PLAN FOR SUPPLEMENTAL PRODUCTION SALMON AND STEELHEAD FOR COOK INLET RECREATIONAL FISHERIES

Transcription

1 PAN FOR SUPPEMENTA PRODUCTION OF SAMON AND STEEHEAD FOR COOK INET RECREATIONA FISHERIES I I I I., I..'..:.... _..... : ' ,;; ' Division of Sport Fish Alaska Department of Fish and Game Rupert E. Andrews, Diretor Ronald 0. Skoog, Commissioner

2 -, "1 " '1 _.1 Otober PAN FOR SUPPEMENTA PRODUCriON OF SAlMON AND STEEHEAD FOR COOK INE.I' ROCREATIONA FISHERIES. " l--4! )! 15 7 ;("f# I f l PS6 l 10 rl} ::;.,. Ii-n'RODUriON AND SCOPE.. egislation passed in 1977 (AS ) mandated the reation of om ,.. l.. :!,. -!'..... (J') o o 1'-.. o C\ () i 1.() 1'-.. (Y) (Y) r prehensi ve salnnn enhanement plans for eah area of the State designated by the Comnissioner of Fish arrl Game for suh ativities. Cook Inlet has been so designated, arrl a regional aquaulture assoiation has been fanned and reognized. In addition to the legislative mandate, the Department of Fish and Game fishery staff firmly believes a omprehensive plan for eah area is neessary to guide the multitude of proposed publi and private enhanement failities, projets, et., in a manner whih will result in :maximum publi benefit. In 1979, a statewide salnnn plan was written. This plan established major goals for salnnn harvesting areas of the State. However, the plan id not inlude many speifi projets for the various areas (i.e., speifially how goals and objetives would be net). The purpose of this plan is to define speifi sites, salmon stoks and other fators neeessary to address the goals of that segment of the Alaska Salmon Plan h deals with rereational fishing for salmon arrl steelhead in Cook Inlt. ARIS Alaska Resoures ibrary & Information Servies ibrary Building, Suite 1 II 321 I Providene. Drive Anhorage, AK

3 ,, ' ' M:>re fish will have to be prxiued in Cook Inlet, not only to inrease the anglers' ath but even to maintain the ath at the present rate. The objetive of this plan is to prxiue an additional 106,000 artifiially prxiued hinook, oho arrl sokeye salm:::m and steelhead for rereational anglers harvest by 1988'. While the onmerial fishery is stable in size due to limited entry, the sport fishery is still inreasing. In 1979, sport anglers fisherl an estimated 435,000 angler-days in Cook Inlet and Kenai Peninsula waters for hinook, oho and sokeye salm:m. By 1988, the end of the short-term objetive period of this plan, the number of angler-days is expeted to inrease to 522, 000 based on an annual inrease of 2.3% (growth data from Alaska population overview). While the 2.3% figure is a low-ase estimat, priate for the next several years beause: it is onsidered appro- (l) sport fish liense sales arrl population growth have slowed in reent years; and (2) sport fishing effort for salmon will probably not inrease at the high-ase annual growth rate beause of limited aess and the fat some major fisheries are approahing an angler arrying apaity. 'Ib maintain the present ath rate of 0.35 salmon per gler-day, y annual th of these speies must rise from 154,000 to approximately 184,000 by Sport anglers fished an estimated total of 435,000 angler- days in Cook Inlet and Kenai Peninsula waters in 1979, and aught an estimated 154,000 hinook, oho and sokeye salmon. By 1988, if the inrease in rereational angling effort ontinues at a 2.3% annual rate, an additional 87,000 angler-days must be aorrm::dated the I - j r-, r, I r "'f' "' f 1 \,! '. r, I l l j l ' r l '".. " I. f '! r

4 ' 'I '' Therefore, if population growth projetions are borne out and if existing natural stoks ontinue to produe 154,000 hinook, oho and sokeye salm::m to anglers eah year, and the objetives of the plan to inrease the sport harvest by 106,000 hinook, oho and sokeye salrom and steelhead are met, rrore than one-quarter (30,000) of the artifiially produed salrron will be needed just to keep ath rates at the urrent level. Reent publi expression indiates the urrent ath rate is unsatisfatory. Therefore, the remaining 76,000 supplemental salrron will serve to inrease angler ath rates of hinook, oho and sokeye salrron to approximately per day. The 10 projets in this plan will support 270,000 angler-days of rereational fishing, at aeptable ath rates, if the respetive projets are realized ' Alloation between sport and omnerial users is urrently a ritial issue in Cook Inlet. Inreasing rereational demand will ontribute to the intensity of present alloation onflits within Cook Inlet, as will greater use of the same salrron stoks by inreasing numbers of subsistene fishermen. If total harvests of Cook Inlet salrron stoks remain the same, individual sport athes will derease as the number of anglers inrease. Therefore, rrore opportunities provided rereational anglers _;.. to use artifiially produed salrron and new fishing areas reated by improved aess will redue disruption and impats on the ommerial and subsistene fisheries. ine sportsmen desire hinook and oho salrron above all others, the present plan is aimed primarily at prodution of these speies. One r - 3 -

