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Philip V. Haner

Publications and source records attributed to Philip V. Haner.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2023

Assessment of habitat use by juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Willamette River Basin, 2020–21

We conducted a field study during 2020–21 to describe habitat use patterns of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) in the mainstem Willamette, McKenzie, and Santiam Rivers and to evaluate how habitat suitability criteria affected the predictive accuracy of a hydraulic habitat model. Two approaches were used to collect habitat use data: a stratified sampling design was used to ensure that a representative sample of available habitats was included in our sampling; and a targeted sampling design was used to collect additional data in habitat cells where juvenile Chinook salmon were observed. Habitat attributes and fish presence data were collected in habitat cells that were approximately 2 square meters during April, June, and July. A total of 632 cells were sampled during the study and included habitat located in the main channel (373 cells), side channels (228 cells), and in alcoves (31 cells). Juvenile Chinook salmon were observed in 42 percent of the cells located in the main channel, 38 percent of the cells located in side channels, and 7 percent of the cells located in alcoves. We used logistic regression to develop resource selection functions for April, June, and July, which produced probability-based predictions of habitat use for juvenile Chinook salmon based on water velocity and water depth. The resource selection functions revealed a habitat shift by juvenile Chinook salmon to locations with higher water velocities and greater water depths from April to July as juvenile Chinook salmon size increased. The resource selection functions that we developed are an important addition to habitat modeling in the Willamette River basin because they were developed from in-basin data, capture seasonal differences in habitat use, and facilitate probability-based estimates of habitat use for juvenile Chinook salmon. These advancements will improve habitat modeling efforts for juvenile Chinook salmon during spring and summer months within the Willamette River.

Oregon↗
USGS2019

Juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) survival in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon, 2018

A field study was conducted to estimate survival of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) in Lookout Point Reservoir, Oregon, during 2018. The study consisted of releasing three groups of genetically-marked fish into the reservoir, and sampling them monthly. Juveniles were released during April 10–13 (116,708 fish), May 15–18 (31,911 fish), and June 19–20 (11,758 fish). Reservoir sampling began in May and occurred monthly through October, consisting of 5-day events where juvenile Chinook salmon were collected using electrofishing, shoreline traps, and gill nets. Data were analyzed using a staggered release-recovery model and a parentage-based tagging (PBT) N-mixture model. The staggered release-recovery model provided survival estimates from three periods: mid-April to mid-May (SSRRM1); mid-May to mid-June (SSRRM2); and mid-April to mid-June (SSRRM12). Multiple estimates of survival were possible for each period using different combinations of recovery data from the three groups of fish that were released. Survival probability estimates for SSRRM1 ranged from 0.98520 to 0.98954; estimates for SSRRM2 ranged from 0.09338 to 0.62142; and the estimate for cumulative survival from mid-April to mid-June (SSRRM12) were 0.75211. We suspect that issues with release groups in May ( R 2 ) and June ( R 3 ) led to biased survival results using the staggered release-recovery model. The PBT N-mixture model provided survival estimates from six periods: mid-April to mid-May (SNMIX1); mid-May to mid-June (SNMIX2), mid-June to mid-July (SNMIX3), mid-July to mid-August (SNMIX4), mid-August to mid-September (SNMIX5); and mid-September to mid-October (SNMIX6). Survival estimates from the PBT N-mixture model were lowest for SNMIX6 (0.41620) and highest for SNMIX1 (0.79587). These results differed from those in 2017 when monthly survival increased across months. This suggests that one or more factors could have affected juvenile Chinook salmon survival in Lookout Point Reservoir. One possible factor could be copepods (which were highly prevalent on juvenile Chinook salmon during summer 2018), but environmental factors such as reserveroir elevation, discharge at Lookout Point Dam, and fish distributions within the reservoir differed between study years. Two PBT N-mixture models provided cumulative survival estimates from mid-April to mid-October. Estimates from the two models were 0.061 and 0.039, which suggests that survival of subyearling Chinook salmon in Lookout Point Reservoir was very low in 2018. Additional research is recommended to better understand inter-annual variability of subyearling Chinook salmon in the reservoir and to gain insights into factors that affect their survival.

