Estimating Summer Steelhead Escapement using Redd Surveys: What have we learned and where do we go? Jim Ruzycki Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

Spawner Abundance for the John Day Summer Steelhead MPG 30000 28000 26000 Natural Origin Spawner Abundance 24000 22000 20000 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 0 Spawning Year

Eastern Oregon steelhead populations

REDD COUNTS Redd Counts Sean P. Gallagher, Peter K. J. Hahn, and David H. Johnson Summary The purpose of this protocol is to describe field methods for the consistent collection of salmonid redd abundance and subsequent estimation of adult salmonid breeding population size. We recommend surveys be conducted on predetermined, 3 5-km long stream reaches, using a spatially balanced rotating panel design. We suggest an annual draw of 10% of all reaches in the sampling universe as the target goal for monitoring; furthermore, to account for access problems and other barriers to sampling, we recommend that the initial sample draw should over-select reaches (sampling rate of 25%) to provide flexibility in the field. One field survey should occur prior to fish entering the spawning areas, with surveys thereafter conducted 7 14 d apart until new fish and redds are no longer observed. Surveyors will need to recognize that stream flows and/or weather conditions will have some bearing on the temporal aspects of surveys. All redds will be identified to species, measured, and georeferenced. Redd longevity and observer efficiency in redd detection will be estimated for each watershed by tracking the condition of individual redds measured during previous surveys. To document sex ratios, the sex of all live fish will be visually identified on behaviors at redds or other visual cues (dead fish will be identified, sexed, inspected for tags, and measured, per the carcass count protocol, page 59). In situations where multiple salmonid species overlap on a given spawning area, redd sizes will help differentiate the species involved. Background and Objectives Standard protocol for redd surveys Background The family Salmonidae is characterized in part by most members being gravel nest spawners (Eddy and Underhill 1978). PROTOCOLS 197

SUMMER STEELHEAD SPAWNING SURVEY PROCEDURES MANUAL 2011 ODFW East Region Fish Research & Monitoring Program TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS... 2 LIST OF FIGURES... 2 LIST OF TABLES... 2 BACKGROUND... 4 Sampling Domain and Site Selection Overview... 5 FIELD METHODS... 8 Navigation... 8 Marking Waypoints:... 9 Arriving at the Survey Start Point:... 9 Starting the survey:... 10 Recording live fish:... 14 Recording dead fish:... 14 Successive surveys:... 16 Finishing the survey:... 16 Float Surveys... 16 ATV use:... 18 References... 19 Appendix... 20 Steelhead Spawner Survey Card (front)... 21 Steelhead Spawner Survey Card (back)... 22 Coding Key... 23 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Photograph of a steelhead redd with fish on the dig.... 13 Figure 2. Photo of a steelhead redd on Deer Creek looking downstream (a) located on the side of a channel. Photo of the same redd with suggested transects (b) for measurements of the redd dimensions. The arrow indicates direction of flow.... 15 Figure 4. Diagram of male and female carcasses. The female egg sacs are not fully developed on the pictured fish. Fully mature fish will have loose eggs and milt.... 17 Figure 5. Diagram of fish with fin nomenclature, key area for taking scales, and start and end point for measuring length from middle eye to posterior scale.... 17 https://www.monitoringresources.org/document/protocol/downloaddescription/757

GRTS Spawning Survey Locations 50 annual sites Spatially balanced Rotating panel Initial GRTS draw for the John Day River MPG

Barriers Barrier identification has significantly reduced GRTS sample domain

8% Gradient No redds observed in gradients > 8%

Available Habitat: 892 km Surveyed: 31 sites, 64.6 km Redds Observed: 36 Spawners: 1,733 + 39% Example of the current GRTS effort for the Upper Grande Ronde

Spatial distribution of survey sites w/o redds

Source Gradient > 2 % Bankfull width < 8m Transport Gradient < 2 % Bankfull width < 8m Depositional Bankfull width > 8m Stratify by Valley Class Stratification by valley classification did not significantly improve precision

Redd Visibility Our ability to observe redds (bias) across varying conditions has a major influence on NOSA estimation.