5 projet also reommends inreased sokeye prodution and one projet r-- reornnends steelhead prx:lution. The plan also reoi'cliiends that oho salrron shall be of higher priority than hinook or steelhead for artifiial prodution in the imnediate future. Both Alaskan and numerous west oast hathery programs have repeatedly demonstrated that oho salmon provide higher and more onsistent returns of adult salmon than do hinook. M:>reover, sine ohos rerna.in at sea only about 15 months after srnolt release, benefits an be ahieved in a shorter time interval than with hinook salmon, most of whih return after three or four years. Chinook salrron are reornnenderl prinipally for exper:i.irental releases at this time. Hathery returns of spring hinook have been quite low in most west oast and anadian releases. imiterl releases to date in Alaska have also produerl low results, and suffiient numbers of eggs are diffiult and expensive to obtain. However, publi demand for hinook salrron is great and we feel a l:imi terl experimental program should be onduted in an attempt to solve rearing and release problems and prx:lue srnolts whih return at a rate that will justify rearing osts. Finally, publi derna.nd for artifiial prodution of steelhead is growing. We feel a supplemental prodution program for steelhead should logially be inluderl in this salrron enhanerrent plan beause steelhead: (1) are as desirable as salmon to sport anglers; r.. r : t -, f - _ r -, - _ l:

6 (2) ould be made available in the same waters and within the same time frames as salmon; (3) have life histories and management onsiderations similar to., hinook and oho salmon; and (4} require nearly idential rearing failities as do hinook and oho salmon.. In Cook Inlet, C-to our only in several small streams loated on the southwestern Kenai Peninsula. ittle is known of their numbers or life history. The time and loations of spawning have , -' rot been anpletely definal. reomnends exp3ilding a pogram of olleting life history data, defining existing stok size and urrent harvest, testing methrls of holding ripening adults with an ultimate goal of artifiially rearing this speies and expanding the number of stream systems in Cook Inlet ontaining steelhead. The geographial sope of this salmon/s,:teelhead plan inludes all Cook '1 -' -!. _..... Inlet waters and those oastal waters adjaent to the onmmities of Honer, Seldovia and Seward. No time shedules have been established, as the fishery staff believes it is far more important to learly set out priorities between various potential projets than propose a time shedule whih is ontingent not only upon rnonies alloated to these new enhanement projets but also to modifiation and expansion of existing pr9jets and/or failities " -'

7 Finally, the plan reorrmends projets whih are area and/or site speifie basoo on the anglers' ability to harvest the returning fish. Future hinook, oho and steelhead enhanerrent programs will primarily involve the use of plan too smol ts. - lr The plan advoates the use of loal stoks and, where possible, those native to the release site. r--l - l - j f' j f ' : l ' l' l ' - 6 -

8 DESCRIPTION OF THE COOK INET RECREATIONA FISHERY Sport fishing effort in Cook Inlet is far more intense than in any other,. area of the State, sine half of the State's population lives in this region. Beginning in 1977, an annual angler survey, ondute:i by a series of mail questionnaires, has provide:i an aurate estimate of statewide and regional angler use. In 197 9, this survey indiated a total of 213,309 anglers fishe:i in Alaska, of whih 59% fishe:i in Cook Inlet and Kenai Peninsula waters. Based on liense sales, statewide angling effort during the last three -' years has inrease:i approximately 3. 0% per year. Sampling indiate:i _. " ' that unliensed juveniles aounted for 25% of the total number of anglers. Anglers, adult and juvenile ombined, have inrease:i on a statewide basis from about 75,000 persons in 1961 to over 213,300 in _;, -,,i While it is not possible to determine exatly the number of irrlividual sport anglers who fishe:i in Cook Inlet waters, it is known that in 1979 _j J< there were 101,639 liense:i and juvenile anglers who live:i in the Cook Inlet area. In addition to the loal resident fishennen, there were visiting non-resident anglers utilizing the Cook Inlet fisheries; therefore, the total number of partiipants beolles muh greater. It is estimate:i, based on the postal questionnaire data, that more than 125, 000 liensed and juvenile anglers urrently partiipate in the Cook -' Inlet sport fisheries \: -" "'

9 r The total ath of salmon within Cook Inlet has been assessed sine 1977 by the aforerrentioned.postal survey. Angler use and harvest infonnation reeived from the series of.postal surveys are ross-heked against a number of statistially designed "on-the-ground" reel ensus programs of ma.jor Cook Inlet sal.rron fisheries. The orrelation between infonnation reeived from the reel ensus programs and that of the.postal questionnaire has been very high, rarely differing by rrore than 10%. As a result, the staff has developed a high degree of onfidene in the.postal survey results. In same areas of the State where "in season" managerrent data are unneessary, the "marmed" reel ensuses have been terminated in favor of the.postal survey. Presented in Table 1 is the estimated sport harvest of sal.rron from Cook Inlet and Resurretion Bay for the years : Table 1. Estimated S.POrt Harvest of Sal.rron from Cook Inlet-Resurretion Bay Area, * l I I l 'n r '_ - II -, j Year Chinook Coho Red Pink Churn 'Ibtal ,210 51,907 82,363 45,484 2, , ,856 65, , ,446 18, , ,853 64,039 63,731 25,696 5, ,145 * Da.ta from Departirent of Fish and Gaire.POStal survey. Inludes Resurretion Bay marine fishery. l_ r-1 I, l-, _ l

10 With the exeption of some marine effort and very few intnature feeder hinook taken near Seldovia and Seward, the salrron sport fishery in southentral Alaska is onduted entirely on adult salmon as they either approah their spawning streams or are within those streams. Therefore,.. rrost fisheries in this region are fairly brief in duration, with anglers rroving from one fishery to another as the various runs arrive. The marine effort in Cook Inlet is somewhat limited. Relatively few anglers within the Cook Inlet area have boats of suffiient size to handle rough marine waters. aunhing and berthing failities at all popular marinas are at apaity. at Kahemak Bay are undefined. Current angler use levels and trends A major marine fishery for salrron is the hinook salmon troll fishery onduted along the Kenai Peninsula beahes south of Deep Creek. Effort in this fishery has grown rapidly from 5,000 angler-days in 1974 to 35,000 in 1979, but has shown signifiant flutuations in angler effort due to inlerrent periods of weather and availability of fish stoks. In ontrast to rrost marine fisheries, the Deep Creek troll fishery takes plae within yards of the beah and in relatively small boats. Therefore, weather ditates to a large extent the angler effort expended in this fishery. River fisheries on the other hand have inreased far rrore rapidly. For ' exarple, the Kenai River hinook salmon fishery has inreased from ' 45,000 angler-days in 1974 to 98,600 angler-days in Figure 1 presents a omparison of major Oook Inlet hinook salmon fisheries dliring the years !' :!_