Oregon↗
USGS2019

Evaluation of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) fry survival at Lookout Point Reservoir, western Oregon, 2017

A field study was conducted to estimate survival of fry-sized juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) in Lookout Point Reservoir, western Oregon, during 2017. The field study consisted of releasing three groups of genetically marked fish in the reservoir and monthly fish sampling. Fish were released during April 18–19 (43,950 fish), May 30–June 2 (44,145 fish), and on June 28, 2017 (3,920 fish). Reservoir sampling began in May and occurred monthly through October, consisting of 5-day events where juvenile Chinook salmon were collected using various gear types (electrofishing, shoreline traps, gill nets). Data were analyzed using two models: (1) a staggered release-recovery model (SRRM), and (2) a parentage-based tagging (PBT) N -mixture model. The SRRM provided survival estimates from two periods: (1) mid-April to late May (S SRRM1 ), and (2) late May to late June (S SRRM2 ). Multiple estimates of survival were possible for each period using different combinations of recovery data from the three groups of fish that were released. Survival estimates for S SRRM1 ranged from 0.470 to 0.520. Estimates for S SRRM2 ranged from 0.968 to 0.969; cumulative survival from mid-April to late June (S SRRM2 ) was estimated at 0.870. We suspect that issues with the third release group led to biased survival results using the SRRM. The PBT N -mixture model provided survival estimates from six periods: (1) mid-April to mid-May (S NMIX1 ), (2) mid-May to mid-June (S NMIX2 ), (3) mid-June to mid-July (S NMIX3 ), (4) mid-July to mid-August (S NMIX4 ), (5) mid-August to mid-September (S NMIX5 ), and (6) mid-September to mid-October (S NMIX6 ). Survival estimates from the PBT N -mixture model were lowest for S NMIX1 (0.461) and increased monthly to a high of 0.970 for S NMIX6 . Cumulative survival from mid-April to mid-July was 0.233 and overall survival from mid-April to mid-October was 0.188. This suggests that most mortality occurred early in the study when juvenile Chinook salmon were small. This could be because these fish were most vulnerable to predation in the reservoir at that time. We determined that mortality of juvenile Chinook salmon was high in the reservoir during this study and similar estimates of parr-to-smolt survival have been observed in other systems. Additional analyses are required, including results from the second year of study (2018), and potentially similar evaluations will need to be made at other locations to determine if reservoir mortality is a limiting survival factor for Chinook salmon in the Middle Fork Willamette River.

Oregon↗
USGS2018

Evaluation of sockeye salmon after passage through an innovative upstream fish-passage system at Cle Elum Dam, Washington, 2017

Executive Summary The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), working with the Yakima River Basin Water Enhancement Project Workgroup (composed of representatives of the Yakama Nation; Federal, State, county, and city governments; environmental organizations; and irrigation districts), developed the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan (Integrated Plan). The Integrated Plan identifies a comprehensive approach to water resources and ecosystem restoration improvements in the Yakima Basin to be implemented over a 30-year period. The Integrated Plan includes seven elements: Reservoir fish passage, Structural and operational changes to existing facilities, Surface water storage, Groundwater storage, Habitat/watershed protection and enhancement, Enhanced water conservation, and Market reallocation. The first listed element, reservoir fish passage, will be expensive and take many years to accomplish. Reclamation and Ecology decided to look at new and innovative means to provide passage that could help reduce project cost and construction timing while maintaining survival rates of traditional upstream passage facilities. Reclamation contracted with the U.S. Geological Survey to do a study to evaluate the outcome of passage through one innovative fish-passage system at Cle Elum Dam, the first Integrated Plan reservoir fish-passage project being implemented.

Washington↗
USGS2016

Evaluation of the biological and hydraulic performance of the portable floating fish collector at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, September 2015–January 2016

