Redband trout from Upper

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1 OREGON FISHWORKS Winter 2010 News from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife s (ODFW) Fish Restoration and Enhancement (R&E) and Salmon and Trout Enhancement Programs (STEP) R&E grant funds redband habitat improvements on Wood River Redband trout from Upper Klamath and Agency lakes spawning in the Wood River will find greatly improved habitat thanks in part to a $10,746 grant from the Restoration and Enhancement Program. The grant was used to help fund a project to add in-stream wood structures and spawning gravel to a one-mile section of the Wood River. The project was completed on September 30. Currently, the reach of Wood River located about two miles below its headwaters provides the only spawning habitat for Upper Klamath and Agency lake redband trout. In the past, most of the naturally occurring in-stream woody debris was removed, which, along with unsustainable land use practices, reduced the amount of fish habitat available. Spawning gravel was largely covered by sediment from increased bank erosion and run-off. This recent project involved installing 43 in-stream structures consisting of logs and root wads, and placing 100 cubic yards of spawning gravel. In addition to improving spawning habitat, the project will also benefit fry and juvenile redband trout as well as bull trout, Chinook salmon and steelhead as those species are re-established in the Klamath River basin. The ODFW has placed spawning gravel in the Wood River in the past and has found that to be very effective. The redbands begin using it right away. Next we ll monitor the spawning period and do visual and snorkeling surveys to see how the juveniles and fry are doing, said Bill Tinniswood, ODFW assistant district fish biologist for the Klamath Watershed District. Redband trout typically begin spawning in the Wood River in November, peaking in December and January. In addition to the R&E Program, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Klamath Watershed District, Klamath Guides Association and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also contributed to the project. The Restoration and Enhancement Program has funded other redband trout habitat improvement projects on the Wood River in the past. Large wood placed in the Wood River provides hiding cover for spawning redband trout. This 2-mile reach of the Wood River provides all available spawning habitat for redband trout from Upper Klamath and Agency lakes. ODFW photo. In This Issue Wood River Habitat Latest STAC Mini-Grants 2009 STEP Conference Invasive Mussels Recent R&E Grants Desert Fishes

2 Latest STAC Mini-Grants MG Art Education for Stream Restoration, $750, Luckiamute Watershed Council MG Boots for Educational Opportunities, $1,500 Coquille High School MG Molalla River Snorkel Surveys, $1,060, Native Fish Society MG Wild Winter Steelhead Broodstock Collection Equipment, $1,500, North Coast STEP MG Student Stewardship Education, $1,988, Coos Bay School District MG Automatic Feeders, $1,630, Coos River STEP MG Estuary Improvements, $790, Oregon Stewardship Jan. 8-9 Feb. 19 March 19 March 26 Calendar STAC Meeting Florence R&E Board Meeting, Salem R&E Grant STAC Mini-Grant April STAC Meeting Forest Grove May 21 June 18 June 25 R&E Board Meeting, Baker City STAC Mini-Grant R&E Grant STEP on the Web R&E Program on the Web Fish advocates gather in Salem for 2009 STEP Conference STEP volunteers, ODFW staff and others gathered at the Oregon 4-H Conference and Education Center just outside of Salem on September 11-13, 2009 to attend the 2009 STEP Conference. The theme for this year was Salmon in the City: Spawning Solutions through Creative Ideas. Featured speakers included Dan Edge, commissioner on the Fish and Wildlife Commission, Bruce McIntosh, deputy administrator of the ODFW Fish Division, Dave Dunahay, chair of the Salmon Trout Advisory Committee and Bob Sallinger of the Audubon Society of Portland. More than 30 speakers presented information on a wide range of topics including marine topics, fisheries management, partnerships, on the ground work and education and outreach. Some specific presentations included the future of wave energy off Oregon s coast; diseases affecting hatchery fish; what the Willamette River basin might look like and what issues might affect its fish populations and water resources by 2050; sea lion predation on salmon and Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Dan steelhead at Bonneville Dam; Edge served as awards master of ceremonies. an overview of Portland s Endangered Species Program; central Oregon s Kokanee Karnival; and a host of other interesting and useful subjects. Several volunteers and other partners were recognized for their efforts. STEP award recipients for were: Educators Lee Cain, Astoria High School Larry Phillips, Umpqua Fishermen s Association Lin Howell, Jackson Bottom Wetlands Landowner Support City of Eugene, Delta Ponds Habitat Enhancement Project (Scott Milivich, Project Manager and Eric Wold, Natural Resource Manager) Resource Stewards Portland General Electric STEP Hatchery Facility Management Cliff Lance, Morgan Creek Hatchery John Franzen, Morgan Creek Hatchery Youth Colby Davison Partners Sandy Basin Partnership - Russ Plaeger, Sandy Basin Watershed Council Jerome Arnold, City of Cannon Beach Members of the Association of Northwest Steelheaders show off an aquarium chiller system for incubating trout and salmon eggs.