11 .,. l l " r' it:.l,ooil s EGEND Kenai River Anhor River, Deep Creek and inilhik P.iver D Deep Creek Iarine Northern Cook r :"'l Inlet :.... rum (181' l". \ - (150) (158 n l.\0,000 (134) I' 10, ,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 lj. r. 20,000 l_ f Figure l. Cook Inlet - Total Anrlin!! F.ffor1' for ICin<> <;l.,nn " _

12 ., The high perentage of lower Cook Inlet sport fishing effort whih ours on the Kenai Peninsula appears to be maintaining itself and is ' undoubtedly due to two major reasons: 1. The availability of large hinook, sokeye and oho salrron stoks in a generally healthy ondition whih provide at least an aeptable ath rate. 2. Good aess to those waters having hinook, sokeye and oho ".., stoks. In upper Cook Inlet, aess to waters west of the Susitna River is restrited to riverboat or light airraft. Angling effort, as a result, has not grown as rapidly as in other areas. In addition, upper Cook Inlet hinook salrron fishing was only reopened to sport fishing in 1979 following a 5-year losure. While the sport ath rate for oho has improved in the last two to three years, it has been unsatisfatory for many years prior to the reent improvement. ""' Table 2 shows the distribution of Cook Inlet salrron angling. _; -, _

13 Table 2. Distribution of Cook Inlet Salmon Angling Effort, * Angler-Days Angler-Days Perent Effort of Effort of Total Year Cook Inlet Upper Inlet Kenai Pen. Upper Inlet Kenai Pen , , , , , , , , , * Resurretion Bay exluded. Three Year Average The impending apitol move to the Willow area will inrease the a.rrount and affet the distribution of rereational fishing demand in Cook Inlet. The new apitol is foreasted. to have a population of approxirnately 30,000 people, whih will likely result in a signifiant inrease in the number of Cook Inlet anglers. M:>st Anhorage anglers now drive 150 to 200 miles eah way to fish for salmon on the Kenai Peninsula. However, the new apitol site is approximately 70 road miles farther north of Anhorage, and this additional distane may make anglers living in this new onmunity more relutant to drive to Kenai Peninsula waters for weekend fishing. Therefore, the Department antiipates inreaserl demands for rereational salmon fishing in northern Cook Inlet waters. Sine marine waters of northern Cook Inlet are silty and thus unsuiterl to sport fishing, rereational fishing must be onduterl in fresh water. In an attempt to meet the rereational demand of an inreasing population, the Division of Sport Fish has undertaken a sizeable lake rebabili tation and stoking program with assoiated. researh programs to _ -l' r _!,. I r-.., l_' ' l ' r r r, ( I..., l

14 inrease the rereational harvest of lake-reared resident game fish, primarily trout and landloked silver sal.non. This program has been very suessful, hiefly in produing spring and fall fisheries. '!his aomplishment results from the fat that ath rates within the stoked lakes drop during the wann midsurruner period and rrost anglers prefer. salrron when they are available rather than resident game fish speies. Many, if not rrost, anglers in southentral Alaska tend to fish the lakes until the salrron runs arrive. They then turn to salrron fishing until these runs are over, at whih time they return to the lakes for fall fishing. The lake stoking program does provide an alternative to salrron fishing for rrany anglers. However, it is not an aeptable -" alternative for the vast majority of the Oook Inlet angling publi. "'!l ::.; -, -" -'

15 r- : SPORI' FISHERY ENHANCEMENT CONSIDERATIONS., - -- Sport sal.iron fisheries in Cook Inlet an be developed or enhaned in three different types of waters: 1. Marine bays. 2. arge rivers suh as the Kenai. 3. Srna.ll streams suh as Anhor River, Willow Creek, et. Eah type of development has ertain advantages and disadvantages. It is ritially ilrq;x:)rtant that the publi, planners and managers fully understand the problems and opportunities assoiated with eah type of fishery. Fisheries in Marine Bays This type of fishery requires large bots apable of withstanding rough water. Extensive berthing and support failities are needed for fueling, repair, et. This type of fishery usually has little angler ongestion, and very seldom will a sal.iron stok be overharvested by a saltwater sport fishery. Weather is a ritial fator and ontinuing bad weather at the time a sallron run is passing through an sharply redue the harvest. The ability to assess the sport athes in this r - l ' -r- r ' J.J 1 - r-1 J l ' r l l' l f 1 l_ l

16 envirol1itei1t is often dependent upon points of aess; i.e., launh and dok failities, and the Deparbnent' s ability to ontat anglers at the ompletion of the day at these respetive departure areas. The single most ritial problem in developing or enhaning marine fisheries is in ahieving a high enough density of fish to provide a minimum aeptable ath rate. Where salmon enter a large bay, very large numbers of salmon are neessary to produe an aeptable ath rate. It is not enough that some fish return to the fishing area--enough fish must return to a given loation at the same time so that a rninirm.ml satisfatory ath rate is ahieve::l. If suh a rate is -. not ahieve::l, anglers move to another fishery and the fish produe::l for the original fishery are wasterl. What is a minimum aeptable ath rate? The lowest ath rate that anglers will tolerate varies with speies, weather, diffiulty of aess and a host of other fators. We do know that anglers will settle for a lower harvest rate on hinook salrnon and steelhead trout than other speies, and probably a lower rate on oho than on the remaining three salmon speies. Minimum aeptable ath rates per angler-day of Cook Inlet salrnon fishing, by speies, are estimated. to be as follows : Chinook salrnon, 0. 2; oho salmon, 0. 5; sokeye salmon, 0. 6; pink salmon, -:- "' 1.0; hum salrnon, 0. 7; steelhead trout, 0.1. arge Rivers -" fisheries taking plae in large rivers neerl launhing, parking and amping failities. Streambank aess may or may not be important

