R & E Grant Application 15 Biennium

Transcription

1 R & E Grant Application 15 Biennium Project #: Project Information R&E Project $73, Request: Total Project: $90, Start Date: 8/10/2015 End Date: 6/30/2017 Organization: Coastal Conservation Assn. (Tax ID #: ) Fiscal Officer Name: Address: Telephone: Telephone 2: Fax: Douglas Nader 918 SW Schaeffer Rd. West Linn, OR Rebel582@aol.com Applicant Information Name: Address: Telephone: Telephone 2: Fax: Gary Wise PO BOX 267 Molalla, OR fishermanwise@gmail.com Past Recommended or Completed Projects This applicant has no previous projects that match criteria. Page 1 of 10

2 Location Information Where is it? The project will occur on public land owned or managed by another party Landowner Information Name: Address: Phone: Site Description Bureau of Land Management 1717 Fabry Rd. SE Salem, OR, Street Address, nearest intersection, or other descriptive location. Molalla River State Park upstream to Turner Creek Bridge Directions to the site from the nearest highway junction. 6 miles south of Oregon City off of Highway 99E. Following project completion, public anglers will be allowed the following level of access to the project site: Full access Please describe what leases, easements, agreements are in place to ensure angler access to the project site, and what is the length of each agreement. N/A Dominant Land Use Type: Forest Rural residential Project Location General Project Location. County: Clackamas Town/City: Molalla ODFW Dist: Clackamas North Willamette Watershed District Stream/Lake/Es Molalla tuary Name: Tributary of: Willamette Specific Project Location. Latitude Longitude Project Summary Project Summary Please provide a couple sentence summary of the proposal. will evaluate: Page 2 of 10

3 1) return locations and spawning distribution of adult Chinook salmon released from the Trout Creek acclimation facility, 2) contributions of Molalla River-origin hatchery Chinook salmon to fisheries in the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, 3) sport fishing improvement opportunities in the Molalla Basin. Overall Project Goals Describe the primary goals or outcomes of the entire project, including elements not requesting funding from R&E. Monitor success of the Trout Creek Acclimation Program to enhance spring Chinook salmon angling opportunities in the Molalla River. Primary objectives of R&E funding Please describe the measurable objectives for the R&E portion of the funding request. Monitor success of the Trout Creek Acclimation Program to enhance spring Chinook salmon angling opportunities in the Molalla River. Redd abundance and distribution Available spawning substrate area Contributions to 2015 fisheries 2016 angling effort, catch/harvest rates Current Situation/Justification Please describe the current situation and explain why this funding is needed. This proposal is in response to R&E s request for a monitoring program to evaluate effectiveness of the Trout Creek Spring Chinook Acclimation Pond. Molalla River fishery participation rates and salmon population abundance and distribution is poorly understood represents the first year that three-year old Chinook salmon released from the Trout Creek acclimation facility will be returning to the Molalla River. Our monitoring program will inform two primary data needs for ODFW: (1) contribution of Molalla River hatchery spring Chinook to fisheries in the Molalla, Willamette and Columbia Rivers, (2) hatchery and natural origin spawner distribution within the Molalla River, and (3) angler effort for capture and harvest of hatchery spring Chinook in the Molalla River. If funded, our monitoring program will rely on three study components to address the aforementioned data needs: spawner and redd count surveys, coded wire tag (CWT) analysis, and creel surveys. Recreation and Commercial Benefit This project will provide benefits to: Recreational fisheries Explain how this project will contribute to current (and/or potential) fishing opportunities, access, or Page 3 of 10

