Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon Research Active
Juvenile Snake River fall Chinook salmon
Snake River fall Chinook salmon were listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. At that time, little was known about the spawning, rearing, migration, and life history of this species. This long-term research and monitoring project has produced much of the contemporary knowledge on fall Chinook salmon that has been used by fish managers to implement recovery measures. The population has responded positively to these measures but will likely remain a conservation-reliant species.
Snake River fall Chinook salmon mainly spawn and rear in Hells Canyon on the Snake River and in the Clearwater River basin. They are unique in that they complete the freshwater portion of their life cycle in main-stem habitats unlike other salmonids that use smaller tributaries. Initial work on this project focused on understanding the spawning and rearing requirements of these fish in main-stem habitats as well as identifying important spawning and rearing sites. Because fish must pass eight dams enroute to the ocean as juveniles and as returning adults, much research was later directed at determining appropriate spawning and migration flows. Research increased our understanding of the relationships between downstream movement behavior and water velocity, turbulence, and fish physiology that in turn helped explain life history diversity in this species.
Other research explored the growth differences between fish rearing in riverine and reservoir habitats that shed light on the food web that supports juvenile salmon. Growth is higher in the Snake River than in Lower Granite Reservoir—the first reservoir juvenile fish encounter during their seaward migration—that is due to differences the prey community between the two systems. We documented recent changes to the food webs in lower Snake River reservoirs that included describing the ecology of nonnative Siberian prawns, opossum shrimp, and resurgence of the endemic sand roller. Each of these species influences juvenile fall Chinook salmon either directly or indirectly.
Recent research has focused on estimating the loss of juvenile fall Chinook salmon to smallmouth bass predation in the Snake River. Smallmouth bass are very abundant and are effective predators of juvenile salmon. We showed that bass consumption rate of juvenile fall Chinook salmon has increased 15-fold since the mid-1990s when the last predation study was conducted. This is largely due to increased numbers of juvenile salmon available as prey that has resulted from both increases in natural production and hatchery releases. Interestingly, bass abundance has not changed appreciably through time. Efforts are currently underway to develop a method to distinguish the origin (e.g., hatchery or natural) of juvenile salmon consumed by bass to determine if one prey is more vulnerable than the other.
A list of cooperator publications related to this study can be found here.
Publications associated with this project.
Distinguishing between natural and hatchery Snake River fall Chinook salmon subyearlings in the field using body morphology
Behavioural thermoregulation by subyearling fall (autumn) Chinook salmon oncorhynchus tshawytscha in a reservoir
Water velocity, turbulence, and migration rate of subyearling fall Chinook salmon in the free-flowing and impounded Snake River
Range expansion of an exotic Siberian prawn to the Lower Snake River
Food habits of Juvenile American Shad and dynamics of zooplankton in the lower Columbia River
As many as 2.4 million adult American shad annually pass John Day Dam, Columbia River to spawn upriver, yet food web interactions of juvenile shad rearing in John Day Reservoir are unexplored. We collected zooplankton and conducted mid-water trawls in McNary (June-July) and John Day reservoirs (August-November) from 1994 through 1996 during the outmigration of subyearling American shad and Chinook
Variables influencing the presence of subyearling fall Chinook salmon in shoreline habitats of the Hanford Reach, Columbia River
Two alternative juvenile life history types for fall Chinook salmon in the Snake River basin
Identification of a genetic marker that discriminates ocean-type and stream-type chinook salmon in the Columbia River basin
Thermal exposure of juvenile fall chinook salmon migrating through a lower Snake River Reservoir
Comparison of subyearling fall chinook salmon's use of riprap revetments and unaltered habitats in Lake Wallula of the Columbia river
Quantifying flow-dependent changes in subyearling fall chinook salmon rearing habitat using two-dimensional spatially explicit modeling
Early life history attributes and run composition of PIT-tagged wild subyearling Chinook salmon recaptured after migrating downstream past Lower Granite Dam
This has been a 28-year partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (project cooperator) and the Bonneville Power Administration (project funder). This long-term partnership has contributed greatly to our increased understanding of Snake River fall Chinook salmon and the peer-reviewed research products we have produced. Other partners include:
- Overview
Snake River fall Chinook salmon were listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. At that time, little was known about the spawning, rearing, migration, and life history of this species. This long-term research and monitoring project has produced much of the contemporary knowledge on fall Chinook salmon that has been used by fish managers to implement recovery measures. The population has responded positively to these measures but will likely remain a conservation-reliant species.