17 Some angler ongestion and/or interferene is mnon, partiularly between boat and shore anglers. Weather typially does not interfere with angling exept when rain prxlues turbid or high flow orrlitions. Assessment of ath depends upon the number of angler aess points, and usually this type of fishery is the most diffiult to aurately assess athes. It is possible, at urrent sport fish utilization levels in Cook Inlet, to overharvest speifi salmon stoks in a large river system. r, r T. 1.-.! - r -: 't _; f',-, J The number of fish required for a suessful river fishery is a very important onsideration. Far fewer fish are needed than for a marine ---, _j Currently, a series of rivers in southentral Alaska are manage:i on a day-to-day basis to avoid this eventuality. fishery as the onfining nature of a river serves as a mehanism to inrease density and thus provide a greater ath rate. An exellent ex.a:rrple is the Kenai River where a rapidly expanding oho and sokeye fishery is taking plae. This is a very suessful freshwater fishery, but the sa.rre fish migrating to the river along the Kenai Peninsula beahes do not support a suessful marine fishery (as do Kenai hinook salmon) beause the ath rate, as a result of fish density, is apparently too low until they are within the onfines of the river I' _._j lj r -.J J r--- _j '

18 Small Streams In smaller streams, ontinuous linear strearnbank aess is ItEildatory sine little or no use of boats is p:>ssible. Angler ongestion is usually high, but is tolerate:i by anglers if the ath rate is satisfatory. Weather is not a fator exept when rain prx:lues turbid or high flow onli tions. Stoks of fish an easily be overharveste:i if the fishery is not stringently managed. However, it is possible with monitoring to ondut intensive, short duration fisheries in small streams whih an prx:lue thousands of angler-days of fishing arrl yet not damage the resoure. '1.\oJo examples in this region are the Anhor River hinook salrron fishery and the Russian River sokeye sal:rron fishery. The three lower Kenai Peninsula streams (Anhor, Deep and Ninilhik) have provide:i an average of angler-days of fishing for hinook salrron the last few years ( ) on only 2 miles of eah river during a 12-day season. The average harvest during this period has been about 2,100 hinook salrron and the stoks renain in exellent ondition. In the Russian River, angler-days of fishing produe:i a harvest of approximately 52,700.- sokeye salmon ( data) and the stok ontinues to be in exellent ondition. A major onsideration is that far fewer fish are nee:ie:i to prx:lue a {. suessful fishery in a small stream. The small stream onfines the fish into "holes" easily reognize:i by the angler. This type of fishery " t :. -

19 n -,... is also better suited to less skillful anglers and hildren due to the inreased harvest potential. n r, It is ritial, havever, that the stream seleted for enhanement not be too small. If so, the high level of angler ativity on the strearnbank will impede the upstream migration of salrron. '!his effet has been doumented on several small streams in Cook Inlet. Also, it is mandatory that any stream seleted for enhanement have publi aess along the banks. A single land parel in private ownexship an blok aess to all fishing waters beyond that property. Enhanement of small streams within an urban area is not reasonable from a management viewpoint. Angler use beomes too intense and it is impossible not to reate trespass and property damage problems on adjaent properties, inevitably resulting in a losure. r -r -r i : J lj lj r, l

20 -, RFAITIFS OF ENHANCING RECREATIONA FISHERIES -. All proposals to enhane Cook Inlet hinook, oho and sokeye stoks generally share the following diffiulties that demand solution:, 1. Corrmerial Intereption: Unless rereationally enhaned Cook Inlet stoks an be returned either before or after COITI!rerial fishing seasons, those stoks will be subjet to orrmerial utilization prior to entering rereational fisheries. Unless major aorrplishments in stok separation our, it is likely the ommerial harvest of artifiially produed oho will greatly exeed that of the rereational fisheries. Interepl tion of an enhaned stok by ommerial fisheries may not 1 _>J neessarily be undesirable, but it an generate problems when rereational anglers are seeking the same fish and, partieularly, where enhanerrent is orrluted for rereational bene- ::;o., _. fit. For exarrple, ost-benefits of a srrolt plant may be favorable when rrost fish are sport aught but undesirable if a great many are harvested onmerially. Assessment of the total adult return is another onsideration that would beome exeedingly diffiult if rereationally enhaned fish are _. harvested in Cook Inlet marine waters. "" Measuring the total ontribution of an enhaned oho population would be partiularly troublesome beause these fish are aptured throughout muh of the orrmerial fishery. Many returning enhaned adults are harvested in the mixed _,

21 stok orrmerial fishery; i.e. 1 it will be diffiult if not impossible to re:iue harvest rrortality during the rebuilding proess. The Board of Fisheries omprehensive rranagement plan reognizes and addresses this very serious issue. 2. Aess: One of the major problems in managing sport salmon fisheries in Cook Inlet is the matter of aess. Only on the Kenai Peninsula is the highway system relate:i to streams in suh a manner that anglers have good aess. In northern Cook Inlet 1 the population enters are loate:i on the east side of the Inlet (an::l the east side of the Susitna River) 1 while the major learwater streams are west of the Susitna River. It is urrently diffiult even to launh a boat on the Susi tna River for boat aess to west side tributaries. East side Susi tna tributaries are 1 in rrost ases 1 intersete:i by highways rather than being parallel to the highway. When the highways were onstrute:i 1 rrost adjaent streambanks rrove:i into private ownership leaving only small aess points at the highway intersetion. Stream banks farther from the highway system often remain bloked to angler aess by these private C T'. r, ' j f u n l u holdings r l