The biological and hydraulic performance of a portable floating fish collector (PFFC) located in the cul-de-sac of Cougar Dam and Reservoir, Oregon, was evaluated during 2015–16. The PFFC, first commissioned in May 2014, was modified during winter 2014–15 to address several deficiencies identified during operation and testing in 2014. These modifications included raising the water inflow structures to reduce the depth and volume of inflow to improve the internal hydraulic profiles, and moving the anchors so the PFFC could be positioned closer to the existing reservoir outlet, a water temperature control tower. The PFFC was positioned about 18 meters (m) upstream of the intake of the water temperature control tower and faced into the prevailing water current. Like several floating surface collectors operating in the Pacific Northwest at the time, the PFFC used pumps to draw water and fish over an inclined plane, past dewatering screens, and into a collection area. The portable and experimental nature of the PFFC required a smaller size, shallower entrance (about 2.5-m deep), and smaller inflow rate (72 cubic feet per second [ft 3 /s] inflow during the Low treatment, 122 ft 3 /s during the High treatment) than other collectors in the region. The collection of the target species, juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) , during 2015–16 was an order of magnitude larger than in 2014. Subyearling-age Chinook salmon comprised most of the catch (2,616 subyearling compared to 258 yearling) and was greatest during the spring during the High inflow treatment. Bycatch consisted predominantly of cyprinids and centrarchids. Trap mortality (fish found dead in the trap) of juvenile Chinook salmon, at 9.2 percent of the subyearlings and 5.0 percent of yearlings, was about 30 percent of the level in 2014. Fish mortality from handling the live catch was about 1 percent. Data from fish tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and those with acoustic+PIT tags released near the head of the reservoir indicated the catch rates of the PFFC were low. Eight of the 1,497 PIT-tagged fish and 5 of the 534 acoustic+PIT-tagged fish were collected by the PFFC. Fish collection efficiencies—the number collected by the PFFC out of the number detected at the head of the forebay (FCE FB ) or in the cul-de-sac (FCE CDS ) —were 0.002 and 0.003 during the Low treatment and 0.008 and 0.009 during the High treatment. The low FCEs were attributed to the following factors: Few acoustic+PIT-tagged fish were detected within 10 m of the PFFC entrance, Most fish were detected between the stern of the PFFC and the entrance to the tower, Fish depths commonly were several times greater than the PFFC entrance depth, and Surface water temperatures were warm. The data suggest that the shallow entrance and low inflow rate reduced fish guidance near the PFFC entrance and the hydraulic characteristics resulting from the outflow plumes (and perhaps water entering the temperature control tower) attracted fish to that area. Catch of juvenile Chinook salmon likely would increase if the collector entrance were deepened, the inflow rate were increased, and measures were taken to constrain fish presence to the area upstream of the trap entrance.

Oregon↗
USGS2016

Evaluation of the hydraulic and biological performance of the portable floating fish collector at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, 2014

The biological and hydraulic performance of a new portable floating fish collector (PFFC) located in a cul-de-sac within the forebay of Cougar Dam, Oregon, was evaluated during 2014. The purpose of the PFFC was to explore surface collection as a means to capture juvenile salmonids at one or more sites using a small, cost-effective, pilot-scale device. The PFFC used internal pumps to draw attraction flow over an inclined plane about 3 meters (m) deep, through a flume at a design velocity of as much as 6 feet per second (ft/s), and to empty a small amount of water and any entrained fish into a collection box. Performance of the PFFC was evaluated at 64 cubic feet per second (ft 3 /s) (Low) and 109 ft 3 /s (High) inflow rates alternated using a randomized-block schedule from May 27 to December 16, 2014. The evaluation of the biological performance was based on trap catch; behaviors, locations, and collection of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) tagged with acoustic transmitters plus passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags; collection of juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with only PIT tags; and untagged fish monitored near and within the PFFC using acoustic cameras. The evaluation of hydraulic performance was based on measurements of water velocity and direction of flow in the PFFC. The PFFC collected 156 juvenile Chinook salmon and 280 individuals of other species, primarily dace (Cyprinidae) and largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ). The collection included one of the 212 acoustic+PIT-tagged fish detected near the PFFC and two of the 1,505 PIT-tagged fish released near the head of the reservoir. No juvenile salmonids were collected between early July and early September when water temperatures near the water surface were greater than about 16 degrees Celsius (°C). Depths of acoustic+PIT-tagged fish indicated a preferential selection of water temperature of 13–15 °C, which was often deeper than the entrance to the PFFC, and those fish rarely were at depths with water temperatures greater than 16 °C. Dam passage of acoustic+PIT-tagged fish was similar to previous years, but much of the passage occurred prior to the date the PFFC began operation. Discovery Efficiency, the proportion of acoustic+PIT-tagged fish detected in the cul-de-sac that were within 10 m of the PFFC entrance and 0–6 m deep (the Discovery Zone), was 0.736 during the Low treatment and 0.639 during the High treatment. Entrance Efficiency, the proportion of fish in the Discovery Zone that were collected by the PFFC, was 0.007 during the Low treatment and 0.000 during the High treatment. Fish Collection Efficiency, the proportion of acoustic+PIT-tagged fish collected of those detected in the cul-de-sac, was 0.005 and 0.000 during the Low and High treatments, respectively. The areas of highest use by acoustic+PIT-tagged fish were between the stern of the PFFC and the outlet of the reservoir (a water temperature control tower), with the greatest use being near the tower. Results from untagged fish detected with acoustic cameras indicated that most fish near and within the PFFC were in the 90–250-millimeter length bin and few were less than 60 millimeters long; most fish were present during crepuscular periods; trajectories of fish outside the PFFC were rarely directed toward the entrance; and many fish entering the PFFC swam back out before they could be collected. The hydraulic performance of the PFFC did not achieve the design goals of smooth acceleration of inflow culminating in a peak water velocity of 6 ft/s and, as a result, the hydraulic performance likely contributed to the low biological performance. The greatest water velocity measured in the PFFC (1.87 ft/s) was lower than designed due at least in part to the PFFC being lower in the water column than expected. Additionally, difficulties during anchor deployment prevented placement of the PFFC as near to the reservoir outlet as planned, resulting in a PFFC position outside the prevailing flow field and known areas of high fish densities. Overall, the results indicate that location, hydraulic conditions, water temperature, and shallow depth of the entrance were among the factors contributing to the low biological performance of the PFFC in 2014.