Snake River fall Chinook salmon mainly spawn and rear in Hells Canyon on the Snake River and in the Clearwater River basin. They are unique in that they complete the freshwater portion of their life cycle in main-stem habitats unlike other salmonids that use smaller tributaries. Initial work on this project focused on understanding the spawning and rearing requirements of these fish in main-stem habitats as well as identifying important spawning and rearing sites. Because fish must pass eight dams enroute to the ocean as juveniles and as returning adults, much research was later directed at determining appropriate spawning and migration flows. Research increased our understanding of the relationships between downstream movement behavior and water velocity, turbulence, and fish physiology that in turn helped explain life history diversity in this species.
Other research explored the growth differences between fish rearing in riverine and reservoir habitats that shed light on the food web that supports juvenile salmon. Growth is higher in the Snake River than in Lower Granite Reservoir—the first reservoir juvenile fish encounter during their seaward migration—that is due to differences the prey community between the two systems. We documented recent changes to the food webs in lower Snake River reservoirs that included describing the ecology of nonnative Siberian prawns, opossum shrimp, and resurgence of the endemic sand roller. Each of these species influences juvenile fall Chinook salmon either directly or indirectly.
Recent research has focused on estimating the loss of juvenile fall Chinook salmon to smallmouth bass predation in the Snake River. Smallmouth bass are very abundant and are effective predators of juvenile salmon. We showed that bass consumption rate of juvenile fall Chinook salmon has increased 15-fold since the mid-1990s when the last predation study was conducted. This is largely due to increased numbers of juvenile salmon available as prey that has resulted from both increases in natural production and hatchery releases. Interestingly, bass abundance has not changed appreciably through time. Efforts are currently underway to develop a method to distinguish the origin (e.g., hatchery or natural) of juvenile salmon consumed by bass to determine if one prey is more vulnerable than the other.
A list of cooperator publications related to this study can be found here.
- Publications
Publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 29Distinguishing between natural and hatchery Snake River fall Chinook salmon subyearlings in the field using body morphology
We used body morphology to distinguish between natural‐ and hatchery‐origin subyearling fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in rearing areas of the Snake River and at a downstream dam during seaward migration. Using subjective eye and body shape characteristics, field personnel correctly classified 88.9–100% of natural subyearlings (N = 626) and 90.0–100% of hatchery subyearlings (N = 867AuthorsKenneth F. Tiffan, W.P. ConnorBehavioural thermoregulation by subyearling fall (autumn) Chinook salmon oncorhynchus tshawytscha in a reservoir
This study investigated behavioural thermoregulation by subyearling fall (autumn) Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in a reservoir on the Snake River, Washington, U.S.A. During the summer, temperatures in the reservoir varied from 23?? C on the surface to 11?? C at 14 m depth. Subyearlings implanted with temperature-sensing radio transmitters were released at the surface at temperatures >20?AuthorsK.F. Tiffan, T.J. Kock, W.P. Connor, R.K. Steinhorst, D.W. RondorfWater velocity, turbulence, and migration rate of subyearling fall Chinook salmon in the free-flowing and impounded Snake River
We studied the migratory behavior of subyearling fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in free-flowing and impounded reaches of the Snake River to evaluate the hypothesis that velocity and turbulence are the primary causal mechanisms of downstream migration. The hypothesis states that impoundment reduces velocity and turbulence and alters the migratory behavior of juvenile Chinook salmon asAuthorsKenneth F. Tiffan, Tobias J. Kock, Craig A. Haskell, William P. Connor, R. Kirk SteinhorstRange expansion of an exotic Siberian prawn to the Lower Snake River
The introduction of non-native plant and animal species in aquatic systems is of increasing concern because of their potentially negative ecological and economic impacts (Sytsma et al. 2004). There are many examples of food web repercussions resulting from non-native invertebrate introductions. For example, in Flathead Lake, Montana, the kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) population crashed afterAuthorsCraig A. Haskell, Rex D. Baxter, Kenneth F. TiffanFood habits of Juvenile American Shad and dynamics of zooplankton in the lower Columbia River