3 Invasive Mussels and Snails By Shelly Miller, STEP Coordinator In last quarter s issue of Oregon Fishworks, I provided a brief introduction to the native freshwater mussels of Oregon. As a companion piece, this quarter s Science Corner article will focus on a few of the invasive freshwater mussels and snails threatening the Pacific Northwest. Quagga and zebra mussels, native to the region of Eastern Europe around the Caspian Sea, were both introduced to the U.S. in the late 1980s through the discharge of ballast water in the Great Lakes. They quickly spread throughout much of the Midwest. In 2007 and 2008, quagga mussels were found in 15 southern California reservoirs. Boats containing quagga mussels have been found in northern California and close to the Oregon- Washington border. Unlike the native freshwater mussels that require a host to reproduce, quagga and zebra mussels have a free-swimming (veliger) larval form that can be transported by river currents and in boat bilges, live wells, and on surfaces. In cool, humid conditions, they can survive several days out of water. Quagga and zebra mussels are quite prolific and adaptable which increases their ability to spread to new environments. Once in those new environments, they quickly spread and can carpet any hard surfaces. Unlike native freshwater mussels, quagga and zebra mussels directly attach to hard surfaces. So, why should salmon and trout enthusiasts be concerned about zebra and quagga mussels? First of all, they have incredible filtering capacity and can remove much of the suspended phyto- and zooplankton in the water column affecting the entire food chain. Their high filtering capacity also increases light filtration in the water column possibly increasing aquatic plant growth. Pollutants found in their waste products are concentrated up to 300,000 times the level found in the water column. In addition, both species have had a major economic impact on municipalities and power generators that rely on water from infested rivers and lakes. Another mollusk invader to the Northwest is the New Zealand mud snail. This tiny gastropod is already present in some Oregon waterways and can in a short time largely carpet the river bottom. They live at densities up to 400,000 per square meter and can greatly impact food and habitat availability. Mud snails hitchhike on wading boots and other gear. Due to their small size, they are typically overlooked. Because they can clone themselves called parthenogenesis it only takes one to successfully spread to a new habitat. They can also survive for weeks in cool, damp places. They are impossible to remove once established in an area without widespread effects to the rest of the ecosystem. Our best solution is prevention. Thorough cleaning and drying of boats, nets, boots, buckets, and any other gear that comes in contact with the water is critical. This is particularly important if you will be moving between river systems. The following web sites have lots of information about New Zealand mudsnails and quagga mussels, effective cleaning techniques and other prevention tips: l ubs/onlinepubs/g06006.html l l usks/default.asp Oregon s legislature is taking this threat seriously. Passed in 2009, HB 2220 creates an Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program funded by fees for both motorized and nonmotorized boats. HB 2583, the Clean Launch Law prohibits launching a boat with any visible aquatic species on the hull, motor, trailer, or related equipment or with any invasive species in the boat. Both are described in more detail at: l ams/09lawsfaqs.shtml. Recent R&E Grants Enhancement No No No No No No No No No Restoration Full Circle Schools Restoration Ecology Program, $19,800 JWTR Fishing Access and Enforcement Project, $36,840 Astoria High School Fisheries Technology Program, $20,400 Phillips Reservoir Fishery Restoration, $19,961 Safe Release Educational Materials for Marine Fish, $14,000 Eagle Fern Park Acclimation Facility, $60,300 Shevlin Pond Rehabilitation & Enhancement, $8,500 West Linn Cat Walk Replacement, $115,200 Siuslaw Adult Winter Steelhead Trap Repair, $3,311 No Alsea Hatchery Maintenance Building Restoration, $15,000 No Liberation Truck #63 Water Re-Circulation System, $5,000 No Elk River Chinook Freshwater Harvest & Escapement, $96,310 No Nehalem Fish Transportation Tank & Truck Project, $85,000 No South Coast Spawning Surveys, $22,485 No Nehalem Hatchery Restoration Bundle, $34,165