4 fisheries management. Management of fisheries in the Molalla River will benefit directly from this project because angler effort has not been quantified for several decades. The response of anglers to increasing spring Chinook salmon returns is a key management concern, and an important success metric for the Trout Creek acclimation site. Moreover, the current distribution of spawning fish (hatchery and natural-origin) is unknown. Barring this information, managers cannot make informed decisions for the purpose of enhancing fisheries. Is this project part of an approved Salmon-Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) activity? No This project has been identified as a priority for: Local/watershed Basin/regional Identify any plan or other document that identifies this priority. NMFS ESA Upper Willamette Status Review for Chinook identifies research, monitoring, and evaluation to address critical uncertainties and improve population status and trend information as a priority (pg 29). < n_steelhead_esa_status_reviews.html> This project is intended to benefit the following species: Spring Chinook Salmon This project will benefit anglers or fishery by providing: Monitoring/Research Monitoring/Research This project will be used to evaluate: Hatchery releases and/or stray rates Population composition (i.e age, species, survival, size, or genetics) Fishery contribution Angler satisfaction/harvest (Creel) Habitat (i.e structure, passage, water quality) Distribution (i.e. presence, abscence, abundance) Has this project been reviewed or developed by an individual with appropriate qualifications (i.e ODFW biometrician, research professor)? Yes Project reviewed and developed by ODFW District Fish Biologist (Clackamas), Tom Murtaugh, and Senior Fisheries Scientist, Ian Courter, Mount Hood Environmental. Is this study critical to fishery management decisions? Yes Molalla River hatchery spring Chinook stray rates, fishery effort, catch and harvest rates, and hatchery and natural origin adult spawner returns and distribution data are necessary for management of Molalla River fisheries. Yes Study results will be used to modify acclimation practices at the Trout Creek acclimation facility. This would include acclimation time and fish release strategies. Angler effort surveys will also be Page 4 of 10

5 used to educate the public about fishing opportunities in the Molalla River, as well as gauge the benefits of the Trout Creek Acclimation Pond to fisheries enhancement in the basin. Is there a plan to repeat this monitoring or research in the future? Yes We anticipate requesting two additional years of R&E funding to ensure we adequately capture annual variation and trends in observations, as well as to compile necessary sample sizes for rigorous statistics. Will the data be reported or published? Yes A study report will be delivered to, and prepared in collaboration with, ODFW. Project Description Schedule Activity Date RE Funding Spawner surveys and CWT analysis August, 2015 Yes Creel surveys April, 2016 Yes Reporting September, 2016 Yes Permits Permit Secured? Date Expected No Project Design and Description Please describe in detail the methods or approach that will be used to achieve the project objectives. Natural-origin Chinook salmon runs in the Molalla River are functionally extinct due to habitat degradation, overfishing, and human development of the Molalla and Willamette River basins. Prior to 2013, spring Chinook salmon smolts, spawned at Willamette Hatchery or South and North Santiam Hatcheries, were direct released at miscellaneous access points in the upper Molalla River, primarily to support a spring Chinook fishery, and harvest opportunity, in the Molalla River. Additionally, these fish contribute to off-shore commercial fisheries and other sport fisheries in the Columbia and mainstem Willamette River. The spring chinook hatchery release allocation is relatively small (100,000/annually), and estimated survival was low, generating minimal angler interest and effort. Natural production in the basin is also very low if not non-existent due to poor spawning and rearing habitat. Direct release hatchery spring Chinook smolts from out-of-basin origins are also prone to straying, and may return back to their hatchery of origin in other upstream tributaries (South Santiam, Minto, Dexter). In 2011, R&E funded construction of the Trout Creek Acclimation Pond with the intent to improve survival and homing of hatchery spring Chinook smolts and to improve the in-river spring Chinook sport fishery. The acclimation site is located adjacent to Trout Creek, a small Molalla River tributary with excellent water quality and cooperative landowners. Trout Creek enters the Molalla River at approximately river mile 26, an important transitional zone of the river, where low flood plain meanders bordered by agricultural land shifts to a higher gradient more remote system within private and federally managed forests. One-year old juvenile spring Chinook salmon smolts are now transferred from the North Santiam Hatchery to the acclimation pond in two cohorts of 50,000 fish the first in late February and the second approximately one- Page 5 of 10

