Trout(Salvelinus confluentus), Dolly Varden (S. malma), andRainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the Skagit River
Hydroelectric Project Area, located in Washington, USA(Project Area). The Project Area’s hydrogeological history,
which includes both ancient connections and blockages
due to glaciation and recent isolation from the construction of the Skagit Hydro Project, makes the interpretationof the colonization and evolution of the three species
complex. Hybridization between Bull Trout and Dolly
Varden and between Rainbow Trout and Cutthroat Trout(O. clarkii) was common. The differentiation between
Project Area Bull Trout and downstream populations washigh (FST=0.28), like that observed between the coastal
and interior lineages. Project Area Dolly Varden was distinct within the southern subspecies (S. m. lordi) genetic
cluster and was characterized by a pattern of isolation by
distance. Nearly all Rainbow Trout were highly differentiated from both the coastal (O. m. irideus) and interior

47

Bull Trout (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM(O. m. gairdneri) genetic lineages and genetic structure was
generally associated with contemporary watershed boundaries. However, some genetic clusters were widely distributed
across multiple watersheds, and a population from Pyramid
Creek, which is isolated upstream of a barrier, clustered withthe coastal subspecies, indicating potential human introduction. Effective population size in Bull Trout and Dolly Varden
was small (Ne<50). In conclusion, except for Pyramid Creek
Rainbow Trout, all three species from the Project Area werehighly genetically distinct from nearby conspecific populations, suggesting a prolonged history of isolation.
Erin Lowery and Dan Bingham,erin.lowery@seattle.gov

2:20 PM				
Population Demographics and Dynamics of Juvenile Bull
Trout in a Montane Ecosystem
Bull Trout (BLT) Salvelinus confluentus populations
throughout much of Idaho have stabilized or increased
since listing under the Endangered Species Act in 1998.
However, the BLT population in the Coeur d’Alene CoreArea, Idaho (CDACA) has experienced substantial declines
in abundance. The CDACA population has been monitored
annually using spawning ground surveys since 1992, butlittle is known about early life stages. An understanding ofjuvenile BLT population demographics and dynamics is a
crucial first step towards identifying factors limiting BLT
abundance in the CDACA. In 2022−2023, we sampled 200
stream reaches in the upper St. Joe River basin. In total,
1,531 BLT were sampled varying in length from 29 to 257
mm (mean ± SD; 109 ± 44 mm). In 2022, average density
estimates varied from 0.1 BLT / 100 m2 in Sherlock Creek to
3.5 BLT / 100 m2 in Medicine Creek and averaged 1.4 BLT /100 m2 (SD = 1.4) for all streams. In 2023, density estimatesvaried from 0.3 BLT / 100 m2 in Sherlock Creek to 8.9 BLT/ 100 m2 in Medicine Creek and averaged 2.1 BLT / 100
m2 (SD = 3.4) for all streams. Using scales, BLT varied inage from 0 to 4 years. Habitat was surveyed at a subset ofsampling reaches and movement was tracked using passive
integrated transponder tags. This study provides insighton the ecology of juvenile BLT that can be used to guideconservation and management decisions in the basin.
Sage Unsworth*, unsworth@uidaho.edu

2:40 PM				
Assessment of the Potential Extirpation of a Bull Trout
Population in the Wenatchee River Basin, WA
Data from the Mid-Columbia Basin indicates several local Bull
Trout populations may be extirpated or nearing extirpation.
One such population is the Nason Creek population in the
Wenatchee Subbasin, where redds have not been observed in
the population’s primary historic spawning habitat since 2019.
To assess the status of the Nason Creek Bull Trout population,
USFWS conducted local distribution and abundance assessments using a combination of eDNA and night snorkel surveys.
Night snorkel surveys were used to assess current Bull Troutabundance within all primary historic Bull Trout spawning andrearing reaches in the Nason Creek watershed. Environmental
DNA samples were then collected at all potential Bull Trout
habitat within the watershed to determine if Bull Trout spawning and rearing had transitioned to new locations. Night snorkel surveys were also used to assess Bull Trout presence andrelative abundance within areas where Bull Trout eDNA wasdetected outside of historic habitat. A total of 15 juvenile andsubadult Bull Trout were found during snorkel surveys in historic
spawning and rearing reaches, which indicated recent Bull Trout
spawning occurred within these reaches, but likely not at levels
sufficient to sustain an independent population. Environmental
DNA and follow-up snorkel surveys found that juvenile Bull
Trout were present outside of historic spawning habitat, but
densities in surveyed locations were also low and likely not sufficient to maintain a permanent population. This data indicatesthe Nason Creek Bull Trout population is extant but likely near
extirpation, and management action may be required to prevent population extirpation. Our results emphasize the needfor status assessments and potentially recovery actions in otherregional watersheds which are considered at risk of near-term
Bull Trout extirpation.
Jose Vasquez, jose_vazquez@fws.gov

3:00 PM				
Predator-prey interactions between bull trout and sockeye
salmon in Chilko Lake, British Columbia
Bull trout and sockeye salmon are species of ecological,
economic, and cultural importance in the Pacific Northwest
and are of conservation concern. We conducted a seriesof studies investigating relationships between bull trout
and sockeye salmon in Chilko Lake and Chilko River, British

48

Bull Trout (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Columbia, one of the largest sockeye salmon producing
systems in the Fraser River watershed. Over four years(2017 – 2021), we tracked the movements of adult bull trout
throughout the system via acoustic telemetry. Bull trout
exhibited seasonal movements towards the lake outlet,often over several kilometers, presumably in response to
feeding opportunities provided by outmigrating sockeye
salmon smolts in the spring and sockeye salmon spawningin the fall. In 2021, we examined bull trout stomach
contents in the spring, summer, and fall and found that
diet composition and ration size were influenced bysockeye salmon life history and capture location. Bull
trout caught near the lake outlet in the spring and fallgorged on outmigrating smolts and sockeye salmon
eggs, respectively, with stomach contents representing
up to 13% of bull trout mass. This intense consumption
appears to be facilitated by digestive plasticity, as bull
trout exhibited large digestive organs in the spring andfall relative to the summer. These results suggest sockeye
salmon are an important resource to bull trout. We are
currently working to understand the influence of sockeye
salmon subsidies on bull trout growth and energy budgets,and how bull trout growth and survival may be affectedunder different climate change and prey availability
scenarios.

this knowledge gap, we used backpack electrofishing toestimate Brook Trout and native salmonid abundancein >150 stream reaches located in Bull Trout spawningand and rearing habitat in central Idaho. We conducted
in-stream habitat surveys within each reach andsupplemented these data with GIS-derived estimatesof stream gradient and temperature. Lastly, we usedgeneralized linear mixed-effects modeling to relate
Brook Trout abundance to our abiotic and biotic
covariates and used Akaike Information Criterion
to identify the most parsimonious model structure.
We discuss our results in the context of our current
understanding of interactions between Brook Troutand Bull Trout as well as the wide variety of ongoing
research and management activities focused on Brook
Trout in Idaho.

Adam Kanigan*, Nathan Furey, Scott Hinch, Andrew Lotto

The Yakima River Basin in central Washington stateis considered a core area within the Mid-ColumbiaRiver Recovery Unit for ESA-listed Bull Trout. KachessReservoir, an impoundment which consists of two
historic lake basins (Big and Little Kachess), hosts
two adfluvial Bull Trout populations. These lakes
are connected by a small channel under low-waterconditions. Kachess Reservoir is subject to water level
fluctuations from operations as a storage reservoir
as well as the continued threat of water limitations
resulting from climate change. We implanted 20 juvenile
Bull Trout with acoustic transmitters to determine
spatiotemporal use of Kachess Reservoir in 2022 and2023. Drought conditions in 2023 presented a unique
opportunity to identify potential correlation between
Bull Trout distribution and reservoir pool elevation.
Distribution varied between Little and Big Kachessby both season and year. Core area (50% utilization
distribution) had a 58% overlap between 2022 and2023, with distribution shifting south to encompass
more of Big Kachess in 2023. Distribution was especiallydisparate in the fall months (23% core area overlap),which correspond with the lowest reservoir poolelevations. Furthermore, there were no movements

akanigan@gmail.com

3:40 PM				
What controls the abundance of nonnative brook trout
in central idaho bull trout streams?
Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis is not native to western
North America but was widely introduced to promoteangling opportunities between the late 19th and late
20th centuries. Non-native Brook Trout negatively
affect native salmonids such as federally threatened Bull
Trout S. confluentus. Recent research indicates that Bull
Trout in Idaho are consistently rare or absent in stream
reaches where Brook Trout exceed a relatively low
density, but the conditions under which Brook Trout arecapable of reaching this density are poorly understood.
Consequently, a more precise understanding of
the reach-scale abiotic and biotic controls on nonnative Brook Trout abundance could aid a variety ofconservation and management objectives. To address

Nicholas S. Voss*, nvoss@uidaho.edu

4:00 PM				
Spatiotemporal distribution of juvenile Bull Trout in
Kachess Reservoir, Washington

49

Bull Trout (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
between Little and Big Kachess from August to
November 2023, compared to 81 movements during
the same time frame in 2022, indicating a potential
physical or thermal barrier to movement. These
spatiotemporal trends suggest that Bull Trout may havemore difficulty accessing spawning tributaries in Little
Kachess under drought conditions, which are likely
to become more frequent and intense under futureclimate and water management projections.
Blake Hamilton, blakerhamilton@gmail.com

4:40 PM				
Nonlethal Methods of Assessing Bull Trout (Salvelinus
confluentus) Reproductive Status andLife History Strategies in the Upper Salmon River Basin
Bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) can express several
life history strategies that are both migratory (i.e.,
fluvial, adfluvial) and residents that stay in tributaries
which can coexist within one population. This varietyof life histories can make it difficult for managers toeffectively manage these populations as there is no
definitive way to differentiate between resident andmigratory life histories. To remedy this, we will employ
a variety of methods to evaluate whether Bull Trout
are resident or migratory by using a combination ofultrasonography, blood steroid concentrations, andPIT (passive integrated transponder) tag movement
data. A pilot study was conducted in August of 2023 toevaluate whether these methods would be effective.
Using Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) as a proxy for
Bull Trout showed that both ultrasonography and bloodsteroid concentrations are
effective methods for evaluating whether female fish
are gravid and if the sex steroid concentrations are
distinguishable between spawning fish and immaturefish. Bull Trout were also given ultrasound examinations
and the presence of oocytes in their body cavity wasconfirmed. However, our sampling permit did not allow
for blood draws from Bull Trout at that time, so thismethod will have to be built upon in future samplingseasons.
Joseph Hirsch*, Paul Hohenlohe, James Nagler, Alex
Fraik, Brett Bowersox
jhirsch@uidaho.edu

Josh Williams, WDFW

50

Data Longevity Achieved! Reproducibility
throughout the lifecycle and beyond		
Moderator: Megan Dethloff

Back to Guide

Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 3:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
Reproducibility is a fundamental concept within the scientific method and it drives scientific advancement.
This concept applies to all parts of our scientific work processes, and its successful application relies on the
FAIR data principles of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable. Achieving reproducibility can bechallenging for researchers and resource managers, especially in less data-driven parts of their work process.
Part of the challenge arises from the differences in how people interpret whether their work meets the FAIR
principles, such as how easily it can be found and accessed, and what is envisioned for current and possible
future applications of the data (i.e., interoperable and reuse). Another challenging aspect is how to apply
FAIR along with other principles and guidance that may seem at odds with each other such as the Collective
benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility and Ethics (CARE) principles for responsible data governance. In
this symposium, we discuss reproducibility throughout research and resource management workflows, from
ideation and planning to sharing for data re-use. We will explore how biologists and researchers have adapted
their approaches, accessed different expertise, and leveraged new technology and software to meet the fourpillars of FAIR, while addressing new guiding principles such as Open Data and CARE. Presenters will highlightnovel thinking, surprising results and a host of new friends met along the way as we rely on new expertise anddisciplines to align with FAIR.
Co-sponsored by Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership, StreamNet, and Fisheries and Oceans
Canada.

1:40 PM			
Ack! How do I cite this? Data citation and attribution for
dynamic natural resource databases
Data citation standards for static, written documents
are readily available, well known and have changed
relatively little over the past few decades. In contrast,electronic databases are often dynamic, yet are
increasingly considered standalone citable products.
We propose that open access, long-term, multicontributor, dynamic databases necessitate the creationof new citation guidelines. Proper data citation andattribution both ensures that the data isproperly documented for future use,
and the data collectors, stewards,
processors, and data

analysts receive due credit. We will discuss FAIR and
CARE data standards, and suggest minimum and ideal
data citation guidelines for multi-contributor dynamic
natural resources datasets.
Katie A. Barnas, Mari Williams, Jennifer M. Bayer, SherynOlsonkatie.barnas@noaa.gov

Josh Williams, WDFW
2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society51

Data (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 3:20 PM
2:00 PM				
Data endurance: Documenting metadata and connecting to published data with MonitoringResources.org andlarge language models to preserve the data lifecycle
Preserving how, why, when, and where data are collected and analyzed by the descriptive documentation of metadata helps extend the longevity of data.
MonitoringResources.org, a metadata documentation
tool, supports data longevity by providing a platform thatencourages data discovery and reproducibility. Within
MonitoringResources.org, users can: plan step-by-step
instructions for how data are collected and analyzed; provide rationale as to why data are collected; and document
information as to where and when monitoring eventsoccur. The metadata in MonitoringResources.org support making data more findable and accessible throughdescriptive documentation to help inform decisionmaking at a variety of spatial and temporal scales that
often cross typical jurisdictional boundaries. However, theavailability of this metadata does not necessarily mean
it is easy to ingest. The highly descriptive procedures in
Monitoring Resources have loose guidelines on content,
making it difficult for humans to compare many documents at once. Therefore, we have started investigating
the use of large language models (LLMs) to analyze andpredict written text to assist with metadata documentation and discovery. Our efforts show that thorough metadata documentation coupled with LLMs can create morediscoverable, interoperable, reproducible, and persistent
data.
Samuel A. Cimino, Jennifer M. Bayer, Tom Bird, Minh
Doanscimino@usgs.gov

2:20 PM				How large language models rich metadata can support
greater interoperability of data and movement towards
best practices.
Fisheries management and research efforts are increasingly aiming to re-use data or repeat data collection analyses. However, while there’s a push for broad-scale data
accessibility, there’s a notable gap in how research meth-odologies are described and shared, potentially leading
to large variability in how data programs measure thedata needed for decision-relevant indicators. Methods
descriptions are necessary for understanding the provenance and quality of measured indicators, for comparing between them and applying them in new settings.
However, methods are usually very context-specific. With
only loose guidelines on structure and content, it is difficult for humans to write methods clearly or to compare
between many methods at once.
Our work aims to improve the quality, comparability and usability of methods documentation by leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs). Using theMonitoringResources.org methods database, we demonstrate how LLMs can be used to build a foundational corpus of language to help bridge understanding between
disciplines, or align language within a topic. We show how
this vocabulary, combined with generative AI can support
users to write rich, generalizable and usable metadata,or support readers to summarize work. With these generated text bodies, we then show how topic clustering
can help condense any large body of work into a smaller
number of relevant clusters for discovery and analysis.
We suggest these three functions can help data creatorsand maintainers to properly describe, organize and reuse methods documentation and their resulting data. In
doing so, we hope to achieve a improve data interoperability and repeatability, as well as convergence on bestpractices for broadly-used methods.
Tom Bird, tom.bird@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

2:40 PM				
Salish Sea Initiative Interactive Map and Marine Survey
Tool
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and 33 First
Nation partners are co-developing an interactive
online Map as part of the Salish Sea Initiative. The
application will serve as a tool for participants to visualize
ecosystem components of interest and access otherinformation useful for creating partnerships, planningand implementation of marine stewardship work andcumulative effects assessments. The map is being createdunder contract with an experienced provider of geospatial
products and tools designed with Indigenous ecological52

Data (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 3:20 PM
and traditional data in mind.
• Ease of use;
• Spatial analysis, data analysis and visualization
tools;• Recognition and celebration of Indigenous cultures;• Protection of Community data rights of privacy
and ownership;• Inclusion of reference materials on marine cumulative effects and ongoing marine stewardship
activities.
• Over 400 spatial data layers as well as 100 reference sources
In keeping with the goals of reconciliation and First
Nations principles of ownership, the map will include• Control of data sharing and privacy in the hands ofeach community;• Keyword, spatial and temporal search functions;• A place-naming tool, to support the inclusion of
traditional knowledge and history;• Indigenous language keyboards including;diitiidʔaaʔtx̣, Halq’eméylem, hən̓q̓ əmin̓əm̓, Hul’qumi’num,lək̓ʷəŋən, Nuučaan̓uł, SENĆOŦEN, and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh.

•

Sharing of stories and photos related to named
places;• Sharing of curated map views by link and email;• Upload function to allow data sharing while ensuring complete data privacy;• High performance even under low-bandwidth;• Plain language descriptions of highly technicalinformation;• A planning function to aid in stewardship activities;
and• Compliance with First Nations principles ofdata ownership, control, access, and possession(OCAP).
The DFO team has also been developing a Marine
Survey Tool using a free downloadable mobile app.

implications for people. Two successful international
expeditions into the Gulf of Alaska were completed
in 2019 and 2020, and a pan-Pacific international
expedition involving 5 vessels successfully surveyed
the Central and Eastern North Pacific in winter 2022.
To build on the success and enhanced knowledge
derived from the IYS expeditions, the North Pacific
Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) and the North
Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) are planning to design, test, and implement a collaborativeinternational ocean intelligence system for the North
Pacific. The system will utilize innovative technology,enhanced monitoring (by ships, uncrewed autonomous vehicles, satellites, etc.), data mobilization andanalytical methods to provide timely knowledge andadvice to decision-makers about the effects of climate
on ocean basin conditions and coastal socio-ecologicalsystems. This presentation will introduce the project, known as BECI (Basin-scale Events to Coastal
Impacts), which has been endorsed as a project under
the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable
Development. BECI is currently in the planning stage
and is developing a science plan to build and guide theproject over the course of the Ocean Decade.
Lara Erikson, lerikson@psmfc.org

Tom Bird, tom.bird@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

3:00 PM				An ocean intelligence system for the North Pacific
Ocean
The International Year of the Salmon (IYS) was an initiative across the Northern Hemisphere to support
resilient management of salmon and understand the

Josh Williams, WDFW

53

Application of drones in fisheries research andenvironmental monitoring
Moderator: Alexander Fremier

Back to Guide

Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 4:40 PM

Symposium Abstract
Over the last decade researchers are using remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs, aka drones) in fisheries science andmanagement. RPV technologies can help fill data gaps for understanding fish populations and be integrated
into riverine ecosystem monitoring. New technologies allow researchers to interrogate persistent questions andpotentially answer new questions because of the new observation scale that RPVs provide. This session aims tohighlight: (1) how scientists are using RPVs, (2) what questions require further attention, and (3) what the next
generation of RPV-based technologies are. We hope to move past RPV feasibility studies to begin mainstreaming
RPVs for answering ecological questions and furthering long-term monitoring.

1:40 PM			Monitoring Channel Response to Low-Tech ProcessedBased Restoration Using UAV“Limited tools are available for resource managers toevaluate short-term geomorphic changes related to
low-tech, process-based restoration (LTPBR). This lackof information reduces the ability to determine whether
a project is on a desired trajectory, which can impede
the development of adaptive management plans tocorrect unwanted outcomes or maintain and improve
processes working as intended. To address this problem
we outline a cost-effective, accurate, and repeatable
monitoring approach using UAV technology coupledwith structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry toevaluate two LTPBR projects in central Idaho.
Building off previous work using SfM photogrammetry
and digital-elevation models (DEMs) to detect channel
response to LTPBR, we used a point cloud analysis tool,
developed specifically for detecting change of complex
surfaces in three dimensions. Change detection
using point cloud analysis provides greater accuracy
because small surface complexities, such as streambedroughness, are often lost through interpolation whengenerating DEMs. The greater accuracy provided
through point cloud analysis allows
managers to track geomorphic

change over shorter temporal scales, providing amonitoring solution to inform adaptive management
within a relevant time frame
Leveraging the high accuracy of change detection forpoint clouds requires specific data collection methods
using georeferenced ground control points and defined
UAV flight parameters. We outline bestpractices for data collection and offer a post-processing
workflow that provides flexibility to overcome datacollection shortfalls and discrepancies. Finally, because
our two project sites vary across physical and temporalscales, we demonstrate the utility of our approachacross a spectrum of LTPBR projects.
Tulley Mackey, mack4534@vandals.uidaho.edu

Josh Williams, WDFW

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

54Drones (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 4:40 PM
2:00 PM				
Simulating riparian forest harvesting impacts on stream
temperatures using RPAS-acquired LiDAR
Solar insolation at the water’s surface is the primary driverof thermal regimes in small forested streams. Harvestingof riparian vegetation can increase stream temperatures,
sometimes pushing stream thermal regimes into lethal
ranges for anadromous salmonids. Riparian buffers canhelp mitigate potential high temperatures caused byremoval of riparian vegetation. Emerging technologies,
such as LiDAR data collected from remotely piloted aerial
systems (RPAS), can help predict the potential impact offorest operations under varying management scenarios on
instream characteristics before harvesting commences. In
this study, we used RPAS-mounted LiDAR data to model
insolation for the area surrounding five stream reaches on
Vancouver Island, Canada. Canopy height models (CHMs)
derived from the LiDAR data were used to create simulations of forest harvesting, in which individual tree crowns
were identified and removed to emulate varying “thinning”
scenarios in the riparian forest surrounding the streams.
The harvesting simulations, which ranged from 25% 100% riparian forest harvesting, were then used as inputs
to the insolation model. This allowed us to predict stream
temperatures under varying insolation scenarios using aquadratic regression model where stream temperature was
the response variable. Our results indicate that thinning ofriparian forest buffers by 25% and 50%, respectively, canincrease stream temperatures up to 1°C, whereas 100%
removal (i.e. clearcut) of the riparian forest could increase
stream temperatures by 5.8°C. This study demonstrates
the applicability of RPAS-based LiDAR data to help monitor and inform how potential forest management practices
may affect fish and stream ecosystems.
Leanna Stackhouse, leannast@mail.ubc.ca

2:20 PM				
Assessment of salmonid spawning habitat using Remotely
Piloted Vehicles in a large river.
Modeling Pacific Salmon microhabitat is an important
step in planning and implementing recovery actions. Most
current approaches to modeling involve extensive field

efforts to create channel bathymetry and use 2-D hydraulic models to predict depth and velocity at specific flows
or map meso-habitats (e.g. riffles and pools), which may
miss important microhabitat features. These tasks can betime consuming and impractical, particularly when modeling longer river extents. Here, we present a methodology
using remotely piloted vehicles (drones) to rapidly collectphysical habitat characteristics important for spawning
Pacific Salmon across large extents while still maintaininga high spatial resolution. Our method can be used to estimate water depth, velocity and substrate size across theriver segment (multiple reaches). Using habitat suitability
curves, we are able to model suitable habitat. The procedure we developed allows the mapping of large expansesof spawning habitat relatively quickly and at a low-cost.
We validated the physical characteristic model by comparing modeled and field collected data and used geolocatedredds from 2023 to further validate our approach. The
overall goal is to create an initial validated model to quantify spawning habitat at scales relevant to the managementof specific populations of Pacific Salmon. This presentation
will go over data collection, processing, and developmentof both models, including preliminary results. We will also
explain study limitations and possible solutions, and innovative approaches to applying the methodology to otherfish species and rivers.
Jared Stieve, jared.stieve@wsu.edu
Alexander Fremier, alex.fremier@wsu.edu

2:40 PM				Developing a Drone-based Community Monitoring
Program to Engage and Inspire Alaskan Tribal Communities
in Fishery Science
The Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers have seen steep declines
in chum and Chinook salmon over the last decade whichhave limited subsistence fisheries, jeopardizing both foodsecurity and traditional ways of life. The management of
all fisheries relies on population estimates derived fromstate and federal sources, yet in many of the salmonbearing tributaries these surveys are infrequent due to avariety of logistical challenges. It is estimated that >50% ofwaterways in the Yukon watershed have not been surveyed
disallowing legal protection based on Alaska state statute.
In parallel to these data needs is a strong desire to increase55

Drones (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 4:40 PM
community involvement in monitoring across the region,
particularly among resident youth. Drones provide an alternative survey technique that can be used to mitigate current
survey issues, allowing for data collection at a higher frequency, across large extents, and provide reliable population
estimates in areas that are either surveyed infrequently or
not surveyed at all. Further, with proper training and protocols drones can be integrated into community monitoring
programs along salmon-bearing waterways and represent an
exciting platform for engaging youth in the fishery scienceand management process. We hypothesize that by using
drones we can provide reliable population estimates and/or
supplement current survey techniques. In addition, througha community monitoring program we can increase thenumber of waterways being surveyed all the while providing
workforce training in an ever-increasing ecological drone
field.
Daniel Auerbach, daniel.s.auerbach@wsu.edu

3:00 PM				Eyes in the Sky: A case study evaluating the accuracy of UAS
enumerations of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) redds using orthomosaic models.
The annual enumeration of redds (i.e., spawning nests)
are widely used by fisheries managers to monitor population abundance and distribution of salmonids in the Pacificnorthwest. Because many of these populations are vulnerable, data from redd enumerations, through intensive
ground surveys or the use of manned aircraft, have formed acornerstone of annual population enumeration and projection. Despite their utility, traditional techniques can be costly,
dangerous, and inconsistent if not completed with proper
training. These challenges underscore the pursuit of alternative methods that provide accurate results preformed andanalyzed in a replicable manner. Given the recent advancements of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or ‘drone’ technology, we evaluate the effectiveness of this equipment byidentifying Chinook salmon redds in an established longterm study reach of Johnson Creek, Idaho in partnership with
the Nez Perce Tribe (NPT). After collection of aerial imagery
from multiple flights at different spawning periods, Agisoft
Metashape software was used to construct digital orthomosaic models which provided an objective and independentimagery against which to compare traditional ground survey
methods conducted by the NPT. Analysis of both survey
methods yielded comparable results with both methods

enumerating a total of 143 redd sites. In addition to an analysis of UAS redd quantification accuracy, we highlight digitalorthomosaic models constructed within this study and theirpotential for future utility in fisheries research.
Cade Crookshanks*, croo8280@vandals.uidaho.edu

3:40 PM				
Application of drones for Snake River fall Chinook Salmon
redd surveys
The Nez Perce Tribe (NPT) Fall Chinook Salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Monitoring and Evaluations
program has conducted redd surveys via helicopter from 1988
to 2022 in the Clearwater River Subbasin. Since the Snake
River fall Chinook Salmon were listed as “threatened” under
the Endangered Species Act in 1992, the NPT has added theGrande Ronde, Imnaha and Salmon rivers to their helicopter
survey areas. In 2019 we initiated an evaluation to determine
the effectiveness of replacing helicopter surveys with small,
unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) or drones. Initially sUAS
surveys were completed on the lower Clearwater River andcompared manned helicopter surveys. Results demonstrated
little variation in redd counts between the two methods from2019-2022. In 2023 all surveys were conducted using sUAS
and no manned helicopter surveys were completed. Surveys
included multiple drone pilots conducting approximately
520 flights from October 13th to November 30th fromroads, rafts, and jet boats. Redd counts were calculated as
the average number of redds in each transect enumerated
by reviewing videos by multiple reviewers. These surveys
yielded spatial distribution of fall Chinook Salmon spawningas well as an index of spawner abundance. There were several
constraints to conducting sUAS surveys including: weather,daylight visibility, water turbidity, access, and keeping drone
in line of sight. New tools have emerged in drone technology,
including using drone photos creating orthomosaic of
combined images and digital elevation images. The project
would like to use this technology in future surveys to achievea better estimation of redds, especially in high density
spawning areas with high levels of redd superimposition.

Bill Arnsberg, billa@nezperce.org
Morgan Sublett, morgans@nezperce.org

56Drones (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 4:40 PM
4:00 PM				
Estimating Abundance of Chinook Salmon Redds Using
Drones in Region 7
Index redd counts have been used to quantify annual
escapement of Chinook Salmon Onchorhynchus tshawytscha to spawning grounds in Idaho for nearly seven decades.
These surveys were typically conducted by field personnel
on the ground, or from the air via helicopter. The Idaho
Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has recently adopted
methods to complete redd counts with greater efficiency
and at lower costs using unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Moreover, surveys conducted using UAS allow for theretention and storage of images, lending to long term
standardized datasets that can be easily referenced. UAS
have been used to monitor Chinook Salmon in the Upper
Salmon River Basin in central Idaho since 2017, with theadvent of new technology in 2023. With the upgraded UAS
fleet, we documented a 54% reduction in survey time during 2023 when compared to 2022, despite a 41% increase insurvey distance during this period. As such, timely updatesof methodologies and advancing technologies is suggested
for natural resource agencies implementing UAS in environmental monitoring. While the need for enumeration of
Chinook Salmon redds on the ground may remain in perpetuity for certain drainages, emergent technologies in thefield of UAS may allow natural resource agencies to augment or even replace ground or helicopter counts whereappropriate.

for gathering millions of data points. Remote sensing
techniques, such as unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) LiDAR
scans, provide engineers and scientists with valuable
research and monitoring given their nonintrusive nature,
repeatability, cost, and increasing spatial range and ability.
A comparison of spatial resolution and extent of UAV LiDAR
has shown that the end user cost, temporal resolution,and ease of data analysis often favors UAV LiDAR. With
restoring riverscapes as the focal point, LiDAR scansprovide essential detail for evaluating spatial and temporalchange in fluvial geomorphology. UAV flights provide
monitoring of physical change to better inform scienceand management decisions in understanding sedimentand wood transport processes to identify appropriate
restoration goals. Repeated monitoring flights allow foranalysis of wood mobility, wildfire effects, spatial variability
in grain size, and producing reach-averaged streambed
maps. UAV LiDAR can further assist in estimating sedimenttransport rates using overlayed digital elevation models todetermine vertical streambed change over time. As UAV
technology advances, costs have decreased significantly
while the spatial extent and accuracy has increased,making this a more accessible tool for fisheries science andrestoration.