4 The FishWorks Shop The desert may seem like the last place in the world for fish, but in fact the arid American West historically held about one third of the fish species in North America. Oregon s Great Basin Desert region provides habitat for a variety of fish species ranging from such sought-after game fish as redband trout to small, lesser-known species of chub. Despite its remoteness, the Oregon desert, has also been subjected to human development and impacts that have been detrimental to its native fish species. These include agricultural development, livestock grazing, mining, diverting water for irrigation, and introduction of non-native fish species. Potential future threats include energy development and growth of the human population. A number of Oregon s desert fish species are listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Here is a sampling of some of Oregon s desert fishes and how ODFW works to manage, restore and conserve desert fish species in trouble: Great Basin Redband Trout Great Basin redband trout diverged from their coastal rainbow trout cousins while isolated in interior basins over thousands of years. Redband trout may be found in streams or lakes and may require both to complete their life cycle. This popular game fish is vulnerable to dewatering of streams for irrigation, damage to riparian areas from livestock grazing, and possible hybridization with stocked rainbow trout. Cooperation between landowners and government agencies is helping to protect and restore redband habitat. The highly adaptable nature of redband trout makes successful rehabilitation possible. Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Historically, Lahontan cutthroat trout could be found in streams, large rivers, and even alkaline lakes Only remnant populations still exist in Oregon, Nevada, and California. As such, the Lahontan cutthroat trout is listed as threatened under the ESA. There are several subspecies of Lahontan cutthroat trout. One of which, the Alvord Lahontan cutthroat, is extinct. The severe declines are attributed to many factors including hybridization and competition with introduced trout, loss of spawning habitat, degraded habitat from decades of poor land use practices, overfishing, and drought conditions of the 1980s and early 1990s. Borax Lake Chub Borax Lake chub is found only in Borax Lake and adjacent wetlands in Oregon s Alvord basin. It is a type of desert minnow that grows to about 2 inches in length. Recent studies have estimated their population size between 8,000 and 15,000 individuals. Borax Lake is fed by hot springs and is a popular recreation spot. Borax chub are listed under the ESA in response to potential threats from geothermal development, shoreline degradation, and illegal introductions of non-native fishes. Hutton Springs Tui Chub Oregon s Desert Fishes Winter 2010 The redband trout is one of Oregon s key desert fish species. Listed as threatened under the ESA, Hutton Springs tui chub are represented by only one population near Alkali Lake in Lake County, Oregon. In 2007, a second spring thought to contain Hutton Springs tui chub was An Educational Series Presented by the R&E and STEP Programs

5 rediscovered. Livestock grazing, pollution and past draining of Hutton Spring caused this fish species to decline. The current landowner of Hutton Spring is working with government agencies to protect the chubs habitat. Data collected and analyzed in 2007 estimate population sizes at 959 and 87 chub at Hutton Spring and 3/8 Mile Spring respectively. Foskett Spring Speckled Dace The lone population of Foskett Spring speckled dace is found in a spring located on the west side of Coleman Lake, in Lake County. The population has recently been estimated at 2,500 to 4,000 individuals. An attempt to establish a second population in nearby Dace Spring was made between 1979 and 1980 but apparently failed. Both springs are now under the ownership of the Bureau of Land Management and are fenced to protect them from livestock grazing. Conserving and Managing Lahontan Cutthroat Trout Rotenone was applied to several Oregon desert streams to help restore Lahontan cutthroat trout populations. On August 12 and 13, 2009, approximately 65 people from ODFW, the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and US Forest Service (USFS) applied rotenone to nearly 26 miles of Sage, Riser, and lower McDermitt creeks in southeast Oregon. This was the final part of a multi-year Lahontan cutthroat trout restoration effort in this area. The Zimmerman Ranch provided a meadow for the base camp, and worked extensively with staff to coordinate with their ranch operation. The Wilkinsons (GJ Livestock) were also involved in the project. This restoration effort was directed by both the Federal Lahontan cutthroat trout recovery plan and the ODFW Lahontan subbasin fish management plan. To