6 month later. The acclimation pond has been in operation and running successfully since the spring of Fish are fed and monitored for three weeks by volunteers prior to release. Smolts released from the site are in excellent physiological condition, with less than one fish per day mortality during the 21-day minimum acclimation period. The proposal to construct the acclimation pond was sponsored by the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA), a national sport fishing advocacy organization. CCA Willamette Falls Chapter president, and long-time Molalla River Basin resident, Gary Wise supervised the project and continues to oversee acclimation pond operations. Construction, maintenance, and operation of the acclimation site was proposed at low cost to R&E because of funding and volunteer staff support provided by CCA. In total, the project cost was less than $48,000, and CCA contributed 35% of the funding required. Ongoing operation and maintenance of the project is 100% funded and staffed by CCA. Studies designed to monitor success of the Trout Creek acclimation pond and document angling activity in the Molalla River, as well as contributions to downstream fisheries elsewhere in the Willamette and lower Columbia Rivers are needed. The following three elements comprise the data collection and analysis components of CCA s proposed Molalla River Spring Chinook Monitoring Program: Spawner Surveys: Spawner surveys carried out in the summer/fall of 2015 would begin at the mouth of the Molalla River and extend up into the North Fork and Table Rock Fork reach of the basin. Two surveyors will work together to hike and wade both riverbanks, right and left, focusing on potential spawning areas identified in a recent assessment (Trask 2013), and as directed by Gary Wise and others intimately familiar with the Molalla River system. The survey crew will make a total of six data collection trips. Two trips for the purpose of quantifying wetted spawning habitat area with suitable substrate conditions, and four trips for the purpose of documenting spawner distribution and abundance. During spawner surveys, holding and spawning fish, as well as carcasses will be identified as either hatchery or natural-origin, GPS located, and, if possible, identified as either male or female. Carcasses will be sampled for scales and checked for eggs. Female carcasses with intact eggs will be used to estimate pre-spawning mortality. Scales will be archived for future age analysis. Lengths will also be taken to compare size to other hatchery stocks, for baseline information, and to make preliminary age-class determinations. Coded Wire Tag Analysis: CCA has been granted access to ODFW s CWT database. This database compiles capture information for hatchery-origin fish from a variety of sampling sources, including ocean commercial fisheries, lower Columbia River sport and commercial fisheries, Willamette River fisheries and returns to hatcheries. Thirty-three percent of the spring Chinook acclimated at the Trout Creek facility received a CWT before leaving hatchery rearing sites. CCA s research contractor and principal investigator for this monitoring program, Ian Courter, will query the CWT database for Molalla River spring Chinook tag codes. The results of this query will be used to quantify the number of fish from Trout Creek acclimation pond captured in each fishery, with particular emphasis on the number of fish recovered in the Willamette River basin. Records of Molalla River Chinook returning to hatchery programs elsewhere in the Willamette Basin will Page 6 of 10

7 also be useful for examining stray rates, an important performance measure for the Trout Creek program. Additionally, smolt-to-adult return rates will be estimated by combining all sources of tags recovered from adult Molalla River spring Chinook. Creel Surveys: Monitoring the response of the angling community to increasing returns of spring Chinook in the Molalla River is a priority for the Department. Since the elimination of the summer steelhead hatchery program in 1998, the Molalla River has experienced significant declines in angling participation. A relatively small number of dedicated local anglers continue to fish the Molalla for steelhead and salmon, but the river is not regarded as a major contributor to Oregon s fisheries. CCA is hopeful that the spring Chinook acclimation program will revitalize a culture of fishing in the Molalla River. Word travels fast within the angling community, and we anticipate that returning spring Chinook will attract anglers. Creel surveys will provide important information about angling effort, catch rates and harvest rates, as well as fish holding sites because anglers tend to concentrate their efforts in areas with the highest fish densities. In 2016, creel survey crews will monitor fishing effort from the mouth of the Molalla River upstream to Turner Creek Bridge, the regulatory deadline. We are most interested in the intensity of angling and success rates in three major areas. Specifically, the river segments from Molalla River State Park upstream to Feyrer Park, between Feyrer Park and Trout Creek, and from Trout Creek upstream to Turner Creek Bridge, which encompass the lower, middle, and upper sections of the main stem fishery, respectively. Creelers will survey the lower and middle sections systematically five days per week between May 1 and July 15, following ODFW protocol and focusing on major points of river access, including Molalla River State Park, Knights Bridge, Canby Park, Wagonwheel, Meadowbrook, Feyrer Park, and The Cedars. After July 15, volunteer creel checkers will periodically survey angling activity in the upper section between Trout Creek and Turner Creek Bridge until fishing activity tapers off in August, focusing on river access areas near Trout Creek, Glen Avon Bridge, and Turner Creek Bridge. Engineering Does the project involve capital improvement, engineering, site grading or other construction? No Project Management and Maintenance What is the life expectancy of R&E funded construction, structures, equipment, supplies, data or fishery? Data collected for this project will be valid as long as the Trout Creek acclimation pond is in operation, and will contribute to a useful database to inform managers and improve spring Chinook management in the basin. Who is responsible for long term management, maintenance, and oversight of the project beyond what is funded by R&E. We anticipate requesting two additional years of R&E funding to ensure we adequately capture annual variation and trends in observations, as well as to compile necessary sample sizes for rigorous statistics. CCA will continue to provide staff support for monitoring in the Molalla River. Gary Wise, CCA and Tom Murtagh, ODFW District Fish Biologist (Clackamas) will be the primary points of contact for future questions about the monitoring program and our findings. Will the project require ongoing maintenance? No Page 7 of 10