Cody Marschner, cody@rivhab.net

Noah Frost, Noah.frost@idfg.idaho.gov

4:20 PM				
Monitoring and Analysis of River Corridors with UAV LiDAR
Remote sensing has become a crucial tool in understanding
and restoring river corridors since the start of the 20th
century. This includes wetlands, river channels, floodplains,
riparian zones, and fluvial deposits, all of which forma biodiverse ecosystem. Rivers should be viewed as
spatially continuous mosaics of information (Fausch,
Torgersen, Baxter, & Li, 2002), in which remote sensing
and aerial terrain mapping becomes an unparalleled tool

Josh Williams, WDFW

57

Improving Salmonid Adult Escapement
Abundance Estimates 		Moderator: Neala Kendall

Back to Guide

Wednesday, May 1, 1:40 PM to 5:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
Estimating escapement abundance of spawning salmonids is a core activity of many resource agencies.
These estimates are key to conservation and management, but often they lack uncertainty bounds andutilize methods that have not been updated for decades. In this symposium, we will hear about new salmonid
escapement abundance estimation methods utilized by a range of groups and their strengths and weaknesses,
and we will discuss where we want to be going with these methods.

1:40 PM			rvosbigian@uidaho.edu;
John Powell, john.powell@idfg.idaho.gov;
Matt Falcy, mfalcy@uidaho.edu

Integrating data on the Snake River steelhead fisheryenhances reporting of protected natural-origin stocks
Salmon and steelhead fisheries can include cooccurring species or stocks with different management
objectives. Managing co-occurring protected stocks
and harvestable hatchery stocks is complicated bycatch-and-release mortalities and potential negative
effects of breeding between natural- and hatcheryorigin fish. Quantifying the escapement of both thenatural- and hatchery-origin stocks at their breeding
locations is key to managing the populations and theassociated fisheries. Snake River steelhead consist ofboth hatchery- and natural-origin fish, where naturalorigin, and certain hatchery-origin, steelhead arelisted as Threatened under the Endangered Species
Act. Therefore, the fishery for Snake River steelhead
is an excellent example of managers balancing
different objectives across stocks. A multi-agency
workgroup developed a model in 2010 to integrate
the data collected by each agency and evaluate final
steelhead stock dispositions for each spawn year.
We extended this model by propagating uncertainty
in data inputs using Monte Carlo simulation and byincorporating catch composition and escapement datausing maximum likelihood. Both extensions allow for
uncertainty estimation in fishery mortality andescapement. Our methods provide a
useful framework for quantitatively
monitoring Snake River steelhead.
Ryan
Vosbigian,

2:00 PM			Using an integrated model to estimate Chinook Salmon
spawner abundance in the Middle Fork Salmon Riverbasin, Idaho
A majority of the Middle Fork Salmon River basin of
Idaho is in the Frank Church Wilderness, making accessfor conducting fisheries surveys difficult. Consequently,
helicopter-based surveys have primarily been used toestimate Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
spawner abundance. In the interest of staff safety andefficiency, we developed an integrated model thatcombines historic aerial survey data, contemporary
ground-based redd count data, and genetic stock
identification data at Lower Granite Dam to estimate
spawner abundance in eight populations in the Middle
Fork Salmon River basin without the use of aerial
surveys. Model-based estimates, where aerial survey
data were ignored, were similar to estimates based on
aerial surveys for eight populations within the Middle
Fork Salmon River basin from 2009 to 2022. The resultsof this study suggest that the integrated model may
provide a suitable replacement for aerial-based surveys.
Joshua L. McCormick, Luciano Chiaramonte, Carli
Baum, Megan Heller
josh.mccormick@idfg.idaho.gov

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

58

Escapement (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 1:40 PM to 5:20 PM
2:20 PM				
Estimation of Adult Steelhead in a Coastal River Using
SONAR
This talk focuses on estimating winter steelhead adultreturns using SONAR in the Dungeness River, offeringresults and lessons learned. Steelhead spawning groundsurveys in the Dungeness River basin on the coast of the
Olympic Peninsula in Washington State are inherently
challenging due to springtime snow melt and rain events
which can lead to high, turbid water and unsafe survey
conditions. In most years it is not possible to survey forsteelhead through the entirety of the spawning season,and in some years poor survey conditions prevent anadequate number of surveys to estimate redd-based
escapement. In 2019 the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW) installed and operated a stationary
multi-beam SONAR unit in the lower Dungeness Riverto enumerate and gather run-timing information on
winter steelhead (Onchorhynchus mykiss). Using datafrom species composition sampling in the lower river, we
differentiated species detected with SONAR based on
size and day of year. We estimated total upstream, downstream and net upstream abundance using a generalized
additive model (GAM) to help interpolate across periods
when the SONAR was either inoperable or the data had
not been reviewed. As SONAR is an emerging technology being utilized or considered in more and more rivers,
we hope to provide some guidance by discussing lessons
learned over the past five seasons related to SONAR
operation and data analysis, as well as present resultsfrom those five spawn years.

are often poor validated and lack estimates of statisticalprecision (e.g. index expansions) or tend to be inflexible
and vulnerable to violations in their assumptions (e.g.
mark-recapture, design-based estimators). As such,there is a clear need to develop methods that can beapplied to a wide range of data and are resilient in theface of changing monitoring strategies and declining
catch rates. The field of spatio-temporal modeling has
advanced in the past years and it is now possible toincorporate complex stream networks into the structureof the model. Here we present a reanalysis of wintersteelhead abundance from the lower Columbia regionin Washington. We show that this model can produce
unbiased estimates of redd counts at surveyed andunsurveyed locations. We compare model predictionsof redd count to reported values from 2005-2022 anddiscuss possible patterns in modeled versus traditional
estimates. We also outline how this model can extend
traditional survey estimates by providing a framework
for integrating habitat covariates or other types of data,
providing utility to a range of management activities.
Last, we discuss the potential implications of these new
estimates for steelhead management in the region andhow our results can guide monitoring efforts.
Jeremy Harris, jeremy.harris@dfw.wa.gov

3:00 PM				Can mark-recapture methods improve redd based
escapement estimates?

Kevin See, Kevin.See@dfw.wa.gov

2:40 PM				
Reanalysis of lower Columbia winter steelhead spawning
data using a spatio-temporal model
Spawning ground surveys are the primary method used
to estimate escapement in many salmonid populations,particularly steelhead. Counts generated on thesesurveys are often expanded to account for unsurveyed
areas, but the methods used to expand these counts

Redd counts are the most common method for
estimating the abundance of Pacific Salmon and bull
trout in the Pacific Northwest. Typical assumptions
are that redd counts represent a census (i.e., observer
efficiency is 100%) and there are no deletions of redds
before they can be enumerated. These assumptions
are likely violated due to inexperienced surveyors,long intervals between surveys, freshets that delete
redds between survey periods, and surveys that do notcover the entire spawning period or distribution. We
developed a redd arrival and longevity model for wintersteelhead (O. mykiss) to evaluate the use of an open
population mark-recapture model to estimate redd
abundance. Results from the simulations indicate: 1)59

Escapement (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 1:40 PM to 5:20 PM
uncorrected/raw redd counts were negatively biased andbias increased with decreasing observer efficiency, survey
frequency, spatial coverage, and the variability in fresh
redd life, 2) regardless of observer efficiency (80-100%),
Jolly-Seber model abundance estimates were unbiased atsurvey intervals from 7-28 days, when surveys were truncated for the last 1/3 of the run, and had a slight positive
bias (4%) when flooding reduced redd survival, and 3) the
precision of abundance estimates increased as abundance,
observer efficiency, survey frequency, and spatial coverage decreased. The JS model provides other important
estimates for biologists including fresh redd life, observer
efficiency, and spawning arrival and departure times. The
application of mark-recapture protocols and the unified
statistical framework of the Jolly Seber model shows great
promise to improve redd abundance estimates.

Dan Rawding, rawdidr@dfw.wa.gov

3:40 PM				A method to compute adult anadromous salmonid
abundance by PIT tagging juvenile outmigrants
Abundance estimation of adult anadromous salmonids
is sometimes made difficult by environmental conditions(e.g., turbid or high water) or logistical constraints that
preclude effective direct counting of adults, redds, or
carcasses. To overcome this limitation, we developed
an approach to adult abundance estimation based on
trapping and PIT tagging juvenile outmigrants and later
detecting these tags when the fish return as adults. We
present an example of this approach applied to steelheadin the Touchet River in southeastern Washington. Juvenile
outmigrant abundance at weekly intervals is estimatedusing a Bayesian Time-Stratified Population Analysis(BTSPAS), which uses p-splines to interpolate abundance
during weeks with missing data due to difficult sampling
conditions. Juvenile estimates can be stratified by size andmigration timing to account for associated differencesin survival and capture probability. Survival of adults from
Bonneville Dam to the Touchet River is estimated fromdetections of these tags at mainstem dams and instream
arrays, using a modified Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) modelthat accommodates multiple ocean ages. These methods
are under development as a general-purpose R package
expected to enable or improve abundance estimation for avariety of populations.

4:00 PM				
Estimating Aggregate Coho Salmon Terminal Run andEscapement to the Lower Fraser Management Unit
The absence of reliable and accurate terminal run
and escapement estimates for Lower Fraser Coho
(LFC) Salmon represents a critical information gap forSouthern Boundary Coho Salmon management. LFC
run and escapement estimates are currently based on
exploitation rates estimated for marked hatchery fish,
which may be unrepresentative of natural stocks due todifferences in their biological attributes (e.g., migration
timing). We develop a stratified Petersen markrecapture estimator for the abundance of returning LFC
populations using stock-composition data from a newassessment fishery in the lower Fraser and from datacollected by existing monitoring programs. Two tagged/
clipped hatchery stocks and one untagged natural stock
identifiable through genetic analysis were designatedas the “marked” population, with the remaining stocks
designated as “unmarked”. Returning coho werethen “recaptured” at the assessment fishery and theabundance of the unmarked stocks was estimated byexpanding the unmarked catch relative to the catchand run size of the marked population. We propagate
uncertainty arising from tag loss/degradation, GSI
uncertainty, and other observation error into final
estimates of run size using a Bayesian approach.
Steven Rossi*, Wendell Challenger, Michael Arbeider
srossi@lgl.com

4:20 PM - DISCUSSION
We will discuss, with both the audience and speakers,
what new escapement estimation methodologies arebeing used around the Pacific Northwest, what some of
the common challenges are, and the pros and cons ofstandardizing methods.
MODERATOR
Neala Kendall

Jason Neuswanger, jason.neuswanger@dfw.wa.gov

60

Fish Passage in the Pacific Northwest
Moderator: Adam Crispin and Zach Sherker

Back to Guide

Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 5:40 PM

Symposium Abstract
Rivers and streams are amongst the most fragmented systems globally. From large-scale hydroelectric dams
to small-scale barriers, such as culverts, floodgates, tidegates, and dykes, in-stream structures have culminatedto form an intricate, and poorly quantified, matrix of barriers to movement in salmon-bearing streams. Until
recently, there was very little work done to quantify the totality of these barriers and effectively remediate them.
In 2022, NOAA awarded $39.8 million dollars to Tribes, communities, and local governments to remove fishbarriers and restore salmonid habitat across Washington state. This recognition and allocation has been touted
as a major success in the salmon community, and with hundreds of thousands of barriers remaining along theNorth American range of Pacific salmon, we now need to maximize coordination amongst fish passage agencies
and researchers to streamline further restoration of habitat connectivity for Pacific salmon. As federal, state,
and provincial governments continue to prioritize fish passage and habitat, fisheries scientists, managers, andadvocates play key roles in planning and implementing these projects across our region. This broad symposium
would focus on four areas: Prioritization, Laws and Regulatory Frameworks, Barrier Remediation Works, andEffectiveness Monitoring.

1:40 PM			A quick look beyond habitat loss from dams and culvertsin the PNWThis presentation looks beyond the habitat losses causedby dams and culverts in the PNW. It is a brief snapshot
through time on some of the historic losses of salmonid
habitat often not remembered or thought about. While
this discussion does not dive into much detail on these
items, it is a teaser for other areas of restoration, recovery,
and opportunity. As we enter into a few days of discussing
salmon habitat, fish passage, and restoring salmonids, it ishoped the audience will remember, we are all part of the
problem, and we can all be part of the solution.
Wayne Watne, wwatne@herrerainc.com

2:00 PM			
Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP)
Solutions at Culverts and Fish BarrierManagement in North America

Culverts, bridges, and similar in-water structures rank
second only to dams in their obstruction of fish and otheraquatic organisms. These structures have a detrimental
impact on habitat connectivity for numerous species,
as they restrict access to crucial spawning and rearing
habitats. Significant efforts have been devoted to theremoval and replacement of culverts to enhance aquaticorganism passage (AOP). These projects are resourceintensive and may take years to complete. In addition, thenumber of AOP barriers is so numerous that many will
not be addressed in a timely manner, if at all. However,there are many opportunities to improve AOP throughbarrier modification where removal or replacement is
not feasible or timely. This presentation aims to provide
an insightful exploration of low-cost, rapid solutions for
retrofitting culverts and similar structures to improve
AOP. The spectrum of corrective actions will include
retrofitting culverts with weirs and floating ramps toimprove access and passage through the culvert. Realworld case studies will be presented to demonstrate howbarriers can be modified to improve AOP. We will also
describe Computational Fluid Dynamic modeling used toquantify the AOP benefits of these culvert modifications.
Additionally, we will describe a Fish Passage Barrier
Assessment and Prioritization program being used toplan and implement corrective actions to overcome AOP
barriers on a watershed scale.
Shane Scott, shane@ssaenvironmental.
com

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

61

Fish Passage (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 5:40 PM
2:20 PM				
Lower Boise River Fish Passage Study
The City of Boise (City) owns and operates the West Boise
Water Renewal Facility (WRF) that discharges to the south
channel of the Lower Boise River (LBR). The warmer discharge has the potential to act as a barrier to migratingfish. Modeling and cross channel field surveys have concluded that the thermal discharge plume is not acting as
a barrier. To confirm these results a study was designed toprovide data on fish movement in the south channel fromdownstream to upstream of the WRF outfall using passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags placed in select LBR
fish. The PIT tag antenna array was installed upstream of
the West Boise WRF in the fall of 2023. Fish were collected
and tagged after array installation and returned to theriver downstream of the array. This study will also provide
fish movement information that is otherwise lacking in
the LBR.
Colin Custer, ccuster@cityofboise.org
Dorene MacCoy, dmaccoy@cityofboise.com

2:40 PM				A cost-effective approach to implement and monitor theeffectiveness of a fish passage project in the Potlatch
River basin in northern Idaho
A key restoration strategy in the Potlatch River is toimprove fish passage at barriers to expand wild juvenile
steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) rearing habitat. Big
Meadow Creek (BMC) is the main tributary to the WestFork of Little Bear Creek, which contains the highest rearing densities of juvenile steelhead in the basin. However,a 160’ concrete lined culvert at the mouth of BMC acted
as a velocity barrier that restricted access to an additional
10 km of rearing habitat. In 2018, funding to replace theculvert with a permanent structure, such as a bridge, wasunavailable. Instead, we implemented a low-cost alternative by modifying the culvert with steel baffles to enhancesteelhead passage. Prior to modification, the population
upstream of the culvert were primarily resident O. mykiss
while anadromous O. mykiss were found downstream.
We hypothesized the genetic composition of juvenile O.

mykiss upstream of the culvert would shift from resident
to more anadromous characteristics if the culvert modification improved passage. Tissue samples were collectedfrom juvenile O. mykiss upstream of the culvert in 2018(pre-treatment), and in 2019 and 2020 (post-treatment)
and compared to Potlatch River steelhead reference
samples. We observed an increase in genetic diversity andancestry across years, with anadromous signals becoming more dominant upstream. Improved access to BMC
by anadromous steelhead was the source of the shift ingenetic composition. This study highlighted a successful,cost-effective approach to implementing and monitoringa fish passage project in the Potlatch River.
Brian Knoth, brian.knoth@idfg.idaho.gov

3:00 PM				
Potential Solutions to Thermal Barriers in the Lake
Washington Ship Canal
The Lake Washington Ship Canal and Ballard Locks
fundamentally changed the way water and fish move throughthe greater Lake Washington watershed. Now, a highly
urbanized waterway, and the salmon that depend on it,
are at the mercy of climate change, with limited traditional
habitat restoration opportunities. During the peak salmon
migration, the Ship Canal is above the sub-lethal temperaturethreshold 100% of the time and poses a migration barrier
and is above the lethal threshold up to 51% of the time. The
Ship Canal is temperature impaired under the Clean Water
Act, critical migratory habitat for Threatened Chinook, andimportant to satisfying tribal treaty rights. Disease, predation,and pollution further compound the temperature problem.
The success or failure of this waterway will be on display
with 1.25 million annual visitors to the Locks expecting to
see returning salmon in the fish ladder viewing window. The
Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed (WRIA 8)
Salmon Recovery Council and Long Live the Kings partnered
to convene agencies, tribes, and local governments together
to reach consensus on the problem, establish a common
goal, and explore solutions. Learn more about what it mighttake to supplement the the flow in the Ship Canal with a cold
water source to improve conditions for fish and how thatsource could bring additional economic value to surrounding
institutions.

Lucas Hall, lhall@lltk.org

62

Fish Passage (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 5:40 PM
3:40 PM				

4:00 PM				

Assessing juvenile coho access to critical overwintering
habitat through floodgates

New Solutions for Tide Gates, Fish Passage andWorking Landscapes

Pacific salmon are currently barred from thousandsof kilometers of spawning and rearing habitat in BC
by ill-fitting culvert and floodgate barriers. Culverts
were initially installed to rapidly transport water pastroads, but quickly became the most ubiquitous barrier
to fish movement globally. Floodgates remain closed
for weeks to months at a time, blocking access to overhalf of the traditional floodplain habitat during critical life stages. Failed culverts and floodgates haveculminated to form an intricate, and poorly quantified,
network of barriers to fish in BC, with the strongest
impact being felt by salmon. Tens of millions of dollars
have been spent to remediate barrier sites and reopen
invaluable stream and floodplain habitats, though little
effectiveness monitoring has been done. To evaluate
the efficacy of various culvert remediation strategies,
we assessed fish passage at 30 culvert remediations(aged 10-15 years) exhibiting an array of barrier mitigation techniques (e.g. installation of baffles, weirs,
fishways, removal, replacement with bridges). We
found that full culvert removal and replacement withbridges is the only effective remediation strategy toachieve long-term habitat access. We have innovatednew PIT telemetry technologies to assess juvenile
salmon passage through floodgates. This is the firststudy to directly document the effects of floodgateson juvenile salmon habitat access. This research will be
used to improve passage by synchronizing automatedfloodgate operations with the timing of fish movements, and will provide concrete evidence for the needto replace aging floodgates and reintroduce imperiled
salmon populations to their historic habitat.

A contributing factor to the loss of tidal wetlands isdikes, levees, and tide gates that impede the historicfunction of low-lying coastal floodplains. In Oregon,stakeholders have awakened to the challenge andopportunity presented by tide gate infrastructure.
Poor performing tide gates are required by law tobe replaced or retrofitted to be fish passage compliant, but it is a considerable expense for landowners.
Additionally, the scope and scale of Oregon’s tidegate problem was poorly understood. As a result, theOregon Tide Gate Partnership is working to understand and increase awareness of the size, scope andcost of Oregon’s tide gate problem, and harnessing
our scientific and technical expertise to pursue solutions. A tide gate inventory of the entire Oregon Coastwas completed. In addition, The Nature Conservancy
has developed a decision support tool that allows us
to optimize among tide gates to help ensure we arefocused on repair, retrofitting or replacement of tide
gates that maximize private and public investments tothe tide gate locations that provide the greatest gains.
The results are useful to project planners and decision
makers in terms of evaluating the net gain in benefits,estimating return on investments, fundraising andbudgeting, and investigating spatial patterns. And tobetter understand the effectiveness of these projects
a Tide Gate Monitoring Handbook was created to provides the framework for an integrated and cohesive
state-wide tide gate monitoring strategy by standardizing monitoring practices and protocols for tide gate
upgrade and replacement projects of all scales.
Jason Nuckols, jnuckols@tnc.org

Zachary Sherker, sherkerz@mac.com

63

Fish Passage (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 5:40 PM
4:20 PM				

ment initiatives and bolster the resilience of the surrounding fluvial environment.
Miah Whiteaker, Miah@fainenv.com

Regulating Fish Passage in Washington State
The state Legislature gave the Department of Fish
and Wildlife the responsibility of preserving, protecting, and perpetuating all fish and shellfish resourcesof the state. To assist in achieving that goal, the state
Legislature in 1943 passed a state law now known as
the “Hydraulic Code“, stating that “Any person, organization, or government agency wishing to conduct
a hydraulic project must do so under the terms of apermit issued by the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife.” How does this work in practice? Whattypes of projects are “”hydraulic projects”” and whatrole does fish passage play in this regulatory environment? Who gets protection under the definition of“Fish Life”? We will touch on all of these topics andtalk about the future of regulating fish passage inWashington as well as lessons learned and ways we’ve
learned to streamline processes. Join us to delve into
the exciting world of regulations and fish passage inthe state of Washington!
Matt Curtis, matthew.curtis@dfw.wa.gov

4:40 PM				Squalicum Creek Barrier Removal and Estuary
Restoration
Restoring fish passage in degraded waterways is essential for the preservation of aquatic ecosystems and thespecies that they support. Squalicum Creek is an exciting example of extensive culvert removal to restore
fish passage to the watershed, resulting in significant
improvements to habitat connectivity for salmonids and other aquatic species. We will explore many
impressive restoration projects spanning the far northwest corner of Washington, showcasing diverse scales,
complexities, and types. These projects underscore theimportance of interdisciplinary collaboration amonghydrologists, geomorphologists, engineers, biologists,and ecologists in achieving long-term conservation
objectives. By integrating an array of expertise into our
projects, we can create successful salmon enhance-

5:00 PM				
Lessons Learned from Forest Road Treatments with
Applications to the PNW Transportation Network
This presentation looks at some of the lessons learned
correcting forest roads across Washington Statebetween 2001 and 2021. Unrestricted forest practices
began changing in the 1970’s, and later through the1987 Timber, Fish, and Wildlife (TFW) Agreement.
Neither did much to address forest roads. With
increasing concern for potential ESA listings of salmon,
stakeholders from the TFW agreement reengaged
and developed the Forest & Fish Report (FFR) signed
April 29, 1999. High priority was placed on reducing
sediment, minimizing landslides, and correcting
fish passage barriers. The FFR produced the Road
Maintenance and Abandonment Plan (RMAP) requiring
state and industrial landowners in Washington Stateto inventory and correct those issues over a 15-year
timeframe (2001-2016). After a 5-year extension, RMAP
was completed in October 2021. State and industrial
forestland owners had invested $390 million into
RMAP and transformed Washington State. In twenty
years, 53,000 miles of forest roads were inventoried,
improvements were made to 30,700 miles of roads,
4,000 miles were decommissioned, and over 8,100 fishbarriers were corrected opening over 6,200 miles ofhabitat lost from salmonid production for decades.
It is hoped the lessons (some good, some bad, somevery creative) learned through 20 years of RMAP canbe applied to other segments of the transportation
networks in the PNW. Some of what was learned andapplied to RMAP can be directly applied to many
situations in the transportation network.
Wayne Watne, wwatne@herrerainc.com

64Fish Passage (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Wednesday, 8:00 AM		

8:40 AM				

Resilient Waters - A systems thinking approach to fishpassage and flood infrastructure for the Lower Fraser
Watershed

Improving Fish Passage Through Flood Protection Lessons Learned

In the lower Fraser watershed of BC there are over 150
pieces of flood control infrastructure lining the Fraser
River between Vancouver to Hope. Estimates say thatthese floodgates, pumpstations, and dikes are blocking access to over 1500 kilometres of crucial floodplain
habitat for fish, particularly juvenile Chinook and Coho.
While this watershed serves as the gateway to one of themost prolific salmon rivers in the world, salmon get very
little attention in the face of other human oriented land
uses on the floodplain, but that is changing. Since early2020 we have been taking a systems change approach to
improving fish passage on the floodplain. From leading or
supporting site scale restoration and research projects toshifting the entire flood management paradigm throughcollaboration and advocacy. We’ll share highlights of ourwork along with challenges and successes when it comesto restoring access to floodplains for these crucial salmon
habitats and our efforts to catalyze broader change formore integrated, principled, and collaborative floodplain
planning and fish and community friendly flood resilience.

Presentation on lessons learned from designing andinstalling different styles of floodgates through existingdikes and levees to improve fish access to back channel
habitats and restore connection to historical spawning,
rearing, and sheltering habitat.

Dan Straker, dan@resilientwaters.ca

8:20 AM				
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Fish Passage
Resources
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife maintains a centralized database (FPDSI) of fish passage, diversion screening, fish use, and habitat information frominventory efforts conducted throughout Washington
State. This presentation will be an introduction to utilizing
the database to effectively map and plan barrier correction projects. It will cover the 2019 Fish Passage Inventory,
Assessment, and Prioritization Manual, training and technical assistance opportunities, and other resources provided by the Washington State Department of Fish andWildlife Fish Passage Division.

Sarah Lawrie P. Eng., slawrie@kwl.ca

9:00 AM				
Returning Home Within the Neighborhood –Understanding and Mitigating the Effects ofFragmentation in the Clark Fork - Pend Oreille Basin
Within the inland northwest, much attention is currently
focused on restoring anadromous populations to waters
above impassable barriers, and rightfully so. However,many native species within the inland northwest that are
confined to freshwater environments are also impacted
by dams that were constructed without fish passage facilities. Since at least the mid-1990’s the Clark Fork -Pend
Oreille Basin has been the focus of research attempting to understand and address the effects of habitat
fragmentation on native species, especially Bull Trout(Salvelinus confluentus) and Westslope Cutthroat Trout(Oncorhynchus lewisi). We will review the history of thiswork, highlighting the gained biological knowledge thathas led to a better understanding of this system as well as
the projects and management decisions that have been
implemented to mitigate the effects of fragmentation inthis system. We will also attempt to draw some general
conclusions about management of migratory species ina fragmented riverine system. Finally, we will highlightdemographic trends that have been observed in nontargeted species and consider how fragmentation might
be influencing those populations as well.
Paul Spruell, pspruell@ewu.edu

Kaylee Kautz, kaylee.kautz@dfw.wa.gov

65

Fish Passage (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
1:40 PM				
Fish Passage Improvement Structure (Fishway)
Assessment & Maintenance
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
owns 100 fish passage improvement structures, or
fishways, across Washington State. Most of these fishways
were installed between 1950 – 1980 with new fishways
occasionally being built at state hatcheries. However,
39 of these fishways are located off agency land where
staff do not see them regularly. WDFW previously had
a team dedicated conducting routine and preventative
maintenance on these facilities. In 2008, with a recession
complicating our funding priorities, the decision was madeto disband this team. As a result, these remote fishways
were not monitored on a regular basis and now require
investigation. In 2023 a decision package was submitted tostate legislature and fully funded resulting in the fishway
maintenance proviso that funds up to five employees
and provides funds for minor repairs. This presentation
discusses some of the challenges we’re facing and futureplans for corrections highlighting communication and theutilization of existing resources to provide fish access tohabitats.
Danny Didricksen, daniel.didricksen@dfw.wa.gov

2:00 PM				
Fishes in Ditches: Fish Removal as a Tool for Identifying
Fish Passage Prioritization
For generations, farmers in the Skagit Valley have worked
cooperatively to install and maintain ditches, dikes, andfloodgates. Eventually, more than 80 Special Purpose
Districts (limited purpose local governments) became
legally established to manage drainage infrastructure.
The Skagit County Drainage and Irrigation Districts
Consortium was created to help manage the extensive
environmental permitting for annual maintenance workon the marine and freshwater channels that support
salmonid species. Since 2016, annual maintenance ofdrainage infrastructure (dredging) has required fish
removal and exclusion when sediment and invasive
vegetation have affected surface water volume andhabitat availability. These fish removal opportunities
allow species data to be collected and evaluated.
Adam Crispin, adam.t.crispin@gmail.com

2:20 PM				
Audit of Remediated Culvert Barriers in the Fraser River
Watershed
Pacific salmon habitat has been targeted for culvert barrier remediation projects due to broad declines in their
populations across their range, attributed in part tohabitat fragmentation. Small-scale barriers like culverts
fragment more linear stream habitat than dams and area major issue for Pacific Salmon. In British Columbia,
there are over 200,000 barrier culverts that restrict fishpassage. Two techniques are used to restore fish passage at barrier culverts (retrofit or replacement), andbest practices to restore fish passage have been developed. However, it is unknown whether culvert restorations continue to meet best practices or if fish passage
changes through time. To address this knowledge gap,
we performed a post-treatment audit on culvert barrier
restorations in British Columbia. We hypothesized thatthe technique applied will affect how a restoration meets
best practices and that fish passage will be impacted if not
met. Furthermore, we expected retrofit sites to meet bestpractices less frequently as they will not have addressed
the original cause of barrier development. At each site, wecollected data on the restoration structure and habitat.
We assessed these data against current best practices forculverts and performed a fish passage assessment. We
found that the conditions at all sites do not fully meet
best practices and that 53% of sites are fish-passage
barriers. These results show that the techniques used torestore fish passage at culverts are prone to failure, andthat post-restoration monitoring should be prioritized toensure fish passage is maintained.
Patrick Zubick, pzubick@syilx.org

66

Fish Passage (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
2:40 PM				
Understanding and Prioritizing Aquatic Organism Passage at
Watershed Scales
Aquatic connectivity is essential to the resiliency of aquatic
ecosystems. In 2023 and 2024 we inventoried 931 roadstream crossings in priority watersheds of Idaho BLM field
offices that highlighted a range of fish passage conditions,
including severe barriers to passage. We also re-inventoried
84 culverts that were surveyed in 2004 to assess passabilitychanges through time. Nineteen years later, the passabilityof these culverts decreased at 25% percent of crossings,
while up to 35% percent were replaced with new culverts or
bridges. This suggests that culvert inventory databases, andthus understanding of passability, have a shelf life. A model
was developed to understand how passability is influenced
by stream size, gradient, land use, and flood frequency,
and the model can be used to understand passability inunsurveyed crossings, such as those on inaccessible private
land. We discuss use of road-stream crossing inventory data
the context of a science-based framework for understanding
and prioritizing improvement of aquatic connectivity atwatershed scales.
Daniel Dauwalter, daniel.dauwalter@tu.org

3:40 PM - Panel & Discussion
Since 1991, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife(WDFW) and the Washington Department of Transportation(WSDOT) have maintained a partnership to protect and restore
salmon populations. WDFW has conducted inventories of fishpassage barriers at state, county, and city road crossings andassociated habitat assessments to prioritize barrier correction.
These efforts helped prioritize barrier corrections and resulted
in habitat improvement projects throughout the state. In
January 2001, Indian Tribes with treaty fishing rights in Western
Washington, along with the United States, filed a lawsuit asking
a federal court to declare that the treaty right of taking fish
“imposes a duty upon the State of Washington to refrain fromdiminishing, through the construction or maintenance of
culverts under State-owned roads and highways, the numberof fish that would otherwise return to or pass through thetribes’ usual and accustomed fishing grounds and stations.”
They alleged the State violated such a duty and asked thecourt to order the State to fix all its culverts within five yearsof judgment. This landmark trial US vs. Washington State,also known as the “Culvert Case”, stemmed from Treatiesin the 1850’s (Stevens Treaties) and lead to the 1974 Boldt
Decision that determined Tribes were entitled to their fairshare of salmon, while ensuring salmon habitat (WSDOT,
2020). In 2013, a permanent injunction was issued for the Stateof Washington to accelerate the correction of state-owned
barriers, and this shifted the focus of state agencies, WSDOT,
WDFW, WDNR, and Parks. The injunction stipulated thatbarrier culverts under state roads must be corrected in the“case area” (Puget Sound watersheds west of the Cascades)
From 2001 through 2021, state and private landowners invested$390 million in forest road improvements via the Road
Maintenance and Abandonment Plan (RMAP) process andother programs. During this time, landowners removed nearly
9,200 barriers, restored nearly 6,500 miles of historic fish
habitat and abandoned over 4,000 miles of roads. The result isthe removal or repair of 8,749 barriers to fish migration, which
restored 5,347 miles of historic fish habitat. The Family Forest
Fish Passage Program (FFFPP), a Washington State cost-share
program for small family forest owners, have invested $49.7
million in the repair of 433 barriers resulting in 1,149 milesof reconnected habitat, bringing the total to 9,182 barriers
removed and the restoration of 6,486 miles of historic fish
habitat (forestandfish.com). The RMAP program concluded
in 2021 and resulted in 8,609 barrier correction on timberlands*. State Parks, WDFW, and DNR have completed theircourt ordered removals with DNR completing approximately
250 barriers in the Injunction area. As of June 2023, WSDOT
has corrected 114 injunction barriers resulting in 502 milesof potential habitat (WSDOT, 2023). To better understandthe successes and challenges of Washington’s Fish Passage
programs, this panel will address the following questions
and discuss their various perspectives in Washington’s fishpassage legacy. *Some culverts in forestlands were given a “Life ofPipe” allowance where little upstream habitat was available. When needingcorrection, fish passage will be required.

