| Volume 2, Issue 13 |
May 16, 2008 | |
Upcoming Events
May 28: CALFED Ops Meeting June 12: TRTAC |
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Key Highlights
VAMP Update. The VAMP studies continued through this reporting period. Updated data, media, and other information is available at sanjoaquinbasin.com.
2007/08 Juvenile Migration Monitoring. Mossdale Trawl operations began on April 1. Supplemental releases from the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers were made to meet flow objectives at Vernalis set forth by the Vernalis Adaptive Management Plan (VAMP).
San Joaquin River Conditions. San Joaquin River water temperatures and dissolved oxygen fluctuated throughout the reporting period with an overall increasing trend for water temperatures observed at both Mossdale and the deepwater ship channel and an overall decreasing trend for dissolved oxygen at Mossdale. Flow conditions increased as a result of VAMP releases.
Delta Exports. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated throughout the reporting period and ranged between 886 cfs (April 19) and 3,863 cfs (April 18).
We encourage subscribers to contribute any relevant information for future issues of the newsletter (e.g., additional monitoring studies, announcements of upcoming meetings and events, etc). If you would like to contribute, please contact Chrissy Sonke.
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2007/08 Migration Monitoring
The Calaveras River rotary screw trap at Shelton Road (RM 29) sampled 17 out of 28 days between April 14 and May 11.
A total of 603 O. mykiss (Table 1) were captured during the reporting period, increasing the season total to 1,379. Daily catch ranged between four and 96 O. mykiss. A total of 589 young-of-year (YOY; ≤100 mm) and 14 Age 1+ (101-299 mm) O. mykiss were captured. Average forklengths and weights of O. mykiss are provided in Table 1. Most of the O. mykiss captured and measured were rated as fry (n=165) and parr (n=415), but there were also some silvery parr (n=11) and smolts (n=3).
No Chinook were captured during this reporting period.
Table 1. Biosampling data for O. mykiss captured and measured at Shelton Road between April 14 and May 11, 2008. Parentheses indicate range.
Instantaneous temperatures at the trap ranged from 52ºF to 55ºF, and turbidity ranged from 0.4 NTU to 1.6 NTU. Daily average flow fluctuated between 138 cfs and 194 cfs at New Hogan Dam (NHG), between zero cfs and one cfs flows at Cosgrove (COS), and between 12 cfs and 43 cfs at Bellota (MRS).
The Stanislaus River rotary screw trap at Oakdale (RM 40) sampled continuously between April 14 and May 11.
A total of 1,590 juvenile Chinook salmon were captured during the reporting period, increasing the season total to 20,936. Daily catch ranged between zero and 188 Chinook. Average forklengths and weights of Chinook salmon are provided in Table 2 for 933 fish that were measured. Most measured Chinook were smolts (n=929), including two larger fish (i.e., > 100 mm), but there were also some parr (n=9) and fry (n=4).
A total of five O. mykiss were captured during this reporting period. Average forklengths and weights of O. mykiss are provided in Table 2.
Table 2. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon and O. mykiss captured and measured at Oakdale between April 14 and May 11, 2008. Parentheses indicate range.
Two trap efficiency releases were conducted on April 27 and April 30 with a 17% and 12% trap efficiency, respectively (Table 3).
Table 3. Trap efficiency tests conducted at Oakdale between April 14 and May 11, 2008.
Instantaneous temperature taken at the trap ranged from 52ºF to 57ºF, and turbidity ranged from 0.4 NTU to 2.6 NTU. Daily average flow fluctuated between 652 cfs and 1,520 cfs at Goodwin Dam (GDW) and fluctuated between 803 cfs and 1,543 cfs at Orange Blossom Bridge (OBB).
The Stanislaus River rotary screw traps at Caswell (RM 8) sampled continuously between April 14 and May 11.
A total of 119 juvenile Chinook salmon smolts were captured during the reporting period, increasing the season total to 171. Average forklengths and weights of Chinook salmon are provided in Table 4.
One O. mykiss smolt was captured on May 3 (Table 4).
Table 4. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon and O. mykiss captured and measured at Caswell between April 14 and May 11, 2008. Parentheses indicate range.
Four trap efficiency releases were conducted on April 14, April 22, April 29, and May 6 with trap efficiencies ranging from 1-3% (Table 5).
Table 5. Trap efficiency tests conducted at Caswell between April 14 and May 11, 2008.
Instantaneous temperature taken at the trap ranged from 54ºF to 61ºF, and turbidity ranged from 1.2 NTU to 5.7 NTU. Daily average flow ranged between 658 cfs and 1,421 cfs at Ripon (RIP).
The Tuolumne River rotary screw trap at Waterford (RM 30) sampled continuously between April 14 and May 11.
A total of 356 juvenile Chinook salmon were captured during the reporting period, increasing the season total to 2,956. Daily catch ranged between one and 33 Chinook. Average forklengths and weights of Chinook salmon are provided in Table 6. Over half of the Chinook measured were rated as smolts (n= 340), but there were also some fry (n= 4) and one parr.
One O. mykiss smolt was captured on April 16, increasing the season total to eight (Table 6).
Table 6. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon and O. mykiss captured and measured at Waterford between April 14 and May 11, 2008. Parentheses indicate range.
