Smolt Monitoring at the Head of Granite Reservoir and Lower Granite Dam, 1989 Annual Report.

Abstract

This project monitored the daily passage of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and steelhead trout O. mykiss smolts during the 1989 spring outmigration at a migrant trap on the Snake River and the Clearwater River. Chinook salmon catch at the Snake River trap was much higher in 1989 than in either of the 1987 or 1988 drought years. The 1989 Snake River trap catch was similar to 1986. Effort was the same during the four years. Steelhead trout catch was greater than in any previous year. Chinook salmon and steelhead trout catch at the Clearwater River trap was similar to 1986, even though effort was greatly reduced in 1989 due to high runoff during most of the season. The 1989 Clearwater River trap catch was lower than in the two drought years (1987 and 1988) and was due to the minimal number of days the trap was operated. Fish tagged with Passive Interrogated Transponder (PIT) tags at the Snake River trap were recovered at the three dams (Lower Granite, Little Goose, and McNary) with PIT tag detection systems. Travel time (days) and migration rate (km/d) through Lower Granite Reservoir for PIT-tagged chinook salmon and steelhead trout, marked at the head ofmore » the reservoir, was affected by discharge. Statistical analysis showed that as discharge increased from 40 kcfs to 80 kcfs, chinook salmon travel time decreased three-fold and steelhead trout travel time decreased two-fold. 11 refs., 8 figs., 17 tabs.« less