PANELISTS:
Tom Jameson,
Fish Passage and Screening Division Manager, Chair FBRB(WDFW Habitat Program)Susan Kanzler, Environmental Services/Stream Restoration
Program Manager (WSDOT Fish Passage and Chronic
Environmental Deficiencies)
Wayne Watne, Senior Fisheries Biologist (Herrera
Environmental), former Timber, Fish & Wildlife Biologist

managing Road Maintenance and Abandonment Plan
(RMAP), WDFWDanny Didricksen, Fish Screening Section Manager(WDFW)

67

General Session
Moderators: Joe Kozfkay, Jake Hughes, Jenn Vincent

Back to Guide

Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Symposium Abstract
This session contains contributed papers that were not tied to a specific symposium theme.

8:00 AM				

outcomes of this scoping workshop and solicit audience
feedback on the initiative.

Salmon and Climate Initiative: advancing a climateresilient recovery approach for Pacific salmon
throughout their North American range

Lucas Hall, Shaara Ainsley, Liz Duffy, and Jacques Whitelhall@lltk.org

Robust and resilient salmon populations are necessary
to support thriving ecosystems, Indigenous rights andcultures, and local economies; however, many salmon
populations are in crisis and salmon fisheries are
declining. Our communities are working hard towards
salmon recovery, but we are not on a trajectory to achieve
success. Rapid climate change is making our path moredifficult and demands a broader strategy. To catalyze
actions for salmon and salmon-reliant communities, weneed a scale of effort that hasn’t yet been brought tobear. Long Live the Kings, the Pacific Salmon Foundation,
Salmon Defense, and partners are working to develop the
Salmon and Climate Initiative (SCI), a collaborative effort
with Indigenous and non-Indigenous technical experts,
managers, and policy makers focused on advancing
climate-resilient recovery approaches for Pacific salmon
throughout western North America. The SCI will provide
a space to collectively examine what is occurring from
California to Alaska, share information and collaborate
across boundaries, consider which solutions are working
and where more effort and funding are needed. Further,
the SCI aims to secure the support of funders andpolicy makers for the types of actions and resources
required to ensure a healthy and thriving future for
Pacific salmon and our communities. In December 2023,
we convened over 70 experts in WesternandIndigenous knowledge and practicetodiscuss what we can meaningfully
do for salmon at this broad
geographic scale. We will
present the

8:20 AM				How Do Management Goals for Wild Chinook Salmon
Align with Feasibility?
Assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of fisheries
management is crucial for supporting harvest
opportunities and maintaining viable and diverse fish
populations. Management of wild Chinook Salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stocks in the Snake
River basin exemplifies the intricate balance between
these objectives. Considering contemporary smolt
production, it is imperative to determine the required
smolt-to-adult returns (SARs) to meet management
goals. Increased anthropogenic impact on spawningand rearing habitats underscores the necessity forhigher SARs to attain these objectives. While wilderness
populations exhibit viability and can sustain fisheries with
SARs lower than those required elsewhere, populations
targeted for habitat restoration demand higher SARs
to fulfill goals, indicating a need to enhance egg-smolt
survival. However, recent SARs have fallen below thethreshold needed for replacement, even with current
low population abundances. Despite these challenges,
some populations still possess the potential to achieve
management goals, emphasizing the importance ofstrategic interventions to bolster their resilience.
Tim Copeland, Tim.copeland@idfg.idaho.gov

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

68General (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
8:40 AM				
Integrating research, restoration, and hatcherysupplementation to conserve and recover a Snake River
Spring Chinook Salmon population
Snake River spring/summer Chinook Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha comprise substantial
ecological, economic, and cultural value. Rapidly
declining populations led to the 1992 listing of thesefish as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species
Act (ESA). Populations in the Grande Ronde basin ofnortheast Oregon and southwest Washington reachedcritically low abundances in the mid-1990s. Chinook
Salmon were nearly extirpated from the Lostine River,
one of many important rivers and tribal fisheries for
the Nez Perce Tribe. This presentation highlights
management actions the Nez Perce Tribe and comanagers have implemented over the past 25-30
years to recover Lostine River Chinook Salmon andmitigate lost harvest opportunities. The tribe integrated
hatchery supplementation, habitat restoration,
harvest management, and research in an adaptive
management framework to guide management actions.
The adaptive management approach proved helpful
in refining and prioritizing hatchery supplementation
and restoration practices. Management actions directly
contributed to accomplishing short-term conservationand consumption goals, including limited harvest
opportunities for tribal and sport fisheries. However,factors in and out of the natal watershed, such as theadverse effects of water withdrawals, riparian area
management, mainstem Columbia and Snake Riverdams, and climate-driven changes to ocean conditions,continue to impact this Chinook population, and thefuture remains uncertain. The persistence and recovery
of Lostine River Chinook to healthy and harvestablelevels will likely require the continued integration ofhatchery supplementation, habitat restoration, andharvest management strategies, as well as mitigating
the major out-of-basin factors limiting this and otheranadromous fish populations in the region.

9:00 AM				A state-space model for estimating smolt abundance atrotary screw traps
Monitoring of out-migrating juvenile Chinook Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and steelhead O. mykiss
is an essential component of tracking abundance
and productivity trends of ESA listed populations in
Idaho, USA. Rotary screw traps, strategically placed instreams where juvenile rearing and migrating occur,
are a commonly used tool for this purpose. A portionof captured smolts is PIT tagged and released above
the trap, allowing for subsequent recapture andestimation of smolt abundance via a time stratified
Lincoln-Petersen estimator. During this estimation
process, catch and recapture data are often aggregatedinto time strata (i.e., weeks) to account for periods
when no recaptures are present to estimate capture
probability, but when unmarked fish are still beingcaught. Other estimation issues may arise when abiotic
conditions preclude trap operation (i.e., high flows ortemperatures) during periods of time when fish arestill presumed to be out-migrating. Here we present a
state-space mark recapture model, comprised of twolinked sub-models: (1) the process model describing thetrue but unknown abundance of migrating smolts and(2) the observation model or capture-mark-recaptureof those fish. The flexibility of this model allows for
estimation of capture probabilities and abundanceon a daily timestep and can include biotic or abiotic
covariates for testing of factors hypothesized to affectthe process or observation models.
Luciano V. Chiaramonte, Joshua L. McCormick
luciano.chiaramonte@idfg.idaho.gov

Brian Simmons, brians@nezperce.org

69General (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
9:20 AM				
Lasting Effects of Juvenile Life Histories: Freshwater
Migratory Diversity and Long-term Consequences in a
Population of Spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha)
Migratory behavior enables animals to respond to
evolving demands by delivering individuals to novel
habitats where they can be more effectively supported.
The occupancy of a more productive habitat, even fora limited duration, can boost performance and provide
a competitive advantage that benefits an individual forthe entirety of their life cycle. However, migration is notwithout risks, and the tradeoffs inherent to migration
have resulted in many populations evolving a diversityof migratory strategies. We studied migratory diversity
across 13 cohorts of juvenile Spring Chinook salmon
within the Middle Fork Salmon River’s largest tributary,
Big Creek. Discrete behavior was associated with thetiming of migration, with one group (downstream
rearing or DSR) migrating to downstream freshwater
habitat during their age-0 Summer-Fall, where theyrear overwinter before continuing migration to theocean during their age-1 Spring. Another group (natalreach rearing or NRR), remains in their natal habitat for
the entirety of their juvenile life stages prior to oceanic
migration, which also occurs during their age-1 Spring.
The goal of this study was to evaluate if this population
diversity leads to discrepancies in juvenile performancethat in turn influence survival to adulthood. Our results
indicate that DSR migrants attain enhanced overwintergrowth, and as a result produce larger smolt, and enter
the ocean earlier than NRR migrants. We additionallydemonstrated that these discrepancies have lasting
consequences, as we observed higher smolt-to-adultreturn (SAR) among DSR migrants.

1:40 PM				
Impacts of lake elevation decline on spawning habitatof a critical, native forage species
Lake elevation decline is a global phenomenon
stemming from water management practices andclimate change that alters nearshore habitat available
to lacustrine spawners, impacting recruitment andwhole lake food web dynamics. Our objective was tounderstand the effects of lake elevation decline on
spawning habitat for Tui Chub Siphateles bicolor, alacustrine spawner and critical, native forage species
for a native, ad fluvial sportfish, Lahontan Cutthroat
Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi, in PyramidLake, Nevada. We explored Tui Chub nearshore
spawning habitat requirements with generalized
linear mixed effects models associating habitat tofecund Tui Chub gill net catch-per-unit-effort. We
also explored nearshore spawning habitat availability
at all potential lake elevations, using an elevationexplicit model of the lake basin we developed basedon several geospatial datasets. Fecund Tui Chub catch
was primarily predicted by temperature, reaching amaximum between 14.2-24.8 °C. We found that withan additional 8 meters of decline, Pyramid Lake willcontain the minimum area of spawning habitat outof all lake elevations considered at a 40% decrease
from our theoretical maximum. A decrease in lakeelevation, or an increase in lake temperatures, bothprobable events based on future climate scenariosand estimates of water extraction upstream of
Pyramid Lake, are likely to further restrict Tui Chub
spawning habitat area. Our results have important
implications for ecological water demand in Pyramid
Lake and provide managers information facilitatinga science-based approach to managing hatchery
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout to the available prey base.
Sarah Barnes, sarah.barnes.a03@gmail.com

Sam Owens, owen4108@vandals.uidaho.edu

70General (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
2:00 PM				
Interactions Among Yellow Perch, Northern Pikeminnow,
and Smallmouth Bass in Lake Cascade, Idaho
Yellow Perch (YEP) Perca flavescens was successfully
introduced to Lake Cascade, Idaho in the 1950s. Since
then, Lake Cascade has become a nationally recognizeddestination for YEP angling. Recently, annual surveys havedetected declines in juvenile YEP. One possible mechanism
contributing to recruitment declines is predation.
The three most abundant predators in Lake Cascade
are YEP, Northern Pikeminnow (NPM) Ptychocheilus
oregonensis, and Smallmouth Bass (SMB) Micropterus
dolomieu. Northern Pikeminnow contributed to historiccollapses in the YEP population; subsequent removals
allowed the YEP population to recover. Conversely, SMB
is a recently established predator in Lake Cascade. Gill
nets were deployed monthly from April 2022 throughMay 2023. Diagnostic data were taken from all captured
fish, and a subset of five fish per centimeter length bin
were sacrificed for otolith (n = 2,519) and stomach (n= 2,273) extraction. Catch rates and food habits of all
three species varied spatially and temporally. Diets of
YEP and NPM consisted of primarily chironomids in thespring but shifted to predominantly age-0 YEP by thefall. Smallmouth Bass diets were relatively homogenous
throughout the year and included invertebrates,
crayfish, and juvenile YEP. Stomach content, growth,and temperature data were used to develop to build
bioenergetics models. Bioenergetics models were used
to elucidate whether predation by YEP, NPM, or SMB
contributed to juvenile YEP declines. Findings from thisstudy will be used to support management decisions about
the future of Lake Cascade fisheries.
Bryce Marciniak, bmarciniak@uidaho.edu

2:20 PM				
Smallmouth Bass response to tournament displacement
in a highland Idaho reservoir

Smallmouth Bass are often displaced by fishing
tournaments held at centralized weigh-in locations which
may have a stockpiling effect that increases vulnerability
to angling mortality. It is also unclear whether displaced
individuals return to their home ranges. Dworshak
Reservoir is a popular Smallmouth Bass fishery in Idaho,
United States, where tournament anglers displace fish
as far as 80 km. The broad objective of this study was
to investigate impacts of tournament displacement on
Smallmouth Bass in Dworshak Reservoir, and specificallyto assess stockpiling duration and vulnerability to harvest,
quantify the percent of displaced Smallmouth Bass
that return to original home ranges, quantify the rate
and path of return to original home range by displaced
fish, and compare home range patterns between
displaced and unmoved fish. We deployed acoustic
transmitters in 31 Smallmouth Bass in spring 2023, 16 ofwhich were displaced to a popular tournament location.
Displacement distance ranged from 7.7 to 63.0 km, and
94% dispersed from the weigh-in location, the majorityof which did so within 25 days. Ten displaced fish returnedto their original capture location, and this included
individuals that were moved as far as 63.0 km. Six of theten fish that returned did so indirectly. Home range ofdisplaced fish was similar to unmoved fish, indicatingthat displacement did not impact long-term behavior
patterns. Overall, displacement of Smallmouth Bass by
tournaments does not appear to be a significant concern
in Dworshak Reservoir, and additional restrictions are
tournament procedures are unnecessary.
Eli Felts, Ryan Hardy
eli.felts@idfg.idaho.gov

2:40 PM				
Abundance and density dependent survival of Burbot in
the Kootenai River’s hatchery-augmented fisheryFollowing the population collapse of Burbot (Lota lota)
within the Kootenai River, a supplementary hatchery
program was launched to reintroduce the species andsustain a fishery. State and provincial managers havedocumented a substantial rebound in Burbot abundancein the river, but vital rates governing the fishery remain
uncertain. Using mark-recapture data compiled from71General (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
extensive hoop netting efforts since Burbot restoration
began, I use Bayesian methods and a Jolly-Seber openpopulation model to estimate annual abundance and its
effect on subsequent survival. This work is part of a larger
effort to build a population model that can be used to
identify hatchery production and exploitation strategies
that will optimally balance management goals.

Eric Harmon, John Heckel, Eric Billman
ericeharmon@gmail.com

Joshua Heishman, jheishman@uidaho.edu

Shifting climate conditions affect recruitment in
Midwestern stream trout, but depend on seasonal andspatial context

3:00 PM				
Seasonal variation in small-bodied fish communities inside channel habitats before and after culvert removal
Cartier Slough Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is
adjacent to the lower Henrys Fork of the Snake River,and has over 16 km of side channels. In autumn of 2021
and 2022, culverts were removed in the side channels toimprove connectivity with the Henrys Fork, thus improving
permanency of side channel habitats. The objective of thisstudy was to determine seasonal variation in small-bodied
fish communities within the side channels in CartierSlough WMA before and after culvert removal. We sampled
small-bodied fishes using baited minnow traps in spring
and autumn before (2015-2017 & 2021) and after (20222023) culvert removal. Spring surveys were dominated by
Speckled Dace Rhinichthys osculus and Redside Shiner
Richardsonius balteatus, and were more likely to haveLongnose Dace R. cataractae and juvenile Green Sucker
Pantosteus virescens. Spring surveys showed little variationin fish community assemblage before and after culvert
removal. In autumn and prior to culvert removal, as manyas 62% of the sites were dry, and the fish community was
dominated by Utah Chub Gila atraria and Pumpkinseed
Lepomis gibbosus with Yellow Perch Perca flavescens
being more likely to be captured. After culvert removal,
the improved connectivity resulted in most sites retaining
water. Consequently, the small-bodied fish community
in autumn shifted to be dominated by Utah Chub andjuvenile Utah Sucker Catostomus ardens with higher
relative abundance of Redside Shiner and Speckled Dacethan prior to restoration. Also, the autumn fish community
after culvert removal was more similar to the spring fish
community.

3:40 PM				

Climate change effects on aquatic species will likely differ
among populations depending on seasonal and spatial
context, which can hinder strategic management actions.
We used 26 years of standardized survey data on brooktrout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and brown trout (Salmo trutta)
in Wisconsin, USA to quantify the influence of seasonaland spatial climate variability (air temperatures andprecipitation) on annual recruitment strength (as indexedby young-of-year [YOY] relative abundance in summer).
The effects of climate conditions on recruitment variedby species, season, and latitude. Increasing maximum
summer temperatures were associated with lower brooktrout recruitment, but higher brown trout recruitment.
The effect for both species was stronger at lower latitudes.
Spring temperatures were positively related to brown trout
recruitment at lower latitudes; in mid-latitude and northern
streams, they were related to increasing recruitment up
to about 1 standard deviation, above which recruitment
declined. High and low winter and spring precipitation wereassociated with precipitous declines in recruitment for both
species. By contrast, summer precipitation was positively
related to recruitment in northern streams for brooktrout and southern streams for brown trout. We show thatshifting climate conditions affected recruitment in similar
species differently depending on seasonal and spatial(warm, southern regions compared with cool, northern
regions) context. Given trout population trends in, andclimate projections for, the Midwestern US, location- andspecies-specific actions are needed that account for thiscontext dependency. Management should aim to maximize
the resiliency of populations to extreme climate conditions
by buffering negative influences on recruitment.

Bryan Maitland, Alex Latzka
Bryan.Maitland@usda.gov

72

General (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
4:00 PM				

4:20 PM				

Using MYY Brook Trout stocking and manualsuppression to eradicate nonnative Brook Trout in
Idaho

Evaluation of using biological control to suppress
Brook Trout populations in Idaho mountain lakes

Established populations of non-native Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalis in western North America threaten
native salmonids and are difficult to eradicate withtraditional methods. A new approach uses the stockingof hatchery-produced genetically male Brook Trout(BKT) with two Y chromosomes (MYY). Population
simulations predict that, with realistic rates of wild fish
suppression, MYY stocking, post stocking MYY survivaland reproductive success; MYY BKT may progressively
shift the sex ratios of wild populations to 100% malewith complete eradication occurring in as little as 4-12
years in streams and 8-20 years in alpine lakes. The
Idaho Department of Fish and Game has been studying
the use of stocked MYY BKT in conjunction withmanual suppression of wild BKT populations in streams
and lakes throughout Idaho. After 7-9 years (waterbody
dependent) of stocking MYY BKT, our stream which
receives annual suppression and stocking of fingerling
MYY BKT the adult population is now 96% male.
Preliminary findings indicate that shifts in the male sex
ratios of the adult population (XY and YY genotypes
combined) and MYY offspring production have been
higher (1) in streams than in lakes, (2) when stocking
fingerlings rather than catchables, and (3) when thewild fish population are suppressed annually. Althoughcomplete eradication in some situations appears
inevitable, an integrated pest management approach
may be more economical for fisheries managers to
implement from a practical standpoint.
Jennifer Vincent, jenn.vincent@idfg.idaho.gov

Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis populations inhigh mountain lakes (HMLs) tend to exhibit highabundance and stunted size structure due to density
dependence mechanisms. Fisheries managers haveused a variety of techniques to suppress or eradicate
Brook Trout in HMLs, including biological control (i.e.,
predatory fish introduction). Idaho Department ofFish and Game (IDFG) has introduced reproductively
sterile predators such as tiger muskellunge Esox lucius
× Esox masquinongy and tiger trout Salmo trutta ×
Salvelinus fontinalis into select HMLs throughout
central Idaho in efforts to decrease abundance andimprove size structure of naturally reproducing Brook
Trout populations. Within IDFG’s Salmon Region,tiger muskellunge were introduced as biologicalcontrol intro three mountain lakes from low (≤10
fish/ha) to high (≥100 fish/ha) density. Tiger trout
were subsequently stocked into one of three study
lakes where tiger muskellunge introduction was
unsuccessful. In two study lakes, BKT abundance
decreased and size structure was improved in years
immediately following tiger muskellunge stocking,though years until resurgence of BKT abundance
varied depending on tiger muskellunge stocking
density (i.e., “high” versus “low”). Our results
show that tiger muskellunge can be an effective
management tool to decrease trout abundance andimprove size structure, but lake characteristics (e.g.,
littoral habitat availability) of the receiving systemand stocking density should be carefully considered.
Conversely, tiger trout may be an effective tool, andsize at release is likely one of the most importantfactor in their success. Overall, adaptive management
is required for maintaining long term fisheryimprovements using biological control.
Brett Kelly, brett.kelly@idfg.idaho.gov

73

General (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 10:00 AM to 11:40 AM
4:40 PM				
Fish population monitoring in response to the Quagga
Mussel treatment in the mid-Snake River
On September 18th, 2023, the Idaho State Departmentof Agriculture (ISDA) identified and verified the presenceof Quagga Mussel Dreissena bugensis in the midSnake River near Twin Falls, Idaho. This marked the first
confirmed Quagga Mussel detection not only in Idaho
but anywhere in the Columbia River Basin. Immediately
following the discovery, the Idaho Department of Fish
and Game (IDFG) worked collaboratively with ISDA
and other state, federal, and local agencies to develop
a treatment plan to eradicate the invasive mussels.
In addition, IDFG developed a plan to determine theextent of fish mortality associated with the chelated
copper treatment. The plan consisted of three different
phases including pre-treatment, in-treatment, andpost-treatment surveys. Prior to the treatment, fish
were collected and marked to develop mark-recapture
population estimates. Mortalities were collected during
the treatment and assessed for marks. Post-treatment
surveys were conducted to determine what species werestill present and to compare pre- and post-treatment
catch-per-unit-effort data. This talk will describe thesurvey methodology, observations regarding the fish
community during all three phases of the treatment
process, and lessons learned during this unprecedented
effort. Plans for monitoring and rehabilitation of the fish
community in the project area will also be discussed.
Mike Peterson and Eric Starkmike.peterson@idfg.idaho.gov

Thursday, 10:00 AM		A stunted Walleye fishery in a southern Idaho reservoir
Built in 1910, Salmon Falls Creek Reservoir is a 1,376ha irrigation impoundment located on Salmon Falls

Creek in Twin Falls County, Idaho. Historically thereservoir has been managed as a mixed species fisheryfor Black Crappie Pomoxis nigromaculatus, kokanee
Oncorhynchus nerka, Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus
mykiss, Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu,
Walleye Sander vitrius, and Yellow Perch Perca
flavescens. However, it is primarily recognized as one of
only three sanctioned Walleye fisheries in Idaho. While
natural recruitment occasionally occurs, the persistenceof the Walleye fishery is supported by stocking efforts.
The quality of the Walleye fishery has varied over theyears, but a survey in 2020 documented a stunted
Walleye population with 90% of the fish sampled
between 203 – 355 mm and a severely depleted preybase. Age and growth data supports that multiple year
classes of Walleye, likely a mix of natural recruitment
and hatchery stocking, contributed to the growthbottleneck. A follow up survey, completed in 2023,
demonstrated a notable shift in the fishery with only
23% of the Walleye sampled between 203 – 355 mm,indicating fish are starting to move through the growthbottleneck. However, we only observed small shifts
in species composition and haven’t observed muchchange to the prey base. Future sampling events should
provide better clarity regarding the recovery of the preybase, additional growth improvements for the Walleye
population, and determine whether translocating
forage fish in the system would help balance this fishery.
Conor McClure, Mike Peterson
conor.mcclure@idfg.idaho.gov

10:20 AM				
Response of Macroinvertebrates to Changes in Water
Supply and Temperature in the Henry’s Fork Snake River
The Henry’s Fork Snake River in eastern Idaho is worldfamous for its dry-fly fishing. Anglers rank quality ofmayfly (Ephemeroptera), stonefly (Plecoptera), andcaddisfly (Tricoptera) hatches and number of risingfish as more important to their fishing experience
than quantity or size of fish caught. In 2015, we
implemented systematic, replicated sampling of benthic
macroinvertebrates at six locations in the Henry’sFork. We accumulated a data set of 45 unique site-year

74

General (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 10:00 AM to 11:40 AM
combinations, along with streamflow and water-quality
data at each location. We used six environmental variables
as potential predictors of invertebrate community
metrics and abundance of taxa important to anglers:
annual streamflow, 3-day maximum streamflow, 21day minimum streamflow, conductivity, suspended
sediment concentration, and 7-day maximum daily watertemperature. Of these, maximum water temperature was
the strongest predictor of both community structure
and individual-taxa abundance. Hilsenhoff Biotic Index
was positively dependent on maximum temperature, andabundance of two of the most popular mayfly genera
among anglers—Drunella and Ephemerella—was negatively
dependent on maximum water temperature. Annual
streamflow was the second most important predictor,
with more desirable community metrics and abundances
observed following years of higher water supply. However,mean percent EPT over all site-year combinations
was high, at 52%, and mean HBI was 4.1, within thequalitative category of “very good.” Thus, although themacroinvertebrate community in the Henry’s Fork is robustby nearly any measure, the taxa most valued by anglers
have likely decreased due to observed decreases in watersupply and increased temperatures over the past several
decades.
Rob Van Kirk, Brett Marshall, Jack McLaren, Melissa
Muradian
rob@henrysfork.org

10:40 AM				The feasibility of Grandparentage testing to monitor
genetic risks posed by straying hatchery steelhead in the
Snake River Basin
Quantifying hatchery straying in salmonid populations
is difficult, particularly for steelhead in the Snake River
Basin that return to spawn on the peak of spring snowmelt
when water flows are high, and water is turbid. In addition,
their iteroparous life-history means that few carcasses
are available for recovery. These factors preclude theuse of typical monitoring methods such as weir trappingand spawning ground surveys. Even if identifying andenumerating straying hatchery steelhead was possible,
the major genetic concerns involve whether those fish
successfully spawn with wild fish. If the feasibility ofGrandparentage testing technology is demonstrated,
it could provide a powerful new tool for monitoringrisks posed by straying hatchery fish. Here we describe
progress on completing the first proof-of-concept study
aimed at testing this technology in the Snake River Basin.
Matthew Campbell, matthew.campbell@idfg.idaho.gov

11:00 AM				
Exploitation and catch-and-release of salmonids in Idaho
high mountain lakes
Historically, most high mountain lakes in western North
America were devoid of fish, but during the last century
many have been stocked with salmonids to diversify
angling opportunities. Basic information on harvest andcatch-and-release (C-R) for such fisheries is lacking.
Using angling gear, we captured and implanted T-bar
anchor tags into 1,163 salmonids of various species (ofwild origin or hatchery fish stocked as fry; they could not
be distinguished) in 103 high mountain lakes scatteredacross Idaho. Angler-reported tag returns were used
to estimate annual rates of exploitation and C-R, and amodel selection approach was used to investigate factors
influencing angler catch of tagged fish. Anglers caught
a total of 125 tagged fish from 52 different lakes. Meandays-at-large for tagged and caught fish was 318 days,
but days-at-large ranged from 1 to 1,465 days. Annual
exploitation was 5.8 ± 7.1% (90% CI), annual C-R was 8.5 ±
8.5%, and total annual catch (i.e., exploitation + C-R) was
14.2 ± 11.0%. Of the predictive factors we investigated, thelikelihood of a fish being caught by an angler was primarily
a function of shoreline uniformity, with the odds of fish
being caught by an angler increasing by 18% for every 1
unit increase in shoreline development index. Our results
indicate that exploitation of salmonids in Idaho highmountain lakes is low even with liberal (six fish daily bag
limit) harvest regulations, thus angler harvest is unlikely
to be affecting abundance or size structure of salmonid
populations in these lakes.
Kevin Meyer, kevin.meyer@idfg.idaho.gov

75Genetics in Fisheries Management andConservation
Moderators: Audrey Harris and John Hargrove

Back to Guide

Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Symposium Abstract
Genetic techniques play a central role in fisheries management and conservation by providing fundamental
information on the distribution of genetic diversity across the landscape and the forces that shape it. Thissymposium will showcase research harnessing genetic data to make informed management decisions,promote biodiversity conservation, and ensure the long-term resilience of fisheries. The focus of this
symposium is intentionally broad to capture the myriad applications of genetic data in modern fisheries
management.

