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Volume 2010, Issue 14
May 21, 2010
In This Issue
Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
Mokelumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
San Joaquin River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
Stanislaus River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
Tuolumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring
San Joaquin Conditions
Delta Exports
events
2010 VAMP Period:
April 23 - May 23

ASLO & NABS Meeting:

June 6-11
 
TRTAC Meeting:
June 10

links

FISHBIO

 
 
VAKI

signup
field notes
White crappie
  Photo by FISHBIO.
 
Key Highlights
 
Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring. A total of 482 O. mykiss were captured at Shelton Road (RM 28) increasing the season total to 2,582.

Mokelumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring. A total of 72 Chinook salmon were captured at Vino Farms (RM 54) increasing the season total to 8,336. 64 Chinook salmon were captured at Golf (RM 38) increasing the season total to 203, and 45 Chinook salmon were captured at Bypass (RM 38) increasing the season total to 114.

San Joaquin River Juvenile Migration Monitoring. A total of 42 juvenile Chinook salmon were captured at Mossdale during the reporting period, increasing the season total to 201.

Stanislaus River Juvenile Migration Monitoring. On May 14 seining surveys were conducted at various locations between Oakdale (RM 40) and the confluence with the San Joaquin River. No Chinook salmon were captured during the sampling. 
A total of 464 Chinook salmon were captured in the Oakdale rotary screw trap (RM 40) increasing the season total to 36,256.
At Caswell State Park (RM 8), data is not yet available for the reporting period.

Tuolumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring.  A total of 297 Chinook salmon were captured at Waterford (RM 30) increasing the season total to 1,879. Three Chinook salmon were captured at Grayson (RM 5) increasing the season total to 28.

Weir Monitoring. No Chinook salmon were detected as they passed upstream of the Stanislaus River Weir.

San Joaquin River Conditions. San Joaquin River flows at Vernalis ranged from 4,697 cfs to 5,933 cfs. Water temperatures in the San Joaquin River ranged between 57.1�F and 62.8�F and average daily dissolved oxygen (DO) ranged between 9.3 mg/L and 9.6 mg/L.

Delta Exports.  Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated during the reporting period ranging from 820 cfs and 2,347 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.
 


2009/10 Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
 
The Calaveras River rotary screw trap at Shelton Road (RM 28) sampled eight days between May 3 and May 16. A total of 482 O. mykiss were captured, increasing the season total to 2,582. Daily catch ranged between 15 and 148 O. mykiss (Figure 1). Most of the O. mykiss captured, (n=294) were YOY (<100 mm) and were rated as fry (n=15), parr (n=272), and silvery parr (n=7). One Age 1+ (100-299 mm) was captured and was rated as smolt and one Adult (>300 mm) was captured. Average forklengths and weights are provided in table 1 for 431 of O. mykiss measured.

No Chinook salmon have been captured this season.
 
Instantaneous temperatures recorded at the trap ranged from 50�F to 62�F (Figure 2), and turbidity ranged from 0.16 NTU to 1.53 NTU. Daily average flow fluctuated between 55 cfs and 144 cfs at New Hogan Dam (NHG), between 1 cfs and 7 cfs at Cosgrove Creek (COS), and between 9 cfs and 35 cfs at Bellota (MRS).
 
 
Table 1. Biosampling data for O. mykiss captured and measured at Shelton Road between May 3 and May 16, 2010. Parentheses indicate range.

O. mykiss data

 

Flow and Catch

Figure 1. 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, 2009 and May 16, 2010.




 
 Temperature

Figure 2. Daily O. mykiss catch at Shelton Road and Calaveras River temperature recorded instantaneously at trap location between November 1, 2009 and May 16, 2010.

 
2009/10 Mokelumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring
 
The Mokelumne River rotary screw trap at Vino Farms (RM 54) continued to sample intermittently between May 3 and May 16 and a total of 72 Chinook salmon were captured increasing the season total to 8,336.

