A Model‐Based Assessment of the Potential Response of Snake River Spring–Summer Chinook Salmon to Habitat Improvements

McHugh, Peter A.; Budy, Phaedra; Schaller, Howard

doi:10.1577/t03-097.1

Cited by 24 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Freshwater rearing habitat is important for the recovery of Chinook Salmon populations in the Snake River basin (McHugh et al. ). Often though, the ecological and habitat needs of Pacific salmon are at odds with human activities, and co‐existence is regularly a challenge (Quinn ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fall and Winter Microhabitat Use and Suitability for Spring Chinook Salmon Parr in a U.S. Pacific Northwest River

2018

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Habitat degradation has been implicated as a primary threat to Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. Habitat restoration and conservation are key toward stemming population declines; however, winter microhabitat use and suitability knowledge are lacking for small juvenile salmonids. Our objective was to characterize microhabitat use and suitability for spring Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha parr during fall and winter. Using radiotelemetry techniques during October–February (2009–2011), we identified fall and winter microhabitat use by spring Chinook Salmon parr in Catherine Creek, northeastern Oregon. Tagged fish occupied two distinct gradient reaches (moderate and low). Using a mixed‐effects logistic regression resource selection function (RSF) model, we found evidence that microhabitat use was similar between free‐flowing and surface ice conditions. However, habitat use shifted between seasons; most notably, there was greater use of silt substrate and areas farther from the bank during winter. Between gradients, microhabitat use differed with greater use of large wood (LW) and submerged aquatic vegetation in the low‐gradient reach. Using a Bayesian RSF approach, we developed gradient‐specific habitat suitability criteria. Throughout the study area, deep depths and slow currents were most suitable, with the exception of the low‐gradient reach where moderate depths were optimal. Near‐cover coarse and fine substrates were most suitable in the moderate‐ and low‐gradient reaches, respectively. Near‐bank LW was most suitable throughout the study area. Multivariate principal component analyses (PCA) indicated co‐occurring deep depths supporting slow currents near cover were intensively occupied in the moderate‐gradient reach. In the low‐gradient reach, PCA indicated co‐occurring moderate depths, slow currents, and near‐bank cover were most frequently occupied. Our study identified suitable and interrelated microhabitat combinations that can guide habitat restoration for fall migrant and overwintering Chinook Salmon parr in Catherine Creek and potentially the Pacific Northwest.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fall and Winter Microhabitat Use and Suitability for Spring Chinook Salmon Parr in a U.S. Pacific Northwest River

2018

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“…One caveat in interpreting our results is that the smolt and adult data reflect a large spatial scale (the entire Snake River basin). Juvenile survival varies across populations (Zabel & Achord 2004), and it is highly likely that each population will respond differently to habitation restoration (McHugh et al 2004). Thus, we suggest that future PVA studies focus on the variability among populations within the ESU.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Interplay between Climate Variability and Density Dependence in the Population Viability of Chinook Salmon

Zabel

Scheuerell

McClure

et al. 2006

Conservation Biology

101

109

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The viability of populations is influenced by driving forces such as density dependence and climate variability, but most population viability analyses (PVAs) ignore these factors because of data limitations. Additionally, simplified PVAs produce limited measures of population viability such as annual population growth rate (lamda) or extinction risk. Here we developed a "mechanistic" PVA of threatened Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in which, based on 40 years of detailed data, we related freshwater recruitment of juveniles to density of spawners, and third-year survival in the ocean to monthly indices of broad-scale ocean and climate conditions. Including climate variability in the model produced important effects: estimated population viability was very sensitive to assumptions of future climate conditions and the autocorrelation contained in the climate signal increased mean population abundance while increasing probability of quasi extinction. Because of the presence of density dependence in the model, however we could not distinguish among alternative climate scenarios through mean lamda values, emphasizing the importance of considering multiple measures to elucidate population viability. Our sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the importance of particular parameters varied across models and depended on which viability measure was the response variable. The density-dependent parameter associated with freshwater recruitment was consistently the most important, regardless of viability measure, suggesting that increasing juvenile carrying capacity is important for recovery.

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“…The production and survival of juvenile salmonids in the Columbia River basin are affected by a number of factors, including the availability of rearing habitat (Trefethen 1972;McIntosh et al 2000;McHugh et al 2004), timing and duration of peak flows (Raymond 1988;Smith et al 2002Smith et al , 2003, hatchery production and releases (Flagg et al 2000;Brannon et al 2004;FPC 2007), passage through up to eight hydropower dams en route to the ocean (Budy et al 2002;Williams et al 2005), and interactions between each of these factors (Ruckelshaus et al 2002). Hydropower dams have transformed the Snake and Columbia rivers into a series of slow-moving reservoirs (Trefethen 1972).…”

Section: Effects Of Transportation and Other Factors On Survival Estimentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Transportation and Other Factors on Survival Estimates of Juvenile Salmonids in the Unimpounded Lower Columbia River

et al. 2009

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We estimated the survival of juvenile salmonids out-migrating through the lower Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean. We tested the null hypotheses that no association exists between survival and transportation type (including barge transportation and in-river migration with no transportation), release date, river flow, mean body weight, and tag type. During 2002-2004 and fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and steelhead O. mykiss were implanted with uniquely coded radio or acoustic transmitter tags and released during the early, middle, and late out-migration periods. A series of receiver lines were used to detect these fish and estimate survival. Estimated survival varied considerably with transportation type and release date for fall Chinook salmon and steelhead, but the results were dependent upon year. Estimated survival between the lowermost dam (Bonneville Dam) and the upper estuary (river kilometer 46) was relatively high for SS Chinook salmon and steelhead, whereas estimates for fall Chinook salmon were comparatively low. This order of high to low survival for SS Chinook salmon, steelhead, and fall Chinook salmon corresponds with the chronology of out-migration timing and waning river flows. After accounting for a number of factors, estimated survival between Bonneville Dam and the upper-estuary site did not differ significantly between steelhead that were barged and those that migrated in-river during 2002 and 2003. Conversely, estimated survival to the upper-estuary site was quite low for barged fall Chinook salmon in comparison with fish migrating in-river during the middle and late release dates in 2003. Hypotheses for the low survival of barged fall Chinook salmon are presented and discussed.

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A Model‐Based Assessment of the Potential Response of Snake River Spring–Summer Chinook Salmon to Habitat Improvements

Cited by 24 publications

References 41 publications

Fall and Winter Microhabitat Use and Suitability for Spring Chinook Salmon Parr in a U.S. Pacific Northwest River

Fall and Winter Microhabitat Use and Suitability for Spring Chinook Salmon Parr in a U.S. Pacific Northwest River

The Interplay between Climate Variability and Density Dependence in the Population Viability of Chinook Salmon

Effects of Transportation and Other Factors on Survival Estimates of Juvenile Salmonids in the Unimpounded Lower Columbia River

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