8:00 AM				

8:20 AM				An improved genetic marker panel for conservation
monitoring of Upper Kootenay River burbot

Efficient species identification for Pacific salmon
genetic monitoring programs

Burbot populations in the Upper Kootenay watershed,transecting the US-Canada border, are subject tointense monitoring and management after severe
declines beginning in the 1970s. Genetic monitoringis a high-priority goal for the East Kootenay Burbot
Scientific Working Group, but managers do notcurrently have a genetic marker panel with enoughresolution to understand genetic population structureand family structure in the Upper Kootenay burbot
populations. In this presentation, we detail the processof developing and optimizing a cost-effective GTseq
panel to aid in the conservation of Upper Kootenay
burbot. The final GTseq panel contains 331 markers
with sufficient variation to accurately infer population
structure and reconstruct pedigrees.

Genetic monitoring of Pacific salmon using genetic
stock identification (GSI) and parentage-based tagging(PBT) involves genotyping tens of thousands ofindividuals annually. Although rare, these large sample
collections inevitably include misidentified species,
which exhibit low genotyping success on speciesspecific GT-seq panels. For laboratories involved inlarge-scale genotyping efforts, diagnosing non-target
species and reassigning them to the appropriatemonitoring program can be costly and time-consuming.
To address this problem, we identified 19 primer pairs,from existing GT-seq panels, that exhibit consistentcross-species amplification among salmonids andcontain 51 species-informative variants. These genetic
markers reliably discriminate among 11 salmonid species
and two subspecies of cutthroat trout and have been
included in species-specific GT-seq panels for Chinook
Salmon, Coho Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, and Rainbow
Trout. Additionally, we developed a species-calling
script to automate the identification of non-target
species within routine genotyping pipelines. Following
extensive testing with empirical and simulated data,
we demonstrated that the genetic markers andaccompanying script accurately identified species
and are robust to missing genotypic data andlow-frequency, shared polymorphisms
among species. Finally, we apply

Audrey Harris, Katharine Coykendall, Heather Lamson,
Ryan Kovach, James Dunnigan, Matthew Campbell
audrey.harris@idfg.idaho.gov

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

76Genetics (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
these tools to identify Coho Salmon incidentallycaught in a Columbia River Chinook Salmon
sport fishery and used PBT to determine theirhatchery of origin. These molecular and computing
resources provide a valuable tool for Pacific salmon
conservation in the Columbia River basin anddemonstrate a cost-effective approach to species
identification for genetic monitoring programs.
Zachary Robinson*, Jeff Stephenson, Kim Vertacnik,
Stuart Willis, Rebekah Horn, Jesse McCane, Katharine
Coykendall, Shawn Narumzrobinson@critfc.org

8:40 AM				
Preliminary results of population distribution, genetic
structure and diversity of Coastal Cutthroat Trout(Oncorhynchus clarkii) throughout Washington andOregon states
Understanding population distribution, genetic
structure and diversity is important for management
and conservation of species. The Molecular Genetics
Laboratory at the Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW) is working on the developmentof a baseline genetic dataset for Coastal Cutthroat
Trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii) in Washington andOregon states. We recently generated restriction siteassociated DNA (RAD) libraries from 28 populations.
Once preliminary evaluation and analysis is completed,the intention is to create a GTseq single nucleotide
polymorphism (SNP) panel as a useful tool for
population source identification, O. mykiss X O. clarkii
hybridization, and population genetic structure. In
order to increase the utility of the genetic baseline,
WDFW aims to improve baseline representation andresolution.
Amelia Louden, Amelia.Louden@dfw.wa.gov

9:00 AM				How can the genomic history of introduced
salmonids inform their native range conservation andmanagement?
Numerous salmonids have been introduced to theGreat Lakes, the biological effects of which offer
insights into the management and conservationof their native counterparts. Here, we describe theeffects of genetic drift and rapid genetic adaptationin pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) that wereaccidentally introduced to the Great Lakes via asingle introduction event 31 generations ago. Using
whole-genome resequencing of 134 fish spanningfive sample groups across the native (Lakelse River,
British Columbia) and introduced range (Lake Superior,
Ontario), we estimate that the source population’s
effective population size was 146,886 at the time of
introduction, whereas the founding population’s
effective population size was just 72—a 2040-folddecrease. As expected for a severe founder event,
we show reductions in measures of genetic diversity,
specifically a 37.7% reduction in the number of SNPs
and an 8.2% reduction in observed heterozygosity.
Despite this decline in genetic diversity, we provide
evidence for putative selection at 47 loci acrossmultiple chromosomes in the introduced population,
including missense variants in genes associatedwith circadian rhythm, immunological response
and maturation, which match expected or known
phenotypic changes in the Great Lakes. For one ofthese genes, our results support a strong response to
selection occurring in a period gene (per2) that plays
a predominant role in determining an organism’s
daily clock, matching large day length differences
experienced by introduced salmon during importantphenological periods. Together, these results inform
how populations may still capitalize on adaptive
genetic variation in the face of substantial genetic drift.
Morgan M. Sparks, Morgan.Sparks@usda.gov

77

Genetics (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
9:20 AM				

10:00 AM				Examining the evolutionary history of Rainbow Trout
using mitochondrial sequences and nuclear single
nucleotide polymorphisms

The Effect of YY Male Stocking and Concurrent
Electrofishing Suppression on Two Brook Trout
Populations in Central Idaho

Broadly distributed species may harbor large
amounts of genetic variation between populations,
often leading to populations being organized into
subspecies or distinct population segments. In manycases, the differentiation between populations
is driven by historical isolation. In North America
however, much of the continent’s northern portion
was inhospitable during the last glacial period,
especially for freshwater taxa which rely on open
water for habitat and dispersal. Salmonids were
one fish taxon absent from a large portion of
their current range until glacial recession createdavenues for recolonization. As such, despite having
geographically large ranges salmonids may notexhibit the deep population structure across theentire range compared to species with populations
separated on a much longer time scale. Rainbow Trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss) are one salmonid species
that recolonized newly accessible areas following
glacial retreat, resulting in more recent isolation of
populations in their northern range, whereas in thesouthern portion of Rainbow Trout range populations
have been established on a longer time scale. Where
genetic studies have been undertaken on regional
geographic scales results have varied regarding
population divergence and structure, and putative
subspecies have been suggested using genetic data,
despite an incomplete understanding of intraspecificgenetic variation spanning the species range. Our aim
for this study was to provide a range wide assessmentof genetic variation and population structure among
Rainbow Trout populations on a geological timescale using a mitochondrial gene sequence, and on
a contemporary time scale via a single nucleotide
polymorphism panel for neutral nuclear loci.

Eradication of nonnative stream Brook Trout
populations is difficult to achieve with standard
techniques. A new concept is to stock genetically
YY hatchery-reared brook trout repeatedly into
invasive populations causing male sex ratio skew overtime until all females are eliminated. We document
population response to electrofishing suppressionof wild Brook Trout and concurrent YY Male stocking
in two isolated Idaho streams. Over the past 7 years,
the entire lengths of both streams underwent twoconsecutive days of electrofishing removal annually.
Stocking of YY males was initiated 3-4 years into
the program. All captured wild Brook Trout were
killed (n = 4397), a fin clip taken, and genetic sex was
successfully determined using a sex marker for all but
2% collected. We calculate and report 2-pass removal
estimates of wild male and female population size
through time. Genetic Stock Identification confirmed
the successful reproduction of released YY males. In
Bear Creek, the female population has been reduced
from an estimated 542 fish in 2016 to 22 in 2023, a 96%
decrease. Willow Creek experienced a 98% decline
in female abundance, with an estimated 2 females
remaining in 2023. Female abundance in both streams
initially decreased during suppression-only years andsharply dropped following YY Male stocking. Whileongoing research is needed, our study suggests thatYY Male stocking could be an efficient and effective
management tool for the eradication of stream Brook
Trout, requiring less annual field effort than sole use ofelectrofishing removal approaches.

Tyler Beech, tylerbreech@isu.edu

Dan Schill, Matt Campbell, Bart Gamett, Curtis Roth,Jenn Vincent
danjschill@gmail.com

78

Genetics (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
10:20 AM				
Interspecific hybridization in a large-river
population of Yellowstone cutthroat trout: a 20-year
programmatic evaluation
Hybridization between native and nonnative
fishes represents a global threat to biodiversity.
Understanding how hybridization changes in
response to management actions is critical toevaluating the efficacy of conservation efforts. We
quantified changes in levels of hybridization andintrogression between Yellowstone cutthroat trout(Oncorhynchus clarkii bouvieri) and rainbow trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the South Fork (SF) Snake
River watershed, where a multipronged approachhas been implemented to protect the evolutionary
distinctiveness of one of the last remaining large-river
populations of Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Over a 20year period, we observed a decrease in the percentage
of fish classified as hybrids across the SF Snake River
watershed; however, we observed contrasting patterns
in mainstem and tributary reaches. Hybrid abundance
increased at mainstem reaches of the SF Snake
River below Palisades Dam, whereas the number oftributary reaches without hybrids was greater in 2022
relative to 2003. Efforts to reduce hybridization in
spawning tributaries, including both suppression andselective passage weirs, were effective at preventing
the expansion of hybridization in resident andmigratory populations. Changes in hybridization in
the SF Snake River watershed are likely the result ofmultiple processes, namely management actions
to reduce rainbow trout and hybrids in tributaries
as well as demographic changes in rainbow trout inthe mainstem river below Palisades Dam. Our results
suggest that Yellowstone cutthroat trout populationsin the SF Snake River watershed have not experienced
widespread interspecific hybridization with rainbow
trout, but that proactive management will benecessary to ensure long-term conservation.

10:40 AM				
Introgression in native Redband Trout from a desert
watershed
While species introductions have been a tool for
management, supplementation, and conservationof natural populations, these practices can leadto hybridization between closely related species
and genetically distinct populations. This potential
hybridization can lead to outbreeding depression
and genetic swamping; threatening many freshwater
fish species at risk from a long history of population
supplementation and introductions. We assessed
the level of introgression between native Redband
Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri) populationsof the upper Owyhee River in northern Nevada
and stocked Rainbow Trout (O. mykiss) using single
nucleotide polymorphisms. We sampled individuals
from 12 streams and three reservoirs representing
native and stocked populations. Reservoirs of theupper Owyhee River have a long history of stocking
trout for recreational angling; however, no study has
evaluated whether introduced fish have introgressedwith remaining native populations. We found that
introgression occurred in streams directly connected
to reservoir populations, but the proportion of
introgressed individuals was low. While all streams
studied are connected, the absence of introgressionin populations distant from reservoirs suggests
dispersal of stocked individuals is restricted. These
results suggest that native populations that are
geographically distant from stocked areas have a
low risk of introgression and even those populations
directly connected to reservoirs experience low levels
of introgression.
Kyle E. Rufo, kylerufo@isu.edu

John Hargrove, john.hargrove@idfg.idaho.gov

79

Genetics (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM
11:00 AM				

11:20 AM				

Genetic pedigree analyses reveal differences inmovement and growth patterns for ‘rescued’ youngof-year steelhead

Does habitat extent predict a decline in genetic
diversity for fragmented populations of redband
trout?

Fish ‘rescues’, or relocation of fish due to stream
drying, are an increasingly common management
practice used to address the effects of droughts andwater withdrawals. Yet, how fish respond to rescues
remains an open question, particularly for youngof-year fish, because so little is known about their
movements early in life. In this study we used genetic
pedigree analyses to track young-of-year steelhead
from rescued and non-rescued families in the CarmelRiver (California). We found that young-of-year
steelhead from non-rescued families disperse to takeadvantage of highly productive habitats throughout
the watershed (median 6 rkm family spread).
Individuals grew much larger (~30 mm) in the lower
river and lagoon compared to their siblings farther
upstream, and these differences in growth resulted
in greater variation in body size as a function of
movement distance within a family. Individuals fromrescued families generally dispersed much greater
distances (median 41 rkm spread) but did not growlarger in the lower river and had consistent variationin body size throughout the watershed. Our results
suggest that young-of-year movement is a naturalprocess that allows steelhead to take advantage ofhigh-productivity habitats and leads to increased
variation in body size that is likely a precursor for lifehistory diversity. Rescuing fish did not replicate thisprocess, possibly because the timing of rescues did
not match the natural timing of dispersal.

Habitat loss is the leading factor in the worldwide
decline in biodiversity, as many historically widespread
and abundant organisms are currently limited tosmall remnant populations where persistence is
uncertain. As small, isolated patches of habitat can
support fewer individuals with limited gene flow,
loss of genetic diversity through genetic drift andinbreeding depression is a concern. In western
North America, many watersheds have extensively
fragmented habitat, and aquatic organisms are often
limited to networks of headwater streams of various
sizes and connectivity. To assess how the amountand connectivity of remaining habitat has affected
population structure and distribution of genetic
diversity in salmonid fish populations, we conducted afield study assessing 34 populations of redband trout,
Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri, in the Owyhee River,
Bruneau River, and Salmon Falls Creek watershedsof southern Idaho and northern Nevada. We foundthat redband trout populations with small habitat
extents had significantly lower genetic diversity than
populations with larger habitat extents, but loss ofgenetic diversity did not occur until a threshold in
minimum habitat size was observed. The population
structure of redband trout within the study area has
been shaped by genetic drift following fragmentation,
illustrating cause for concern on the genetic viabilityof small populations where little to no connectivity tosurrounding suitable habitat remains.

Haley Ohms, Carolina Lazari, Carlos Garza, Devon
Pearse, David Boughton
haley.ohms@tu.org

Adam Zambie*, adamzambie@isu.edu

80

Hatcheries: The Need to Know
Moderator: Brian Beckman & Phil Sandstrom

Back to Guide

Tuesday, April 30, 2024 1:40 PM to 5:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
Hatchery propagation as a fish management tool for salmon requires dynamic program management responsive
to emergent needs and adapt to unanticipated outcomes. This symposium will include contributions by regional
professionals tasked with characterizing the efficacy of hatchery programs and addressing the basic question,“How well is your hatchery program meeting its intended goals?”. The organizers hope that this symposium willlead to the development of a community of practitioners better able to field questions surrounding hatchery
program evaluation as new roles for this activity are being considered. Hatchery program efficacy represents acomplex topic best served by a community comprised of a broad range of expertise, experience, and points ofview. Thus, we invite those active in all areas of hatchery program management/evaluation to contribute abstracts
for inclusion as presentations in this symposium. Examples of topics might include:•

Implementation of adaptive management strategies considering costs and benefits of hatchery programs,•

Case studies or novel approaches to characterize hatchery program outcomes and impacts,•

Discuss non-conventional roles for hatcheries in the recovery of species, mitigating environmental
degradation, sustaining fish dependent communities, or improving the resilience of salmon populations toclimate change.

•

Illustrating gaps in current knowledge and identify research priorities.

In addition to contributed presentations, we will dedicate a portion of our symposia to a panel discussion wherestate, provincial, federal and tribal professionals can speak to a variety of issues relevant to the current and futureuses of salmon hatcheries in natural resource management.

1:40 PM			
Reflections on a 30+ year career in Columbia andYakima Basin salmon restoration
In June 1947 a committee of federal, state, and public(including tribal) “stakeholders” met for the purpose ofdetermining whether to defer construction of additionalhydro-system projects in the Columbia and Snake River
Basins for ten years to allow additional time for careful
deliberation. By October 1947, the decision was made toproceed. Natural salmon would be sacrificed for the sake of“progress”. Hatcheries would be constructedto“ameliorate” the losses. This is the welldocumented history of the ColumbiaRiver Basin. Development of theBasin and concomitant

despoilment of natural habitats has since proceeded to thepoint that many long-serving experts in Columbia Basinsalmon restoration have concluded that, even in the absenceof all hatchery production and harvest, overall trends in
population abundance would not change substantially. Given
this reality, current artificial production in the Basin consistsof programs designed to: provide harvest, enhance natural
production, and restore extirpated populations. Evaluationof the programs should continue and be consistent with
their objectives relative to these purposes. However, rather
than focusing evaluations on hatchery impacts to natural
populations, we should target limited evaluation resources tolearn how we can best adapt hatchery programs to improveoverall abundance, diversity, spatial distribution, and survival
to the maximum extent practical.
Bill Bosch, bbosch1958@gmail.com

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

81Hatcheries (continued) Tuesday, April 30, 2024 1:40 PM to 5:20 PM
2:00 PM			
Columbia River Basin Hatcheries – Mitigation forhydrosystem operations and development of the basin
Assessment of the effectiveness of hatchery facilities
and programs requires an understanding of the primary
purpose and goals of each program at both the scale of anindividual hatchery program and a comprehensive scalethat provides context for the entire system of hatchery
programs under the same mitigation [funding] umbrella.
The system of hatcheries within the Columbia River Basin(CRB) is unusual and unlike other regions of the country
and world where artificial production is funded by private
or state funding primarily to support harvest and economic
benefits. The CRB system of hatcheries is primarily federally
funded through legislation and established as mitigation
for losses and impacts to fish due to habitat degradationand the construction and operation of hydropower dams.
While mitigation is the primary purpose of the CRB hatcherysystem, hatchery programs themselves are managed toachieve multiple objectives, including supporting harvest,
supplementation, and/or reintroduction. Communicating
this context of purpose for the CRB hatchery system is a
key outcome of outreach tools that are being developed aspart of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s
collaboration with state, federal, and tribal partners in theregion. This presentation will highlight the outreach tools– 1. A website that communicates the story and importanceof fish hatcheries in the altered environment of the CRB tobroad audiences, and 2. A mapping tool of the CRB facilities
and programs in context to their primary purpose andmanagement objectives, including preliminary compilationof data associated with the Council’s CRB Fish and Wildlife
Program.
Maureen Hess, mhess@nwcouncil.org

2:20 PM				
Using Hatcheries for Conservation: An Overview of theIntegrated Chinook Program in Idaho
Naturally produced populations of anadromous salmonids inIdaho and throughout the Pacific Northwest have declined

precipitously since the 1950s. In response, extensive hatchery
programs were developed to increase abundance andmitigate lost harvest opportunities. Naturally reproducing
populations have remained depressed, despite mitigation.
As a result, some hatchery programs have chosen to
take on conservation objectives (i.e., supplementation).
Integrated broodstock programs are a particular type of
supplementation strategy where the hatchery broodstock
is comprised primarily of natural origin adults to minimize
genetic divergence between hatchery donor stocks andrecipient natural stocks. The Idaho Department of Fish andGame currently maintains integrated broodstock programsfor Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) at the
Sawtooth, Pahsimeroi, and the McCall fish hatchery inaddition to their original mitigation lineages. Uncertainties
remain in terms of the benefits and risks of supplementation.
Therefore, the primary objectives of this research are: 1)
assess the influence of natural origin Chinook Salmon
incorporated into integrated broodstocks on hatcherysurvival, productivity, and hatchery replacement rates; 2)evaluate the influence of integrated broodstock spawners onnaturally reproducing populations and natural replacement
rates. Information from this program will provide managers
with a more complete picture of the benefits and risks of
implementing integrated broodstock programs, which
may guide the implementation of future supplementation
strategies in Idaho and elsewhere.

David Venditti, david.venditti@idfg.idaho.gov

2:40 PM 				Evaluating Mitigation Objectives for Spring/Summer
Chinook Salmon Hatcheries in the Snake River Basin
Hatcheries are a common feature of freshwater fisheries
management in North America. Salmon fisheries in the
Columbia River basin offer a complex example of thismanagement tool. We examined the ability Snake River
subbasin hatcheries to achieve regionally accepted hatcheryadult Chinook salmon mitigation objectives. To answer
questions about the feasibility of achieving objectives, wedeveloped a life cycle model that incorporates smolt releaseabundance, smolt survival from release to Lower Granite Dam(Srelease), and the smolt-to-adult return ratio (SAR), while
linking broodstock requirements to smolt release abundance.
Applying this model to eight hatcheries, we found that
programs would have achieved objectives for nine of 119 total

82

Hatcheries (continued) Tuesday, April 30, 2024 1:40 PM to 5:20 PM
releases. The minimum SAR to achieve returnobjectives at maximum survival (Srelease = 1) variedamong hatcheries from 0.38% to 1.00%. Hatcheries
exceeded minimum SAR thresholds in 27% of
the combined dataset. We also found that somehatcheries may only achieve their objectives for
50% of releases even after quintupling production.
Finally, we lowered the objective to “implementing
a targeted sport fishery” and found less than halfof the hatcheries could reliably support a fisheryunder current survival rates and two hatcheries
may not reliably support fisheries with substantial
production increases. Evaluating the linkage
between smolt production and SAR is crucial tounderstanding the potential of hatchery stocks andidentifying management options capable of meeting
objectives and supporting fisheries on a regular basis.
Management that improves SARs and increases
current smolt production are needed to reliably
achieve Snake River basin hatchery abundance
objectives.
Jonathan D. Ebel*, Timothy Copeland, Christopher
Sullivan, Joseph W. Feldhaus, Ian A. Tattam, andJoseph D. Bumgarner
jonathan.ebel@idfg.idaho.gov

3:00 PM				
Evaluating the success of Chinook Salmon and Steelhead
hatchery mitigation programs in Idaho: a fishery and harvest perspective
Due to declining returns of adult Chinook Salmon andSteelhead, retention of wild adults in recreational fisheries in Idaho was discontinued in 1979 for Chinook Salmon
and in 1987 for Steelhead. Since then, apart from recent
fisheries conducted for fall Chinook Salmon, recreational
fisheries have been solely dependent on returns of hatchery origin adults. Similar to other anadromous fish hatcheries operated in the Columbia River basin, a number ofhatcheries operated within the state of Idaho were constructed to mitigate for diminished returns of adults andlost harvest opportunity resulting from the construction
and operation of hydroelectric dams on the Columbia
and Snake rivers. While hatchery facilities operated by the
Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game in Idaho are managed toprovide both harvest and conservation benefits, the bulkof juvenile production from these facilities is managed
specifically to provide harvest benefits for both tribal andnon-tribal fisheries. To address the question “How well is
your hatchery program meeting its intended goals?”, we
consider risks to wild populations, conservation benefits,consistency of fisheries, and harvest. In this presentation,
we address the question primarily from the fishery andharvest perspective but touch on conservation benefits
and impacts to wild populations.
Brian Leth, brian.leth@idfg.idaho.gov

3:40 PM				
Anticipating and implementing changes in hatchery mitigation programs - Two examples from the Lower Snake
River Compensation Plan.
The Lower Snake River Compensation Plan (LSRCP)
was formalized in 1975 to replace fish and wildlife losses
caused by the construction and continued operation ofIce Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower
Granite Dams on the Snake River. Annual fisheries compensation goals are 18,300 adult fall Chinook salmon,
58,700 adult spring-summer Chinook salmon, 55,100
adult steelhead to the defined LSRCP project area as well
as a component of catchable trout (86,000 pounds) toaddress lost river fishing locations and effort. Over time,
the LSRCP has evolved to address changes in delivery of
the compensation goals, Endangered Species Act-listings,
as well as specific conservation and recovery needs in the
Snake River. Two conservation-focused spring Chinook
salmon program releases within the LSRCP portfolio,
the upper Grande Ronde River program (OR) and theTucannon River program (WA), highlight this evolutionof the LSRCP over time. Several immediate concerns,
including impacts from climate change, currently affectthese programs and their future. These programs additionally highlight a need of a hatchery compensation
program to be flexible enough to adapt and change due
to external factors, needs of the resource managers andessential recovery efforts.
Rod Engle, rod_engle@fws.gov

83

Hatcheries (continued) Tuesday, April 30, 2024 1:40 PM to 5:20 PM
4:00 PM				
Deep River Net Pens- a multifaceted approach to thecosts and benefits of bio-programming changes in aremote hatchery rearing site.
Deep River Net Pens (DRNP) is the last remaining remoterearing site in Washington associated with Select Area
Fisheries Enhancement (SAFE) in the Lower ColumbiaRiver. The SAFE program’s intent is to support offchannel commercial fishing opportunity in lieu of thehistorical main-stem Columbia River Gillnet fisheries.
In 2023 only two fisher vessels participated in the DRNP
fishery. We were asked to examine two questions: what
are the proportional contributions of DRNP production
to the Columbia River Gillnet fisheries, and what are thepotential results of on/off-station release strategies?
We utilized novel methodologies for data extraction,organization and modeling potential impacts of bio
programming changes and associated fisheries within
the DRNP operation. Coded wire tag (CWT) data wasretrieved from the Regional Mark Processing Center’s(RMPC) cwt database RMIS. Proportional contributions tofisheries were backcalculated to assess relative impact ofchanges in bioprogramming based on 7 years of data, andscaled to model different scenarios suggested by regional
management and hatchery staff. Preliminary findings
show that spring Chinook would not contribute to an offchannel gillnet fishery commensurate with the current
Coho program.
Kristopher J. Warner, kristopher.warner@dfw.wa.gov

4:20 PM				
Snake Basin In-Season Management of Salmon, Steelhead,
and Coho Tribal and State Fisheries
Anadromous fish serve as powerful cultural and social symbols for tribal and non-tribal people of the Pacific Northwest.
Despite the significance of these icons, there have been
widespread and dramatic declines in their abundance overthe last century. These drastic declines have sharply reduced
or eliminated, what historically were robust fisheries that sustained the livelihoods of both Tribal and non-Tribal culturesand communities. In the Snake Basin, current fisheries, areintensely managed to not exceed allowable impacts to natural
fish, ensure fair equity to all allowed fishing entities, and toensure hatchery broodstock are met. Coordination and cooperation across all parties requires year around weekly coordination to manage all of these complex issues. This process
has been dramatically aided by PIT tag marking programs forhatchery salmon, steelhead, and coho. PIT tags allow comanagers the ability, in-season, to make estimates of returning
hatchery fish (starting at Bonneville Dam and following themup eight dams to Lower Granite Dam)that GULICK
inform allocation© AMYof fish to hatchery broodstock, natural spawners, and harAMYGULICK.COM
vest. . Adult hatchery disposition management requires key
manipulations of the raw PIT tag data to deal with issues ofrepresentation, tag loss, and detectability, are necessary to
make estimates that are within the bounds of the true returns.
Additional PIT tag detection locations upstream of Lower
Granite Dam, are also utilized, to understand run timing andlocations of the harvestable fish, so that managers and fishers
are better informed in real time.
Jason Vogel, jasonv@nezperce.org

4:40 PM 				Monitoring hatchery success and Chinook salmon
recovery in the Nooksack watershed
The Nooksack watershed is home to two geneticallydistinct populations of endangered Chinook salmon(North Fork/Middle Fork and South Fork), both of which
now have established hatchery programs. The NooksackRiver Spring Chinook are culturally significant and vitalto the way of life for Native tribes and the growing
communities of the Pacific Northwest. Monitoringproductivity changes in each population simultaneously,
along with assessing effectiveness of hatchery programs,
creates a complex structure of evaluation projects
that require the careful disentanglement of biologicalmonitoring data to determine assess the interactions
between hatchery-origin fish, natural-origin fish,
and the environment. I will describe our efforts totrack population productivity, genetic diversity, andreproductive success to monitor and compare both
hatchery and natural origin Chinook salmon.
Zoë Lewis zoel@lummi-nsn.gov

84

Hatcheries (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 9:40 AM
5:00 PM				
After the Sunset: A Case Example of the Outcome ofSuspending Hatchery Propagation at a Large Regional Scale
The hatchery propagation of anadromous salmonid
species is criticized for impacts to natural salmonid
populations up to, and including, suggestions that hatcheryproduction poses a significant barrier to the recovery ofPacific salmonid populations. In regions where hatcherypropagation is well-established, few opportunities exist toassess the outcome of fully eliminating hatchery production
strictly for improving the viability of natural populations.
This is especially true in the Northwest United States where
hatchery production is often mandated to mitigate habitat
lost to dams, is required to fulfill Treaty-Reserved fishingrights, and is essential for preserving and supplementing
critically imperiled natural salmonid populations. Despite
this, the hypothetical efficacy of suspending hatchery
programs in the Northwest to increase viability of natural
populations continues to be debated but such an action iscurrently unrealistic to occur. However, the opportunity toevaluate the outcome of such a significant management
action beyond the Northwest is available in the United
Kingdom. In 2014, a decision was made by the governmentof Wales to eliminate releases of hatchery-origin Atlantic
Salmon (Salmo salar) in all Welsh river basins the following
year. This decision was primarily justified by a predictionthat a rapid, positive demographic response would occur
in many natural-origin populations due to an absence ofhatchery-origin salmon. This case example is examined,
highlighting the current status of this contentious anddivisive management action taken in Wales that draws
strong parallels to the debate over salmonid hatcherymanagement in the United States and Canada.
Tom Chance, tomc@lummi-nsn.gov

Wednesday, 8:00 AM		
Genetic monitoring of hatchery salmonids with multi-generational pedigrees
In the Pacific Northwest of the United States, hatchery facilities and programs serve to mitigate for impacts to salmonids
due to the construction and operation of hydropower dams,

habitat impacts from development and urbanization in addition to the conservation and restoration of natural populations. Monitoring and evaluation of these hatchery fish
requires a multi-national, state, and tribal cooperation that is
aided by traditional coded wire tags, PIT tags, and a genetic
method referred to as parentage-based tagging (PBT). PBT
enables highly reliable detection of hatchery-origin fish andinference of multi-generation pedigrees by genetic sampling all adult fish spawned at a hatchery. Multi-generational
pedigrees enhance the ability to monitor hatchery populations through not only identification of a fish’s parents andhatchery of origin, but also the proportion of natural- andhatchery-origin (pNOB; pHOB) per year, the number ofstray fish observed, genetic diversity, relatedness, and age
class compositions within broodstocks. Here we present
on the PBT baseline data collected for Chinook and Cohosalmon from throughout the Pacific Northwest representing over 125,000 interior stream-type Chinook salmon from24 spawning hatcheries over 11 years and over 32,000 Cohosalmon samples from 9 hatcheries over 9 years. We alsopresent case studies in how genetic monitoring with PBT of
hatchery stocks is being used for tribal fisheries programs
including improvement in escape estimates and the contribution of hatchery raised fish on natural spawning grounds.
Rebekah L Horn, Shawn R Narum rhorn@critfc.org

8:20 AM				
Effects of Supplementation in Upper Yakima River Chinook
SalmonTo promote recovery of natural salmon populations, hatchery supplementation has been implemented to increase
overall spawner abundance throughout the Columbia River
Basin. However, studies have provided evidence that captive
breeding can result in domestication, as demonstrated bystudies that show lower fitness of hatchery-origin comparedto natural-origin fish. Supplementation programs, therefore, typically use natural-origin broodstock in an effort topromote genetic diversity and minimize long-term negative
fitness impacts to the population as a whole. In this study,
we evaluated the upper Yakima River spring Chinook Salmon
Oncorhynchus tshawytscha supplementation program,which uses broodstock comprised exclusively of naturalorigin fish. Using ten years of genetic data sampled frompotential adult spawners, we tested for the effects of hatchery breeding and rearing on reproductive success. Our study
revealed that hatchery-origin fish demonstrated reduced
reproductive success compared to natural-origin fish, which85

Hatcheries (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 8:00 AM to 9:40 AM
was largely driven by a lower likelihood of successfully
returning offspring overall. Body length and return timing
were also significant predictors of reproductive successin this population, with smaller and later returning fish
demonstrating lower reproductive success. Additionally,a small pilot study revealed the potential impact of smolt
acclimation site and spawn site on the lower reproductive
success of hatchery-origin fish, further prompting theneed for expansion of carcass sampling. Follow-up studies estimating multigenerational reproductive success are
ongoing.