Oregon↗
USGS2014

Passage and survival probabilities of juvenile Chinook salmon at Cougar Dam, Oregon, 2012

This report describes studies of juvenile-salmon dam passage and apparent survival at Cougar Dam, Oregon, during two operating conditions in 2012. Cougar Dam is a 158-meter tall rock-fill dam used primarily for flood control, and passes water through a temperature control tower to either a powerhouse penstock or to a regulating outlet (RO). The temperature control tower has moveable weir gates to enable water of different elevations and temperatures to be drawn through the dam to control water temperatures downstream. A series of studies of downstream dam passage of juvenile salmonids were begun after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined that Cougar Dam was impacting the viability of anadromous fish stocks. The primary objectives of the studies described in this report were to estimate the route-specific fish passage probabilities at the dam and to estimate the survival probabilities of fish passing through the RO. The first set of dam operating conditions, studied in November, consisted of (1) a mean reservoir elevation of 1,589 feet, (2) water entering the temperature control tower through the weir gates, (3) most water routed through the turbines during the day and through the RO during the night, and (4) mean RO gate openings of 1.2 feet during the day and 3.2 feet during the night. The second set of dam operating conditions, studied in December, consisted of (1) a mean reservoir elevation of 1,507 ft, (2) water entering the temperature control tower through the RO bypass, (3) all water passing through the RO, and (4) mean RO gate openings of 7.3 feet during the day and 7.5 feet during the night. The studies were based on juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) surgically implanted with radio transmitters and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Inferences about general dam passage percentage and timing of volitional migrants were based on surface-acclimated fish released in the reservoir. Dam passage and apparent survival probabilities were estimated using the Route-Specific-Survival Model with data from surface-acclimated fish released near the water surface directly upstream of the temperature control tower (treatment group) and slightly downstream of the dam (control group). In this study, apparent survival is the joint probability of surviving and migrating through the study area during the life of the transmitters. Two rearing groups were used to enable sufficient sample sizes for the studies. The groups differed in feed type, and for the December study only, the rearing location. Fish from each group were divided nearly equally among all combinations of release sites, release times, and surgeons. The sizes, travel times, and survivals of the two rearing groups were similar. There were statistical differences in fish lengths and travel times of the two groups, but they were small and likely were not biologically meaningful. There also was evidence of a difference in single-release estimates of survival between the rearing groups during the December study, but the differences had little effect on the relative survival estimates so the analyses of passage and survival were based on data from the rearing groups pooled. Conditions during the December study were more conducive to passing volitionally migrating fish than conditions during the November study. The passage percentage of the fish released in the reservoir was similar between studies (about 70 percent), but the passage occurred in a median of 1.0 day during the December study and a median of 9.3 days during the November study. More than 93 percent of the dam passage of volitionally migrating fish occurred at night during each study. This finding corroborates results of previous studies at Cougar Dam and suggests that the operating conditions at night are most important to volitionally migrating fish, given the current configuration of the dam. Most fish released near the temperature control tower passed through the RO. A total of 92.2 percent of the treatment group passed through the RO during the November study and the RO was the only route open during the December study. The assumptions of the survival model were either met or adjusted for during each study. There was little evidence that tagger skill or premature failure of radio transmitters had an effect on survival estimates. There were statistically significant differences in travel times between treatment and control groups through several of the river reaches they had in common, but the differences were typically only a few hours, and the two groups likely experienced the same in-river conditions. There was direct evidence of bias due to detection of euthanized fish with live transmitters released as part of the study design. The bias was ameliorated by adjusting the survival estimates for the probability of detecting dead fish with live transmitters, which reduced the estimated survival probabilities by about 0.02. The data and models indicated that the treatment effect was not fully expressed until the study reach terminating with Marshall Island Park on the Willamette River, a distance of 105.8 kilometers downstream of Cougar Dam. This was the first reach in which the 95-percent confidence interval of the estimated reach-specific relative survival overlapped 1.0, indicating similar survival of treatment and control groups. The median travel time of the treatment group from release to Marshall Island Park was 1.64 days during the November study and 1.36 days during the December study. The survival probability of fish that passed into the RO was greater during the December study than during the November study. The relative survival probability of fish passing through the RO was 0.4594 (standard error [SE] 0.0543) during the November study and 0.7389 (SE 0.1160) during the December study. These estimates represent relative survival probabilities from release near Cougar Dam to the Marshall Island site. The estimated survival probability of RO passage was lower than previous studies based on balloon and PIT tags, but higher than a similar study based on radio transmitters. We suggest that, apart from dam operations, the differences in survival primarily are due to the release location. We hypothesize that the balloon- and PIT-tagged fish released through a hose at a point near the RO gate opening experienced more benign conditions than the radio-tagged fish passing the RO volitionally. This hypothesis could be tested with further study. An alternative hypothesis is that some live fish remained within the study area beyond the life of their radio transmitter. The results from these and previous studies indicate that entrainment and survival of juvenile salmonids passing Cougar Dam varies with dam operating conditions. The condition most conducive to dam passage has been the discharge and low pool elevation condition tested during December 2012. That condition included large RO gate openings and was the condition with the highest dam passage survival.

