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Volume 2009/10, Issue 5
December 17, 2009
In This Issue
2009/10 Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
2009 Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring
2009 Tuolumne River Weir Monitoring
2009 San Joaquin Basin Escapement Surveys
San Joaquin Conditions
Delta Exports
events


Jan 19-20: DWR/HTI Hydroacoustic Workshop

links

FISHBIO

 
 
signup
field notes
trout
  Underwater photo by FISHBIO.
 
Key Highlights
 
2009/10 Calaveras River Migration Monitoring continued during the reporting period and a total of 25 O. mykiss were captured increasing the season total to 34.
 
2009 Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring continued during the reporting period. A total of 64 Chinook salmon were detected as they passed upstream of the Stanislaus River Weir increasing the season total to 1,199 as of December 6.
2009 Tuolumne River Weir Monitoring has continued during the reporting period. A total of 15 Chinook salmon were detected as they passed upstream of the Tuolumne River Weir and so far there have been 17 Chinook salmon counted by video while the weir panels were out increasing the season total to at least 220.
 
2009 San Joaquin Basin Escapement Surveys. Annual carcass surveys conducted by CDFG continued during the reporting period.

San Joaquin River Conditions. San Joaquin River flows at Vernalis remained relatively stable ranging between 1,278 cfs and 1,320 cfs. Water temperatures in the San Joaquin River decreased from 52.1�F to 46.9�F and average daily dissolved oxygen (DO) slightly increased ranging between 8.4 mg/L and 9.4 mg/L.
 
Delta Exports. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated during the reporting period between 3,019 cfs and 5,864 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.
 

 
2009/2010 Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring 
 
rotary screw trapThe Calaveras River rotary screw trap at Shelton Road (RM 28) fished eight days between November 23 and December 6 (Figure1). A total of 25 O. mykiss (Table 1) were captured during the reporting period with daily catches ranging between zero and nine individuals (Figure 3). All 25 O. mykiss that were captured were Age 1+ (100-299 mm) and were rated as parr (n=4), silvery parr (n=19), and smolt (n=2). Average forklengths and weights of O. mykiss are provided in Table 1.  
 
No Chinook salmon were captured during this reporting period.
 
O. mykissInstantaneous temperatures recorded at the trap ranged from 44.2�F to 50�F, and turbidity ranged from 0.1 NTU to 1.61 NTU. Daily average flow remained stable between 32 cfs and 34 cfs at New Hogan Dam (NHG) and 0 cfs to 2 cfs at Bellota (MRS). No flow was recorded at Cosgrove Creek (COS).
 

 
 
 
Table 1. Biosampling data for O. mykiss captured at Shelton Road between November 23 and December 6, 2009. Parentheses indicate range.
 
Calaveras biosample table
 
Calaveras catch and flow
Figure 3. Daily O. mykiss catch at Shelton Road and Calaveras River flow recorded by New Hogan Dam (NHG) and Cosgrove Creek (COS) combined, between November 1 and December 6, 2009.

 
2009 Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring 
 
Between November 23 and December 6 a total of 64 fall-run Chinook salmon were detected as they passed upstream of the Stanislaus River Weir increasing the season total to 1,199. Daily passage ranged between zero and 13 Chinook salmon. Total year to date passage of Chinook salmon this year is increasingly better than the overall total of 923 Chinook salmon in 2008 (Table 2 and Figure 4).
 
Zero O. mykiss were detected passing the weir during the reporting period.  Net upstream count remains at five O. mykiss this season.
 

Table 2. Annual Fall-run Chinook passage prior to December 6, 2003-2009.
 
weir table


 
Weir cumulative passage

Figure 4. Cumulative Chinook salmon upstream passage recorded at the Stanislaus River Weir, 2003 to 2009.


ChinookDaily average flow in the Stanislaus River at Goodwin Dam (GDW; RM 58) remained constant around the base flow of 250 cfs (Figure 5). Flows at Ripon (RIP; RM 15) decreased slightly from 280 cfs to 245 cfs (Figure 5). Note: flows downstream of Goodwin Dam may be higher than dam releases due to irrigation returns and other factors.
 
Instantaneous water temperatures measured at the weir ranged between 45.5˚F and 50.5˚F and daily average water temperatures at Ripon (RPN; RM 15) ranged between 47.2˚F and 52.2˚F (Figure 6). Instantaneous turbidity ranged between 0.12 NTU and 1.00 NTU (Figure 7). Instantaneous dissolved oxygen ranged between 10.67 mg/L and 11.88 mg/L and daily average dissolved oxygen at Ripon (RPN; RM 15) ranged between 10.6 mg/L and 11.3 mg/L (Figure 8).

temperature and passage

Figure 5. 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), 2009.

 
turbidity and passage

Figure 6. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Stanislaus River Weir in relation to instantaneous turbidity recorded at the weir, 2009.

 
passage and DO
 
Figure 7. 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), 2009.
 



passage and flow
 
Figure 8. 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), 2009.
 