22 3 "'! Therefore, enhaning the Cook Inlet saron sport fishery, partiularly in northern Cook Inlet, involves IIDre than SIIDl t releases. It must inlude onsiderp.tion of and, in same instanes, developmen of aess sit where signifiant numbers of anglers an get to waters and where artifiially produed fish an be harvested in large numbers. -- '1 At the present time, two of the three top priority projets -., listed in this plan will be developed at sites where large numbers of anglers ould harvest artifiially produed sa:ijron., only with aess improverrent. These streams are Willow Creek and the ittle Susi tna River. This need prampterl the 1 _. inlusion of aess development projets for these streams in the Alaskan fish plan. They are also reonmenderl in this plan for enhanerrent with hathery oho and/or hinook saliidn only.,. with irnproverl aess. _. -, _....Ji,. _. In addition, there are presently very fe:ili ' / (ampgrounds, boat launhes, -et.) adjaent to upper Cook Inlet salnon streams. The major learwater systems that enter the Susitna River from the west are only aessible by diffi- ult river travel or air. A sarity of publi aess is therefore a serious deterrent, at this time, to enhanerrent of numerous systems that may otherwise be satisfatory for enhanerrent..i<

23 - i 3. Researh Support: Tb provide a feasible supplement to natural prodution requires the relationships between the environment and fish be known, and that the rearing nee:j.s of the propagated fish be satisfied. This enompasses everything assoiated with survival 1 growth and behavior 1 as well as a host of other fators that affet fish. Muh of the knowledge neessary to guide enhanement in upper Cook Inlet is laking. Our understanding of hinook vividly illustrates this problem; e.g. 1 when do most upper Cook Inlet hinook migrate seaward; what is the size and ondition index of these smolts; what role do glaial streams play in the rearing of these fish; and what is the response of hinook to assoiated fishes? n n n -!.'.. n n n : t

24 SUMMI\l{Y -l Beause of these orrrron problems, a rro:iest enhanement effort for upper Cook Inlet is reomnended at this time. The short range goal of, enhanement in this area rrust be researh oriented and direted to development of reliable brood soures for use in the future prodution programs. In the ase of oho, enhanement ativities should strive to develop stoks that migrate through Cook Inlet after the period of rrajor ommerial fishing ativity. The rereational and soial demand for hinook and oho in upper Cook '! Inlet is suh that a sizeable investment is warranted to overome the diffiulties onfronting enhanement. Researh and development projets l,.; -, :i to aquire needed life history and stok separation data as well as the development of publi aess, are inluded in the Alaska Salmon Fisheries Plan. '1 -' -, -' In keeping with modest enhanement objetives, Table 3 lists by priority 10 sites reommended for enhanement. "Eah site has one or more speies reommended for use and a numerial objetive to provide a minirrum speified level of ath. Further, the plan speifies for eah site the -". estimated total run of artifiially produed fish neessary to produe the minimum desired ath. _...,.- - _; 'f'he ratio between ath and total run shown in this table (i.e., an estimate of the relative effetiveness of anglers to harvest returning j _ _,

25 r. salmon) was omputed somewhat arbitrarily by fishery managers of the Division of Sport Fish based on what we have observed in numerous existing fisheries. It must be learly understood that angler fftivnss is influenal by many fators suh as aess, fish dnsity, water larity, ease of boating, angler density, weather, et. These fators will result in day-to-day hanges in the effetiveness of anglers. Therefore, the ratios of harvest to total run size shown in the plan are our best estimates as to average expeted rate at eah site based on the partiular set of fators whih prevail at that site. A series of fators were onsidered in establishing priorities of tl1e various projets. Angler effetiveness in harvesting returning fish was one major onsideration in establishing priority. Other important fators were aess, existing failities, distane from population enters, arrount and quality of fishing whih ould be produed and size of natural runs at the site and in adjaent waters. It should be emphasized that additional numbers of salmon an be utilized at rrost sites reorrmende::l in this report if enhaneme..'1t failities are able to produe and return more fish than are alled for in this plan. The figures shown in this plan are, in most ases, the minimum number of adults whih we believe must return to result in a suessful fishery. A suessful fishery for the purposes of this plan is defined as one whih results in a minimum aeptable ath rate and will provide a minimum of 10,000 angler-days of fishing opportunity F, ''. 1--,.. r--1 r--, l r-, l_j r ''

26 ... PRIORITY NUMBER I- (A) - I'ITE SUSI'INA RIVER COHO ENHANCEMENT -. Projet Goal--To provide a harvest of 10,000 late run oho whih will l,. support an estimated 20,000 angler-days of additional rereational fishing opportunity. 9l l. Management. ittle Susitna River oho, as is the ase with all oho of northern Cook Inlet origin, are urrently harvested by both sport and ornrrerial users. Corrmerial -. -" j exploitation of this system's natural stok is substantially greater than the sport harvest. This ath disparity in turn fosters substantial ever-growing user group onflit. Present stok separation knowledge does not permit management to allow greater numbers of oho through the mixed stok ommerial fishery in the entral drift net distrit without greatly redued athes of very valuable assoiated salmon; i.e., the... -, ittle Susitna River oho migrate through the entire length of the inlet at similar times when large numbers of sokeye, pinks and hums are IIDving through the same area. Reduing ommerial opportunities to ensure additional oho for rereational fishing is also ontrary to existing Board of Fisheries poliy whih states that insofar as it is onsistent with the subsistene priority, stoks whih nonnally IIDve in.. Cook Inlet after June 30 shall be managed primarily as a onmerial resoure until August 15. While Susi tna oho a.j;"e -' -"'";). reognized as a target speies for sport fishermen and Cook