Oregon↗
USGS2014

Behavior and dam passage of juvenile Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead at Detroit Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, March 2012-February 2013

The in-reservoir movements and dam passage of individual juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) and juvenile steelhead ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) were studied at Detroit Reservoir and Dam, near Detroit, Oregon, during 2012 and 2013. The goal of the study was to provide data to inform decisions about future downstream passage alternatives and factors affecting downstream passage rates with the existing dam configuration. In 2012, 468 juvenile Chinook salmon and 200 juvenile steelhead were tagged and released during a 3-month period in the spring, and another 514 juvenile Chinook salmon were tagged and released during a 3-month period in the fall. The fish were surgically implanted with a small acoustic transmitter with an expected life of about 3 months and a passive integrated transponder tag with an indefinite life, and were released into the two main tributaries several kilometers upstream of the reservoir. Juvenile Chinook salmon migrated from the release sites to the reservoir in a greater proportion than juvenile steelhead, but once in the reservoir, juvenile steelhead migrated to the forebay faster and had a higher dam passage rate than juvenile Chinook salmon. The routes available for passing water and fish varied throughout the year, with low reservoir elevations in winter and high reservoir elevations in summer in accordance with the flood-control purpose of the dam. Most dam passage was through the spillway during the spring and summer, when the reservoir elevation was high and the spillway and powerhouse were the most common routes in operation, and via the powerhouse during the fall and winter period, when the reservoir elevation was low and the regulating outlet and powerhouse were the most common routes in operation. Few tagged fish passed when the powerhouse was the only route in operation. Dam passage rates during the spring and summer were greatest at night, increased with dam discharge, and were greater when water was passed freely over the spillway compared to when it was controlled by the spillway Tainter gates. Dam passage rates during the fall and winter, when the reservoir elevation usually was too low for spillway operation, were lower than during the spring and summer, negatively related to reservoir elevation, and positively related to dam discharge, though the latter relation diminished as reservoir elevation decreased. Fish locations near the dam from estimates of three-dimensional positions often were near the locations of dam discharge and fish depths were surface oriented relative to the depth of the forebay. Fish passage rates with the existing dam configuration were greatest when the spillway was in operation and were lowest when the powerhouse was the only route in operation; the latter result may be related to the relatively low magnitude or variability in discharge during that condition. The available data suggest that a properly designed surface outlet could be a viable passage route for juvenile Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead at Detroit Dam. A second year of data collection based on a similar study design was complete at the time of this report.