 
2009 Tuolumne River Weir Monitoring
 
Between November 23 and December 6 a total of 32 Chinook salmon were detected as they passed upstream of the Tuolumne River Weir increasing the season total to at least 220. Daily passage ranged between zero and seven Chinook.  However at the request of CDFG, three panels remained uninstalled for several days. A temporary video system was in place to monitor passage through through the gap where panels had been removed. Due to the time required to process the temporary video footage that was collected during that period, counts from November 27 through November 30 are incomplete. On November 30 three weir panels were reinstalled and the Vaki Riverwatcher was reactivated.
 
Daily average flows in the Tuolumne River at La Grange (LGN; RM 51.8) were stable between 252 cfs and 258 cfs. Flow at Modesto (MOD; RM 17) were stable between 308 cfs and 311 cfs (Figure 9). Note: flows at Modesto may be higher than La Grange due to accretion and Dry Creek inflow. Instantaneous water temperatures measured at the weir ranged between 48.5˚F and 53.0˚F and daily average water temperatures at Modesto (MOD; RM 17) ranged between 48.0˚F and 52.0˚F (Figure 10). Instantaneous turbidity ranged between 0.27 NTU and 1.02 NTU (Figure 11), and instantaneous dissolved oxygen ranged between 10.60 mg/L and 11.83 mg/L (Figure 12).

temperature and passage

Figure 9. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Tuolumne River Weir in relation to instantaneous water temperature recorded at the weir and daily average water temperature recorded in the Tuolumne River at Modesto (MOD) and in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis (VER), Mossdale (MSD) and Rough & Ready (RRI), 2009.


turbidity and passage

 
Figure 10. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Tuolumne River Weir in relation to instantaneous turbidity recorded at the weir, 2009.


DO and passage
Figure 11. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Tuolumne River Weir in relation to instantaneous dissolved oxygen recorded at the weir and daily average dissolved oxygen recorded in the San Joaquin River at Mossdale (MSD) and Rough & Ready (RRI), 2009.


flow and passage
 
Figure 12. Daily upstream Chinook passage recorded at the Tuolumne River Weir in relation to daily average flows (cfs) recorded in the Tuolumne River at La Grange (LGN) and Modesto (MOD) and in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis (VNS), 2009.


 
2009 San Joaquin Basin Escapement Surveys 
 
Annual carcass surveys conducted by CDFG continued during the reporting period. Similar to 2008, numbers are low on all tributaries with live counts of 82 Chinook on the Stanislaus, 67 on the Tuolumne, and 82 on the Merced Rivers during the week of November 30. During the same week redd counts of 103 on the Stanislaus, 62 on the Tuolumne, and 66 on the Merced Rivers were recorded.
 
Seven female salmon were spawned at the Merced River Fish Facility (MRFF) during the week of November 30 for a total of 36 this season.


 
San Joaquin Conditions
 
Between November 23 and December 6, flows in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis remained relatively stable ranging between 1,231 cfs and 1,351 cfs (Figure 13). Water temperatures in the San Joaquin River continued to decrease during the reporting period from 52.1�F to 46.9�F at Vernalis; between 52.7�F and 47.6�F at Mossdale; and between 55.6�F and 51.8�F at Rough 'n Ready Island (Figure 14). Average daily dissolved oxygen (DO) in the San Joaquin River slightly increased, ranging between 8.4 mg/L and 9.4 mg/L in the deep water ship channel (measured at Rough 'n Ready Island) and fluctuated between 9.8 mg/L and 10.5 mg/L at Mossdale (Figure 15).
 

SJR flow

Figure 13. San Joaquin River flow at Vernalis, December 1, 2008 through December 6, 2009.

 

SJR temperature 

Figure 14. San Joaquin River daily average water temperature at Vernalis, Mossdale, and Rough 'n Ready, December 1, 2008 through December 6, 2009.
 


 SJR DO
 
Figure 15. San Joaquin daily average dissolved oxygen at Mossdale and Rough 'n Ready, December 1, 2008 through December 6, 2009.

 
Delta Exports 
 
Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated during the reporting period ranging between 3,019 cfs and 5,864 cfs. Mean daily pumping at the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (state pumps) ranged between 1,043 cfs and 3,884 cfs. Mean daily pumping at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant (federal pumps previously known as Tracy Pumping Plant) remained relatively stable between 1,969 cfs and 1,989 cfs during the reporting period (Figure 16).
 

exports 

Figure 16. Daily exports at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant (federal) and Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (state), December 1, 2008 through December 6, 2009.


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