| Volume 2008/09, Issue 3 |
November 24, 2008 | |
Dec. 4: VAMP Biology Technical Team Meeting
Dec. 8: SJRRP-Water Management Workgroup Meeting
Dec. 9: SJRRP-Fisheries Management Workgroup Meeting
Dec. 11: TRTAC |
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Key Highlights
2008/09 Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring. The 2008/09 Calaveras River rotary screw trap monitoring was initiated on November 3, 2008.
2008 Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring.
A total of 167 Chinook were recorded at the Stanislaus River weir between October 31 and November 13, increasing the season total to 761. In comparison, total passage through November 13 in previous years ranged from a low of 294 Chinook in 2007 and a high of 3,673 Chinook in 2004.
Tributary Carcass Surveys. The week of November 3 was the first week of spawning at the Merced River Hatchery, with six females spawned.
San Joaquin River Conditions. During the reporting period, flows in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis fluctuated between 976 cfs and 1075 cfs.
Delta Exports. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated between 3,245 cfs and 7,565 cfs.
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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2008/09 Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
The 2008/09 Calaveras River juvenile salmonid migration monitoring was initiated on November 3, 2008. The Calaveras River rotary screw trap at Shelton Road (RM 28) sampled seven days between November 4 and November 13.
A total of 22 O. mykiss (Table 1) were captured during the reporting period. Daily catch ranged between zero and nine O. mykiss. A total of one young-of-year (YOY; ≤100 mm) and 21 Age 1+ (101-299 mm) O. mykiss were captured. Average forklengths and weights of O. mykiss are provided in Table 1. The O. mykiss captured and measured were rated as parr (n=10) and silvery parr (n=12).
Figure 1. Age 1+ O. mykiss in a viewing box.
No Chinook were captured during this reporting period and only one was captured during the previous 2007/08 monitoring season.
Instantaneous temperatures taken at the trap ranged from 51ºF to 55ºF, and turbidity ranged from 0.3 NTU to 2.2 NTU. Daily average flow fluctuated between 54 cfs and 67 cfs at New Hogan Dam (NHG) and 0 cfs to 38 cfs at Bellota (MRS). No flow was recorded at Cosgrove (COS).
Table 1. Biosampling data for O. mykiss and Chinook salmon captured at Shelton Road between November 4 and November 13, 2008. Parentheses indicate range.
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2008 Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring
Between October 31 and November 13, a total of 167 Chinook were recorded passing upstream of the weir, increasing the season total to 761. In comparison, total passage through November 13 in previous years ranged from a low of 294 Chinook in 2007 and a high of 3,673 Chinook in 2004 (Figure 2). During this sampling period, daily upstream passage ranged between one and 54 Chinook. Weir passage included seven Chinook with clipped adipose fins (ad-clipped), increasing the season total of ad-clipped fish to 31 (4.1% of passage to date). Vaki-estimated total length of Chinook passing upstream ranged from 304 mm to 1,068 mm with 19.4% ranging between 750 mm and 759 mm (Figure 3). Grilse (<600 mm) accounted for 16% of the Chinook passing upstream of the weir which is similar to the percentages observed in 2005, 2006, and 2007, but much lower than 2004 (Figure 4).
Figure 2. Cumulative Chinook salmon upstream passage recorded at the Stanislaus River Weir, 2003 to 2008.
Figure 3. Length frequency of Chinook salmon recorded passing upstream of the Stanislaus River Weir through November 13, 2008. "n" = total number of Chinook through November 13.
Figure 4. Percent Chinook salmon grilse (<600 mm) passing upstream of the Stanislaus River Weir through November 13 for years 2004 to 2008. "n" = total number of Chinook recorded through November 13.
Between September 9 and November 13, there were 14 O. mykiss (eight ad-clipped) recorded passing upstream of the weir and four (three ad-clipped) recorded passing downstream of the weir. It is unknown whether upstream passage detections of fish smaller than about 400 mm represent unique fish since it appears that some passage detections may be the same individual(s) passing up and downstream. Vaki-estimated total lengths for O. mykiss passing upstream without adipose fins ranged between 274 mm and 431 mm, and those with adipose fins between 330 mm and 740 mm (Figure 5). Ad-clips indicate hatchery origin and ad-clipped O. mykiss are not released in the Stanislaus River. These fish may be from a September 23 release of 300 mm to 400 mm Mokelumne River Hatchery steelhead in San Pablo Bay. A small subset of the San Pablo Bay release group was acoustically tagged (i.e., 30) and nearly one-half (12 of 30) of these individuals have been acoustically detected upstream of their release location (i.e., at Chipps, Montezuma slough, etc).