Oregon↗
USGS2014

Behavior and dam passage of juvenile Chinook salmon at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, March 2012 - February 2013

The movements and dam passage of individual juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) were studied at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, near Springfield, Oregon, during 2012 and 2013. Cougar Dam is a high-head flood-control reservoir with a temperature control tower as its outlet enabling selective withdrawals of water at various depths to control the temperature of water passed downstream. This report describes the second year of a 2-year study with the goal of providing information to inform decisions about future downstream passage alternatives. Inferences were based on the behavior of yearling-size juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with acoustic transmitters. The fish were released near the head of the reservoir during the spring (March, April, and May) and fall (September, October, and November) of 2012. Most tagged fish were of hatchery origin (468 spring, 449 fall) because of the low number of wild fish captured from within the reservoir (0 spring, 65 fall). Detections at hydrophones placed in several lines across the reservoir and within a collective system used to estimate three-dimensional positions near the temperature control tower were used to determine fish behavior and factors affecting dam passage rates. Most tagged fish made repeated non-random migrations from one end of the reservoir to the other and took a median of 3.7–11.7 days to travel about 7 kilometers from the release site to within about 100 meters of the temperature control tower, depending on season and origin. Reservoir passage efficiency (percentage of tagged fish detected at the head of the forebay) was 97.8 percent for hatchery fish and 74.2 percent for wild fish. Tagged fish commonly were within about 100 meters of the temperature control tower, and often spent considerable time near the entrance to the tower; however, the dam passage efficiency (percentage of dam passage of fish detected at the head of the forebay) was low for fish released during the spring (11.1 percent) and moderate for fish released during the fall (58.1 percent for hatchery fish, 65.2 percent for wild fish) over the 90th percentile of the empirically determined tag life, which was about 90 days. The primary factors affecting the dam passage rate were diel period, dam discharge, and reservoir elevation, and most passage occurred during conditions of night, high dam discharge, and low reservoir elevation. Most fish entering the temperature control tower passed the dam without returning to the reservoir. The common presence of tagged fish near the tower entrance and high proportion of dam passage after tower entry suggests that the primary cause of the poor dam passage rate was the low rate of tower entry. We hypothesize that fish reject the tower entrance because of low water velocities contributing to a small flow field, an abrupt deceleration at the trash rack, or a combination of those two conditions. Results of a controlled test of head differential (the difference between water elevation outside and inside the temperature control tower) indicated weak statistical support (P= 0.0930) for a greater tower entry rate when the differential was 0.65–1.00 foot compared to 0.00–0.30 foot. Results from hatchery and wild fish were similar, with the exception of the reservoir passage efficiency, indicating hatchery fish were suitable surrogates for the wild fish for the purpose of this study.

Oregon↗
USGS2013

Behavior and dam passage of juvenile Chinook salmon at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, March 2011 - February 2012

The movements and dam passage of juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with acoustic transmitters and passive integrated transponder tags were studied at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, near Springfield, Oregon. The purpose of the study was to provide information to aid with decisions about potential alternatives for improving downstream passage conditions for juvenile salmonids in this flood-control reservoir. In 2011, a total of 411 hatchery fish and 26 wild fish were tagged and released during a 3-month period in the spring, and another 356 hatchery fish and 117 wild fish were released during a 3-month period in the fall. A series of 16 autonomous hydrophones throughout the reservoir and 12 hydrophones in a collective system near the dam outlet were used to determine general movements and dam passage of the fish over the life of the acoustic transmitter, which was expected to be about 3 months. Movements within the reservoir were directional, and it was common for fish to migrate repeatedly from the head of the reservoir downstream to the dam outlet and back to the head of the reservoir. Most fish were detected near the temperature control tower at least once. The median time from release near the head of the reservoir to detection within about 100 meters of the dam outlet at the temperature control tower was between 5.7 and 10.8 days, depending on season and fish origin. Dam passage events occurred over a wider range of dates in the spring and summer than in the fall and winter, but dam passage numbers were greatest during the fall and winter. A total of 10.5 percent (43 of 411) of the hatchery fish and 15.4 percent (4 of 26) of the wild fish released in the spring are assumed to have passed the dam, whereas a total of 25.3 percent (90 of 356) of the hatchery fish and 16.9 percent (30 of 117) of the wild fish released in the fall are assumed to have passed the dam. A small number of fish passed the dam after their transmitters had stopped working and were detected at passive integrated transponder detectors at various locations downstream of the dam, indicating some tagged fish passed the dam undetected. The rate of dam passage was affected by diel period, discharge, and reservoir elevation. Diel period was the most influential factor of those examined, with nighttime dam passage rates about 9 times greater than daytime rates, depending on the distance of fish from the dam outlet. Dam passage rates also were positively related to dam discharge, and negatively related to reservoir elevation. In the operational condition used as an example, fish approached the dam outlet at the temperature control tower from the south and east and, when most fish got near the tower, they were directly in front of it. In many cases, the results for wild and hatchery fish were similar, or the results suggested hatchery fish could be reasonable surrogates for wild fish. Hatchery-origin and wild-origin fish behaved similarly in the following ways: their general movements in the reservoir; the timing of their dam passage; and the effects of diel period, discharge, and elevation on their passage rates. Parasitic copepods were present on most wild fish examined, and the mortality of wild fish during capture, handling and tagging was much greater than that of hatchery fish. This suggests that the ability of wild fish to cope with stressors may be less than that of fish directly from the hatchery.