27 Inlet management is designed to stabilize the inidental ommerial harvest of these fish, same level of ommerial utilization is unavoidable. Development of an artifiially aided run having natural migrational timing would undoubtedly enhane harvest opportunities for all users; however, plaement of large numbers of oho, whih have been designated by the Board of Fisheries as a speies to be prinipally harvested by sport users, into areas where rrost are harvested ommerially is ertain to generate additional onflit. On r - the other hand, enhanerrent of oho stoks that migrate after u the period of major oittbrial ativity would be expeted to lessen existing and future alloation disputes. Establishrrent of a late run, therefore, should beome the primary goal of this supplemental prodution effort. 2. Fishing Areas and Aess. The ittle Susitna River provides an exeptional opportunity to harvest oho in an aesthetially pleasing manner, and the waterway's physial features would J aommodate substantial rerational use without exessive ongestion. More than 75 miles of river are available for boat fishing, and rrost land surrounding this setion of the river is publi. A portion of the river borders the Nany ake Rereation Area and a anoe portage system presently - links the rereation area to the stream. The river is loated within a onvenient 1-1/2 hour drive of Anhorage and is also l-, "" J '!! u adjaent to the proposed Willow Capitol Site

28 ogistial aess to muh of the river is very limited, therefore, improved aess would ompliment major enhanement efforts. Currently the stream an only be reahed by the Parks Highway (the uppermost area open to salmon fishing) and '- via the Burma Road (middle setion of harvest area). The last three to four miles of the Burma Road is restrited to 4 X 4 vehiles only and seriously restrits general publi aess. 3. Existing Fishery and Use. Present rereational use is relatively light due primarily to poor aess. During rainy periods in the spring, the Burma Road is nearly impassable and fishing effort in the lower river, therefore, is often a funtion of road ondition. The system's oho fishery extends from July 15 to approximately September l. 4. Other Fish Speies Present. Good pink salmon fishing is available, partiularly on "even" years. Fair to good hinook salmon fishing is also available; however, poor spring road onditions often restrit angler use. Sokeye and hum salmon j.,.. -,. enter the sport harvest in signifiant numbers, and rainbow and Dolly Varden residing in the system also provide added angling opportunity. Rereational use during reent years has ranged between 12, 000 and 21, 000 angler-days fishing for all fish speies. _; ' _ _.

29 Publi Failities. Tburist aommodations are available in the nearby orrmuni ties of Houston, Big ake and Wasilla. A small publi ampsite is also operated by the City of Houston adjaent to the river nar the Parks Highway. Additional State ampgrounds are loated in the Nany Iake Rereational Area. Several orrmerial fishing guides urrently operate on the river. No publi boat launh site exists on the system. Brod Soure. The system's oho are arrong the largest in upper Cook Inlet and there is an ample stok from whih to seure eggs. Whether "late arriving" subpopulations exist has not yet been determined. Capture of brod for eggs may be diffiult beause the stream would be ostly if not impossible to weir and spawning appears to be spread over a wide area. Road aess is, however, available to many of the upriver spawning sites. Evaluation Potential. Sine existing adult returns are subjet to intense, widespread orrmerial use, evaluation would be both ostly and diffiult if enhaned oho follow normal migration timing. A late arriving enhaned stok would, however, eliminate the need for assessrrent of the ommerial ath. Estimation of the sport harvest ould be readily aomplished beause of the sarity of aess points; i.e., there are only two primary aess points whih ould : -. - l

30 be easily surveyed. Assessrrent of esapement would be relatively diffiult due to the size of the system, extensive distribution of spawners, silty water arrl magnitude of fall stream flaws. No permanent ADF&G failities are urrently available on the system to assist with evaluation.. 8. Imprint and Release Sites. Potential lenti and loti release sites an be reahed by gorl roads in the upper portion of the system. Imprinting srrolts in one or rrore of the river's nurrerous small lateral tributaries may also be pratial. - -" 9. Misellaneous. This system has the potential for providing 1 diverse fishing opportunities that annot be fourrl elsewhere on the Cook Inlet Basin road system. Presently the river provides shore based fishing and angling from drift or jet ; powered boats in an environrrent that has undergone few human, related hanges. A float trip from the Parks Highway to the....., Burma Road pull-out an be aorrplished in as fet as two days. A anoe trip starting in the. Nany lake Rereational Area an also be orrpleterl. in two to three days. Standard outlx>ard ; power boats (without jet drives) an be operated safely from the Burma Road downstream to tidewater Researh and Development Needs: _,; a. Irrprove Burma Road aess to lower portions of the ittle _., Susitna River. -' "

31 b. Determine magnitude, distribution and timing of all segments of the esapement. b. Identify various adult apture and juvenile release sites. lakes of the Nany ake Rereation Area, inluding Nany lake, should be inluded in these studies. d. Determine optimum srnolt release size, age, timing and loations. Assess ontribution to the rereational fisheries of the ittle Susi tna River. e. Evaluate the effet of oho plants on other rearing speies; i.e., hinook, sokeye, et. Chinook salmon enhanement rna.y be pratial in this system if it an be demonstrated that suh a program does not onflit with the primary goal of oho prodution (see hinook projet 1-B). - -ll.j D I"...,J