Figure 5. Vaki-estimated total length and passage timing for O. mykiss passing upstream and downstream at the Stanislaus River Weir, 2008. "X" indicates absence of an adipose fin (i.e., ad-clipped).
Three trapping events were conducted during the sampling period (October 31-November2, November 4-6, and November 12-13). A total of 27 Chinook were trapped consisting of 17 males and 10 females. Total lengths ranged from 600 mm to 1140 mm (avg: 863 mm). No O. mykiss were trapped during this period. Releases from Goodwin Dam (GDW; RM 58.4) ranged between 250 cfs and 258 cfs and flow at Ripon (RIP; RM 15) ranged between 279 cfs and 325 cfs (Figure 6) during October 31-November 13. Instantaneous water temperatures at the weir ranged between 53.4˚F and 60.2˚F, while daily average water temperatures at Ripon (RPN; RM 15) were similar and ranged between 55.6˚F and 60.4˚F (Figure 7). Instantaneous turbidity at the weir site ranged between 0.3 NTU and 1.6 NTU, with the exception of a one day spike of 31.0 NTU on October 31 due to discharge from an irrigation return located just upstream of the weir. Instantaneous dissolved oxygen at the weir ranged between 8.9 mg/L and 10.6 mg/L, while daily average dissolved oxygen at Ripon (RPN; RM 15) ranged between 9.0 mg/L and 10.0 mg/L (Figure 9). 
Figure 6. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Stanislaus River Weir in relation to daily average flows (cfs) recorded in the Stanislaus River at Goodwin (GDW) and Ripon (RIP) and in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis (VNS), 2008. Note: flows downstream of Goodwin Dam may be higher than dam releases due to irrigation returns, storm run-off, or return of streambank storage.
Figure 7. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Stanislaus River Weir in relation to instantaneous water temperature recorded at the weir and daily average water temperature recorded in the Stanislaus River at Ripon (RPN) and in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis (VER), Mossdale (MSD) and Rough & Ready (RRI), 2008.
Figure 8. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Stanislaus River Weir in relation to instantaneous turbidity recorded at the weir, 2008. Turbidity spiked at 31.0 NTU on October 31.
Figure 9. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Stanislaus River Weir in relation to instantaneous dissolved oxygen recorded at the weir and daily average dissolved oxygen recorded in the Stanislaus River at Ripon (RPN) and in the San Joaquin River at Mossdale (MSD) and Rough & Ready (RRI), 2008.
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Tributary Carcass Surveys
The California Department of Fish and Game began their annual adult fall-run Chinook carcass surveys during the first week of October on the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus Rivers. As of November 9, five weekly surveys have been completed with the most significant activity observed during week five (i.e., week of November 3). Although numbers are extremely low on all tributaries, the largest number of live fish was observed on the Stanislaus River with a peak live count thus far of 277 Chinook. Peak live counts on the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers were 200 and 35, respectively. The week of November 3 was also the first week of spawning at Merced River Hatchery, with six females spawned.
The largest number of redds was observed on the Stanislaus River with a peak redd count thus far of 226. Peak redd counts on the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers were 100 and 24, respectively. Typically, a peak in the number of redds observed occurs during mid-to-late November.
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San Joaquin River Conditions
During October 31-November 13, flows in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis fluctuated between 976 cfs and 1075 cfs (Figure 10). Average daily water temperatures in the San Joaquin River exhibited an overall decreasing trend ranging between 61.4°F and 56.8°F at Vernalis, between 61.3°F and 57.0°F at Mossdale; and between 63.9°F and 60.4°F at Rough 'n Ready Island (Figure 11). Average daily dissolved oxygen (DO) in the San Joaquin River ranged between 6.8 mg/L and 8.2 mg/L in the deep water ship channel (measured at Rough 'n Ready Island) and between 7.9 mg/L and 10.2 mg/L at Mossdale (Figure 12).
 Figure 10. San Joaquin River flow at Vernalis, 2007 to 2008.
Figure 11. San Joaquin River daily average water temperature at Vernalis, Mossdale, and Rough 'n Ready, 2007 to 2008.
Figure 12. San Joaquin daily average dissolved oxygen at Mossdale and Rough 'n Ready, 2007 to 2008.
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Delta Exports
Mean daily pumping at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant (federal pumps previously known as Tracy Pumping Plant) exhibited an overall increasing trend ranging between 2,836 cfs and 4,214 cfs (Figure 13). Mean daily pumping at the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (state pumps) also exhibited an overall increasing trend ranging between 392 cfs and 3,703 cfs. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated between 3,245 cfs and 7,565 cfs.
Figure 13. Daily exports at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant (federal) and Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (state), 2007 to 2008.
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