California Steelhead: Management, Monitoring and Recovery Efforts Jonathan Nelson Steelhead Restoration & Management Program Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus
California Steelhead Distinct Population Segments (DPS) Klamath Mountains Province Klamath Mountains Province Status: Not warranted (2001) Northern California Status: Threatened (2000) Central California Coast Status: Threatened (1997) Central Valley Status: Threatened (1998) South-Central California Coast Status: Threatened (1997) Southern California Status: Endangered (1997) Northern California Central California Coast Central Valley South-Central California Coast Southern California
California Steelhead Recovery and Management Resources RECOVERY AND MANAGEMENT PLANS Steelhead Restoration and Management Plan for California (CDFG 1996) Currently being updated and revised Southern California Steelhead Recovery Plan (NMFS 2012) South-Central California Coast Steelhead Recovery Plan (NMFS 2013) Central Valley California multi-species Salmonid Recovery Plan (Steelhead, Winter and Spring Chinook) (NMFS) Public Draft 2009, Final Draft anticipated 2014 Multi-species Recovery Plan for Steelhead and Chinook (NMFS) Central California Coast and Northern California DPS/ESUs Co-Manager Draft anticipated 2014 California Hatchery Review Statewide Report (California HSRG 2012) Independent scientific review of anadromous hatchery management/protocols
California Steelhead Monitoring Plans: California Coast California Coastal Salmonid population Monitoring: Strategy, Design, and Methods. (CDFG Fish Bulletin 180, 2011) California Central Valley: A Comprehensive Monitoring Plan for Steelhead in the California Central Valley (CDFG 2010) Implementation Plan for the Central Valley Steelhead Monitoring Plan (CDFW 2014) Monitoring Techniques: Life Cycle Monitoring Stations VAKI and Video Stations Weirs and Fish Traps REDD Surveys Snorkel Surveys Acoustic Telemetry DIDSON Stations
California Steelhead Report Card Data 30000 25000 20000 Annual Statewide Catch of O. mykiss (> 16 ) 2000-2011 Wild and Hatchery Return of Card Required by Law Wild Hatchery 15000 10000 5000 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Wild O. mykiss: Release and Harvest Hatchery O. mykiss: Release and Harvest 30000 25000 20000 15000 10000 Release Harvest % Harvest 5 3 3 5 6 5 8 5 4 3 2 0 25000 20000 15000 10000 Release Harvest % Harvest 28 22 25 21 24 23 23 22 20 24 28 26 5000 5000 0 0
Klamath Mountains Province DPS
Klamath Mountains Province Status: Not warranted (2001) DPS includes: Winter Steelhead (ocean maturing) Stock appears to be stable Fall Steelhead (stream maturing) Stock is stable Linked to timing of hatchery run Summer Steelhead (steam maturing) Stock is uncertain May warrant future protection Half-Pounder runs Unique to Northern Coastal range Defined as sub-adults that have spent 2-4 months in estuary or nearshore before returning to the river to overwinter Dam Removals on Klamath 4 dams and over 600 stream miles Anticipated removal 2020 Restorations efforts in this DPS are key to ensure preventive declines in future populations
Trinity River Fall Steelhead run-size Estimates 2002-2012 (above Willow Creek weir, Wild and Hatchery) 50,000 45,000 40,000 Wild Hatchery 35,000 30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Northern California DPS
Northern California Status: Threatened (2000) DPS includes: Winter Steelhead Stocks stable to declining Summer Steelhead (Eel River) Stock is uncertain May warrant future protection Half-Pounder runs Limited stream locations Primary Threats: Poor forest practices Poor land use practices Non-native predators Sacramento Pikeminnow High water temperatures Log Jams Landslides
Eel River Wild Winter Steelhead Counts 2000-2014 Van Arsdale Fisheries Station 1000 900 2013-14 - Mid-season count 800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 2000-01 2001-02 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 Average counts in 1940 s ~ 4000 annually Sacramento Pikeminnow introduced in 1978/79
1800 1600 1400 Middle Fork Eel River Summer Steelhead Abundance 1970-2013 1422 1522 1298 1601 1524 1490 1550 Summer Steelhead 2011 Survey 1200 1149 1148 1191 1000 997 1052 1054 1000 800 600 400 865 502 792 654 377 666 711 727 691 701 622 516 449 817 837 771 731 721 657 626 513 527 534 523 451 422418 396 306 872 200 0
Central California Coast DPS