Field methods Bi weekly foot surveys Count redds Categorize redd visibility Describe flagged redd visibility as: 0: New 1: Clearly visible 2: Moderately visible 3: Visible, but would not have found w/o flagging 4: Not visible due to poor water clarity 5: Not visible despite good water clarity 6: Determined to not be a redd on revisit (explain in comments) We have focused much effort on reducing bias associated with visibility

Permanent weir on Deer Creek allows annual spawner counts

Complementary redd surveys conducted above weir Calculate fish per site (fish i ) Expand total redd/site to fish/site using fish/redd constant from Deer Creek Adults passed 250 200 150 100 50 0 r 2 = 0.52, P= 0.012 0 20 40 60 80 100 Redd count Annual surveys conducted since 2002

Deer Creek Surveys Year Females Males Total Redds Fish/redd Females/redd Redd visibility (days) 2002 120 89 209 84 2.49 1.43 19.8 2003 92 48 140 64 2.19 1.44 20.5 2004 47 20 67 46 1.46 1.02 29.8 2005 42 35 77 35 2.20 1.20 16.7 2006 55 41 96 58 1.66 0.95 28.2 2007 27 21 48 41 1.17 0.66 35.3 2008 23 38 61 15 4.07 1.53 8.6 2009 42 38 80 21 3.81 2.00 19.3 2010 85 49 134 84 1.60 1.01 22.8 Estimated Spawners = 71 + 2(redds) 3(redd visibility)

Estimated Spawners 250 200 150 100 50 0 Deer Creek Steelhead Est. Spawners = 71 + 2(redds) - 3(redd visibility) r 2 = 0.79 0 50 100 150 200 250 Passed Spawners Incorporating redd visibility has significantly improved prediction

5 5000 4 4000 Redds / km 3 2 Abundance 3000 Escapement 1 Density 2000 0 1000 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 Spawn year Fish/redd ratios have an annual influence on NOSA estimates.

6000 Dam estimate 4500 3000 1500 1500 3000 4500 6000 Redd survey estimate Redd surveys appear to track dam counts

5 4 r 2 = 0.69 Fish / redd 3 2 1 0 0 40000 80000 120000 160000 Total discharge Discharge has a major influence on our fish/redd estimates ability to observe a redd redd longevity

200000 175000 Discharge cfs 150000 125000 100000 75000 50000 25000 0 2004 2008 2012 2016 Year Discharge is similar but not equal across populations

Discussion & Conclusions The GRTS survey design has allowed us to estimate NOSA for populations w/o counting structures. By correcting for different survey conditions among years, we provide more accurate estimates of steelhead spawner abundance. The strength of the Deer Creek relationship gave us confidence in applying it to regional steelhead surveys. This relationship deteriorates with distance from Deer Creek. We plan to continue redd surveys where they work. We are exploring alternate methods of monitoring for these distant populations.

Josh McCormick Shelley Tattam Chris Horn Marika Dobos Kirk Handley Chris Bare Ted Sedell Ian Tattam Ali Fitzgerald Derek Wiley Amy Bult Shannon Jewett Many seasonals Retired biologists Acknowledgements

Summer steelhead monitoring in NE Oregon 1967 counts at Pelton Dam (Deschutes) 1959 Index surveys in John Day 1967 Index surveys in Upper Grande Ronde (end 2016) 1967 counts at Three Mile Falls Dam (Umatilla) 1970 Index surveys in Joseph Creek 1975 counts at Lower Granite Dam 1982 Index surveys begin in Fifteenmile (end 2011) 1982 Index surveys in Deschutes West 1990 Index surveys in Deschutes East (end 2011) 1993 counts at Nursery Bridge Dam (Walla Walla) 2002 surveys/weir counts in Deer Creek (Wallowa) 2008 GRTS surveys in Upper Grande Ronde, John Day 2009 2011 Weirs installed DREST, Fifteenmile, Joseph Creek 2012 GRTS in Joseph and Umatilla