Timothy Healy*, Jacob Weil, Mike Wetklo, Dave Willis, Wilf
Luedke and Ruth Withler
Timothy.Healy@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Ilana J Koch, koci@critfc.org

Captive broodstock programs aim to protect species at highrisk of extinction and can differ significantly in operationfrom conventional hatchery programs. One main objectiveof a captive program is to maintain the effective population
size (Ne) of the broodstock. Ne is a metric that allows managers to assess the rate of loss for genetic diversity within apopulation. Populations with lower Ne tend to lose genetic
diversity at faster rates resulting in higher levels of inbreeding and hindering their ability to adapt to environmental
change. Theoretical guidelines for demographic and genetic
management of captive populations have been developed
and factors that hatchery managers can manipulate should
contribute to increases in effective population size over time.
These hatchery management strategies include equalizing
contributions from family groups and minimizing relatedness of spawners. Implementing these strategies is intended
to preserve and increase Ne, which ultimately reduces theloss of genetic diversity over time. We show how applicationof these protocols to the captive broodstock of the criticallyendangered population of Snake River Sockeye Salmon has,in practice, increased their effective population size from an
initial estimate of 115 to approximately 400. To our knowledge, this hatchery program is the first breeding program
to empirically demonstrate a sustained increase in effective
population size of such magnitude in a captive population ofconservation interest.

8:40 AM				
Genetic consequences of Chinook salmon strays fromhatcheries in Southern British Columbia
Hatchery enhancement of Pacific salmon produces therisk of shifting population fitness distributions away fromtheir natural optima as hatcheries introduce artificial selection pressures within the population. This risk is mitigatedby managing the relative gene flow between the hatcheryand natural environments. In hatcheries supporting harvest
objectives there are typically high numbers of hatchery fishat the expense of long-term fitness risks in the natural component of the population. These consequences may not be
fully revealed if hatchery production is maintained. However,stray fish from these populations can still pose substantial
genetic risks to the adaptive states of other populations.
Furthermore, even low stray rates from major production
hatcheries may produce high proportions of stray hatcheryorigin fish in smaller systems, resulting in homogenizationof among population genetic diversity and loss of fitness.
We assessed stray rates from Chinook salmon hatcheries
in Southern British Columbia. Overall, stray rates were low,
but high proportions of stray hatchery-origin spawners werestill observed in smaller populations, particularly on thewest coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI). Population structure
analyses for the WCVI indicated that straying has resulted in
genetic introgression from populations with high hatcheryinfluence into other populations across conservation units.
This has homogenized variation among populations, and led
to higher hatchery influences than would have been predicted without accounting for straying. These results emphasize
the importance of accounting for straying in managementof hatchery genetic risks, and highlight a key limitation incurrent genetic management strategies in complex multipopulation and multi-hatchery systems.

9:00 AM				
AMY GULICK
Hatchery Practices can Increase the©
Effective
Population Size of a Captive Broodstock
AMYGULICK.COM

Craig Steele, craig.steele@idfg.idaho.gov

86

Hatcheries (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 1:40 PM to 5:00 PM
1:40 PM				
Contribution of naturally and artificially reconditioned
repeat spawning female steelhead to spawning above Lower
Granite Dam: repeat spawning pathways and life histories
Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) are iteroparous. Repeat
spawning, like other forms of life history diversity, increases
population stability through the portfolio effect. Repeat
spawning occurs following reconditioning, a process inwhich energy stores are recovered after spawning and theannual reproductive cycle begins again. Repeat spawning
can occur after 1 year (consecutive spawning) or ≥2 years(skip spawning). Natural origin steelhead that spawn above
Lower Granite Dam (LGD) repeat spawn at a rate of ~1.2%.
To increase the abundance and diversity of steelhead populations above LGD, the Columbia River Inter-Tribal FishCommission (CRITFC) has established a research-scale conservation project called “kelt reconditioning”. Natural-origin
post-spawn female steelhead (kelts) are captured during
their downstream migration, held, fed, and released tomigrate upstream to spawn a second time. Artificial reconditioning can increase kelt survival from collection throughrelease to greater than 50%. Reconditioned repeat spawners are expected to make the greatest contribution in years
when total spawner abundance is low. However, the relative contributions of artificially and naturally reconditioned
repeat spawning steelhead to spawning rates above LGD
have not been quantified. To understand the contributionsof naturally and artificially reconditioned female steelheadto spawning above LGD, we are utilizing monitoring datasets of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and CRITFC
to assess (1) the research-scale kelt reconditioning project’s
contribution to repeat and total spawning above LGD from
spawn years 2018-2022, (2) pathways to repeat spawning(natural and artificial), and (3) consecutive and skip spawning rates of naturally and artificially reconditioned females.
Laura Jenkins, ljenkins@uidaho.edu

2:00 PM				
Living life on the straight-and-narrow or a merry-go-round:developing physiological tools to assess juvenile salmonid
rearing in circular vessels
Aging infrastructure, water usage, and climate change
are driving operational changes in anadromous salmonid

hatcheries throughout the Columbia River Basin. Traditional
raceways are being replaced with circular tanks using either
single-pass water or partial water reuse (pRAS). The shift invessel geometry and water velocities in these new rearing
environments may seem insignificant. However, the newer
circular systems induce increased exercise activity in fishcompared to the slack-waters of traditional style raceways,
and may alter the phenotype of juvenile salmonids. While
there is evidence that exercise has benefits to cultured fishes, some hatchery programs are struggling to adjust rearing protocols to harness those benefits. Previous hatcherystudies indicate that physiological tools can assess smolt
quality and provide valuable biological insights for adjustingor developing rearing protocols to maximize smolt production and optimize adult returns. This talk will explore these
physiological tools, their previous use in hatchery studies,and how they are being applied to study continuous exercise in these new rearing environments and the physiological effects on juvenile salmonids.
Dina Spangenberg, dina.spangenberg@noaa.gov

2:20 PM				Developing methods to Improve the homing fidelity ofhatchery-reared salmon
Salmon are well known for their ability to home to theirnatal streams to reproduce. Juvenile salmon imprint on theolfactory signatures of their rearing water and later use thisinformation to home back to their natal site as adults. Here,
we describe studies to improve homing by Chinook salmon
released from the Elk River Hatchery (ERH), Oregon, USA. A
large percentage of these fish do not return to the hatcherybut rather spawn in the river, thereby impacting the threatened, wild population. One hypothesis for the poor hatchery homing fidelity is that water released from the hatcherymay not provide a unique olfactory signature for returning
adults to distinguish it from the Elk River water utilized forrearing. We are exploring methods to create a unique odor
signature by adding chemicals to hatchery water at key
imprinting periods to improve successful imprinting andhoming. Here, we present results determining the profile ofodorants in the water entering and exiting the hatchery to
determine whether the hatchery environment altered thechemical signature of river water. We then identified candidate odors that salmon can detect and learn that could be
used to alter the odor signature. Finally, using physiologicalindicators of smolting and olfactory function, we deter-

87

Hatcheries (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 1:40 PM to 5:00 PM
mined developmentally sensitive windows for imprinting
to establish the appropriate timing for exposing salmon to
added chemicals. Based on these results, we have initiateda multi-year study of homing fidelity in salmon exposed to
our unique chemical signature or control hatchery water.
Andrew Dittman, andy.dittman@noaa.gov

2:40 PM				A review of Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) andCoho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) hatchery releasepractices in British Columbia
Salmon hatcheries are management tools intended to stabilize declining abundance in salmon populations and sustain fisheries. The practices hatcheries employ for rearing
and releasing fish are critical to their effectiveness. Whilea body of literature is growing on hatchery practices, data
quantity and quality vary considerably among hatcheries,
making it difficult to assess the role of release practices
in influencing juvenile-to-adult survival beyond individual
experiments. Using a Bayesian hierarchical approach,
we analyzed releases and recoveries of Chinook Salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha; 21 hatcheries) and Coho
Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch; 16 hatcheries) in British
Columbia from 1972 to 2017. Higher survival rates were associated with increasing weights-at-release, earlier releases ofChinook Salmon, and later releases of Coho Salmon. The
addition of environmental (sea surface temperature, Pacific
Decadal Oscillation), and predator (harbour seals, killer
whales) covariates did not improve model performance relative to models that used year effects to account for declines
in survival and interannual variability in ocean conditions.
Depending on the hatchery, optimizing release practices
could increase returns by 6%–245% for Chinook Salmon
and 5%–160% for Coho Salmon. Using hatchery-specificmodels, we also analysed return ages of Chinook Salmon(4 hatcheries) and Coho Salmon (7 hatcheries). The effects
of release practices on return ages were limited; weight-atrelease effects were mixed and day-of-release had no effect.
Marine releases at one location yielded younger returns
than their hatchery-released counterparts. These results caninform future hatchery practices and guide evaluations of
cost-benefit trade-offs of hatchery optimization.

3:00 PM 				How does varying age at maturation in hatchery fall
Chinook affect evaluation of hatchery releases?
Hatchery releases are commonly assessed by SAR:
© AMY
fish recovered / fish released. This
metricGULICK
assumes all
fish released are smolts and all
adults recovered are
AMYGULICK.COM
of equal value. CWT recoveries were used to evaluate
an experiment on different juvenile rearing strategies
for yearling interior Col R fall Chinook salmon. These
fish differed in size at release and the experiment
was replicated across four year. Pre-release surveys
found varying numbers of maturing males (age 2
minijacks) among the smolts being released (5 – 35 %).
Assessments of recovery may be biased if differencesin recoveries are incorrectly related to differencesin post-release survival rather than differences inmaturation schedule. Accounting for minijacks withinrelease groups reduced differences in recoveries
between treatments and generalized perceptions ofsurvival between these same release groups. Age ofrecovered fish varied from 2 to 6 years post-release, withsize of the fish recovered varying by over an order ofmagnitude. We split recoveries into two age categories:
young/small (age 2 and 3) and old/large (age 4 – 6). By
splitting recoveries by age we were able to demonstratethat there was a greater recovery of old/large fish fromsmaller smolts at release than from bigger smolts.
Differences in size at recovery directly relate to both fishvalue (weight) and brood stock contribution (# eggs).
The experiment itself demonstrates that hatchery
programs may alter the age composition of fishrecovered by altering juvenile rearing strategies. Thisfinding has implications for hatchery rearing strategies.
Brian Beckman, brian.beckman@noaa.gov

Sam James, sjames@psf.ca

88Hatcheries (continued) Wednesday, May 1, 2024 1:40 PM to 5:00 PM
3:40 PM - Panel Discussion
At the 2024 WA-BC and Idaho Chapters joint AFS
meeting we are initiating what we hope to be an ongoing conversation surrounding the topic of hatcheryevaluations. To stimulate this process we’ve invitedfrom various regions and organizations to address:
methods and analysis provide the most reliable andactionable information for hatchery evaluations, what
topics lack reliable analytical tools and approaches, andhow differences in species and/or regions interact toprovide different answers about hatchery effectiveness.
By comparing responses from the interior and lower
Columbia River Basin, the Salish Sea and the BC/WA/
OR coast we hope to gain perspective and insights
into general issues, identify areas of consensus, andrecognize novel approaches. We expect that discussion
within and following the panel will provide guidance into
the organization of the 2025 meeting and provide thefoundation for our hatchery evaluations working group.

© AMY GULICKAMYGULICK.COM

PANELISTS
Bill Bosch
Maureen Hess
Rod Engle
Sam James
MODERATORS
Brian Beckman & Phil Sandstrom

Josh Williams, WDFW

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Hatcheries (continued) Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:00 AM to 11:20 AM
Thursday, 8:00 AM		Can reducing smolt size help adult returns? Comparing
rearing strategies for a Chinook salmon hatchery program
From previous work we determined that the Deschutes
stock of spring Chinook salmon reared at the Round
Butte/Pelton Ladder complex on the Deschutes River,
Oregon were relatively large throughout the rearing
process, had relatively high rates of precocious malematuration (age-2 minijacks), and had high rates of fish
returning as age-3 jacks. Along with hatchery managers, we designed an experiment to assess if rearing fishat half the size but about twice the abundance would
affect smolt quality, adult return rates, and age structure of returning adults. Two treatment groups (“big”
vs. “small”) were produced over five consecutive releaseyears. The “big” treatment was raised to a smolt releasesize of ~8 fish/lb with a density of 80K fish/raceway (lowabundance) while the “small” treatment was raised to asmolt release size of ~15 fish/lb with a density of 150K
fish/raceway (high abundance). Smolt quality (i.e. gill
ATPase, lipid levels, condition factor) was similar for big
and small treatments. However, rearing more fish to asmaller body size reduced the rate of early male maturation by 50%. Based on PIT tag detections, big andsmall treatments had similar age-3 returns but the small
treatment produced ~30% more age-4 returns. Neither
treatment group produced age-5 fish. Overall, the mean
age at return was 2.85 years for the big and 3.13 years
for the small treatments. This research provides insights
into how changing rearing protocols could help optimize
production and improve adult returns.
Deborah Harstad*, Dina Spangenberg, Don Larsen, Ryan
Gerstenberger, Shaun Montgomery, Ryan Moon, Brian
Beckmandeborah.harstad@noaa.gov

8:20 AM 				Biotic and abiotic factors affecting adult survival of
Snake River hatchery fall Chinook salmon
The recovery of Snake River fall Chinook salmon overthe past 30 years resulted in significant increases inadult abundance and spawner distribution throughout
the basin. Although other restoration actions were
implemented and contributed to the recovery,
hatchery supplementation likely played a major role.
The development and implementation of hatcherysupplementation strategies was coordinated throughthe efforts of multiple Federal, State and Tribal
agencies. The focus of this study was to document
the efficacy of rearing and release strategies of the© AMY GULICK
hatchery program by investigating factors affecting
AMYGULICK.COM
adult survival as measured bysmolt-to-adult survival(SAR). We applied a binomial distribution and a mixed
effect logistic model with multiple biotic and abiotic
covariates for release years 2001 to 2018. Significant
differences in SAR correlated to release site andsubyearling verse yearling release stage, with increased
adult returns for yearling juveniles released from sites
lower in the basin. In addition, lower among-basinverses within-basin correlations of SAR indicatedasynchrony in survival across basin that reduced
annual variability in adult returns and provided abuffer against environmental stochasticity or variablehatchery survival effects. Thus, the development of astructurally diverse hatchery supplementation programwith multiple release groups dispersed across time andspace created a diverse portfolio of groups that lowered
annual variability and maintained consistent returns
over time. These results will inform ongoing adaptive
management of the hatchery program and provide abaseline for tracking future changes resulting fromclimate change or other unseen impacts.
William Young and Ryan Kinzer
billy@nezperce.org

8:40 AM				PBT and PIT tags: Lyons Ferry Hatchery M&E of Snake
River Fall Chinook
The Snake River fall Chinook (FCH) program at Lyons
Ferry Hatchery (LFH) and Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery(NPTH) have historically relied on Coded Wire Tags
(CWTs) for broodstock origin determinations andrun reconstruction efforts. A transition towards using

90

Hatcheries (continued) Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:00 AM to 11:20 AM
a PBT approach began in 2011 in order to validate estimates
generated from CWT and since 2016 all hatchery broodstock
have been sampled for PBT. The LFH and NPTH programs
include acclimation facilities upstream of Lower Granite
Dam (LGR) and LGR has become the broodstock collection
and sampling location for Snake River fall Chinook. The utility of PBT in run reconstruction efforts was demonstrated in
2022. Earlier returns in RY 2022 led to a non-representative
sub-sample of CWTs and a CWT based run reconstruction
model yielding a negative number for natural origin fish.
Since PBT samples were collected throughout the run, PBT
run reconstruction efforts produced results more consistent
with PIT estimates; ultimately, leading to the decision for PBT
based run-reconstruction going forward. Additionally, PBT
samples were collected from all broodstock collected at LGR
and PIT Tags applied to track individuals through the holding
and spawning process. Data gathered yielded valuable information about trapping and hauling operations, run timing ofindividual release groups, brood composition, and spawning
practices. Future goals are to obtain PBT assignment prior
to spawning to optimize natural origin brood usage, tracking
family groups for brood composition, and differentially PBTmarked groups for research needs.
Michael Herr, michael.herr@dfw.wa.gov

9:00 AM 				Relative post-release performance of Rainbow Trout fry
stocked at two target lengths in alpine lakes of Idaho
Fisheries managers often stock Rainbow Trout to establish
or supplement fish populations in alpine lakes. In Idaho,
there is substantial variability across alpine lakes regarding
the proportion of hatchery- and wild-origin fish sampledduring routine surveys. Consequently, it may be possible tomanipulate rearing and release strategies for fish stocked
in alpine lakes to increase abundance of hatchery-origin
fish, and ultimately, improve angler satisfaction and catch.
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game typically stocks
Rainbow Trout fry in alpine lakes from fixed-wing aircraft
at a target total length of about 35 mm. Stocking fish ata larger size would increase flight costs due to logistics
associated with transporting larger fish, but could improve
post-release growth and survival. We sampled 26 lakes
stocked with Rainbow Trout of a target release size of
35 mm, and 29 lakes with fish stocked at a target 55 mm
release size. Lakes were sampled three years post-stocking

for both study groups via gillnet so size and catch could
be compared. Mean total length at the time of samplingwas 320 mm for fish stocked at the 35 mm target lengthand 315 mm for fish stocked at the 55 mm target length.
Differences in catch are currently being investigated basedon release size and numerous environmental characteristics
of sampled water bodies. Results from this study will inform
decisions regarding the future stocking strategies used for
managing alpine lakes in Idaho.
Will Lubenau, will.lubenau@idfg.idaho.gov

9:20 AM				
Mobile spontaneous autopolyploidy testing for determining
and removing 12n hatchery kootenai river white sturgeon
Kootenai River White sturgeon (KRWS) Acipenser
transmontanus, are tested for Spontaneous Autopolyploidy(SA) in a controlled lab setting. Kootenai Tribe of Idaho
uses a Z2 Coulter Particle Counter and size Analyzers
to analyze SA. Equal blood to buffer solution ratios areanalyzed; consistent with normal protocols developed incollaboration with University of California-Davis. Briefly,
the Analyzer is equipped with a 100-micron aperture withan upper threshold at 9 µ and lower threshold at 3 µ, withchannelizers set to observe sizes between 3.695 µ and 6.664µ (i.e., white sturgeon red blood cell nuclei). Specimens withreadings <5µ are considered 8N and those with readings≥5µ are categorized as 12N. The purpose of the study was
to develop methods to test juvenile fish for SA in the field;
and acquire real time results to facilitate removal of 12N
Hatchery fish. KTOI staff tested 413 samples at three uniquetesting sites River Bank, Hatchery Dock and Hotel Room.
I will briefly explain benefits and challenges of using theZ2 in the field, results, and plans for future operations andstrategies moving forward. The KTOI recognized the needto start the removal process and is taking the initiative to
get the program started with the overall health of the entire
population being the main focus of our efforts. We will also
be utilizing the culled specimens for scientific research
purposes and environmental growth and developmental
factors.
Mark E. Elliston JR.*, Brian R. Michaels JR, Nathan R. Jensen
Melliston@kootenai.org

91

Hatcheries (continued) Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:00 AM to 11:20 AM
10:00 AM				
Initial Results from a Chinook Mass Marking Pilot:
Broodstock Management and Mark Selective Fisheries
The Sarita River Chinook salmon population is one of
Canada’s first enhanced Chinook programs to undergomass marking (MM). The MM component, initiated in2018, was primarily aimed at facilitating hatchery genetic
management; more specifically, to increase the proportionof natural-origin broodstock (pNOB) and decrease theproportion of hatchery-origin spawners (pHOS), ultimately
enhancing the population’s productivity and fitness (asmeasured by the proportionate natural influence (PNI)
metric). As part of the 2018 program overhaul, the AllH-Analyzer (AHA) model was employed to evaluate theexpected outcomes of MM on PNI and harvest potential,
while concurrently varying other parameters such as
production size and habitat productivity and capacity.
Multiple AHA scenarios were created in collaboration
with First Nations and other DFO sectors, with the goalof landing on a program that optimized both biologicalgoals and user group interests. This presentation discusses
the initial results of the program, its effectiveness in
implementing management levers, and the comprehensive,
integrated program review. Moreover, we highlight that themodel appears be particularly suitable for small to medium
Chinook systems with low to moderate enhancementlevels and systems with terminal mark selective fishing
opportunities.
Michael Thom, michael.thom@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

10:20 AM 				Use of feed rings in reduction of waste of feeding events
Feed training is a crucial period of development, and intensive feeding intervals are required in this stage. However,more stressful is estimating the appropriate amounts offeed to balance the growth of the fish with waste reductionthat plagues these few days. Excess feed waste causes multiple problems such as increased ammonia levels and financial
loss due to rising feed costs. The idea of experimenting withfeed rings came while visiting family and seeing the use of

one in a fish pond. The intention of a feed ring is to reduce
feed waste by increasing the time the feed is available
before floating or sinking out of the normal range wherefish eat. The setup will consist of 4 individual tanks: two will
have two feed rings while the other two will be used as controls. Results will be determined by weight gained comparedto feed amounts set based on body weight percentages.
The expected outcome of this experiment is that if juvenile
rainbow trout have longer to eat the feed before it passes,
growth rates will increase while feed waste is reduced.

© AMY GULICKAMYGULICK.COM

Caleb Barclay, kbarclay1@csi.edu

10:40 AM 				Evaluation of fall Chinook subyearling and yearling releasestrategies in Hood Canal
Hatchery program performance is often assessed as thetotal number of adults returning for given species. We delve
into the release strategies of fall Chinook Salmon usedat the Hoodsport Hatchery located in Hoodsport, WA byexamining coded wire tag data (CWT). Release strategies,
such as date, fish size, and methodology (volitional/
forced) can all affect the success of a program. Hoodsport
Hatchery utilizes two release strategies for Chinook Salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), yearling and subyearling.
CWT data on releases and recoveries pulled from RMIS(Regional Mark Information Systems) were used to evaluate
both strategies utilized for fall Chinook for ten years.
Groups of approximately 200,000 subyearling and 100,000
yearling CWT-tagged Chinook were released annuallyfor brood years 2007-2017. We evaluated differences in
SARs (smolt-to-adult return ratio), age structure, fork
lengths, sex ratios, fisheries contributions, disease issues,
spawning ground recoveries, and costs associated witheach strategy. We also determined the impacts of minijacks (age 2) returning Chinook have on these programs.
Both strategies can be successful in the right application;
however preliminary results from this study suggest thatthe subyearling strategy produces a higher number ofreturning adult with an older age distribution.. We hope thisanalysis will help to inform fisheries management in thisspecific location to ensure the success of the fall Chinook
program.
Devin West, Devin.West@dfw.wa.gov

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Hatcheries (continued) Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:00 AM to 11:20 AM
11:00 AM 				Evaluation of alternative approaches to hatchery propagation of steelhead to minimize fitness loss.
Conservation hatchery programs support efforts torecover ESA-listed steelhead populations in many
regions of the Pacific Northwest. But, traditionalrearing and release practices constrain the natural
life-history diversity steelhead and compromise migratory success, maturation schedules and reproductive success. In 2008, the USFWS Winthrop National
Fish Hatchery implemented a conservation programfor summer steelhead in the Methow River using
natural-origin broodstock. To maximize smolt quality the program reared juveniles for release at age-2(S2), to accommodate later spawn timing and colder
water temperatures at the hatchery in contrast to themore common practice of producing age-1 smolts (S1).
Hatchery- and laboratory-scale experiments comparing five paired (S1 and S2) releases of steelhead raised
to smolt resulted in significant effects of release age
on juvenile outmigration survival and travel rate, carryover effects of smolt age on ocean survival, and survival during the adult migration back to the Methow
River. Smolt age and sex affected the residualism rateand demographic composition of the residual population. Age-at release also resulted in sex-specific differences in the reproductive success of adults returning
to the Methow River. We determined that rearing
hatchery steelhead to a fixed age of 1 or 2 years did
not optimize the production of smolts when using
natural-origin broodstock and that there are tradeoffs between the two approaches. Because outcomes
appear attributable to variability in juvenile growthrate, hatchery steelhead may benefit from a split-age
rearing approach that mimics the phenomenon ofcohort splitting (e.g., variable age-at-smoltification) in
natural steelhead populations.
Christopher Tatara*, Barry Berejikian, Don Larsen, Matt
Cooper, Mollie Middleton, Penny Swanson
chris.p.tatara@noaa.gov

11:20 AM 				Age at release affects developmental physiology
and sex-specific phenotypic diversity of hatcherysteelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Most steelhead hatcheries release yearling smolts by© AMY GULICK
increasing growth during rearing to maximize harvest
AMYGULICK.COM
opportunity, but natural steelhead
exhibit variable
age of smoltification, so traditional rearing practices
reduce life history diversity required for programs
focused on recovery of imperiled wild stocks; thus, it’s
important to investigate alternative rearing methods
that can conserve important life history traits. Over
five years, the Winthrop National Fish Hatchery on
the Methow River, WA evaluated release of paired
groups of steelhead raised to smolt at either one (S1)or two (S2) years of age. To understand rearing effects
on developmental ontogeny and life-history, fish were
sampled prior to release for smolt associated factors(size, gill Na+/K+ ATPase activity, visual smolt index)
and a suite of reproductive metrics (sex, pituitary andtestis mRNA transcripts, gonadosomatic index, andplasma 11-ketotestosterone). Our objectives were toquantify levels of smoltification and male maturation,
estimate residualism (failure to migrate), and compare
the treatments by sex. Overall, S2 rearing produced
7.8% more smolts and 44-fold (4.4 vs. 0.1%) moreprecociously mature males, but S1 rearing produced
31.6% more residuals. While total male residualism
was comparable between treatments, S1 rearing
produced five-fold more female residuals (20.6 vs.
4.2%). Because residuals contribute minimally to adultreturns and the number of returning adult females
is critical to supplementation success, developing
strategies that maximize migration in females isessential. Physiological assessments are useful forassessing the effects hatchery rearing regimes haveon steelhead life-history, and can provide sex-specificguidance for optimizing hatchery supplementation
programs.
Don A. Larsen, Mollie Middleton, Christopher Tatara,
Barry Berejikian, Chris Pasley, Jon Dickey, Penny
Swanson
don.larsen@noaa.gov

93

Science and Infrastructure modifications for fish passage at mainstem dams: How much has changed?
Moderators: Rebekah Horn and Marika Dobos

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Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 9:40 AM

Symposium Abstract
Passage in both directions through or around a dam is essential for anadromous fish to complete theiroutmigration to the ocean as juveniles and their return spawning migration as adults. Without fish passage
at dams, anadromous fish lose access to critical habitats which can have detrimental effects on population
viability. Many different technologies exist for passing fish around or through dams as passage must be tailoredto the type of dam, surrounding environment, life history stage, and fish species (e.g., salmonids versus
lamprey). Innovative ideas and technological advancements are providing improvements for the passage offish by mainstem river dams. This symposium will cover how fish passage has changed through time and what
improvements are being made to make the passage through and around dams safer and more efficient for fish
species.