32 PRIORI'I'Y NUMBER I- (B) - ITI'E SUSITNA RIVER CHINOOK ENHANCEMENT Projet Goal--To provide a harvest of 6, 000 hinook sa.lrron whih will 1 result in an estimated 30,000 angler-days of additional rereational.. opportunity..,, l -' l. Management. ittle Susitna hinook sa.lrron are presently harvested by sport, subsistene and omnerial users and -. onsiderable onflit urrently haraterizes the division of, -' -' 1 ath for this stok. ittle Susi tna hinook, as is the ase with all hinook of northern origin, arrive early in Cook Inlet marine waters (prior to July 1) and are inidentally harvested in the omnerial fisheries of the northern distrit and, to a lesser degree, along the beahes of the entral distrit. This early arrival plaes them within the time period designated by the Board of Fisheries as a period to be ::l managed primarily for rereational benefits, as long as the 1 subsistene priority is aorrm:xlated. Sport fishing for this -' Jl -, _. -.. hinook stok extends from late May until July 6, and the ath is restrited to a maximum harvest of 1,000 fish. Supplemental hinook sa.lrron prodution in the ittle Susi tna River would, beause of urrent Board of Fisheries diretives, have maximum benefits to rereational and/or subsistene,iii, users. _.., 2. Fishing Areas and Aess. Refer to Projet I-(A). --, _ _j

33 3. Existing Fishery and Use. Present rereational use is relatively light due primarily to poor physial aess. Fishing effort in the lower river is often a frmtion of the ondition of the Burma Road rather than stok abundane. The system's hinook fishery extends from late May to early July and is onfined to that portion of the river downstream from the Parks Highway. Early fishing use is normally heaviest along the lower reah of the river near the Bunna Road aess, n -l_j - whereas in late June and early July anglers shift their attention to water near the Parks Highway. A total of 500 to 900 hinook have been harvested annually from the system in reent years. 4. Other Fish Speies Present. Refer to Projet I-(A). 5. Publi Failities. Refer to Projet I- (A). 6. Brood Soure. The system supports ample stok from whih to seure eggs. Capture of brood for eggs may, however, be diffiult beause the stream would be ostly, if not inpossible, to weir and spawning ours over a wide area. Road aess is available to many upriver spawning sites. 7. Evaluation Potential. M:rlerate osts would be assoiated with assessment of the marine ommerial and subsistene athes of ittle Susi tna hinook sal.rron. Signifiant hanges in urrent subsistene regulations ould, however, inrease the n. TJ E l

34 .., diffiulty of evaluation. Estimation of the sport harvest ould be readily aomplished beause of the sarity of aess points; i.e., there are only two primary aess points that ould be easily rronitored. Assessrrent of esaperrent would be relatively diffiult beause of the system's size, extensive distribution of spawners and silty water. No permanent ADF&G failities are urrently available on the system to assist evaluation. 8. Imprint and Release Sites. Refer to Projet I-(A). 9. Misellaneous. Refer to Projet I- (A) Researh and Development Needs: :!...; "' a. Upgrade Burma Road to allow all weather use to ensure greater utilization of the lower portions of the ittle Susi tna River. b. Detennine magnitude, distribution and timing of all segments of the esaperrent. - ".. Identify various adult apture and juvenile release sites and detennine optimum srrol t size and time of migration. _. 'l d. Evaluate the effet of hinook plants on other rearing speies suh as oho (refer to Projet I-(A))

35 PRIORITY NUMBER II - EARY RUSSIAN RIVER SOCKEYE SAlMON ENHAN::Er--IEN"T Projet Goal--Provide an additional harvest of 20,000 sokeye salrron to satisfy 33,000 angler-days of effort. 1. Management. At the present time, the early Russian River -li j sokeye salmon run is not harvested signifiantly by the -r ommerial gill net fishery due to the late June opening date. "J Although annual efforts are made by ommerial fishermen to open earlier in June, the urrent Board of Fisheries poliy on Cook Inlet salmon alloation states that salmon stoks whih normally move in Cook Inlet to spawning areas prior to June 30 shall be managed primarily as a rereational resoure, to the extent that suh management is onsistent with the subsistene priority. The harvest is monitored by a Division of Sport Fish reel ensus program and the esapement by a weir, above the area open to fishing, at the lower Russian lake outlet. 2. Fishing Areas and Aess. Goqd aess exists via the Seward Highway 110 miles from the Anhorage population enter. The Russian River fishery ours on both publi lands of the Chugah National Forest and Kenai National Wildlife refuge. There are two federal ampgrounds adjaent to the open fishing area C _-

36 3. Existing Fishery and Use. A good shore fishery exists from a point two miles upstream on the Russian River to the Kenai, River onfluene area. During 1980, an estimated 27,200 early run sokeye sal.iron were taken by 31,430 angler-days of effort. The fishery extends from early June through mid-july., -, 4. other Fish Speies Present. '!his stream has oho salmon stoks in fair to good ondition, as well as rainbow trout and D:>lly Varden. -, 5. Publi Failities. There are good ommerial tourist aomm::xlations available in the Cooper anding area. '!here are also five additional federal ampgrounds within a 10-mile radius of the stream. 6. Brood Soure. An exellent brood soure is available from :... Upper Russian Creek whih is primarily used by the early sokeye salmon run. '!his is a small stream whih ould be temporarily weired for egg take purposes. 7. Evaluation Potential. 'Ihe potential for evaluation is exellent beause urrently there is no orrmerial set gill net "- fishery on returning early sokeye salmon adults until late June. 'Ihe rereational ath is presently being nonitoring by a reel program onduted over the area open to fishing. """