8 Is there a plan to collect baseline data and to conduct monitoring efforts to measure the effectiveness of the project? Yes This project is being conducted to monitor the effectiveness of a previously funded R&E project (Trout Creek Acclimation Pond). Project Funding Funding Have you applied for OWEB funding for this project? No Other Funding Source Type Secured Dollar Value Comments CCA In-Kind Secured 16, In-kind contributions from Oregon Coastal Conservation Association Total Page 8 of 10

9 Budget Item Unit Number Unit Cost In-kind or noncash contr butions PROJECT MANAGEMENT Ian Courter, Fisheries Scientist, Mount Hood Environmental (Spawner Surveys; Lit Review, Surveys, Data Entry/Analyses, Reporting)) Ian Courter, Fisheries Scientist, MHE (CWT; Analysis and Reporting) Ian Courter, Fisheries Scientist, MHE (Creel; Planning, Data Entry/Analyses, Reporting) Gary Wise, Coastal Conservation Assoc. (Project Management, Oversight) IN-HOUSE PERSONNEL Funding from other sources R&E Funds Total Costs SUBTOTAL(1) Technician 1, MHE (Spawner Surveys) Technician 2, MHE (Spawner Surveys) Technician 3, CCA (Spawner Surveys) Creel Surveyor 1, MHE (Creel Surveys) Creel Surveyor 2, MHE (Creel Surveys) Creel Surveyor 3, CCA (Creel Surveys) SUBTOTAL(2) CONTRACTED SERVICES TRAVEL Technician mileage, MHE (Spawner Surveys); 6 roundtrips at 80 mi/trip Technician mileage, CCA (Spawner Surveys); 6 roundtrips at 80 mi/trip Surveyor mileage, MHE(Creel Surveys); (2) 55 roundtrips at 80 mi/trip Surveyor mileage, CCA (Creel Surveys); (1) 55 roundtrips at 80 mi/trip SUPPLIES/MATERIALS SUBTOTAL(3) SUBTOTAL(4) Field Supplies, Material Costs SUBTOTAL(5) EDUCATION/OUTREACH EQUIPMENT FISCAL ADMINISTRATION SUBTOTAL(6) SUBTOTAL(7) SUBTOTAL(8) BUDGET TOTAL Page 9 of 10

10 Additional Files Click a link to view that particular file. CCA Signature Page Cover Letter T. Murtagh Support Letter Page 10 of 10

11 Research and Enhancement Funding Board, I am pleased to submit this proposal for the on behalf of the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) and anglers in the Molalla and Willamette River basins. We submit this fundingrequest with support from Tom Murtagh, District Fisheries Biologist (Clackamas) and other managers at the Clackamas North Willamette Watershed District Office, including Todd Alsbury and Jeff Boechler. Your support of this project will be instrumental in informing fisheries management and enhancement in the Molalla River. CCA has been a longotime partner and supporter of the Department s efforts to increase angling opportunities fororegonians, and we are hopeful R&E will recognize the benefits of this project. Ourfunding request has been subdivided into three components (spawner surveys, coded wire tag analysis, and creel surveys) to facilitate your review and provide the Board with the opportunity fund all or portions of our program as funding allows. Pleasedo not hesitate to contact me with any questions regarding this proposal. Sincerely, Gary Wise PO Box 267 Molalla, OR O730O2697 gkwise@molalla.net

12

13