As many as 2.4 million adult American shad annually pass John Day Dam, Columbia River to spawn upriver, yet food web interactions of juvenile shad rearing in John Day Reservoir are unexplored. We collected zooplankton and conducted mid-water trawls in McNary (June-July) and John Day reservoirs (August-November) from 1994 through 1996 during the outmigration of subyearling American shad and Chinook
AuthorsC. A. Haskell, K.F. Tiffan, D.W. RondorfVariables influencing the presence of subyearling fall Chinook salmon in shoreline habitats of the Hanford Reach, Columbia River
Little information currently exists on habitat use by subyearling fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha rearing in large, main-stem habitats. We collected habitat use information on subyearlings in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River during May 1994 and April-May 1995 using point abundance electrofishing. We analyzed measures of physical habitat using logistic regression to predict fishAuthorsK.F. Tiffan, L.O. Clark, R.D. Garland, D.W. RondorfTwo alternative juvenile life history types for fall Chinook salmon in the Snake River basin
Fall Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Snake River basin were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1992. At the time of listing, it was assumed that fall Chinook salmon juveniles in the Snake River basin adhered strictly to an ocean-type life history characterized by saltwater entry at age 0 and first-year wintering in the ocean. Research showed, however, that some fall ChinookAuthorsW.P. Connor, J.G. Sneva, K.F. Tiffan, R.K. Steinhorst, D. RossIdentification of a genetic marker that discriminates ocean-type and stream-type chinook salmon in the Columbia River basin
A marker based on randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), OT-38, was discovered that nonlethally discriminates between stream-type and ocean-type populations of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Columbia River basin, including the threatened fall-run (ocean-type) and spring-run (stream-type) Snake River populations. This marker was developed by amplifying chinook salmon genomic DNAAuthorsC. Rasmussen, C.O. Ostberg, D.R. Clifton, J.L. Holloway, R. J. RodriguezThermal exposure of juvenile fall chinook salmon migrating through a lower Snake River Reservoir
Impoundment of the Snake River, Washington, has resulted in high water temperatures and late seaward migration of juvenile fall chinook salmon during summer months. To determine if juvenile fall chinook salmon are exposed to temperatures higher than the upper incipient lethal, we tagged groups of fish with temperature-sensing radio tags and tracked them in Little Goose Reservoir on the Snake RiverAuthorsK.F. Tiffan, C. A. Haskell, D.W. RondorfComparison of subyearling fall chinook salmon's use of riprap revetments and unaltered habitats in Lake Wallula of the Columbia river
Subyearling fall chinook salmon's Oncorhynchus tshawytscha use of unaltered and riprap habitats in Lake Wallula of the Columbia River was determined with point abundance data collected by electrofishing in May 1994 and 1995. We documented the presence or absence of subyearlings at 277 sample sites and collected physical habitat information at each site. Based on logistic regression, we found thatAuthorsR.D. Garland, K.F. Tiffan, D.W. Rondorf, L.O. ClarkQuantifying flow-dependent changes in subyearling fall chinook salmon rearing habitat using two-dimensional spatially explicit modeling
We used an analysis based on a geographic information system (GIS) to determine the amount of rearing habitat and stranding area for subyearling fall chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River at steady-state flows ranging from 1,416 to 11,328 m3/s. High-resolution river channel bathymetry was used in conjunction with a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model toAuthorsK.F. Tiffan, R.D. Garland, D.W. RondorfEarly life history attributes and run composition of PIT-tagged wild subyearling Chinook salmon recaptured after migrating downstream past Lower Granite Dam
Seaward migration timing of Snake River fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts is indexed using subyearling chinook salmon passage data collected at Lower Granite Dam. However, not all of the subyearlings are fall chinook salmon. For six years, we recaptured wild subyearling chinook salmon smolts, which had been previously PIT tagged in the Snake River, to genetically determine if tAuthorsW.P. Connor, T.C. Bjornn, H.L. Burge, A.R. Marshall, H.L. Blankenship, R.K. Steinhorst, K.F. Tiffan - Partners
This has been a 28-year partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (project cooperator) and the Bonneville Power Administration (project funder). This long-term partnership has contributed greatly to our increased understanding of Snake River fall Chinook salmon and the peer-reviewed research products we have produced. Other partners include: