Event Title

Concurrent Sessions D: Sturgeon Passage - Daily Counts of White Sturgeon Passing Columbia River Fishways Reveal Details About Dams, Fishways, Sturgeon, and Passage

Location

Agriculture Science Theater, Oregon State University

Start Date

25-6-2013 11:20 AM

End Date

25-6-2013 11:40 AM

Description

Summaries of the timing of counts and estimated lengths of white sturgeon passing dams reveal interesting information. Mean lengths and peak of timing of white sturgeon counted in fishways suggests that upstream passage is not related to a spawning migration. Differences in white sturgeon lengths and differences in timing of counts between fishways at individual dams suggest that physical or hydraulic conditions influencing approach, attraction, entry, and ultimately passage differ among sites. In turn, these findings suggest that further study could provide information on ways to improve upstream passage of white sturgeon. The Columbia River Basin is reported to be the most dammed river system in North America. Home to 5 species of iconic anadromous Pacific salmon, the 9 mainstem dams on the Columbia River and 4 on the Snake River were constructed with fishways to enable salmon to return upstream to natal spawning rivers and tributaries. Given the large size of these two rivers and the dams impounding them,most dams were constructed with two fishways; one adjacent to each riverbank. Monitoring of the timing and magnitude of individual salmon runs was deemed so important that fish counting stations were constructed in all fishways and counters enumerate individual fish passing windows. Ironically, white sturgeon, a species native to the Columbia Basin and once thought to be anadromous, were not mandated to be counted until 2006 despite knowledge of their presence in fishways dating back to the 1940’s. However, due to their charismatic appearance and relative scarcity in fishways, many fish counters voluntarily enumerated them and often estimated their size and noted direction of movement within fishways. Data on daily passage of white sturgeon dating back to 1998 are now available and summaries of that data through 2011 are presented here.

Comments

Mr. Parsley is the project lead for sturgeon and American shad studies at the USGS’s Columbia River Research Laboratory. He has been a Research Fishery Biologist with the USGS for over 20 years. Prior to becoming a Federal employee and moving out west, he earned a Master’s degree in Fisheries from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, and a Bachelor’s degree in Fish and Wildlife Biology from Iowa State University.

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Jun 25th, 11:20 AM Jun 25th, 11:40 AM

Concurrent Sessions D: Sturgeon Passage - Daily Counts of White Sturgeon Passing Columbia River Fishways Reveal Details About Dams, Fishways, Sturgeon, and Passage

Agriculture Science Theater, Oregon State University

Summaries of the timing of counts and estimated lengths of white sturgeon passing dams reveal interesting information. Mean lengths and peak of timing of white sturgeon counted in fishways suggests that upstream passage is not related to a spawning migration. Differences in white sturgeon lengths and differences in timing of counts between fishways at individual dams suggest that physical or hydraulic conditions influencing approach, attraction, entry, and ultimately passage differ among sites. In turn, these findings suggest that further study could provide information on ways to improve upstream passage of white sturgeon. The Columbia River Basin is reported to be the most dammed river system in North America. Home to 5 species of iconic anadromous Pacific salmon, the 9 mainstem dams on the Columbia River and 4 on the Snake River were constructed with fishways to enable salmon to return upstream to natal spawning rivers and tributaries. Given the large size of these two rivers and the dams impounding them,most dams were constructed with two fishways; one adjacent to each riverbank. Monitoring of the timing and magnitude of individual salmon runs was deemed so important that fish counting stations were constructed in all fishways and counters enumerate individual fish passing windows. Ironically, white sturgeon, a species native to the Columbia Basin and once thought to be anadromous, were not mandated to be counted until 2006 despite knowledge of their presence in fishways dating back to the 1940’s. However, due to their charismatic appearance and relative scarcity in fishways, many fish counters voluntarily enumerated them and often estimated their size and noted direction of movement within fishways. Data on daily passage of white sturgeon dating back to 1998 are now available and summaries of that data through 2011 are presented here.