Oregon↗
USGS2012

Interim results from a study of the behavior of juvenile Chinook salmon at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, March--August 2011

The movements and dam passage of yearling juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with acoustic transmitters and passive integrated transponder tags were studied at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, near Springfield, Oregon. A total of 411 hatchery fish and 26 wild fish were tagged and released between March 7 and May 21, 2011. A series of 16 autonomous hydrophones placed throughout the reservoir were used to determine general fish movements over the life of the acoustic transmitter, which was expected to be 91 days. Movements within the reservoir were directional, and it was common for fish to migrate repeatedly from the head of the reservoir downstream to the dam outlet and back. The dam passage rate was 11.2 percent (95-percent confidence interval 7.8–14.6 percent) for hatchery fish and 15.4 percent (95-percent confidence interval -1.0–31.8 percent) for wild fish within 91 days from release. Most fish passage occurred at night. The median time from release to dam passage was 34.5 days for hatchery fish and 34.2 days for wild fish. A system of hydrophones near the dam outlet, a temperature control tower, was used to estimate positions of fish in three dimensions to enable detailed analyses of fish behavior near the tower. Analyses of these data indicate that hourly averaged depths of fish within a distance of 74 m from the upstream face of the tower ranged from 0.6 to 9.6 meters, with a median depth of 3.6 meters for hatchery fish and 3.4 meters for wild fish. Dam discharge rates and the diurnal period affected the rates of dam passage. Rates of dam passage were similar when the dam discharge rate was less than 1,200 cubic feet per second, but increased sharply at higher discharges. The rate of dam passage at night was 4.4–7.8 times greater than during the day, depending on the distance of fish from the dam. This report is an interim summary of data collected as of August 3, 2011, for planning purposes.

Oregon↗
USGS2012

Passage probabilities of juvenile Chinook salmon through the powerhouse and regulating outlet at Cougar Dam, Oregon, 2011

Cougar Dam near Springfield, Oregon, is one of several federally owned and operated flood-control projects within the Willamette Valley of western Oregon that were determined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service in 2008 to impact the long-term viability of several salmonid stocks. In response to this ruling, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking for means to reduce impacts to salmonids, including improving downstream passage of juvenile salmonids at Cougar Dam. This study of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) passage at Cougar Dam was conducted to inform decisions about potential improvements for downstream fish passage. The primary objective of the study was to estimate route-specific passage probabilities of yearling Chinook salmon at Cougar Dam. The study was conducted using fish from a nearby hatchery surgically implanted with radio transmitters and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and released near the entrance of a temperature control tower through which all water going through the dam must pass. Water passing through the temperature control tower may be routed through a penstock to a powerhouse with two Francis turbines, or to a spillway-like structure called the regulating outlet. Secondary objectives of the study were to estimate the probability that fish enter a bypass at a non-federal facility downstream, and to estimate dam-passage and in-river fish survival. Dam operating conditions during the study included an average forebay elevation of 1,580 feet (National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929) and an average of 48.2 percent of the total dam discharge of 1,106 cubic feet per second passing through a regulating outlet opening of 1.25 feet. Dam passage probability was greatest at night (0.8741 standard error [SE] 0.0265) and primarily through the regulating outlet (0.8896 SE 0.0617 day; 0.9417 SE 0.0175 night). The joint probability of entering the bypass at Leaburg Dam and being detected at the PIT system within the bypass was 0.0755 (SE 0.0363), but some fish were known to pass the PIT system undetected, indicating that the true probability of entering the bypass was underestimated. The estimated survival of fish passing through the temperature control tower, through the dam, and to a site at a bridge over the South Fork of the McKenzie River 3.9 kilometers downstream was 0.3680 (SE 0.1322) for fish passing through the powerhouse, and 0.4247 (SE 0.0440) for fish passing through the regulating outlet. The estimated in-river survival through the 37.3 kilometers from the bridge to a site at Leaburg Hatchery on the McKenzie River was 0.5857 (SE 0.2227) for fish that had passed through the powerhouse, and 0.4537 (SE 0.0551) for fish that had passed through the regulating outlet.