Central California Coast Status: Threatened (1997) DPS includes: Winter Steelhead Stocks continue to decline Primary Threats: Habitat blockages Habitat degradation Urbanization Dewatering from irrigation Lagoon breaching Russian River 1960 s ~ 65,000 annually 1990 s < 5000 annually ~ 500 licensed/permitted dams on tributaries Restoration Projects Include: Estuary enhancements Invasive plant removal Predator removal Riparian enhancement Barrier removals
Central California Coast Migratory Challenges San Lorenzo River, Santa Cruz Alameda Creek South Bay, San Francisco Proposed Fish Ladder - 2015 Pescadero Lagoon 1980 ~ 20,000 SH 2008 < 1000 SH
Central Valley California DPS
Central Valley Status: Threatened (1998) Shasta Dam - 1945 DPS includes: Winter Steelhead Stocks stable to declining Summer Steelhead (?) Presence suspected, unverified Resident form O. mykiss Many CV streams provide year round cold, food rich habitats that favor a resident life history Run size estimates in Central Valley Early 1900 s - 1 to 2 million SH By 1960, ~ 40,000 2014 Estimates unavailable Sacramento River and Tributaries Consistent low wild run sizes Whiskeytown Dam - 1963 Englebright Dam - 1941 Oroville Dam - 1965 Folsom Dam - 1955 San Joaquin River and Tributaries Wild run size unknown Estimated very low to declining Large hatchery SH influence in CV ~ 1 million smolts produced annually Friant Dam - 1942 ~ 80% of historical habitat unavailable
Red Bluff Diversion Dam, Upper Sacramento River 16000 15000 14000 13000 12000 11000 10000 9000 8000 7000 Gates at Red Bluff Diversion Dam 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 As of 2009, accurate SH estimates are not available SH counts ceased since gates are now raised through migration period No evidence that low trend has changed
Dams Primary Threats: Habitat blockages and loss Habitat degradation Water Management Diversions and dewatering Poor water quality Predation (Striped Bass/Pikeminnow) Migration paths in Delta The Delta
South-Central California DPS Big Sur River
South-Central California Coast Status: Threatened (1997) DPS includes: Winter Steelhead Stocks continue to decline Primary Threats: Habitat blockages Habitat degradation Dewatering from irrigation Lagoon breaching High water temperatures Predation (Striped Bass/Pikeminnow) Invasive plant species Restoration Projects Include: Estuary enhancements Invasive plant removal Predator removal Gravel augmentation Riparian enhancement Barrier removals
1000 900 800 Carmel River Winter Steelhead Counts 1993-2013 San Clemente Dam Fish Ladder and Los Padres Dam Fish Trap San Clemente Dam Los Padres Dam 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 San Clemente Dam Removal logistics initiated - 2013 ~ 8 River Miles to Los Padres Dam Los Padres Dam Adults trap and hauled above dam Proposed juvenile/kelt fish collector
Southern California DPS
Southern California Status: Endangered (1997) DPS includes: Santa Ynez River, Bradbury dam Historic Runs ~ 20,000 1953 Winter Steelhead Stocks continue to decline Primary Threats: Habitat blockages Habitat degradation Dewatering from irrigation Drought Urbanization Channelization High water temperatures Non-native fish Invasive plant species (Arundo) Restoration Projects Include: Barrier removals Stream channel enhancement Invasive plant removal Riparian enhancement Water user agreements Land acquisitions Current Runs < 200 Mission Creek, Santa Barbara 2008 Redd
Ventura River Matilija Dam 1946 1948 ~ 50% historic spawning habitat upstream Scheduled for Removal in 2020 Robles Diversion Dam 1958 Historic Estimates = 4000 to 6000 Current Estimates < 100 annually March 2010 Fish ladder built 2005
California Steelhead - Hot Topics Implementation of monitoring and recovery plans Reintroduction above long standing barriers Angling regulations harvest of hatchery fish Anadromous and resident form management Conservation hatcheries Drought related fish rescue
SUMMARY Steelhead stocks in California appear to be stable to declining Need to implement identified recovery actions Need implementation of monitoring programs & data collection Need consistent water supply and unimpeded passage Need to continue to address & alleviate threats Need baseline funding for population restoration and assessment
Jonathan Nelson Steelhead Restoration & Management Program California Department of Fish and Wildlife 830 S Street Sacramento, California 95811 Phone: (916) 445-4506 Fax: (916) 327-8854 Email: jonathan.nelson@wildlife.ca.gov