1. Evaluation of Juvenile Salmonid Outmigration and Survival in the Lower Umatilla River Project No. 1989-024-01 Tara White, Shannon Jewett, Josh Hanson, and Richard Carmichael ODFW, NE Fish Research and Development Hermiston, OR Presented by: Tara White Research Project Leader Funded by:

2. Umatilla River Location ID WA OR CA MT NVUT Study Site Umatilla McNary Dam

3. Management Issues Hatchery Effectiveness Natural Production Success Flow Enhancement Effectiveness Passage Conditions

4. Hatchery Effectiveness: survival, outmigration performance & health Natural Production Success:abundance, outmigration performance & health Flow Enhancement: effects of river operations on fish migration & survival Passage Conditions & Strategies: effectiveness of fish passage & transport Association with Key Project Elements

5. Project Goals MigrationAbundance Survival Life History

6. Hatchery M&E Migration Monitoring & In-basin Survival via PIT-tag data O&S Hatchery O&M Test fish/ Survival Satellite Fac. Coho Monitor Passage Ops. Passage O&M Umatilla Basin Proj. Natural Production M&E Lamprey Res. Migrant Data Migrant Abundance & Timing Biological Data Migrant Data Mods. Relationship With Umatilla Basin Projects

7. Determine migration parameters and survival of hatchery migrants Determine abundance and timing of natural migrants& monitor trends in natural production Assess condition, health, size, growth, and smolt status of migrants Investigate effects of river, canal, and fishway operations and environ. variables on migrants Project Objectives

8. Evaluate survival between transported and in-river migrants Document temporal distribution and diversity of resident fish Operate the PIT-tag interrogation system at West Extension Canal Design and install adult PIT-tag interrogation at Three Mile Falls Dam Participate in basin planning and coordination Project Objectives

9. Sample Tank Fish Transfer Flume River Return Pipe & Antennas Transceiver Enclosure Computer Recovery Tank Bypass Pipe Remote PIT tag Interrogation & Trapping Methods:

10. Migration Patterns Hatchery vs. Natural Summer Steelhead

11. Migration Patterns Subyearling Fall Chinook Salmon

12. In-basin Survival of Hatchery Migrants (1999-2003) SpeciesRangeMean (%) CHS34.7-108.369.7 (±17.1) CHF53.5-11074.3 (±28.7) CHF053.4-11274.8 (±12.0) STS40.4-85.857.8 (±14.4)

13. In-Basin Survival of Hatchery Spring Chinook Salmon

14. ** In-basin Survival of Hatchery Subyearling Fall Chinook Salmon

15. Reach Survival Index for Hatchery Summer Steelhead

16. Natural Smolt Abundance

17. Natural Steelhead Abundance 1995-2003 * Year * RST

18. Smolt Yield per Spawner 1998-2003 Smolts / Spawner Year

19. Annual Migration Timing of Natural-reared Spring Chinook Salmon Date

20. Mean Fork Length at Emigration of Natural Salmonids Mean Fork Length (mm) Year 101.2 mm 75.3 mm 173.2 mm

21. Age at Emigration of Natural Steelhead

22. Subyearling Fall Chinook Migrants and River Flow Temp>17.5 °C Flow< 300 cfs

23. Transport Evaluation Subyearling Fall Chinook Salmon Percent Detection

24. Juvenile Bypass Efficiency Spring Chinook Salmon

25. PIT Tag Equipment Upgrades at West Extension Canal Before After Before Paddle-style Antennas Hand wrapped Antennas Temporary Transceivers Stationary Transceivers

26. PIT Tag Detection System Three Mile Falls Dam East Current – Proposed Flow Weir walls Antenna

27. Summary Hatchery Production Groups Natural Production Success and Life Histories Flow Enhancement Passage Conditions & Strategies

28. Conclusions Migration patterns of hatchery fish were similar to patterns of natural fish, except in CHF0. In-basin performance of hatchery migrants has been poor and highly variable from year to year. No consistent pattern of in-basin survival of std-transferred vs. fall-transferred fish. CHF0 direct-released at RM 48.5 displayed improved survival over fish acclimated & released upstream (RM 73.5). Fish released lower in the river survived at a much higher rate. Average annual NSTS smolt production is 49,488. Smolt/spawner ratios as in-basin measures of productivity have been relatively low.

29. Conclusions Migration timing of natural migrants varied between species and years. Fall chinook salmon are leaving as subyearlings and steelhead at a broad distribution of ages. Subyearling fall chinook are emigrating during the critical low flow & high temperature period (June & July). The relationship btw environmental variables and passage timing has also been variable. The efficiency of the juvenile bypass is influenced by water temperature, river flow and canal diversion rate. PIT tag equipment at West Extension Canal was upgraded in 2003. Funding is currently being pursued to support installation of PIT tag equipment at Three Mile Falls Dam east.

30. Recommendations Continue monitoring hatchery production strategies via remote PIT tag interrogation. Release steelhead as low down in the system as possible while meeting other management objectives. Continue to monitor trends in natural abundance & changes in life history expression for natural species. Provide enhanced mid-summer flows in an effort to benefit natural CHF0 migrants & reduce fish transport. Monitor the relationship btw environmental variables river, canal and fishway operations on migrants. Implement improved PIT tag detection equipment at the east bank of Three Mile Falls Dam.