My research interests include juvenile salmon passage and survival at hydroelectric dams using acoustic and radio telemetry, operate radio telemetry equipment to monitor movements of adult salmon, develop and refine standard operating procedures for surgical implantation of transmitters, and train others in surgical implantation of transmitters.
I am currently working in the Klamath River Basin studying survival of juvenile Chinook salmon migrating through reaches known to have Ceratomyxa Shasta. I am also working on a study evaluating the performance of a Bio-Acoustic Fish Fence in the Sacramento River Basin.
I have historically studied urbanization effects on forage fish in Puget Sound (Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound).
Professional Experience
2005 to Present – Biological Science Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory, Cook, WA
Education and Certifications
B.S. 2001. Zoology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL
Science and Products
A standard operating procedure for the preparation of purposely killed juvenile salmon used to test survival model assumptions
Behavior and movement of adult winter steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the upper Cowlitz River Basin, Washington, 2017–18
Movements of juvenile Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Yakima and Columbia Rivers, Washington, 2018—A pilot study using acoustic telemetry
Evaluation of sockeye salmon after passage through an innovative upstream fish-passage system at Cle Elum Dam, Washington, 2017
Preliminary evaluation of the behavior and movements of adult spring Chinook salmon in the Chehalis River, southwestern Washington, 2014
Behavior and movements of adult spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Chehalis River Basin, southwestern Washington, 2015
Evaluation of juvenile salmonid behavior near a prototype weir box at Cowlitz Falls Dam, Washington, 2013
Behavior and passage of juvenile salmonids during the evaluation of a behavioral guidance structure at Cowlitz Falls Dam, Washington, 2011
Evaluation of angler effort and harvest of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Lake Scanewa, Washington, 2010
Tailrace egress and hydraulic conditions during tests of a top spillway weir (TSW) at John Day Dam, 2008
Data collected in 2010 to evaluate habitat availability for surf smelt and eelgrass in response to sea level rise on Bainbridge Island, Puget Sound, Washington, USA
Science and Products
- Publications
A standard operating procedure for the preparation of purposely killed juvenile salmon used to test survival model assumptions
This document describes a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the preparation of purposely killed juvenile salmon, implanted with telemetry transmitters, to be released into rivers, lakes, or streams to test one of the survival model assumptions. Procedures for releases of purposely killed fish (hereinafter dead fish releases) were developed by staff from the U.S. Geological Survey’s Columbia RAuthorsRyan G. Tomka, Theresa L. Liedtke, Conrad Frost, Collin D. SmithBehavior and movement of adult winter steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the upper Cowlitz River Basin, Washington, 2017–18
Executive SummaryA 2-year radiotelemetry study was completed to monitor the movements of adult winter steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the upper Cowlitz River Basin. A reintroduction program was established to restore healthy and harvestable populations of steelhead because volitional access to the area was blocked in the 1960s after construction of dams in the lower river. A trap-and-haul progrAuthorsTheresa L. Liedtke, Tobias J. Kock, Amy C. Hansen, Brian K. Ekstrom, Ryan G. TomkaMovements of juvenile Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Yakima and Columbia Rivers, Washington, 2018—A pilot study using acoustic telemetry
Telemetry has been an invaluable tool to improve our understanding of adult Pacific Lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) movements and to guide management approaches to protect and restore this species of concern. Juvenile and larval lamprey, however, are much smaller than adults, and have not been monitored with telemetry because available transmitters have traditionally been too large. With fundingAuthorsTheresa L. Liedtke, Ralph T. Lampman, Z. Daniel Deng, Tyler E. Beals, Michael S. Porter, Amy C. Hansen, Tobias J. Kock, Ryan G. Tomka, Patrick MonkEvaluation of sockeye salmon after passage through an innovative upstream fish-passage system at Cle Elum Dam, Washington, 2017
Executive SummaryThe 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)AuthorsTobias J. Kock, Scott D. Evans, Amy C. Hansen, Russell W. Perry, Hal C. Hansel, Philip V. Haner, Ryan G. TomkaPreliminary evaluation of the behavior and movements of adult spring Chinook salmon in the Chehalis River, southwestern Washington, 2014
Recent interest in flood control and restoration strategies in the Chehalis River Basin has increased the need to understand the current status and ecology of spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Spring Chinook salmon have the longest exposure of all adult Chinook salmon life histories to the low-flow and high water temperature conditions that typically occur during summer. About 100AuthorsTheresa L. Liedtke, William R. Hurst, Ryan G. Tomka, Tobias J. Kock, Mara S. ZimmermanBehavior and movements of adult spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in the Chehalis River Basin, southwestern Washington, 2015
Recent interest in flood control and restoration strategies in the Chehalis River Basin has increased the need to understand the current status and ecology of spring Chinook salmon. Based on the extended period between freshwater entry and spawn timing, spring Chinook salmon have the longest exposure of all adult Chinook salmon life histories to the low-flow and high water temperature conditions tAuthorsTheresa L. Liedtke, Mara S. Zimmerman, Ryan G. Tomka, Curt Holt, Lyle JenningsEvaluation of juvenile salmonid behavior near a prototype weir box at Cowlitz Falls Dam, Washington, 2013
Collection of juvenile salmonids at Cowlitz Falls Dam is a critical part of the effort to restore salmon in the upper Cowlitz River because the majority of fish that are not collected at the dam pass downstream and enter a large reservoir where they become landlocked and lost to the anadromous fish population. However, the juvenile fish collection system at Cowlitz Falls Dam has failed to achieveAuthorsTobias J. Kock, Theresa L. Liedtke, Brian K. Ekstrom, Ryan G. Tomka, Dennis W. RondorfBehavior and passage of juvenile salmonids during the evaluation of a behavioral guidance structure at Cowlitz Falls Dam, Washington, 2011
Executive Summary A radiotelemetry evaluation was conducted during April–October 2011 to describe movement patterns, forebay behavior, and passage of juvenile steelhead, coho salmon, and Chinook salmon at Cowlitz Falls Dam, Washington. The primary focus of the study was to describe fish behavior near a behavioral guidance structure (BGS) and floating surface collector (FSC) deployed upstream of CoAuthorsTobias J. Kock, Theresa L. Liedtke, Brian K. Ekstrom, Ryan G. Tomka, Dennis W. RondorfEvaluation of angler effort and harvest of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Lake Scanewa, Washington, 2010
A creel evaluation was conducted in Lake Scanewa, a reservoir on the Cowlitz River, to monitor catch rates of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and determine if the trout fishery was having negative impacts on juvenile anadromous salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) in the system. The trout fishery, which is supported by releases of 20,000 fish (2 fish per pound) per year from June to August, was developeAuthorsTheresa L. Liedtke, Tobias J. Kock, Brian K. Ekstrom, Ryan G. Tomka, Dennis W. RondorfTailrace egress and hydraulic conditions during tests of a top spillway weir (TSW) at John Day Dam, 2008
n/aAuthorsT.L. Liedtke, C. D. Smith, R.G Tomka - Data
Data collected in 2010 to evaluate habitat availability for surf smelt and eelgrass in response to sea level rise on Bainbridge Island, Puget Sound, Washington, USA
This dataset includes biological variables showing surf smelt spawning presence, geological variables describing beach composition, and sample locations using RTK-GPS. This field data was also used to run the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM; Warren Pinnacle Consulting, Inc., Warren, Vt)) to predict the changes to beaches over time, and under different sea level rise scenarios. Field sampl - Multimedia
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