Daily catch was insufficient to conduct trap efficiency tests during this reporting period.
Instantaneous temperature taken at the trap ranged from 55ºF to 70ºF, and turbidity ranged from 0.9 NTU to 5.4 NTU. Daily average flow ranged between 163 cfs and 1,310 cfs at La Grange (LGN).
The Tuolumne River rotary screw traps at Grayson (RM 5) sampled continuously between April 14 and May 11.
A total of 41 juvenile Chinook salmon smolts were captured during the reporting period, increasing the season total to 179. Daily catch ranged between zero and six Chinook. Average forklengths and weights of Chinook salmon are provided in Table 7.
No O. mykiss were captured during the reporting period.
Table 7. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon captured at Grayson between April 14 and May 11, 2008. Parentheses indicate range.
Three trap efficiency releases were conducted on April 15, April 25, and May 7 with trap efficiencies ranging from 2-9% (Table 8).
Table 8. Trap efficiency tests conducted at Grayson between April 14 and May 11, 2008.
Instantaneous temperature taken at the trap ranged from 57ºF to 70ºF, and turbidity ranged from 1.8 NTU to 9.3 NTU. Daily average flow fluctuated between 289 cfs and 1,320 cfs at Modesto (MOD).
The 2008 TID seining study surveys seven and eight were conducted between April 14 and May 11 at various locations on the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers.
Survey number seven was conducted on April 15. A total of 15 Chinook salmon were captured in the Tuolumne River at various locations at or upstream of Service Road (RM 8.7), and none were captured at the San Joaquin seine sites. Forklengths ranged between 33 and 81 mm (avg: 67 mm). Most measured Chinook were smolts (n=12) and there were also some fry (n=3) however no parr were captured. No O. mykiss were captured during the seventh survey.
Survey number eight was conducted on April 29. A total of five Chinook salmon were captured in the Tuolumne River at various locations at or upstream of Service Road (RM 8.7), and none were captured at the San Joaquin seine sites. Forklengths ranged between 34 and 85 mm (avg: 48.4 mm).
Three O. mykiss were caught during the eighth survey in the Tuolumne River at Old LaGrange Bridge (OLGB; RM 50.5); all were rated as fry and forklengths ranged between 30 and 49 mm.
During the seventh survey, flows were about 170 cfs in the Tuolumne River at La Grange (LGN) and about 2,000 cfs in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis (VNS). Flows increased between the seventh and eighth surveys due to Vernalis Adaptive Management Program (VAMP) instream flow requirements. During the eighth survey, flows were about 860 cfs in the Tuolumne River at La Grange and about 3,000 cfs in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis.
No O. mykiss were caught in either river.
During the surveys, flows were about 170 cfs in the Tuolumne River at La Grange (LGN) and were about 2,400 cfs in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis (VNS).
The Merced River rotary screw traps at Hatfield (RM 2) sampled continuously between April 14 and May 11.
A total of 52 unmarked Chinook salmon smolts (possible natural origin) were captured, increasing the season total to 56. Average forklengths and weights of Chinook salmon are provided in Table 9.
No O. mykiss were captured during this reporting period.
Table 9. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon captured at Hatfield between April 14 and May 11, 2008. Parentheses indicate range.
Three trap efficiency releases were conducted on April 14, April 22, and May 7 with trap efficiencies ranging between 1-6% (Table 10).
Table 10. Trap efficiency tests conducted at Hatfield between April 14 and May 11, 2008.
Instantaneous temperature taken at the trap ranged from 56ºF to 63ºF, and turbidity ranged from 2.0 NTU to 11.1 NTU. Daily average flow at Cressy (CRS) ranged between 249 cfs and 1,514 cfs.
The San Joaquin River trawl sampling at Mossdale (RM 54) was initiated by the California Department of Fish and Game on April 1 and sampling is scheduled to occur five days per week.
Daily catch has ranged from 0-89 Chinook per ten tows. Catch increased greatly starting on April 22nd, when flows increased for VAMP.
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San Joaquin River Conditions
 During the reporting period, flows in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis generally increased from 2,009 cfs (April 16) to 3,429 cfs (May 11) with an average of 2,841 cfs. Water temperatures in the San Joaquin exhibited an overall increasing trend with fluctuations between 57.4 °F and 65.6 °F (avg: 62.2 °F) at Vernalis; between 58.6 °F and 66.9 °F (avg: 63.4 °F) at Mossdale; and between 62.7 °F and 68.4 °F (avg: 64.8 °F) at Rough 'n Ready Island. Dissolved oxygen (DO) in the San Joaquin River fluctuated between 7.8 mg/L and 10.7 mg/L (avg: 9.0 mg/L) in the deep water ship channel (measured at Rough 'n Ready Island) and exhibited a general downward trend with fluctuations between 9.6 mg/L and 11.8 mg/L (avg: 10.5 mg/L) at Mossdale.
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Delta Exports
Mean daily pumping at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant (federal pumps previously known as Tracy Pumping Plant) fluctuated throughout the reporting period ranging between 537 cfs and 845 cfs. Mean daily pumping at the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (state pumps) fluctuated throughout the reporting period and ranged between 45 cfs and 3,043 cfs. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated throughout the reporting period and ranged between 886 cfs (April 19) and 3,863 cfs (April 18).
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