8:00 AM				
Design and Biological Testing of Two New Hydroturbines
Installed at Ice Harbor Dam
In 2010, the US Army Corps of Engineers began a design
effort to replace aging hydroturbines at Ice Harbor
Dam on the lower Snake River, Washington, with a goalof improving fish passage. Fixed- and adjustable-blade(Kaplan) runner types, stay vanes, wicket gates, anddraft tube dimensions were re-designed through an
iterative process using state-of-the-art Computational
Fluid Dynamics and physical models. Both prototypes
were installed, and fish passage evaluated with hatcheryreared juvenile spring Chinook salmon via direct release/
recapture injury and survival studies. The original Kaplan
unit was studied in 2007 at five operating points (lower
1% efficiency, peak efficiency, upper-mid 1% efficiency,
upper 1% efficiency, generator limit). Mean malady-free
and 48-hour survival estimates for the original Kaplan
were 96.2% and 95.3%, respectively. The new fixedblade runner was installed in unit 2 and tested at threeoperating points in 2019 (lower 1% efficiency, peakefficiency, generator limit), resulting in mean maladyfree and 48-hour survival estimates of
98.5% and98.2%, respectively. The new Kaplan
runnerwas installed in unit 3 and tested
at four operating points in 2023
(lower 1% efficiency, peakefficiency,
upper2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

mid 1% efficiency, generator limit), resulting in mean
preliminary malady-free and 48-hour survival estimatesof 97.3% and 96.9%, respectively. Mean survival forthe newly-designed hydroturbines was approximately
3% higher than the original Kaplan units, while injury
rates were approximately 60% lower for the fixedblade and 30% lower for the Kaplan runner. Overall, thedesign process successfully estimated and delivered
improvements in hydroturbine fish passage at Ice Harbor
Dam.
Bradly A. Trumbo, Jon F. Renholds, Karl Anderson, Cory
Hoffman, Ashley Picker
bradly.a.trumbo@usace.army.mil

8:20 AM				
Restoration elements of the Klamath River renewal
project (i.E. Lower Klamath project)
Removal of four hydropower dams (Iron Gate, Copco
1, Copco 2, and J.C. Boyle) on the Klamath River innorthern California and southern Oregon represents thelargest dam removal and river restoration project in the
country. The project will restore free-flowing conditionsand volitional fish passage to more than 400 miles ofcurrently cut-off anadromous fish habitat upstream ofthe lower-most dam, Iron Gate. RES was selectedby the Klamath River Renewal Corporation tolead restoration for this ambitious effort,
as well as accept liability associatedwith ensuring

94Infrastructure (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 9:40 AM
restoration meets ecological and biological performancestandards and long-term goals/objectives. RES is leading
design and implementation efforts for the restorationof nearly four miles of priority tributary streams andassociated fish habitat, as well as vegetation restoration for
approximately 2,000 acres of previously inundated lands.
Restoring volitional fish passage to hundreds of miles of theKlamath River, once the third largest producer of salmon on
the West Coast, will be an important achievement for thislarge, complex project. Area Tribes have relied on salmon
as a vital resource for generations; rehabilitation of salmon
and steelhead populations is not only environmentally
important but critical to sustaining their culture. RES will
rely on native seed propagation for revegetation of upland,
riparian, and wetland habitats, and large wood placement tostabilize sediments and improve habitat for native fish andincrease river and tributary functionality. This presentation
provides an update on the active project, an overview
of restoration goals and approach, and key elements ofstream, riparian, and wetland restoration for the project.
Daniel Chase, Gwen Santos, Dave Coffman
dchase@res.us

9:00 AM				
The More, the Merrier: Using Adult Pacific Lamprey
Translocations to Increase Passage Rates at Wells Dam,
Columbia River
Wells Dam is the last hydropower project on the ColumbiaRiver with upstream fish passage facilities for Pacific
Lamprey. Previous studies showed that lamprey were able
to successfully navigate the fishway, although at low rates.
Since 2013, several modifications have been made to the
fishways with the goal of improving adult Pacific Lamprey
passage. However, evaluation of the effectiveness ofthese modifications has been hampered by low numbersof adult lamprey approaching and interacting with Wells
Dam. Since 2006, Pacific Lamprey larval abundance in the
Methow River greatly decreased and they were functionally
extirpated from the Okanogan Basin. In 2018, Douglas PUD,
in coordination with a team of agencies and tribes, begantranslocating adult Pacific Lamprey above Wells Dam, withthe hypothesis that olfactory/pheromone cues producedby juvenile lamprey are key to upstream motivation of
adults and these pheromones may have declined thereby
reducing adult passage at Wells Dam. Results from a 2022

– 2023 passage study showed that adult lamprey released
downstream of the dam were more likely to interact with
Wells Dam than previous studies but only 30.5% of all study
fish entered the fishway. Of those that entered the fishway,
95.5% - 100% successfully passed the dam. Additionally,
counts of lamprey have shown an increase in passage
numbers at Wells Dam. These results indicate that adulttranslocation has potentially increased Pacific Lamprey
passage at Wells Dam, but further studies are needed toevaluate lamprey passage efficiency and identify potential
ladder entrance mechanisms (biological/physical) to
improve lamprey passage.
Mariah Mayfield, John Rohrback, Dave Robichaudmariah.mayfield@dcpud.org

9:20 AM				
Native fishes and the Hells Canyon Complex Relicensing
The Hells Canyon Complex is a series of three dams owned
and operated by Idaho Power Company. These threedams - Brownlee, Oxbow, and Hells Canyon - are locatedin west-central Idaho and northeastern Oregon, alongmore than 95 river miles of the Snake River. These dams
were originally licensed for hydropower production in
1955; however, their license expired in 2005. Idaho Power
Company has continued to operate these three dams as
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) works
through the relicensing process, a process that has taken
nearly 20 years to complete. Under the Federal Power Act,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has the authority
to provide recommendations and requirements for the newlicense that pertain to fish and wildlife species protection
and conservation. The Service has made recommendations
to FERC to improve habitat conditions for bull trout, alisted species under the Endangered Species Act, and todevelop and implement a native fish management plan
within the Hells Canyon Complex. The Service has also
required upstream and downstream passage for bull trout
at the Hells Canyon Dam and eventually the Oxbow Dam.
The Service continues to work closely with federal partners,
Tribes, and Idaho Power Company to relicense this seriesof dams while also balancing the needs of native species
within the area.
Erin Kenison, erin_kenison@fws.gov

95

Kokanee Population Dynamics andManagement
Moderator: Timothy D’Amico and Art Butts

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Tuesday, April 30, 3:40 PM to 5:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
Kokanee salmon Oncorhynchus nerka are landlocked life-history variants of Sockeye Salmon and can be foundthroughout the western United States and Canada. Fisheries managers may focus on kokanee for a numberof reasons, including providing angling opportunities, forage base for piscivores, or broodstock collection;and kokanee populations often function to meet multiple objectives. Due to population demographic effects,
including relatively short lifespan and density dependent factors, kokanee management can often provedifficult for fisheries managers. This symposium seeks to provide an opportunity for fisheries managers
across Idaho, Washington and British Columbia to share kokanee management successes, frustrations, andcollaboration to improve kokanee management tools and techniques.

3:40 PM			
Deadwood Reservoir: Managing a kokanee fishery for
multiple objectives
Deadwood Reservoir is a 1,260 ha impoundment
located on the Deadwood River in Valley County,
approximately 40 km southeast of Cascade, Idaho
and 85 km northeast of Boise, Idaho. Deadwood
reservoir offers a scenic setting at a relatively highelevation (1,615 m above sea level), and is a popular
destination during summer. Deadwood Reservoir
provides abundant sport fishing opportunities for
kokanee Oncorhynchus nerka, resident fall Chinook
Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss, and Westslope Cutthroat
Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi. Bull Trout Salvelinus
confluentus are present, but at a very low abundance.
Historically, the kokanee population has exhibited
density dependence, and Idaho Department of Fish andGame (IDFG) has implemented several management
actions to improve size and growth of kokanee,
including installing a weir and culling spawners tochemical treatments of spawning tributaries. Since
1985, the kokanee population has served
as Idaho’s primary egg source early
spawning kokanee. Typically, thispopulation has provided
between two to three
millioneggs IDFG hatcheries annually. Since 2017, IDFG has
struggled to meet egg-take objectives due to low
returns of spawning adults and by 2021, managers haveobserved record low gill net catches and confoundingly
small mature fish (<250 mm). In 2023, fishery managers
began a series of investigations to evaluate potential
abiotic and biotic factors that may have influenced
the collapse of the kokanee population. Preliminary
findings from these investigations are presented
here to promote thoughtful discussion and further
evaluation and analysis.
Timothy D’Amico, timothy.damico@idfg.idaho.gov

4:00 PM			A Razors Edge: The Balance of Predator and Prey in
Lake Pend Oreille
Historically, Lake Pend Oreille provided the largest
sport fishery for Kokanee in Idaho. From 1952 until 1966,
it produced an estimated angler harvest that averaged
over 1 million Kokanee annually. As a result of this typeof production, the Lake also produced the state record
Rainbow Trout and Bull Trout. By the mid-1970s, theamount of Kokanee that could be produced in the Lake
was significantly reduced by competition withmysis shrimp and the exponential increasein Lake Trout by the mid-1990s. These

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

96

Kokanee (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 3:40 PM to 5:20 PM
two threats nearly collapsed the Kokanee population by
the early 2000s. Following a targeted Lake trout suppression effort starting in 2006, IDFG removed over
260K Lake Trout and has seen the outstanding recoveryof the kokanee population. This facilitated the returnof the world class Rainbow Trout fishery and improved
adult Bull Trout survival. Emerging threats to maintaining the balance of these incompatible predators withthe adequate amount of Kokanee for fisheries is truly an
adaptive management endeavor with fish and anglers
alike.

involving Walleye management, such as population suppression, encouraging angler harvest to limit
Walleye abundance, and conducting a bioenergetics
study on Walleye to quantify predation impacts on
kokanee.
John Heckel, john.heckel@idfg.idaho.gov

4:40 PM				

Ryan Hardy, ryan.hardy@idfg.idaho.gov

4:20 PM				
Kokanee population trends in an eastern Idaho reservoir
In Ririe Reservoir in eastern Idaho, kokanee
Oncorhynchus nerka are a popular sportfish foranglers to catch and harvest. Ririe Reservoir supports
higher fish harvest rates by anglers than any otherlarge fishery in the Upper Snake Region. In a creel
survey conducted in 2019, 53% of anglers reported
that they harvested fish they caught in the reservoir.
Spawning habitat for kokanee is limited and the fisheryis dependent on hatchery-origin kokanee fingerlings
to support the fishery. Annual gill net surveys haveoccurred in Ririe Reservoir since 2015 to evaluate thepopulation and to forecast to anglers the health of thefishery. Monitoring consists of setting gill nets in thethermocline in June once the reservoir is stratified atten standardized sites throughout the reservoir. The
average CPUE (number of kokanee/net night) prior to2023 is 61.2 kokanee/net night. Following several yearsof drought and low reservoir storage, the kokanee
population has reached an all-time low abundance of
8.6 kokanee/net night with missing age classes andfew adult fish. In addition to changing environmental
conditions, illegally introduced Walleye Sander vitreus
have experienced a population expansion during thesame timeline as the kokanee decline. Stomach contents of Walleye indicated that kokanee are a choice
prey source and were identified in 91% of Walleye
stomachs that contained identifiable fish species.
Increasing kokanee abundance includes strategies

Improving the growth of kokanee using nitrogen
addition: a case study of Dworshak Reservoir.
Kokanee are a keystone species in many lakes
and reservoirs of the Western United States andCanada,providing both angling opportunity and an
important prey resource for trophy species. Dworshak
Reservoir is an impoundment on the North Fork
Clearwater River, Idaho. Nitrogen additions werestarted in 2007 to counteract oligotrophication andimprove the size and abundance of kokanee. As a resultof a more efficient foodweb, the biomass of Daphnia,
a preferred prey of kokanee, doubled given theabundance of kokanee. Daphnia biomass was foundto be the primary factor influencing growth of age-1
and older kokanee. As a result of nitrogen addition,
we observed a 31% increase in the mean weight ofage-2 kokanee and 55% increase in kokanee biomass.
Therefore, carefully designed nitrogen addition can be
an effective tool to mitigate declining productivity innitrogen limited systems.
Sean Wilson, sean.wilson@idfg.idaho.gov

5:00 PM - Discussion
Group discussion focusing on range-wide declines inearly-run kokanee populations.

97

Integration of Physiology and Genetics in Aquatic
Resource Conservation		
Moderator: Michael Phelps

Back to Guide

Tuesday, April 30, 3:40 PM to 5:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
Aquatic organisms in the Pacific Northwest face a growing list of challenges that may impact their future
productivity. How these aquatic organisms adapt to these challenges will be determined by their physiology
and underlying genetics. It is therefore critical to understand the physiology and molecular biology ofaquatic organisms as a window into the inner workings of species, to help guide resource management andconservation efforts. New technologies are facilitating advances in both the physiology and genetics fields andcombining these research areas holds great potential to understand aquatic organisms to a level not previously
possible. This symposium will highlight the groundbreaking research being conducted in both the physiology
and genetics fields that is aimed at understanding fundamental biological mechanisms in aquatic species. The
topics will help begin to integrate our understanding of aquatic life spanning the organismal to the molecularlevel for a more complete picture of essential aquatic organisms in the Pacific Northwest.

3:40 PM			
Influence of egg size and parental genetics on themetabolic rate of Chinook and pink salmon embryos
Embryonic development has been shown to influence
the overall fitness of the offspring later in life. Surviving
embryos help define the genetic diversity of thestock while also providing some level of genetic andepigenetic selection for local environmental conditions.
In Pacific salmon, the size of the egg provides valuableyolk deposition for the developing embryo, and themetabolic rate of the embryo plays an importantfunction in the embryonic fitness. To better understandthe influence of genetic background on early larval
fitness of Pacific salmon, egg size and metabolism
were examined for developing Chinook (Oncorhyncus
tshawytcha) and Pink Salmon (Oncorhyncus
gorbuscha) embryos. Interactions between egg
size and oxygen consumption (MO2) were recorded
throughout embryonic development and it wasdetermined that egg size was not a reliable predictorof oxygen consumption (MO2) ineithersalmon species. Average oxygen
consumption differed based onparent, suggesting there may be some genetic role
which can explain variation in metabolic rates in theembryos. Lastly, hatchery-origin Chinook Salmon had
on average larger eggs than their wild counterparts
suggesting divergence in evolution of egg sizes basedon rearing environments.
Alexander “Tad” Iritani, alexander.iritani@gmail.com

Josh Williams, WDFW

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

98Physiology (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 3:40 PM to 5:20 PM
4:00 PM				
Managing Smoltification for Improved Outcomes for
Anadromous Fish
Any aquatic organism transitioning between lifein freshwater to saltwater must address divergent
osmoregulatory challenges in these environments tomaintain or quickly reinstate homeostasis. Survival
following the transition from freshwater to saltwater
necessitates a reversal in the functioning of osmoregulatory organs/tissues, such as the gills, gut, and kidney.
Among salmonids, these physiological changes areaccompanied by morphological and behavioral changes that collectively define a transformation known as“smoltification”. Although smoltification is primarily
associated with changes in osmoregulatory function,
it is also a critical life history waypoint for anadromous
salmonids with links to outmigration timing, predation
risk, maturation, and adult returns. This presentation will review the physiology of smoltification—what
happens, when, and how—and provide insights fromrecent research involving managed smoltification andpost-release performance of hatchery-origin smolts.
Jesse Trushenski, jesse.trushenski@stim.no4:20 PM				
Analysis of changing gene expression across semelparous migration illuminate phenotypes driving end oflife histories in Pink salmon gorbuscha
Pacific salmon undertake an incredible journey upriverto natal spawning grounds, where after rigorous competition for reproductive opportunities, they systematically expire, leaving energy-packed bodies to decompose enriching local ecology. Along this journey, theirbody transitions to adapt to stressors along the way.
Notably, salmon encounter extrinsic factors like salinity and temperature changes, elevated pathogen load,
or aggression from males, and intrinsic factors suchas depleting energy reserves, hypercorticotropism, or
ramping sexual maturation. To track these continuous changes that often generate cryptic phenotypes,
we extracted tissue transcriptomics at three distinct

migratory timepoints of a pink salmon migration natal
to the Skykomish river watershed: ocean phase, riverphase, and spawning phase. Specifically, by targetingmuscle, head kidney, and gonads (testes), we aim to
examine endocrine regulation as a key driver in the
body changes that result in the coordinated physiological response salmon leverage during a semelparous
migration.
Using differential gene expression of the entire transcriptome in sequential order across the timepoints,
we generated a matrix of relative expression and classified them into 9 groups (40,756 genes). Next, we ran a
Gene Ontology enrichment on each group to identify
biological processes that change within each tissue,
elucidating molecular mechanisms behind shared or
cryptic phenotypes driving tissue activity. At large,
we found a significant proportion of genes change in
relative expression between the river and spawn, zerosignificant change from ocean to river, and delved into
phenotypes that emerge later during migration leading into peak sexual maturation.
Max Butensky, max.butensky@wsu.edu

4:40 PM				
Predicting the likelihood of gas bubble trauma in fishes
exposed to elevated total dissolved gas in the lower
Clark Fork River, Idaho
Gas bubble trauma (GBT) can occur in fish whenwater becomes supersaturated with gases, witheffects ranging from minor tissue damage to death.
Laboratory studies suggest that fish exposure toelevated total dissolved gas (TDG) at depths thatcompensate for gas supersaturation can result in
reduced GBT incidence and that different fish species
exhibit varying susceptibility to GBT. Elevated TDG
levels associated with spill at Cabinet Gorge Dam in
the lower Clark Fork River, Idaho, facilitated describing
the incidence and severity of GBT, variables that affect
GBT incidence, and the probability of observing GBT
in different fish species. Total dissolved gas and GBT
data were collected during the typical spill period (i.e.,
April–July) during eight years. A total of 6985 fish was
examined for GBT at TDG of 101–137% saturation.

99

Physiology (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 3:40 PM to 5:20 PM
Incidences of GBT varied with TDG levels, and thegreatest incidence of GBT was typically observed near
the date with peak daily mean TDG. Logistic regression
models indicated that the probability of observing GBT
was affected by TDG exposure, temperature, and species, but not length. We suggest that species-specificbehavior and habitat composition in the sampled area
were factors in our observations. We advocate thatfisheries managers use a similar process to develop
site- and species-specific GBT probability curves where
elevated TDG is an issue. These site-specific curves canhelp managers evaluate the potential for populationlevel effects to fisheries and need for TDG reduction
or mitigation actions.

with the lowest proportions of intersex fish. Given thehigh feminization rates observed in 2020, along withthe successful sex marker development, Brown Trout
are perhaps the next candidate for YY Male broodstock development and field evaluation, pending FDA
approval.
Elizabeth R. J. M. Mamer, erjmmresearch@gmail.com

Paul Kusnierz, paul.kusnierz@avistacorp.com

5:00 PM				Sex Reversal of Brown Trout Exposed to Differing
Estradiol Treatments
Brown Trout are considered one of the 100 worst
invasive species worldwide, and manual suppression
efforts are difficult and often ineffective. The species
thus represents a good prospect for employment of
the YY Male approach. During November 2019, a sex
reversal trial using Estradiol-17β (E2) on swim-up Brown
Trout was initiated at the Colorado Fish Research
Hatchery (COFRH), Bellvue, Colorado. Fish were fed E2
top-coated feed at 20 mg/kg for either 30 or 60 days,
beginning at first feeding. At 355 DPH, the sex ratio in
the Control group was 48.5% female, virtually identical to that in the 30 d exposure group (50%), while the
60 d exposure group was 74.3% female, a statisticallysignificant difference versus Controls. A follow-up trial
was initiated at COFRH in Fall 2020 with the primary
intent of improving observed female proportions andreducing intersex frequency by increasing E2 exposure duration. Based on input from Novaeel Inc. wealso evaluated whether a lower E2 dosage (10mg/kg), when combined with longer treatment duration,
would improve female proportions, and thus be more
acceptable in the FDA approval process. In the 2020
trials, the longest duration exposure (120 days) at both
20 and 30mg/kg E2 resulted in the highest ratios ofphenotypic females (96.5 - 93.5% respectively) along

Josh Williams, WDFW

100

Pinniped Interactions
Moderator: Kylie DaCunha

Back to Guide

Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 3:00 PM

Symposium Abstract
Seals and sea lions (collectively known as pinnipeds) play a large role in our marine and aquatic ecosystems,
acting as predator and prey for various species. Though populations were once severely depleted due to humanimpact, numbers seem to have increased in the past two decades. Given that these animals are sheltered under
the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), negative interactions between humans and pinnipeds are avoided
whenever possible. However, this becomes challenging in instances such as: where pinnipeds predate on
threatened/endangered fish populations particularly at passage “bottlenecks” in riverine environments, when
they are caught as bycatch during fisheries operations, or when they damage aquaculture facilities leading
to escapements and loss of profit. The purpose of this symposium is to identify the best available research
quantifying such interactions, connect those interested in the topic, and gather solutions that prevent human/
pinniped conflict.

1:40 PM			Participatory modeling to evaluate pinniped management
as a tool for salmon recovery in Puget Sound
Despite huge investments in salmon recovery by state,federal, and tribal entities, Puget Sound salmon stocks
haven’t significantly recovered. Pinniped predation on
salmonids has been documented at most large rivermouths in the Puget Sound and has been linked toreduced salmon survival. Myriad management strategies
have aimed to reduce pinniped predation, including
non-lethal deterrents, capture of problem individuals,
and lethal removals. Uncertainty about the potential
repercussions from large scale lethal removal programs(like culls) has thus far prevented broad implementation.
Pinniped harvest by tribes with treaty rights in Puget
Sound could be an effective management structure
for balancing these complicated considerations andoperating within existing legal and political frameworks.
We are creating models to identify the characteristicsof tribal pinniped harvest strategies that have thegreatest positive impact on the survival of
returning
salmon through migration bottlenecks(“gauntlets”). Pinniped predation will
be modeled through a combinationof agent-based and equationbased components torepresent
2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

different aspects of pinniped behavior, foraging decisions,fear conditioning, individual learning, and social
contagion. Using these models of pinniped dynamics
at gauntlets, we will simulate pinniped harvest regimes
and evaluate the number of salmon who migrate beyond
the gauntlet to safety and are therefore available toupriver fishery harvest, hatchery operations, predatorsand scavengers, and natural spawning opportunities.
The results from this study will be used by our partners
in tribal resource management agencies to structure
pinniped management in their Usual & Accustomed areasand identify data gaps for future monitoring efforts.
Liz Allyn, liz.allyn@makah.com

2:00 PM				
Columbia River pinniped predation:
A summary of information gained from a decade-longstudy
Thirteen Columbia River salmon and steelhead ESU(evolutionarily significant unit) or DPS (distinct population segment) are currently listed as threatened or
endangered under the Endangered Species Act andpinniped predation has been identified as having a negative impact on their recovery.
Efforts to estimate pinniped predation rates on101

Pinnipeds (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 3:00 PM
Columbia River (CR) salmon and steelhead have beenongoing for decades and yet we have barely scratched
the surface with respect to understanding the dynamics
of pinniped/salmonid interactions. NOAA Fisheries initiated a study in 2010 to measure survival of adult spring-run
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) through thelower CR and estuary. Over the next nine years, researchers
implanted adult salmon with Passive Integrated Transponder(PIT) tags as they arrived within the estuary and estimatedtheir survival to Bonneville Dam (Rkm 234). Based on PIT tag
detections within the fish ladders at Bonneville, an estimated 51,751 – 224,705 salmon died annually within the study
reach from sources other than harvest. Mixed-effects logistic regression modelling identified pinniped predation as themost likely source of this mortality. During 2016-2018, VHF
transmitters were implanted into a representative portionof the PIT-tagged group in order to estimate reach level survival within the lower CR and to identify predation hot spots.
During 2016 and 2017, VHF transmitters were also attached
to California Sea lions in order to monitor their behavior andmovement between Bonneville Dam and the CR estuary.
This talk will summarize the information gained from thesestudies.
A. Michelle Wargo Rub, michelle.rub@noaa.gov

2:20 PM				
Long-term Tracking of California Sea Lions Using Flippermounted SPOT Tags
Tracking movements and distribution of migratory marine
predators is critical to understanding their role in coastal
ecosystems and their potential impacts to prey species ofconcern. Male California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), for example, undertake annual migrations from theirbreeding areas in southern California and Mexico to coastal
areas of the northeastern Pacific, where they are important
predators on fish and cephalopods, including salmon stocksof conservation concern. While overall dispersal patterns
have been broadly characterized using short-term satellite tag deployments and resighting of marked individuals,
long-term tracking of individual movement patterns hasremained an important knowledge gap for this species. In
August 2023, researchers from Washington Departmentof Fish and Wildlife and Oregon Department of Fish andWildlife captured 24 male California sea lions in Astoria,
Oregon, and attached flipper-mounted Argos SPOT 371-B
tags from Wildlife Computers, Inc., to track their movements and habitat use. Three separate tag programs wereused to balance frequency of tag check-ins with overall

deployment lengths, which is limited primarily by battery lifeof the tags. Overall tag performance, lifespan, and quality oflocation data will remain unknown until the tags’ batteries
have been depleted; however, estimated tag lifespan for thebest performing of these tag programs is currently around
two years and preliminary results are providing valuable
insight into individual- and population-level movements ofmale California sea lions.
Sarah Colosimo, Sarah.Colosimo@dfw.wa.gov

2:40 PM				
Lower River and Estuary Pinniped Monitoring Program
The concurrent decline in productivity of many Pacificsalmon stocks and increase in abundance of pinnipeds
along the west coast of North America has many pointing
to predation as a leading cause for salmon declines.
Despite a recent increase in the study of pinniped-salmon
interactions, their role in the decline of Pacific salmon
remains hotly debated. While salmon make up a relatively
small proportion of pinniped diets, that proportion is higher
in seals residing in estuaries. In addition, seals have been
observed utilizing anthropogenic and natural pinch points
in estuaries and lower rivers to forage, impacting salmon
migrations and survival. Understanding the activities andabundances of pinnipeds in lower river and estuarine
environments and developing quantitative methods ofassessment is essential in understanding their impact onout-migrating and returning Chinook (Oncorhynchus
tshawytscha) and Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).
The Bottlenecks to Survival Program, a partnership between
the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the British Columbia
Conservation Foundation, is working in collaboration withlocal First Nation partners to design and implement a lower
river and estuary monitoring program. The objective is todevelop fine-scale spatial-temporal pinniped abundance
data. This, in conjunction with the Bottlenecks PIT-tagged
based migration detections of Chinook and Coho Salmon,
may provide high-quality data on ecological interactions.
Collectively, this work will greatly expand our understandingof pinniped utilization of these environments, which will
help inform Chinook and Coho Salmon survival estimates,
catalyze strategies to increase productivity, support First
Nations-led resource management, and leave a legacy oflong-term, effective assessment approaches.

Sam James, sjames@psf.ca

102Northern Pikeminnow and Non-Native Predator Fishes
in Anadromous Waters
Moderator: Marika Dobos

Back to Guide

Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM

Symposium Abstract
Numerous factors have influenced the decline of salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest andpiscivorous predators are one of those contributing factors. The first known intentional stocking eventof Smallmouth Bass, Micropterus dolomieu in the Columbia River system was in 1923 in Oregon. Illegal
introductions of Walleye, Sander vitreus in the Columbia River system was suspected to have occurredsomewhere between the 1940s and the 1950s in Banks Lake and/or Lake Roosevelt in Washington. Currently,
Smallmouth Bass and Walleye have extended their distribution in the Columbia and Snake river basins andtrends of abundance continue to rise. Additionally, hydrosystem dams have created habitats that favor native
Northern Pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus oregonesis that specialize in eating juvenile salmonids. This symposium
is intended to bring awareness about the spread of non-native predators in the Columbia River basin andhow that might affect ESA-listed salmonids if they continue to widen their distribution in key rearing areasof juvenile salmonids. The symposium will also highlight current management actions and research on
piscivorous fish that could aid with developing plans for managing non-native predator fishes in anadromous
waters.

