Pacific Lamprey Research and Restoration Project in the Umatilla River

Study Area

Life cycle of Pacific lamprey

Potential causes of declining lamprey populations Hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Chemical treatments in the Umatilla River Habitat alterations in the Umatilla River resulting from: irrigation practices loss of beaver livestock overgrazing of native grasses logging the upper watershed conversion of native plants to introduced crops

Outplanting adult lampreys Primary goals: Re-establish larval abundance Collect baseline data regarding: holding adult lampreys release timing release locations

Outplanting adult lampreys Collected at the John Day Dam fish ladder in December-January Maintained in the raceways at the Three Mile Falls Dam Facility in the Umatilla River Outplanted into uppermost part of the mainstem Umatilla River and Meacham Creek in May

Release site locations and numbers River km 139.9 2000: 300 River km 98.8 River km 118.4 2001: 81 2002: 150 2002: 141 2000: 150 . 2003: 110 2001: 82 2004: 63 2002: 100 2003: 90 Meacham Creek 2000: 150 Totals 2001: 81 2000: 600 2002: 100 2001: 244 2003: 230 2002: 491 2004: 70 2003: 484 2004: 133 Total: 1,576 individuals

Are outplantings successful? Redd surveys Egg survival Larval densities and size distribution Outmigration of larval and metamorphosed lampreys Upmigration of adult lampreys

Nest and egg viability surveys Purpose: Determine the spatial distribution and number of nests Determine the reproductive success of adult lamprey outplants

Nest and egg viability surveys In 2000-2002 surveyors walked along the river to locate nests (May-July) In 2001 egg viability study conducted from 13 nests

Nest surveys

Nest Survey Results Nests located in the uppermost part of the Umatilla River and in the Meacham Creek Lampreys spawned during the first two weeks of June 2000: 51 viable nests 30 nests w/o eggs 2001: 49 viable nests 2002: 67 viable nests 118 test nests

Egg viability Egg viability varied between 58 and100% On average 86% of eggs were viable Pacific lamprey egg viability similar to sea lamprey

Larval abundance Larvae sampled by electro shocking 31 sites in the Umatilla River and 3 sites in the Meacham Creek Larval density at each site estimated and larval lengths measured

Larval densities before outplanting In 1998-2000, larvae were found in the lower reach of the river below river kilometer 37 Mean density of all sites was 1) in 1998 0.02 ind.m-2 2) in 1999 0.55 ind.m-2 3) in 2000 0.08 ind.m-2

Larval densities after outplanting 2001 The mean density of all index sites was 5.6 ind/m2 The mean density below river km 100 (sites 1-19) was 0.1 ind /m2 The mean density above river km 100 (sites 20-34) was 12.6 ind /m2

Larval densities after outplanting 2002 The mean density of all index sites was 8.0 ind/m2 The mean density below river km 100 (sites 1-19) was 0.2 ind / m2 The mean density above river km 100 (sites 20-34) was 18.0 ind / m2

Length distributions In 2001 length distribution was unimodal and the median length was 63 mm In 2002 length distribution was bimodal and the median length was 76 mm

Larval abundance after adult outplanting Larval densities increased above river kilometer 100 Larval growth rate is high Natural production in the middle and lowermost part of the river is low

Outmigration of lamprey Between 1997-2002 outmigrating larvae and metamorphosed lampreys caught by: Rotary screw trap (RST) from November-March in lower Umatilla River Bypass channel trap (BCT) April-October in lower Umatilla River Trapping efficiency of RST was studied by mark-recapture method in 2000 and 2001

Number of lamprey caught

Length distribution of outmigrants

Outmigration of lampreys Natural production of lamprey in the Umatilla River produces tens of thousands of metamorphosed individuals annually A large proportion of lamprey may metamorphose in the Columbia River The mean size of outmigrating lampreys were higher than earlier studies

Upmigration of adults Number of upmigrating adults counted by: portable assessment traps in 1999, 2000 and 2002 at the Three Mile Dam (284 trap nights) fyke nets in 2002 in the lowermost end of the Umatilla River ( 28 trap nights) Number of upmigrants entering Three Mile Dam fish ladder estimated by video recordings

Upmigration of adults In 1999-2002 one adult lamprey caught by assessment traps No lampreys caught by fyke net in 2002

Upmigration of adults Number of upmigrating adults in the summer and in the fall is negligible Why? Number of adult lampreys in the Columbia River is low No flow in the Umatilla River during the best migration season Attracting pheromones in the Umatilla River are not reaching the Columbia River

Upmigration of adults During the peak of adult migration, flow in the Umatilla River is very low due to irrigation

Summary Outplanted adults spawned successfully and produced ammocoetes which haven’t yet dispersed below river km 100 Number of outmigrating lampreys is still low and number of upmigrating adults is negligible

Current Research MSU,USGS,CTUIR-Pacific and Western brook lamprey larvae contain petromyzonal sulfate in gallbladder and liver. Both species release this compound into water. Do not produce Allocholic acid nor petromyzonal (known bile acids in sea lamprey). USGS-Pacific lamprey adults can detect Petromyzonal sulfate in water. Detection of compound throughout freshwater migration. Pacific lamprey do not produce 3 Keto Petromyzonal sulfate-(known sex pheromone in sea lamprey).

Current Research CTUIR, MSU, CEFAS,- Novel stress steroids in Pacific Lamprey. Lamprey adrenal tissues incubated with 3H pregnenolone and progesterone metabolized into unknown possible stress steroids. Currently using Fab/mass spec to identify structures. In addition, using radioimmunoassay to screen lamprey plasma. Once compound structures identified we will develop specific RIA for new stress steroids. CTUIR,MSU,- Pacific lamprey population genetics. Micro satellite markers screened. 30 existing loci screened for polymorphism(from sea lamprey markers). 2 loci found to be polymorphic. From only one loci, there are population differences. However, this is preliminary! We are trying to explore this further.

Future studies Dispersion of ammocoetes and larval production in the middle and lower part of the river Growth of larvae (location, competition) Number of outmigrants (method developing) Upmigration of adults during the summer, fall, and spring time Flow regime

More future studies Spawning habitat requirements Effect of dams on adult migration using radio telemetry Attraction of adult lampreys to pheromones in Umatilla river water Larval production and metamorphosis in the Columbia River reservoirs Develop assays to detect stress in lampreys