Oregon↗
USGS2010

Approach, passage, and survival of juvenile salmonids at Little Goose Dam, Washington: Post-construction evaluation of a temporary spillway weir, 2009

This report describes a study of dam passage and survival of radio-tagged juvenile salmonids after installation of a temporary spillway weir (TSW) at Little Goose Dam, Washington, in 2009. The purpose of the study was to document fish passage and survival when the dam was operated with the TSW in place. Spillway weirs are one of several methods used to improve downstream passage of juvenile salmonids. Each spillway weir design is based on the concept of providing an overflow weir with a depth more similar to the natural migration depth of juvenile salmonids than conventional spill bays. Little Goose Dam was the last of the four lower Snake River dams to have a spillway weir installed. This was the first year that some form of surface passage device was operating at all Snake River and Columbia River dams between Lewiston, Idaho, and the Columbia River estuary. The study design stipulated that a total of 30 percent of the river discharge would continuously be passed over the TSW and the conventional spill bays, and this percentage was achieved. The TSW also was to be operated at the ?low crest? elevation during the spring and the ?high crest? elevation during the summer, but the TSW was only operated at the low crest elevation during this study. Behavior, passage, and survival of spring and summer juvenile salmonid migrants passing through Little Goose Dam were examined using radio telemetry. Survival was estimated using the Route Specific Survival Model (RSSM) by releasing tagged fish near Central Ferry State Park 21 kilometers upstream of the dam and in the tailrace approximately 0.5 kilometer downstream of the dam. From April 18 to May 21, 2009, 1,520 yearling Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and 1,517 juvenile steelhead (O. mykiss) were radio tagged and released. From June 6 to July 5, 2009, 4,251 subyearling Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha) were radio tagged and released. Release dates of subyearling Chinook salmon were selected to avoid ?reservoir-type? fish that cease to migrate around July. Detection sites were installed in the forebay 2 kilometers upstream of the dam, on the dam, and at several sites downstream. Detection equipment was operated from April 18 to June 5, 2009, and from June 6 to July 6, 2009, hereinafter referred to as the study periods. We describe passage behaviors through the forebay, main passage routes, and tailrace, survival probabilities through the pool (release to the forebay) and forebay and passage and survival probabilities through the main passage routes (TSW, conventional spill bays, turbines, juvenile bypass), and survival passing the concrete (the dam itself) and the dam (concrete plus the forebay).

Scientific Investigations Report↗
USGS1995

Skin reflectance as a non-lethal measure of smoltification for juvenile salmonids

Our efforts to find nonlethal methods of assessing the parr-smoll transformation of juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss and spring and fall chinook salmon O. tshawytscha led to the development of a video system for quantitatively measuring skin silvering using skin reflectance. Gill Na'.K'-ATPase activity, skin guanine concentration, and skin reflectance were recorded from groups of fish marked with freeze brands at hatcheries and downstream sample sites in the Columbia River basin. Skin reflectance of migrants was significantly higher than that of fish before release; nonmigrants (released fish that did not migrate) had significantly lower skin reflectance than migrants from the same groups. Skin reflectance was significantly correlated with gill ATPasc activity and skin guanine concentration. Skin reflectance increased during the parrsmolt transformation and could be used as a nonlethal indicator of smoltification.

North American Journal of Fisheries Management↗
USGS1994

A microassay for gill sodium, potassium-activated ATPase in juvenile Pacific salmon

A microassay well-plate method is described for determining Na + ,K + -ATPase activities of small gill sections from juvenile Pacific salmon Oncorhynchus spp. The method differs from the established macromethod by detecting inorganic phosphate in nanomole rather than micromole concentrations. This permits the use of much smaller tissue samples, which makes it possible to release fish after sampling. Use of sonication during enzyme extraction and elimination of the need to deproteinize samples before ATPase analysis further simplify the assay. Application of the microwell-plate technique for both Na + ,K + -ATPase activity and protein analysis permits rapid processing of many samples. It also produces results equivalent to those of the macroassay; no significant differences occurred between sample duplicates run by the two methods with the same enzyme extract ( P > 0.05). The coefficient of variation (100·SD/mean) for microassay samples containing enzyme activities of at least 10 umol inorganic phosphate per milligram protein per hour was 12% or less for between-plate comparisons and 5% or less for same-plate comparisons. Monitoring of gill-clipped fish during migration indicated that small gill clips did not cause mortality or alter migration behavior of juvenile salmonids tagged with passive integrated transponders. These are important considerations in programs for monitoring species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Transactions of the American Fisheries Society↗