implement the project, temporary barriers were placed in the basin to prevent reinvasion of non-native trout after removal. Once barriers were in place, areas upstream from those barriers were treated to remove rainbow trout, rainbow/cutthroat hybrids, brook trout, and brown trout. The lowest segment of the basin was treated this year. Observations made during treatment indicated that the non-native trout removal efforts were successful. Staff observed numerous dead rainbow, brook, and brown trout during the first three to four hours of treatment on August 12. No live trout were observed on August 13, although some other endemic species were observed in offchannel ponds. To ensure successful removal of all non-native trout, these ponds were also treated with rotenone. Prior to the treatment, ODFW staff monitored other native fish present in the tributaries to ensure that they were not subject to collateral damage. One species (Tahoe sucker) was only found in the mainstem, so those fish were collected and moved into a tributary that would not be treated. ODFW staff have been electrofishing much of the area treated last year to determine treatment success. Sampling efforts just above the temporary barrier and in a beaver pond complex indicated that previous treatment was successful. The USFWS and NDOW installed a permanent barrier at the lower end of McDermitt Creek in October This barrier is intended to prevent possible reinvasion of brown or rainbow trout from the Quinn River. Other temporary barriers throughout the basin will be removed in 2010 or Native Lahontan cutthroat trout from upper Sage and Line Canyon creeks was stocked in successfully treated reaches in October 2009, and will be again in late summer or fall for multiple years. Other endemic fish species may be collected and stocked in various portions of the basin. For more information on Oregon s desert fishes visit the ODFW Native Fish Investigations web site at: For additional information the R&E Program, contact Program Coordinator Laura Tesler For more information about STEP contact Program Coordinator Shelly Miller, (503)

6 STE P and R &E Programs Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 3406 Cherry Ave., N.E. Salem, OR Oregon FishWorks Winter 2010, Volume 14, Number 1 Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 3406 Cherry Ave., N.E. Salem, OR Fax Roy Elicker, Director Laura Tesler, R&E Program Coordinator Shelly Miller, STEP Coordinator (Interim) Debbi Farrell, R&E/STEP Assistant Jim Yuskavitch, Editing and Design Restoration and Enhancement Board Lonnie Johnson, Chair... Sport Fishing Darlene Kline-Dolby... Sport Fishing Dixie Boley... Seafood Processing Gary Soderstrom... Gillnet Fishing Bob Mullong... Public-At-Large Terry Learned... Troll Fishing Jack Glass... Sport Fishing STEP Advisory Committee Tod Jones, Chair... North Coast-Astoria Dave Dunahay... Eastern Oregon Michael Brochu... Umpqua Gary Enoch... Upper Rogue Rosemary Furfey... Lower Willamette Patrick Gefre... North Coast-Tillamook William Hastie... Mid-Willamette Richard Heap... Lower Rogue Sammie Mosley...Eastern Oregon ~ Armand Pena... Tenmile, Coos, Coquille Tom Petersen... Mid Coast Norman Ritchie... Lower Willamette Leslie Wade... Upper Willamette STEP Coordinator (Interim) Shelly Miller, Salem (503) Shelly.A.Miller@state.or.us R&E/STEP Program Assistant Debbi Farrell, Salem (503) Deoborah.L. Farrell@state.or.us STEP Biologists North Coast STEP Ron Rehn, Tillamook (503) Ron.F.Rehn@state.or.us Mid Coast STEP Vacant Umpqua STEP Greg Huchko, Roseburg (541) Greg.F.Huchko@state.or.us Tenmile, Coos, and Coquille STEP Gary Vonderohe, Charleston (541) Gary.R.Vonderohe@state.or.us Tom Rumreich,Charleston (541) Thomas.J.Rumreich@state.or.us The Fish Restoration and Enhancement Program provides funding for fish restoration and enhancement projects throughout Oregon, while the Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program harnesses the dedication and enthusiasm of volunteers to rehabilitate and enhance Oregon s fisheries. MISSION: FISHERY CONSERVATION STEP Contacts Lower Rogue STEP John Weber, Gold Beach (541) John.A.Weber@state.or.us Upper Rogue STEP Chuck Fustish, Central Point (541) Chuck.A.Fustish@state.or.us Lower Willamette STEP Jeff Fulop, Clackamas (971) Jeff.S.Fulop@state.or.us Mid Willamette STEP Karen Hans, Corvallis (541) x251 Karen.M.Hans@state.or.us Upper Willamette STEP Jeff Ziller, Springfield (541) x26 Jeffrey.S.Ziller@state.or.us Erik Moberly, Springfield (541) , x28 Erik.R.Moberly@state.or.us Eastern Oregon STEP Jennifer Luke, Bend (541) Jennifer.A.Luke@state.or.us To subscribe or unsubscribe to Oregon FishWorks, call R&E/STEP at (503)