37 Esapement m:mi toring is orrplete beause of the ower Russian lake weir. There is housing available at the Russian ake l. weir for monitoring the esapement as well as a abin on Upper Russian lake for onduting egg takes. 8. Imprint and Release Sites. The sokeye salmon fry release -D sites should be onfined to Upper Russian Creek or Upper r, Russian lake. 9. Misellaneous. This projet is of rrajor irrportane beause of the high existing angler use and the ability of this intensive fishery to orrpletely harvest any exess fish above the esapement goal. A stable sokeye salmon inubation faility (spawning hannel, inubation boxes, exess stream flow bypass, et.) is required to provide stable early run prodution. During 1976 and 1977, years in whih exellent early sokeye salmon esapements were ahieved, flooding onditions drastially redued the egg deposition. With orrpletion of the Russian River- Fall ' s fishpass, more "2-oean" sokeye salmon are now able to enter the system, whih may ultirrately inrease the magnitude of the early run. 10. Researh and Development Needs: r a. Determine the optimum sokeye salmon fry release size and timing into Upper Russian ake

38 -. b. Initiate studies on types of sokeye salmon egg inubation systems or flood bypass systems to provide stable fry prodution from Upper Russian Creek. -, Determine the feasibility of seletive breeding to prorrote a greater return of "2-oean" sokeye salmon to the system whih an utilize the fishpass at Russian River Falls., J -' 1 :.l " -' ' -' _..

39 ' PRIORITY NUMBER III - WIC:W CREEK COHO AND CHINOOK SAlMON ENHANCEMENT Projet Goal--Tb provide a harvest of 6,000 hinook salmon and 6,000 oho salmon whih will result in an estimated 42,000 anglerays of additional fishing opportunity. F Note: l. This proposal is ontingent upon development of an aess road along the lower portion of Willow Creek to its juntion with the Susitna River. Management. Willow Creek hinook salmon, as is the ase with all hinook of northern Cook Inlet origin, are presently harvested by sport, onmerial arrl subsistene users. Considerable onflit urrently haraterizes the division of ath for this speies. Unlike northern oho, hinook salmon arrive early in Cook Inlet marine waters (prior to July 1) and follow rrore speifi migrational paths; i.e., they are harvested primarily in the northern distrit and, to a IIDh lesser degree, along the beahes of the entral distrit. This early arrival plaes them within the time perioo that has been designated by the Board of Fisheries as a perioo to be managed primarily for rereational benefits, as long as the subsistene priority is aorrmxlated. Supplemental hinook salmon prooution in Willow Creek and other northern Inlet waters would, therefore, presumably have maximum benefit to C C :

40 .., rereational and subsistene users; i.e., orrmerial fishing ould be restrited if suh harvests signifiantly redue, these other opportunities. 2. Fishing Area and Aess. The system is loated within a -,, 2-hour drive of Anhorage and is within the proposed apitol Site. The reek is aessible by highway and has publi lands in the major sallron fishing area, however, aess to this area is restrited to hazardous river travel. Improved aess, therefore, rmst be a prerequisite to any major enhanement effort on this system (suh an aess proposal is inluded in the Alaska Salrron Fisheries Plan). Chinook sallron terrl to linger at the rrouth of the reek until approahing maturity, l -' hene the prime fishing area is physially onfined; i.e., the fish shool at the rrouth or the lower pools of the river and then asend the reek rapidly to proteted upstream spawning areas. An aess road (about 3 l/2 miles in length) bordering the stream to its onfluene with the Susi tna River wuuld be neessary to adequately harvest supplemental prodution. This road would also provide relatively easy boat aess to other potential harvest areas loated at the rrouths of the Deshka River and Alexander Creek. In addition, this aess road would also enhane potential for supplemental oho prx'lution originating in the Caswell Creek drainage (Proposal V). "

41 3. Existing Fishery and Use. The stream has historially sup F ported a m:xlest hinook salnon fishery that has been limited beause of aess diffiulties. The fishery ours during June and early July and is presently onfined to four onseutive weekends. A max.i.rnu.ll allowed harvest of 300 hinook governs the seasonal ath from the system. Other Fish Speies Present. A substantial pink salnon fishery ours partiularly on "even" years. Unlike hinook salnon, these fish are primarily harvested near the Parks Highway at a time when flesh ondition is beginning to deteriorate. Improved aess to the stream mouth would also be benefiial to this fishery. Grayling and Dolly Varden are also available and enter sport fisheries in small numbers. Publi Failities. There are numerous tourist aonm:dations adjaent to the Parks Highway near Willow Creek. A State wayside is also present on Willow Creek near the Parks Highway, and exellent State amping failities are loated in the nearby Nany ake Rereational Area. Private ampgrounds and ommerial fishing guides are also present. Brxxl Soure. An adequate hinook salnon brxxl stok is available and apturing adults for eggs would be reasonably easy (by weir, eletroshoking or seine) Beause of limi te:i numbers, oho brxxl stok will have to be obtained from other r r. " -,-; C _ l l

42 soures. Spawning areas are aessible by road at numerous loations. Spawning distribution arrl magnitude are well doumented for both oho and hinook within the system.,_ 7. Evaluation Potential. Assessment of the sport harvest in Willow Creek would not be diffiult; however, osts for reel heks would inrease if hinook are taken at downstream Susitna River tributary rrouths. M:Jderate osts would also be assoiated with assessment of the marine ath of Willow Creek hinook salrron. Esapement an aurately be measured by visual :rreans and examination of arasses for "ma.rks". No ADF&G failities are urrently available on the system to aid the program, however, there is onsiderable bakground informa.tion for the river; i.e., esapement magnitudes, distribution, sex and age omposition, juvenile growth rates and various physial and hemial data. 8. Imprint and Release Sites. Potential loti release sites are available by road at numerous" loations in the drainage. Deeption Creek, a tributary of Willow Creek, may prove to be an exellent imprint site; i.e., easy to weir and loated upstream of the area open to salrron fishing Misellaneous. This system was hosen for supplemental prodution studies for the following basi reasons: (1) to determine the feasibility of harvesting hinook salrron as they