8:00 AM				
Population dynamics of Walleye in Lake Roosevelt
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife,
in cooperation with the Colville and Spokane tribes,
have conducted Fall Walleye Index Netting in Lake
Roosevelt since 2002. The objective of the study is
to gather long-term trend data on abundance, age,
growth, condition, sex ratio, and age at maturity tobetter understand the Walleye population throughtime. Our specific goals for this investigation were to(1) characterize trends in abundance, size and age atmaturity, (2) calculate rates of survival and mortality,and (3) evaluate exploitation rates across age groups
using existing creel data. Year class strength was highlyvariable over the study period, with more frequent year
classes beginning in 2014 and the highest abundance
recorded in 2018. The abundance of young fish (1-3 years
old), comprising most of the population,varieddependent on year class size andfrequency. Catch rates of larger
Walleye (>22 inches) showeda significant, decreasing
trend,

suggesting that angler harvest is depressing numbersof large Walleye. The age of maturity of males andfemales decreased significantly over the study period,
highlighting a possible increase in reproductive
potential of the population. The results of this study
demonstrate the vulnerability of older Walleye with low
rates of recruitment, while highlighting the resiliencyof the Walleye population in Lake Roosevelt tooverharvest.
Danny Garrett, daniel.garrett@dfw.wa.gov

8:20 AM				
Comparison of Pectoral Fin Rays and Lapilli For
Estimating Age of Northern Pikeminnow
Northern Pikeminnow Ptychocheilus oregonensis is apiscivorous cyprinid native to western North America.
Northern Pikeminnow has been the focus of extensive
research efforts due to its predation of native sport
fishes. Various studies have described Northern
Pikeminnow diet and movement, however
one key knowledge gap is an ageing
structure comparison. Scales are

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
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Piscivory (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM
the most commonly used structure to estimate the ageof Northern Pikeminnow. However, ages estimated fromscales are often inaccurate. Thus, an investigation into
alternative ageing structures is warranted. Lapilli otoliths
have been used to successfully age a variety of otherostariophysian fishes. Lapilli otoliths were comparedto leading pectoral fin rays. In this study, we examined
pectoral fin rays and lapilli otoliths from 155 Northern
Pikeminnow captured in Lake Cascade, Idaho. Exact
percent-agreement of estimated ages between readers
was higher for pectoral fin rays (75.3%) than lapilli otoliths(50.0%), with coefficients of variation of 3.5 and 8.7
respectively. Readers also assigned a confidence rating(0-3) of age estimate accuracy to each structure. Readers
had higher confidence ratings for fin ray age estimates (1.6
± 0.57) than lapilli otolith estimates (1.1 ± 0.65). Between
structures there was an exact percent-agreement of
26.6%, but a within one year agreement of 80.6% anda coefficient of variation of 9.9. Furthermore, pectoral
fin rays were easier to process and age. Our findings
suggest that ages estimated from pectoral fin ray are
more accurate and easier to obtain. Results from our study
will help fisheries managers make informed Northern
Pikeminnow management decisions.
Caleb M. Wilson*, wils1139@vandals.uidaho.edu

8:40 AM				
Interannual and seasonal diet patterns of sympatric nonnative predatory fish inferred through DNA metabarcoding
Understanding diet patterns of non-native predator fish is
critical information for salmon recovery efforts. However,
our understanding of the interactions between multiple
non-native predator fish is limited. This is problematic
because multiple non-native predator fish often co-occur
in riverine systems along with native predators. To begin tounderstand joint effects of multiple sympatric non-native
predator fish, knowledge of how they interact is needed.
In this study, we quantify diets of sympatric non-native
Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus dolomieu), Rock Bass
(Ambloplites rupestris), Largemouth Bass (Micropterus

salmoides), and native Northern Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus
oregonensis) using DNA metabarcoding on stomach
contents in the Chehalis River, Washington. We sampledover 1,000 individual fish across two years and focused oursampling within each year during the sub yearling Chinook
salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) outmigration. In thistalk, we will describe and compare interannual and seasonal
diet patterns for each fish predator highlighting diet overlap
and partitioning among predators and specific prey items
driving variation in diets for each predator across temporalscales.
John Winkowski, Dr. Julian Olden
jjwink@uw.edu

9:00 AM				
Northern Pikeminnow and Non-Native Predator Fishes in
Anadromous Waters
Numerous factors have influenced the decline of salmon
and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest and piscivorous
predators are one of those contributing factors. The first
known intentional stocking event of Smallmouth Bass,
Micropterus dolomieu in the Columbia River system wasin 1923 in Oregon. Illegal introductions of Walleye, Sander
vitreus in the Columbia River system was suspected tohave occurred somewhere between the 1940s and the1950s in Banks Lake and/or Lake Roosevelt in Washington.
Currently, Smallmouth Bass and Walleye have extended
their distribution in the Columbia and Snake river basins
and trends of abundance continue to rise. Additionally,hydrosystem dams have created habitats that favor native
Northern Pikeminnow, Ptychocheilus oregonesis thatspecialize in eating juvenile salmonids. This symposium
is intended to bring awareness about the spread of nonnative predators in the Columbia River basin and how thatmight affect ESA-listed salmonids if they continue to widen
their distribution in key rearing areas of juvenile salmonids.
The symposium will also highlight current management
actions and research on piscivorous fish that could aid with
developing plans for managing non-native predator fishes
in anadromous waters.

Marika Dobos, marika.dobos@idfg.idaho.gov

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Piscivory (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM
9:20 AM				
Biological Trends for Three Piscine Predators During 33
Years of Reward Based Recreational Fisheries for Northern
Pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis)
The Northern Pikeminnow Management Program (NPMP),a multi-agency collaboration, has been reducing the total
population and size structure of Northern Pikeminnow
through a recreational reward fishery in the Columbia
and Snake rivers as salmonid predation mitigation for
the Federal Columbia River Power System, since 1990.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has beenmeasuring biological metrics for Northern Pikeminnow,
Walleye (Sander vitreus), and Smallmouth Bass (Micropterus
dolomieu) to evaluate the efficacy of NPMP and monitor
for a piscine predator compensatory response. Walleye andSmallmouth Bass are non-native to the NPMP fishery area sotracking biological metrics may provide some information
about changing piscine predator dynamics related to thefishery and in the context of ongoing ecological changes.
This study presents metrics from these piscine predators
across the broad spatial scale of NPMP from select areas in
the Columbia and Snake rivers. There were variable patterns
in an index of abundance for all three species though there
was a general declining trend for Northern Pikeminnow
in many areas. Paired with declining trends in an index
of abundance for Northern Pikeminnow were increasing
trends for Smallmouth Bass and Walleye, in some areas.
Additionally, Walleye were detected in this study for the firsttime above Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River in 2023.
Introduced, non-native piscine predators have the potential
to negatively impact ecosystems, thereby becoming‘invasive’. In a dynamic and highly modified system like theColumbia River Basin, long-term monitoring data can informmanagement decisions around piscine predation.
Grant Waltz, Art Martin
grant.t.waltz@odfw.oregon.gov

10:00 AM				
Insights from Recent Studies of Smallmouth Bass Predation
on Juvenile Fall Chinook Salmon in the Lower Snake River

Recent studies of Smallmouth Bass predation on subyearling
Fall Chinook Salmon in the Snake River demonstrate how
bass abundance, consumption rates, and consequently
Chinook loss, have changed in the last 20 years. From timeof the first studies in the 1990s, mean annual predation
loss of subyearlings increased more than 15-fold from1996–1997 to 2013–2015 in Lower Granite Reservoir, despite
lower contemporary bass abundances. Significant predation
occurs after hatchery releases, but its magnitude andduration vary by release location. Across the years 2013
to 2018, we estimated an average of 869,000 subyearlings
could be lost to bass predation each year between theupper reaches of Hells Canyon and Lower Granite Dam. To
provide a population-level context for this estimated loss,
we provide an illustration to show that up to 16.0% of thepotential returning adult run to Lower Granite Dam could
be increased had no subyearling predation by bass occurred
upstream of the dam. We also discuss how ancillary factors
such as alternative prey availability, hatchery releases,
predator-salmon habitat overlap, emigration timing, andenvironmental conditions such as turbidity can affectpredation rates and subyearling loss. Considering thesefactors in future studies will provide a more holistic view
salmonid predation and will provide context for interpreting
predation results.
Ken Tiffan, John Erhardt
ktiffan@usgs.gov

10:20 AM				A collaborative effort to control the spread of invasive
Northern Pike in the upper Columbia River Basin.
Northern Pike Esox lucius is an apex predator, not native
to the upper Columbia River Basin. They were first
documented at Lake Roosevelt in 2007 and became
established in the upper reaches of the reservoir by 2015.
Since their establishment, the Lake Roosevelt co-managers
have prioritized resources to control the spread of thisinvasive threat to the resident fishery in Lake Roosevelt

and anadromous fisheries downstream in the ColumbiaRiver. Collaborative suppression efforts have resulted
in the removal of more than 16,000 Northern Pikefrom Lake Roosevelt since 2015. Standardized gillnet
monitoring surveys have documented an 83% reduction
in reservoir wide catch-per-unit-effort from 2019 to 2023.

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Piscivory (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM
Public outreach efforts have garnered support forthe project and provided opportunities for anglers
to assist in removal effort through an angler reward
program that has resulted in the removal of morethan 3,500 Northern Pike. This three-pronged
approach of aggressive suppression, standardized
monitoring and research, and public outreach has
been a successful strategy for reducing abundance,
limiting downstream distribution, and informing
the public regarding the threat of Northern Pike toimportant fisheries.
Charles Lee, Holly McLellan, and Marc Terrazas
Charles.Lee@dfw.wa.gov

km. Nearly 10% of northern pikeminnow harvested
through the NPMP were captured in different
reservoirs (or river sections separated by dams) thanwhere they were initially tagged. Understanding
northern pikeminnow movement will inform the
exploitation rate calculation as one of the key
measures of NPMP success. As the NPMP evolves
over time, information on northern pikeminnow
movement may also inform future management
strategies.
Jessica Diallo, jodiallo@uw.edu

11:00 AM				
10:40 AM				Not all those who wander are lost: leveraging PIT
tag data to better understand northern pikeminnow
movement
Northern pikeminnow are native to the ColumbiaRiver, but their increased predation of juvenile
salmonids due to habitat modification has led tolong-term population control efforts. The Northern
Pikeminnow Management Program (NPMP) is atargeted harvest program, comprised primarily of asport reward fishery, that has been operating in the
Columbia and Lower Snake Rivers since 1991. As aresult of this sport reward fishery, over 5.5 million
piscivorous (≥ 200mm FL) northern pikeminnow
have been harvested for cash rewards. Each year data
are collected to monitor and evaluate the program.
Northern pikeminnow have been PIT tagged throughthe NPMP since 2003 to calculate the program’s
exploitation rate, with the goal of reducing the
population by 10-20%. The model used assumes
closed populations separated by dams and leads toan estimated annual reduction in predation. Afterbeing tagged, most northern pikeminnow are neverrecaptured, but their movement is passively tracked
by PIT tag antennas. We combined data from theColumbia Basin PIT Tag Information System (PTAGIS)
database with NPMP tagging and harvest data. Initial
results reveal that individuals traveled as far as 759

Food Habits and Growth of Walleyes in Lake Pend
Oreille, Idaho
Walleye Sander vitreus have been widely introduced
into western systems and have negatively affectedfish populations, particularly salmonids. Walleyes
were recently introduced to the Lake Pend Oreille(LPO) system, Idaho-Montana, which supports
robust populations of ecologically and recreationally
important salmonids. The goal of this study was toevaluate the effects of a Walleye population in the
LPO system. From 2020–2021, 1,157 Walleyes werecollected for stomach content and stable isotope
analysis (i.e., δ15N, δ13C). Kokanee was the prey item
most frequently consumed by Walleyes. We estimatedthat Walleyes consumed approximately 725,654
kokanee (95% CI = 245,581-1,648,271). Of the kokanee
observed in Walleye diets, ~22% were ≥ 200 mm (i.e.,
approximate minimum size of spawning kokanee
in LPO). Stable isotope analysis suggested that, as
Walleye aged, δ15N increased and δ13C decreased
indicating increased consumption of pelagic prey andprey at higher trophic positions. Kokanee abundance
was related to growth of Walleyes and explained
46% of the observed variation. In general, fastgrowing Walleyes (i.e., ≥75th percentile of growth)
had higher δ15N than slow-growing Walleyes (i.e., ≤25th percentile of growth). Similarly, δ13C was more
depleted in the fast-growing individuals for all age
classes, except age 1 suggesting that age-1 individuals

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Piscivory (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 11:40 AM
used higher proportions of littoral prey items relative
to other age classes. Our study shows the importanceof kokanee to Walleyes and provides further evidenceof the potential effects non-native Walleyes on
salmonid-dominated systems.
Susan Frawley, susie.frawley@idfg.idaho.gov

11:20 AM				
Suppression and Management of an Introduced
Walleye Population
Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has
taken an aggressive management stance to suppress
an illegal introduction Walleye population in thePend Oreille basin of northern Idaho. Monitoring
via Fall Walleye Index Netting (FWIN) began in 2011,and by 2017 our FWIN results indicated exponential
population growth was occurring. IDFG implemented
a suppression program the following year consistingof targeted commercially contracted gill netting,electrofishing, and incentivized angling with the goalof limiting the population’s reproductive capacity
and reducing adult walleye densities to at or below
2014 levels. These suppression methods complement
one another, with gill netting targeting sexuallymature fish (age >3), while incentivized angling ismost effective in removing immature fish (age <3).
Results of the 2023 FWIN survey indicate that thewalleye recruitment continues to be sporadic in
the system. Despite successful reduction of adult
Walleye abundances to pre-2014 levels, overall catchin 2023’s FWIN reached an all time high driven by highabundance of age 0 and age 2 walleye. This highlights
the importance of commitment to continued
suppression efforts, and establishing monitoring
trends that allows for reflexive management
actions which may need to be taken to limit further
population growth.
Eric Geisthardt, eric.geisthardt@idfg.idaho.gov

Josh Williams, WDFW

107

Salmon Run Predictions
Back to Guide

Organizer: Sean Simmons
Wednesday, May 1, 1:00 PM to 2:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
The Salmon Prize competition is a new initiative to spur discoveries about the mechanisms that drive salmon
survival by measuring how well individuals or teams can predict salmon returns. For this unique symposium,
presenters will be asked to present their 2024 predictions of salmon returns for any run of salmon whose return ismeasured by a recognized institution, such as the Pacific Salmon Commission or other public agency. Presenters
can be individuals or part of a team and presentations must include the following elements: (1) the model used
to make the prediction; (2) the list of variables used in the modeling process; (3) the theory of salmon survival
mechanisms that underpin the model; and (4) the independent source that will be used to measure the actual
number of returning salmon. Since this will be a competition with prizes as incentives, the first five abstracts
submitted will automatically receive $500 (USD) after they present their predictions at the conference. A grandprize of $1,000 (USD) will be awarded to the presenter(s) who most accurately predict the number of returning
salmon as measured in percent error. This prize will be awarded once all predicted salmon returns have beenmeasured and are available from the measuring agency, most likely in 2025. If you want to participate but cannot
accept a reward, you can dedicate your reward to a student scholarship. If anyone has any questions about theprocess, please contact the moderator, Sean Simmons, by email (sean@anglersatlas.com). Funding for the prize isfrom the Salmon Prize project (www.salmonprize.com).

1:00 PM			Introducing a Novel Stock-Specific Indicator of Salmon Survival in the Marine Environment
Brian J Burke

1:20 PM			Winter ichthyoplankton community composition and predicting Columbia River spring Chinook salmon adult returns for2024
Elizabeth A. Daly and Toby D. Auth

1:40 PM			
Assessing the Impacts of Environmental and Ecological Variables on the Performance of Fraser Sockeye Salmon Forecast
Yi Xu, Qi Liu, Caihong Fu, John Holmes

2:00 PM			
Incorporating marine climate indicators to predict Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus keta returns in south Puget Sound,
Washington
Matthew R. Bogaard*, Mickey Agha

108

Pacific Northwest Sockeye Salmon			
Moderator: Jeff Fryer

Back to Guide

Thursday, May 2, 10:00 AM to 11:40 AM

Symposium Abstract
Sockeye Salmon stocks in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia have been greatly impacted by humandevelopment of the region and are threatened by an expanding human population. In addition, these stocks,
being at the southern end of sockeye salmon range, are most vulnerable to climate change impacts. Despite
these challenges, some stocks have recently staged dramatic recoveries. For example, the 2022 Columbia
Basin run had more sockeye counted passing Bonneville Dam than any year since counting began when thatdam was completed in 1938 and the highest 7 counts have all been since 2011. Sockeye salmon restoration
efforts are currently under way in the Elwha and Skokomish basins in the Olympic Peninsula as well as theYakima and Deschutes basins of the Columbia Basin and proposed for Wallowa Lake and upstream of Grand
Coulee Dam. This symposium will focus on past, present, and possible future management actions to mitigate
human impacts. The question to be explored by this symposium is to what extent Pacific Northwest and British
Columbia sockeye have been affected from past and present management actions and whether these actions
will be sufficient for sockeye in the future.

10:00 AM				
Life-cycle model reveals sensitive life stages andevaluates recovery options for a dwindling sockeye
salmon population
Population models, using empirical survival rateestimates for different life stages, can help managers
explore whether various management options could
stabilize a declining population or restore it to former
levels of abundance. Here we used two decades of dataon five life stages of the population of sockeye salmon
in the Cedar River, WA to create and parameterize alife cycle model. This formerly large but unproductive
population is now in steep decline despite hatcheryenhancement. We gathered population-specificdata on survival during five stages: (1) egg to fry, (2)fry to presmolt, (3) presmolt to adult return fromthe ocean, (4) adult en route from theocean
to the spawning grounds, and (5)reproduction. We ground-truthed themodel to ensure its fit to the data,
and then we modified
survival andotherparameters during various stages to examine futurescenarios. Our analyses revealed that low survival ofjuveniles in Lake Washington (stage 2: averaging only
3% over the past 20 years), survival of adults returning
to freshwater to spawn (stage 4), and survival of adults
on spawning grounds to reproduce (stage 5) are likely
limiting factors. Combined increases in these stages
and others (specifically, the proportion of fish taken
into the hatchery to be spawned) might also recover
the population. As in other integrated hatcherypopulations, managers must weigh options relating
to balancing the fraction of natural- and hatcheryorigin fish, and our results showed that increasing
the fraction of fish taken into the hatchery alone
will not recover the population. Our model brings
together population-specific data to help managers
weigh conservation strategies and understand which
stages and habitats are most limiting and how muchsurvival must increase to achieve recovery targets. By
extension, our analyses also reveal the utility of suchmodels in other cases where stage-specific data are
available.
Neala Kendall, neala.kendall1@dfw.wa.gov

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

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Sockeye (cont.) Thursday, May 2, 10:00 AM to 11:40 AM
10:20 AM				
Bringing the salmon home – Evaluating the feasibility ofsockeye salmon reintroduction to historic habitat in the
Columbia River upstream of Grand Coulee Dam
The Canadian reaches of the Columbia River were once
home to at least three known sockeye salmon-rearinglakes. These sockeye were extirpated by the constructionof the Grand Coulee Dam, but once comprised a major
proportion of the sockeye salmon production in the
Columbia River. Due to the tremendous cultural damage
caused by the loss of salmon to the Indigenous Nationsof the Upper Columbia, efforts have been undertaken toevaluate the feasibility of salmon reintroduction to theregion. In the Canadian Reaches of the Upper ColumbiaRiver, these efforts have led to the formation ofBringing the Salmon Home: The Columbia River Salmon
Reintroduction Initiative. This is a tri-nation tribal
partnership of the Syilx Okanagan Nation, Secwépemc
Nation, and the Ktunaxa Nation, along with the Provinceof British Columbia and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Through this initiative, we hope to answer key questions
surrounding reintroduction feasibility, including: (1) Do
juvenile sockeye salmon survive their migration throughthe Columbia River from upstream of Grand CouleeDam, and (2) How will adult sockeye salmon behave
upon reintroduction to altered historic habitats. Here,we will present the preliminary results from pilot studies
led by the Okanagan Nation Alliance (ONA) performing
small-scale releases of PIT-tagged sockeye fry and a
Bringing the Salmon Home-led study evaluating adult
Chinook salmon behaviour in the Upper Columbia River.
We will also outline the ongoing studies to continue
evaluating the feasibility of reintroducing sockeye
salmon to the Upper Columbia.
Patrick Zubick, pzubick@syilx.org

10:40 AM				
Snake River Sockeye Salmon Captive Broodstockand Springfield Hatchery Smolt Program: a 10-year
perspective

Snake River Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
were listed as endangered in 1991. Due to extremely
low anadromous returns (<10 fish/year) and only
one remaining extant population, a collaboration ofstate, tribal, and federal managers initiated a captive
broodstock program to prevent the extinction of thisecologically significant unit (ESU) and rebuild the
populations within it. Increased abundance in the
Stanley Basin natal lakes has been guided by adaptive
management employing a variety of adult and juvenile
reintroduction strategies, and rigorous monitoring.
Evaluations of the abundance and survival data identified
two strategies that produce the highest anadromous
returns: 1) release of captive and anadromous adults
to spawn in natal lakes, and 2) release of smolts tomigrate to the ocean. Natural spawning of captive
and anadromous adult releases to volitionally spawn
produces the greatest benefits in terms of smolt-toadult return rate (SAR) while releasing hatchery smolts
maximized the number of recruits per spawner (R/S).
This presentation highlights the implementation,
challenges, and successes using these multiple
strategies over the past 10-years to preserve this ESU.
Eric Johnson, Dan Baker, Chris Tatara, Kurt Tardy, andDavid Vendittieric.johnson@idfg.idaho.gov

11:00 AM				
40 years of Sockeye Salmon Research at Bonneville Dam
2024 marks the 40th year that the Columbia RiverInter-Tribal Fish Commission has been conducting
Sockeye Salmon research at Bonneville Dam on the
Columbia River. What started as a single day of samplingscales and lengths of Sockeye salmon has evolved into
a program that samples 5 days a week for not only
Sockeye, but also steelhead and Chinook salmon andalso includes sampling of genetics material, PIT tagging,as well as information on condition. This presentation
will focus on Sockeye, how the program has expanded,and some of what has been learned over the past 40
years.
Jeff Fryer, fryj@critfc.org

110The Salmon Prize: Sockeye International

Competition

Moderator: Sean Simmons

Back to Guide

Thursday, May 2, 8:00 AM to 9:40 AM
Many Salmon stocks are facing imminent collapse, and we don’t yet understand themechanisms that are driving these changes in survival. The Salmon Prize is designed toaddress this challenge by recruiting teams of scientists to see who can best predict the
number of returning fish. Through this competition, hypotheses and models will be tested
against real return numbers to see which methods most accurately predict the returns. The
goal is to begin teasing out the mechanisms that are driving Salmon survival by looking
at the hypotheses, models and covariates that are used in the best predictions. Sockeye
International is our third competition with $5,000 up for grabs. It is being kicked off at
the Washington-BC-Idaho AFS conference in Spokane April 29 to May 2. Interested teams
will need to predict the 2024 Sockeye returns across 14 distinct runs covering three major
systems — Bristol Bay, the Fraser River and the Columbia River. If you have what it takes,
sign up at www. SalmonPrize.com and submit your predictions by June 15, 2024. The first
five teams to complete their submission will win $200 each. For more information, pleasecontact Sean Simmons by email (sean@anglersatlas.com).

IDFG

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

111

Everything Sturgeon
Moderator: Daniel Deng

Back to Guide

Tuesday, April 30, 3:40 PM to 5:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
This symposium covers anything sturgeon, and features a range of talks covering population dynamics,
estimation of age and growth, translocation, supporting a sport fishery and behavioral responses to riverdischarge and water temperature.

3:40 PM			Population dynamics of white sturgeon in the upper
Snake River, Idaho: evaluation of management
options for a harvest fishery
White Sturgeon ¬Acipencer transmontanus
is important recreationally and economicallythroughout its distribution. In Idaho, managers haveincreased opportunity for anglers to target an iconic
species through a stocking program where the Idaho
Department of Fish and Game has established apopulation upstream of Shoshone Falls, outside its
native distribution. From Minidoka Dam upstream
to Upper Idaho Falls Dam, around 7,650 White
Sturgeon have been stocked since 1990. Increased
participation in the fishery by anglers and guides
have prompted a thorough investigation of White
Sturgeon in the upper Snake River. Informationon the population dynamics and demographics
is necessary for effective management; thus, thisproject aims to describe the distribution, abundance,
age structure, and growth rate in the upper Snake
River system. In total, 340 individual White Sturgeon
were captured with 181 recaptures between 2022 and2023. Individuals were captured, using angling andsetlines, throughout the study area and varied in size
from 54–205 cm FL. The mean relative weight for
captures was 105.3 (SD = 14.4) suggesting relatively
high body condition. Capture histories from 261
known-age White Sturgeon were used to inform age
and growth analysis and movement
trends.
Information from this investigation
will provide important insight on
the ecology of White Sturgeon
and can be used to guidemanagement
decisionsregarding a harvest fishery.
Donavan K. Maude, dmaude@uidaho.edu

4:00 PM				
Validation of techniques for estimating the age andgrowth of known-age White Sturgeon
Successful conservation and management of fishes
requires an understanding of their age and growth.
However, methods for estimating the age and growthof long-lived fish species are difficult to validate.
The mark-recapture history information for White
Sturgeon in the Kootenai River allowed the verification and validation of fin rays for age and growth
analysis. Age was estimated from pectoral fin rays ofknown-age White Sturgeon (n = 162) to evaluate ageing accuracy and precision. Back-calculated lengths
were calculated using four models and measurements
obtained from two measurement transects (i.e., lateral, posterior). Between-reader agreement of White
Sturgeon ages was 58.7%. Consensus age agreementwith known ages was poor (30.7%) and decreased
with age. The Fraser-Lee model provided the lowest
root mean square error and percent error of the fourback-calculation models. Estimates of mean backcalculated lengths at age derived from the Fraser-Leemodel were similar between the two measurementtransects. Ageing of White Sturgeon using fin rays wasunreliable and accuracy decreased with fish age. Backcalculated lengths at age were accurate using measurements from fin rays of known-age fish. Length
estimates from the two measurement transects weresimilar when using the Fraser-Lee method and may be
used interchangeably.
Courtnie Ghere, cghere@uidaho.edu

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

112

Sturgeon (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 3:40 PM to 5:20 PM
4:20 PM				

4:40 PM				

Failing to Thrive – Can translocation help rebuild
White Sturgeon populations?

An evaluation of the White Sturgeon population andsport fishery at C.J. Strike Reservoir in response to anacute, localized mortality event

Snake River White Sturgeon (WS) residing between
Hells Canyon Dam and Lower Granite Dam are one oftwo population segments in Idaho that are relatively
stable and self-sustaining. However, WS in the freeflowing section have extremely slow juvenile growth
rates and are pinched in a 50-80 cm fork length (FL)bottleneck that may take decades, if ever, to outgrow.
Conversely, WS residing in Lower Granite Reservoir(LGR) exhibit much faster growth rates, surpassing
the upriver bottleneck at just 3-4 years of age. From
2021 to 2023, resource managers and Idaho Power
Company moved 212 juvenile-size WS from highdensity areas in the free-flowing river downstream
to LGR to assess if translocation provides resource
managers with a WS management tool to overcome
growth bottlenecks, reshape stock structures, andincrease spawning potential. In 2021, a subset (n=42)
received an acoustic tag and passive telemetry
monitored gross movement in LGR. Preliminary data
indicate a minimum of 16 (38%) acoustic-tagged
WS entrained downstream past Lower Granite Damand a few potentially moved upstream to the freeflowing river. Two translocated WS were recaptured in
LGR and demonstrated the tremendous WS growthpotential that exists in LGR (19.1 and 22.4 cm FL/year).
Furthermore, population sampling during 2024-2025
will hopefully provide a comprehensive assessment of
movement and growth metrics. This information will
help managers understand whether the loss of translocated fish from this population through entrainment can be offset by their increased growth rates
and be used as a strategy to increase the WS spawning potential.
Jacob Hughes, jhughes@idahopower.com

White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus areendemic to several large river systems throughout
western North America and are among the world’s
largest and oldest freshwater fish species. Throughout
their range, White Sturgeon have experienced
population declines in response to anthropogenic
stressors such as water development and overfishing.
The Middle Snake River in Idaho has supported acatch-and-release White Sturgeon sport fisherysince 1971, but angling effort at C.J. Strike Reservoir
has increased considerably in recent years. During
summer 2022, approximately 30 wild adult sturgeon
carcasses were recovered in C.J. Stike Reservoir withina matter of weeks, resulting in an inaugural temporary
closure of the sport fishery. Mortalities occurredin an area of the reservoir where seasonal changes
in water temperature and dissolved oxygen may
approach or exceed known tolerance limits for White
Sturgeon. Angling mortality was also implicated due
to angler complaints and social media posts. In 2023,
a comprehensive evaluation of the White Sturgeon
fishery at C.J. Strike Reservoir was implemented toquantify angler catch and effort, and to characterize
patterns associated with the use of fish-finding
sonar. Weekly carcass surveys occurred throughout
the study to elucidate interactions associated with
angler effort, angler catch, and reservoir conditions.
Additionally, a long-term acoustic telemetry study was
initiated to characterize in-reservoir movements andmicrohabitat use (e.g., water temperature, depth) oftagged White Sturgeon. Results from this evaluation
will serve to benefit the conservation of this trophy
fish species and inform future management actions
related to the catch-and-release sport fishery at C.J.
Strike Reservoir.
Philip Branigan, phil.branigan@idfg.idaho.gov

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Sturgeon (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 3:40 PM to 5:20 PM
5:00 PM				
15 Years of Shovelnose Sturgeon Monitoring in the
Missouri River, Montana: River Discharge and Water
Temperature Cue Different Stages of Movement
Including Tributary EntranceDams alter hydrologic and temperature patterns thatcue Shovelnose Sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus) movements and spawning. We used radio
telemetry to collect 16,000 location observations of
198 Shovelnose Sturgeon over 15 years and related
these to discharges and water temperatures in the
Missouri and Marias (a major spawning tributary) rivers
in Montana. Most female fish made potential spawning movements triennially, but possibly also biennially.
Fish moved from spring to late summer and staged at
known spawning areas until temperatures maximized
embryonic survival or discharges maximized drift distances, but these climactic factors were in oppositionand varied annually. Differences between annual peak
and previous baseflow discharges and between Marias
and Missouri river temperatures were strong predictorsof movement and tributary occupation, respectively.
Discharge cued initial movements towards spawning areas (i.e., attraction flows) but temperature was astronger cue for initiating movements into tributaries
and mainstem spawning habitats (i.e., attraction temperatures). Movement rates peaked near annual mean
peak discharges whereas probabilities of movement
continued to increase with increasing discharges. Many
fish did not occur in or enter tributaries in certain years
suggesting that spawning may have occurred in mainstream habitats or that suitable habitats are limited intributaries. Chronic dewatering of a historically important spawning tributary (the Teton River) decreased
and degraded accessible spawning, recruitment, andforaging habitat. Water management that incorporates
potential effects of climate change could support thepersistence of this population and those of other species in the Missouri River in Montana.
Brian Tornabene, brian.tornabene@gmail.com

Whooshh Innovations, Inc.
(Not a sturgeon. Still super cool.)114

Technological tools and fisheries science techniques: adaptations, evolutions, and advancements in fish monitoring and selective passage
Moderators: Janine Bryan and Alexa Ballinger

Back to Guide

Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
With climate change, declining anadromous fish populations, and increasing numbers of opportunistic nonnative fish species challenging the watershed ecosystems, there is need for improvement in how we measure,and which fish species are allowed passage. The process of monitoring and managing ESA-listed anadromous
fish is time consuming and expensive. Effort and costs towards monitoring salmon and steelhead need tobe evaluated to ensure recovery and management goals are met effectively. Understanding the issues fromthe fish perspective, hydraulic perspective, economic perspective, ease of use perspective, and regulatory
perspective are all important aspects and considerations to be addressed within the technology development
space. Any seasoned biologist will tell you that a polished, effective technique requires troubleshooting andoften adjustment to original sampling design, equipment, methods, or analyses. The opportunities, however,to learn about, test, and adopt new technologies and techniques as they are being developed, commercialized
and/or adaptively evolve in practice, are not always easy to come by. We can learn from mechanistic evolution
and ultimately save time, money, and potentially, fish lives. This symposium serves as space for sharing
adaptations, advancements in technological tools, development of new devices and an opportunity toarticulate future aspirations in fish monitoring and selctive passage.

