The research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in coordination with the Yakama Nation, is designed to determine stream habitat conditions, fish abundance, and fish life history characteristics such as movement, growth, and distribution.
Rock Creek is a unique tributary to the Columbia River, located on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge at River Mile 229. The watershed is within the southern ceded lands of the Yakama Nation, and much of the property being surveyed is Yakama Nation property. Despite the seasonally intermittent flow in Rock Creek’s lowermost reaches, three species of anadromous salmon are present. The stock of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) present in Rock Creek has been listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. The research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in coordination with the Yakama Nation, is designed to determine stream habitat conditions, fish abundance, and fish life history characteristics such as movement, growth, and distribution. This baseline information will provide the necessary background to prioritize restoration actions and to track changes for the evaluation of management actions.
- Overview
The research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in coordination with the Yakama Nation, is designed to determine stream habitat conditions, fish abundance, and fish life history characteristics such as movement, growth, and distribution.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.A view of the landscape of Rock Creek, a tributary of the Columbia River at river mile 229. Credit: Brady Allen, Bonneville Power Administration. (Public domain.) Rock Creek is a unique tributary to the Columbia River, located on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge at River Mile 229. The watershed is within the southern ceded lands of the Yakama Nation, and much of the property being surveyed is Yakama Nation property. Despite the seasonally intermittent flow in Rock Creek’s lowermost reaches, three species of anadromous salmon are present. The stock of steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) present in Rock Creek has been listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act. The research conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in coordination with the Yakama Nation, is designed to determine stream habitat conditions, fish abundance, and fish life history characteristics such as movement, growth, and distribution. This baseline information will provide the necessary background to prioritize restoration actions and to track changes for the evaluation of management actions.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.USGS fisheries biologist, Yakama Nation fisheries technician, and National Association of Geoscience Teachers student intern electrofishing for juvenile steelhead in Rock Creek, WA. Credit: Jeanette Burkhardt, Yakama Nation Fisheries.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.USGS fisheries biologist takes a small tissue sample from a steelhead for later genetic analysis while Yakama Nation fisheries biologist and technician collects and records biological information about the fish. Credit: Jeanette Burkhardt, Yakama Nation Fisheries.