8:00 AM				
Juvenile Anadromous Fish Utilization of Side Channels
in the Lemhi River, Idaho
Historical human activities such as channelization,
irrigation diversion developments, and floodplain
alterations have contributed to declining stocks ofwild anadromous fish. The future of endangeredanadromous fish may depend on efforts to restore andenhance the stream habitats in their native spawningand rearing areas. The goals of this study are to evaluate
movements and behavior of juvenile Chinook salmon
and steelhead trout in relation to restoration efforts
and side channel utilization. The study area is foundon the Lemhi River in east-central Idaho. This study
encompasses three side channel complexes within
a 4km segment of the Lemhi River. These three sidechannel complexes consist of two post restoration sidechannel complexes and one pre-restoration channel.
This study examines 1) the proportion ofthese fish that use side channels, 2) the
extent of side channel use, do thesefish use the entirety of a sidechannel or justhead/tail, and 3) the residence time within sidechannels. Tracking of fish movement was accomplishedutilizing passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags
and PIT tag antenna infrastructure. This includes 18
corded antennas in the side channels and a single
channel spanning array on the main channel. To further
inform this study, detection data is available from 15
pre-existing PIT tag antenna sites in the Lemhi River
Basin. This study has shown that not all side channels
are created equal. Side channel usage varies between
species, between pre- and post-restoration channels,
and even between two side channel complexes within
the same restoration project.
Michael Hall, mike.hall1@merck.com

8:20 AM				
Modular, adaptive, mechanistic evolution of Whooshh
Technologies: How they Work
The challenges to efficient, effective, rapid and safe
fish passage are considerable and yet the need is great.
Developing innovative, advanced and adaptive fishpassage solutions to address both the common
and the unique fish passage specifications
and requirements represents the core2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

115

Technology (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:20 PM
technologies of Whooshh Innovations, Inc. Identifying
the issues, applying creative, at timely, “out of the box”
approaches, and demonstrating proof of operation are
fundamental to the Whooshh mission to Save the fish, Feedthe planet, Grow clean energy and Heal the environment.
As no fish passage barrier is like another, as each fish species
has specific swim abilities and passage needs, and as barriers
have impacted ecosystem composition and balance, the needfor modular and adaptive technologies to provide selective
fish passage is the way to developing viable solutions. From
human assisted to volitional fish passage technologies,
Whooshh has developed a host of modular, adaptive,
efficient, effective, rapid and safe fish passage solutions. The
mechanistic evolution of these technologies, how they work,
their versatilities and their benefits, shall be discussed fromboth an engineering and a fish perspective.

incorrectly identified, all readers failed to identify thesame six fish due to poor image quality. We discoveredthat photograph quality and spot selection affected theaccuracy of identifying recaptures in the I3S system. If
standardization of photograph quality and spot selection
can be established, photo-identification could be a viable
alternative to traditional tagging and could be utilized infisheries management efforts.

Redwood Stephen, Cole Andrus, Janine Bryan, Marc
Bommarito, Leonardo Matamoros, Whitney Goodwin
redwood.stephens@whooshh.com

MarineSitu in collaboration with Four Peaks Environmental
Science and Data Solutions is developing a tool for
automating fish passage counting at hydroelectricfacilities in the Pacific Northwest. This tool is currently
deployed in 5 fish counting stations in Washington,
Oregon, and Idaho. Since March 2023 data collected atthese facilities has been used to develop a model training
dataset with over 100,000 images and multiple AI models
and model architectures have been evaluated against
manual fish counts. Performance evaluations performed
to date have shown accuracies within +/- 5% whencompared to hourly manual counts across seasonal andfacility variations. This presentation will provide a summaryof the current system architecture and performancealong with plans for continued development and future
deployments.

8:40 AM				
Utilizing the Spotting Patterns of Bull Trout to Identify
Individuals in Photo Identification Software
Organisms with unique spotting or marking patterns
can be identified using photo-identification software
as an alternative to traditional marking methods. In thisstudy we tested the potential of photo-identification
as an identification method for Bull Trout using I3SClassic, a program that utilizes natural markings to
identify individuals. To determine the ability to identify
individual Bull Trout from spotting patterns, we usedphotographs of Bull Trout captured in 2017-2019 by the
Idaho Department of Fish and Game at Fourth of July
Creek, Idaho. During weir operations, 132 unique Bull
Trout were sampled of which 34 fish were recaptured(n = 166 total captures). Using pictures of these fish, wecreated “spotting fingerprints” in the I3S system for eachfish and compared “fingerprints” to identify recaptures.
In a blind test, three readers were given the pictures
and tasked with creating fingerprints and determining
which fish were recaptures and which were not. The three
readers were each able to correctly identify 100% of the
fish that were not recaptured. For the recaptured fish,
the three readers were able to correctly identify 22 fish,
25 fish, and 26 fish of the 34 recaptured fish. Of the fish

Lonnie Parry-Gillis , sparry@wisc.edu

9:00 AM				
Automating Fish Passage Counting Using AI/ML

James Joslin and Sam Haffley
James@marinesitu.com

9:20 AM				
Metrics for Estimating Strike Injuries During Fish Passage
through Kaplan Turbines
Hydropower has been and will continue to play animportant role in producing clean and secure energy
worldwide. To make hydropower development andoperation more environmentally friendly, there is a criticalneed to predict absolute strike injury rates of turbinepassed fish accurately and cost-effectively.

116

Technology (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:20 PM
Accordingly, two velocity- and pressure-based strike
metrics were proposed to quantify the biological effectsof strikes/collisions between fish and rigid hydraulicobjects. Sensor Fish (SF) measurements and the live fish
48-hour survival rates from a study conducted at the Ice
Harbor Dam on the Snake River were used to establish athreshold for the two proposed metrics. These metrics
and thresholds were then applied to several other SF
studies conducted at three hydropower plants with
Kaplan turbines within the Columbia River basin. It was
found that the predicted results using the two proposed
strike metrics agree well with the live fish survival rates
reported in the literature. Additionally, the passage
regions that potentially have higher risks of fish mortality
due to strikes/collisions were identified. Overall, theproposed strike metrics have the potential to reduce
the use of live fish and associated costs in fish passage
studies.
Tao Huang, huang403@pnnl.gov

1:40 PM				
Technology modifications to extend application
potential: Eel to Pacific Lamprey
Anadromous Pacific lamprey face considerable
challenges as they attempt to navigate the ColumbiaRiver Basin. Dams represent significant obstacles as theylack optimized wet surfaces for lamprey to climb, andmany fish ladders have hydraulic jumps and/or watervelocities that are beyond the swim abilities of lamprey.
Columbia River Inter Tribal Fish Commission engaged
Whooshh Innovations to modify a novel floating trap
designed for juvenile eel capture, to accommodate adultPacific lamprey. The Elverator™ is a pontoon-supported
structure with wetted ramp surfaces that extend down
into the water which, floating, can be positioned where
the fish are likely to be found. The fish follow the flow
and climb up the ramps, at the top of which a rounded
apex causes the animals to slide into a chamber and betrapped. As Pacific lamprey return to spawn, they can
attach to smooth surfaces with their mouths and willoften do so to get past rapids and waterfalls as they
continue their upstream migration. They are capableof surviving for periods of time outside of the water.
Several groups have successfully shown that migrating

lamprey can ascend within a wetted 4” heavy duty PVC
fabric-reinforced hose (smooth tube). It is the goalof the project to produce a prototype floating Pacificlamprey collector that can be combined with a smoothtube to facilitate Pacific lamprey collection and passage.
The features and modifications of the Elverator™ tofloating Pacific lamprey collector will be presented.
Whitney Goodwin
Whitney.goodwin@whooshh.com

2:00 PM				Next-Generation Miniature Transmitter Development for
Fish Passage Monitoring
American shad is a migratory fish native to a large range
across the East Coast of the US. In many rivers where shadare present, they must pass upstream and downstreamof hydropower facilities multiple times to complete theirlife cycle. More than 100 US hydropower facilities will
have expiring FERC licenses over the next 10 years andare within the native range of American shad. As a partof the FERC hydropower license process, fish passage
and mitigation measures for American shad will beroutinely and rigorously reviewed by federal agencies andstakeholders. PNNL developed a new acoustic transmitterthat can be used to study the behavior and survival ofsensitive species such as juvenile American shad to informhydropower mitigation and species management. It is
8.0 mm in length and 2.0 mm in diameter, weighs 0.05
gram in air and 0.025 gram in water, and lasts about 30
days at 5-second ping rate. We are also evaluating thefeasibility of applying this technology to study delta smelt
in collaboration with University of California at Davisand ICF International. The ability to implant acoustic
transmitters and track the movements of species and life
stages of fish that have never been studied before at thislevel of detail would greatly advance our understanding offish migration timing and behaviors, habitat use, fishway
use and performance, and survival rates at hydropower
facilities – resulting in more informed management
decisions regarding new and existing hydroelectricfacilities.
Daniel Deng, zhiqun.deng@pnnl.gov

117

Technology (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:20 PM
2:20 PM				
Bottlenecks to Survival for Chinook, Coho, andSteelhead
Many populations of wild Chinook, Coho andSteelhead have experienced steep declines in the
Salish Sea. Considering the importance of these
iconic species, it is urgent that we increase ourunderstanding of the factors and mechanismsthat may be contributing to their declines. Thereis growing consensus that the first year of marine
life plays a key role in regulating productivity forjuvenile salmon, and that competition, predation,
and a changing environment all contribute to poor
salmon and Steelhead returns throughout the Salish
Sea. However, given the challenges of studying
anadromous species throughout their life cycles,
we have yet to fully understand where and whenbottlenecks to survival occur. Recent applicationof Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags on the
Cowichan River revealed critical periods of mortality
for Chinook salmon during the early marine period.
Further, the study found significantly lower survivalof hatchery Chinook salmon compared to wild. To
expand our understanding of survival bottlenecks
to other stocks and salmon species, the Bottlenecks
to Survival Program, a partnership between the
Pacific Salmon Foundation and British Columbia
Conservation Foundation, is establishing an extensive
marine and freshwater PIT tagging and monitoring
program across the east coast of Vancouver Island. In
addition, this infrastructure facilitates comparisons
between hatchery and wild survival, investigations
into freshwater survival, experimental hatcheryreleases, improved escapement estimates, refined
stock assessments, and more. Herein we provide an
overview of our methods and lessons learned fromthe first four years of the program.

2:40 PM				
Detection of Environmental DNA using CRISPR-Cas12
Technology
Environmental DNA (eDNA), DNA released from anorganism into the environment, is a non-intrusive tool
for monitoring species presence. Environmental DNA
is used widely for monitoring salmon recolonizationand migrations, but current methods require aquantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in a
lab to identify the presence or absence of a target
species. While streamside eDNA collection takes only
minutes, outsourced sample processing time may takeweeks to months. Thus, a rapid and field-deployable
eDNA detection system could save researchers
resources and time. We developed a CRISPR Cas12abased assay to detect the presence or absence of 10
salmon species’ mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). An
initial loop-mediated isothermal amplification method(LAMP) was developed to amplify a selective regionof all salmonid mtDNA. DNA presence is confirmed
by using the specific CRISPR “guide” RNA sequences
engineered to only identify the target species. Field
assays utilize a portable incubator to perform a
one-tube LAMP amplification followed by a CRISPR
digest, with results analyzed on a lateral flow strip
or with UV fluorescence. The assay was piloted on
eDNA samples collected from the Snake River and theSouth Fork Palouse River, and accurately identified
expected Chinook presence or absence. Further work
includes documenting presence of invasive brooktrout in a Puget Sound tributary, monitoring bull trout
in the Asotin Creek basin, documenting presence ofChinook salmon in a creek flowing through a U.S. Navy
facility, and sampling alpine streams in the Wallowa
mountains to detect presence of brook and bull trout.
Tholen Blasko, tholen.blasko@wsu.edu

Jamieson Atkinson, jatkinson@bccf.com

118

Technology (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:20 PM
3:00 PM				
Acoustic Telemetry Techniques and Applications forAssessing Juvenile Salmon Passage Behavior at PacificNorthwest Hydroelectric Facilities
Advancements in acoustic telemetry technologies
have increasingly offered valuable insight into the
behavior of out-migrating juvenile salmon aroundhydroelectric facilities in the Pacific Northwest.
Conducting acoustic telemetry studies requires
complex field logistics, yielding large datasetsthat can fill knowledge gaps surrounding passage
dynamics when appropriately analyzed. This
presentation provides a comprehensive overview
of the methodology applied to an example study,
including details on the instrumentation, deployment
configurations, data processing, and determining
the route of passage through a hydroelectric project.
Specific focus is placed on introducing field methods
and data processing techniques to inspire future
innovative applications of acoustic telemetry for fish
behavior studies.
Drew Stang, dstang31@outlook.com

3:40 PM				
Effectiveness of Tools used to Evaluate Bull Trout
Capture at the Cabinet Gorge Dam Fish Passage
Facility
For native salmonids in fragmented systems,
successful upstream passage often warrants trapping
efforts downstream of hydropower facilities. A robust
monitoring and evaluation plan can greatly enhance
the performance of such trapping, but requires
the appropriate tools to accurately monitor trap
performance. We evaluated the accuracy of tools
used to quantify Bull Trout attraction, retention, andbiomass at the Cabinet Gorge Dam Fish Passage
Facility (CGFPF) on the lower Clark Fork River,Idaho. We used many types of passive integrated
transponder (PIT) antennas and a Vaki Riverwatcher(Vaki) fish counter to quantify these metrics during2023 operations. We also utilized underwater
camera technology and fish capture data to assess
accuracy of these tools. The Vaki estimated daily fishbiomass fairly accurately, but tended to overestimate
compared to actual captured biomass. Detections
at PIT antennas provided a baseline estimate of Bull
Trout attraction to the CGFPF. Paired with capture
data, PIT detections also provided an estimateof Bull Trout retention. We did not evaluate theaccuracy of these estimates with camera technology
however, due to extensive video processing timeand harsh environmental conditions that limited
the technology’s application. Camera technology
did provide key anecdotal insight on fish behavior
and escapement at the trap, which helped explain
inaccuracies in the estimated metrics produced
from other tools. Our results highlight the trade-offs
associated with various monitoring tools. Using a suiteof tools to evaluate trap performance is prudent to
get an accurate understanding of fish behavior andpotential trap inefficiencies.
Tyler Zumwalt, Shana Bernall
tyler.zumwalt@avistacorp.com

4:00 PM				
Low head, bidirectional, self-energy generating,continuous passage technology
An innovative, cost-effective, fish passage technologythat allows for both upstream and downstream
volitional low-head passage of multiple species, isgreatly needed. The FishLock technology is basedon a patented hydraulic interconnection of two lockchambers operated in opposite directions. The basic
operational principles are simultaneous, continuous
upstream and downstream fish passage via theinterconnected interplay of programmed slide gate
openings and closings the two oppositely oriented
bypass chamber locks. This design minimizes theintermittent operational interruptions of conventionalfish locks and lifts. A pipe bend connects the chambers
and a turbine which regulates flow and water exchange
between the two chambers, in addition to having thepotential to produce a small amount of hydropower toself-support its operation. The fish path, however, is

119Technology (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:20 PM
restricted to the single chamber a fish volitionally enters.
By modulating the flow, a downstream-reaching attraction
outflow is created that encourages upstream migratingfish to enter, while not overwhelming the swim ability of
the fish. At the same time, the upstream gate-opened
chamber enables a downstream flow pull attracting
downstream migrating fish to volitionally enter the open
bypass chamber. The floors of the bypass chambers aredesigned with a rough nature-like bottom insert, creating
variable low flow pockets to facilitate passage of fish witha range of swim abilities. This technology is modular,
economical, and ideally designed to address the needs oflow dead dam, remote barriers and culvert fish passage.
Mike Messina, Redwood Stephens, Janine Bryan
Mike.messina@whooshh.com

4:20 PM				
Using visual recognition technology to automate sonarcounts of salmonids returning to spawn
Sonar imagery is being used at many locations
throughout the U.S. West Coast, Canada, and Alaska tocount and measure the number of salmon returning tospawn. Sonar has many advantages but is dependent
on manual review of the imagery filmed. As a result,
it is expensive, and deployment is constrained by thecost. What if the imagery could instead be reviewed
automatically using the latest in visual recognition andartificial intelligence technology? A team representing
Caltech. MIT and UMass, in collaboration with ADFG,
NMFS, and CDFG, has developed a prototype systemthat automatically counts salmon as they migrate
upstream to spawn on the Kenai River in Alaska. Our
prototype has been shown to come within 10% of
human estimates, determined by our collaborators to be
acceptable performance for deployment and use. Our
system is based on combining three technologies: (a)Sonar camera imaging, (b) Computer vision and machinelearning techniques training accurate algorithms tointerpret sonar video and detect, track and count fish
automatically, and (c) Cloud computing, to collect andannotate an immense body of video from multiple
sources to train and test our algorithms, deliver our
technology to users through browser interfaces, anddeliver trained models to edge or cloud devices that are
installed near the cameras in the field for inexpensive

real-time computing. To efficiently expand our system
to cover salmon rivers on a region-wide basis, we are
breaking new ground with a goal of making the computermodels generalizable and self-training.
Eric Young, skagitsalmon@gmail.com

4:40 PM				Use of an Acoustic Telemetry Pressure Tag to Evaluate
Behavior and Approach Depth of Juvenile Salmonids at
Yale Dam
In order to design a successful fish passage facility, it
is important to understand how juvenile salmonids
approach and explore the dam forebay. Fish approach
depth is an understudied aspect of this behavior. We
utilized a pressure-sensitive acoustic telemetry tag toprovide additional information for the passage facility
that PacifiCorp is designing for downstream passage
of juvenile salmonids at Yale Dam on the Lewis River,
WA. During the 2023 outmigration, juvenile Chinook
Salmon, Coho Salmon, and steelhead were implanted withacoustic transmitters, including a subset implanted with
an Advanced Telemetry Systems SS300P pressure tag to
track the depth of the tagged fish as they moved throughand explored the forebay region of the dam. Tags were
found to be accurate to within several centimeters. Studyfish implanted with pressure tags approached and spent
most of their time within the forebay near the surface. For
all three species, more than 95% of all detections were
within 20 feet of the surface, and half within 6 feet. Bothmedian swimming and maximum sounding depths weregreatest among juvenile Chinook, although sounding
behavior was also observed among juvenile Coho andsteelhead. Most study fish sounded to depths greaterthan 25 feet, and some dove to 100 feet or more, which
likely reflected attempts to seek passage through Yale
Dam. This information will be combined with ongoing
Computational Fluid Dynamic modeling efforts to help
determine the location, orientation, and operational
regime of the future downstream collection facility.
Leah Nagel, lnagel@fourpeaksenv.com

120

Technology (cont.) Wednesday, May 1, 8:00 AM to 5:20 PM
5:00 PM				
Local hydraulics influence habitat selection andswimming behavior in adult California Central Valley
Chinook salmon at a large river confluence
Migratory habitat selection in adult anadromous
salmonids occurs in response to a combination ofphysical, chemical, and biological cues. Migratory
behavioral responses to localized hydraulics are notwell understood and hydraulic flow features can beparticularly complex at confluence junctions. In somecases, confluence hydraulics may play a partial role inmigratory routing, with implications for population
structure and potential hybridization. Our study
investigated two questions about such confluences:(1) Can patterns in migratory microhabitat selection
or migratory swimming behavior in adult Chinook
salmon be attributed to micro-scale hydraulicconditions driven by discharge magnitude and ratio
at a confluence? (2) What is the relative influenceof selectivity for hydraulic conditions compared totemperature and/or turbidity in micro-scale habitat
selection or migratory swimming behavior at aconfluence? A fall 2019 migration of Chinook salmon(Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) at the Feather and Yuba
River confluence in northeastern California served
as a testbed. Using dual-frequency identification
sonars, distinct physical microhabitats throughout
the confluence were repeatedly sampled during two
periods with differing tributary discharge magnitudes
and ratios. A combination of conveyance (m^2/s),
temperature, and turbidity best predicted microscale detection rate (p < 0.001). A combination of all
hydraulic variables examined best predicted milling
behavior (p < 0.001), while backtracking behavior was
best predicted by temperature (p < 0.01). This study
provides evidence that channel hydraulics play anactive role in the integrated navigational cues utilized
by migrating adult salmon and should be consideredin future investigations of homing and straying in
anadromous salmonids.
Sean Luis, sean.luis@fishsciences.net

Josh Williams, WDFW

121

Tribal Perspectives on Aquatic Habitat Restoration
Moderator: Eric Berntsen

Back to Guide

Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 3:20 PM

Symposium Abstract
Native American Indian Tribes and First Nations people in Canada have been focused on bringing backsustainable populations of culturally significant fish and wildlife species that were severely impacted bycolonialization. Land use change, habitat degradation, and introduction of non-native species over the last
100 years has caused significant decline of anadromous salmon and steelhead runs and native resident fish
populations within the Columbia River System as well as other water-dependent wildlife. Designing habitat
restoration and management to bring back culturally significant species incorporates elements often absent
from traditional restoration, including leveraging traditional ecological knowledge, promoting first foods
such as camas, huckleberry, and water potato in restoration design, and incorporating tribal youth and tribal
membership to bring connection back to the land. Talks in this symposium will highlight restoration andmanagement efforts by different Tribes and First Nations to bring back culturally significant species in amanner that incorporates traditional ecological knowledge, first foods, and the broader, multigenerational
tribal/First Nation community.

1:40 PM			
Traditional Ecological Knowledge at Work: Adapting
Indigenous Practices to Inform Ecosystem-BasedManagement Decisions for Herring and Salmon in
Puget Sound
Pacific herring are a culturally important species
for Native American Indian Tribes and First Nations
throughout the Salish Sea and play a key role in themarine food web, supporting salmon and many otherculturally important species. For salmon, herring areboth a key food source as well as a buffer against
predation and are therefore integral to their survivaland recovery. Beginning in 2021, Long Live the Kings,
the Nisqually Indian Tribe, the Port Gamble S’Klallam
Tribe, and other partners initiated a study to better
understand population dynamics and test recovery
strategies for herring in areas of Puget Sound known
to support historic and current spawning populations.
Oral histories from elders of the Nisqually Indian Tribedescribe herring spawning in traditional
Nisqually
waters, but current spawning locations
and timing are unknown and are
not well described by westernscientists. The Port
Gamble Bay
herring

stock has declined since 2000, and egg predation
remains a potential limiting factor in recovery efforts.
Since time immemorial, Coast Salish Tribes and Alaska
Natives have collected herring eggs for harvest byplacing evergreen trees and branches in nearshore
waters during spawning season. We adapted thispractice to supplement spawning habitat and better
understand what is limiting herring spawning successin these areas. This project aims to create a model forincorporating traditional ecological knowledge into
local herring and salmon recovery actions across Puget
Sound, empowering tribal communities and local
stakeholders with recovery tools that connect past topresent.
Jayde Essex, jessex@lltk.org

2:00 PM				
Aquatic Invasive & Non-Native Species: An Indigenous
Perspective
The Nez Perce Tribe’s Aquatic Invasive & Non-Native
Species Project was established in the fall of 2021. The
intention of forming this project was to address
the growing concerns of invasive and nonnative aquatic species introductions
and spread

2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

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Tribal Perspective (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 3:20 PM
throughout the usual and accustomed homelands of
the Nez Perce Tribe and the impacts these species
have on native species, especially those of cultural
significance for the indigenous communities.It has
become apparent that invasive and non-native species do have significantly negative impacts on indigenous communities, cultural resources, traditional
practices, and the inclusion of future generations
within their indigenous culture itself. The involvementof indigenous communities and their knowledge systems could be a great asset in the fight against aquatic invasive and non-native species issues because of
their extensive knowledge of their homelands and theimportance surrounding the interactions between
plant and animal species throughout the land andhow they support each other which in turn supports
tribal and nontribal communities alike. Traditional
Ecological Knowledge Systems can be used in creating more effective public educational outreach,
preventing invasive and non-native species introductions, early detection, and rapid response plans. Onceestablished, aquatic invasive and non-native species are very difficult, if not impossible to irradicate,requiring significant funding and effort to support
ongoing monitoring and removal/restoration projects.
In addressing the invasive and non-native species
issues, there will be additional ecological benefits thatwill support current and future natural resources projects, especially those involving anadromous species.
Anthony Capetillo, anthonyc@nezperce.org

2:20 PM				
Recent adaptations of the Kootenai river native fish
conservation aquaculture program to restore whitesturgeon and burbot
The Kootenai River White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus and Burbot Lota lota maculosa were once
abundant in the Kootenai/ay River Basin in Idaho
and Montana, USA, and British Columbia, Canada.
Kootenai White Sturgeon remain listed as endangered in both countries, and Burbot natural recruitment remains very low despite recent successes
meeting interim goals of warding of extinction /extirpation by filling recruitment gaps and re-building
population structures via conservation aquaculture,and ecological restoration actions. The Kootenai
Tribe of Idaho’s (KTOI) Kootenai River Native Fish
Conservation Aquaculture Program (KRNFCAP) goals
are, avoid extirpation and rebuild abundance to jumpstart natural recruitment, and support cultural andrecreational harvest. Beyond rebuilding abundance,
the conservation hatcheries also 1) spawn, rear, andrelease fish in a manner that supports monitoring,
research, and evaluations of post-release performance of hatchery White Sturgeon and Burbot; and2) release early life stages across habitat types/conditions in a manner that allows long-term evaluation ofrecruitment failure, and habitat restoration outcomes.
By doing so, conservation aquaculture is an integral
part of a large multi-strategy ecosystem restoration
RM&E effort. The presentation will provide a summary of recent program adaptations implemented
in response to recent RM&E results concerning thecurrent status of the focal species and to the current
ecological state of the Kootenai Basin.
Brian Michaels, brian@kootenai.org

2:40 PM				
Benewah Watershed Stream and Floodplain
Restoration: Building Climate Resilience for NativeTrout
One of the main goals of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s
Fish and Wildlife Program is to increase westslope
cutthroat trout populations through restoration oflandscape processes that form and sustain riverine
habitat diversity. The Program recently completed
a geomorphic assessment to determine areas in theupper Benewah Creek Watershed that would havethe highest potential for floodplain restoration. The
characteristics that were examined included valley
type, ratio of valley width to active channel width, land
cover type, land use, proximity to important spawningand rearing habitat, and Tribal ownership. Three main
project sites were prioritized for restoration resulting
from this effort. The prominence of floodplain
attributes and processes at restored sites may help
buffer channel networks from disturbance and instill
greater resilience to climate change. The objectives

123Tribal Perspective (cont.) Tuesday, April 30, 1:40 PM to 3:20 PM
for the projects are to (1) restore capacity of wetlands
to mitigate drought by increasing the water table andimproving hyporheic connectivity, (2) enhance fish refugia, (3) provide habitat for culturally important wetland
plant and wildlife species, and (4) provide meaningful
engagement of Tribal youth interns through monitoringof project outcomes. Two projects are scheduled tobe completed over the next 2-3 years that will aid in thiseffort.
Stephanie Hallock, stephanie.hallock@cdatribe-nsn.
gov

3:00 PM				
Towards a Prioritization Approach for Aquatic Habitat
Restoration Projects that Incorporates Indigenous
Interests
The Kalispel Tribe of Indians Water, Habitat, &Environment Program has developed a prioritization
approach for aquatic habitat restoration projects on
aboriginal lands in Northeast Washington and North
Idaho. Criteria and ranking scores quantify whether
a potential project addresses Indigenous interests,
impairments to habitat forming processes and hydrologic connectivity, and climate resilience throughpromotion of environmental variability and spatial
heterogeneity. Other criteria include degree of landowner support, cost, likelihood of obtaining funding,certainty of project success, difficulty of design andpermitting, and proximity to other projects and at-riskfish populations. Based on ranking scores, a planning,
construction, and monitoring schedule can be developed for each approved project. Real-life examples ofapplying the approach will be provided, along with lessons learned and potential areas for improvement.
Eric Berntsen, eberntsen@kalispeltribe.com

Josh Williams, WDFW

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AWARDS & HONORS (or2024 WA - B.C. - ID Chapter Conference
American Fisheries Society

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