Average daily flows from Camanche Reservoir (CMN) were relatively stable between 1,372 cfs and 1,426 cfs (Figure 3). Instantaneous temperature ranged between 53.8�F and 56.3�F and instantaneous turbidity ranged between 1.87 NTU and 3.17 NTU.
 
Two O. mykiss were captured at Vino Farms during the report period increasing the season total to 47.
 


Flow and Catch

Figure 3. Daily Chinook catches at Vino Farms and Mokelumne River flow recorded by Camanche Reservior (CMN), between December 1, 2009 and May 16, 2010.
 
The Mokelumne River rotary screw trap at Golf (RM 38)  continued to sample intermittently between May 3 and May 16. A total of 64 Chinook salmon were captured increasing the season total to 203 (Figure 4).
 
Average daily flow recorded at Woodbridge (WBR) was relatively stable between 1,106 cfs and 1,134 cfs. Instantaneous temperature ranged between 54.9�F and 58.3�F and instantaneous turbidity ranged between 2.47 NTU and 4.00 NTU.
 
Three O. mykiss were captured at Golf during this reporting period increasing the season total to 697 (Note: One of the O. mykiss had clipped adipose fins indicating hatchery origin).
 
 Flow and Catch

Figure 4. Daily Chinook catches at Golf and Mokelumne River flow recorded at Woodbridge (WBR), between December 1, 2009 and May 16, 2010.
 
The Mokelumne River rotary screw trap at Bypass (RM 38) continued sampling during the reporting period. 45 Chinook salmon were captured during the reporting period increasing the season total to 114 (Figure 5).
 
Average daily flows recorded at Woodbridge (WBR) was stable between 1,106 cfs and 1,134 cfs. Instantaneous temperature ranged between 54.7�F and 58.6�F and instantaneous turbidity ranged between 2.32 NTU and 3.17 NTU.
 
Eight O. mykiss were captured at Bypass during this reporting period increasing the season total to 92 (Note: Two of the O. mykiss had clipped adipose fins suggesting hatchery origin).

Flow and Catch 

Figure 5. Daily Chinook catches at Bypass and Mokelumne River flow recorded at Woodbridge (WBR), between April 14 and May 16, 2010.


San Joaquin River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

California Department of Fish and Game conducted ten days (ten tows per day) of Kodiak Trawling (Mossdale Trawl) on the San Joaquin River near Mossdale between May 3 and May 16. A total of 42 juvenile Chinook salmon were captured, and catch ranged between zero and nine Chinook per ten tows (Figure 6).




Trawl Data
 
Figure 6. Chinook salmon catch (per ten tows) at the Mossdale Trawl and San Joaquin River flow recorded by Vernalis (VNS), 2010.


2010 Stanislaus River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

The Stanislaus River rotary screw trap at Oakdale (RM 40)  sampled continuously between May 3 and May 16. A total of 464 juvenile Chinook salmon were captured during the reporting period increasing the season total to 36,256. Daily catch ranged between 15 and 60 Chinook salmon. Average forklengths and weights of Chinook salmon are provided in Table 2 for 443 fish that were measured. Most of the measured Chinook were smolts (n=427), including 8 larger fish (i.e., > 100 mm), but there were also fry (n=9) and parr (n=7).

No O. mykiss were captured at Oakdale during the reporting period. Nine O. mykiss have been captured so far this season.

Table 2. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon captured and measured at Oakdale between May 3 and May 16, 2010.


Chinook salmon
   
Instantaneous temperature recorded at the trap ranged from 51.6�F to 57.3�F, and turbidity ranged from 0.10 NTU to 3.82 NTU. Daily average flow during the reporting period ranged between 876 cfs and 1,028 cfs at Goodwin Dam (GDW) and 994 cfs to 1,032 cfs at Ripon (RIP) (Figure 7).

No trap efficiency experiments were conducted during the reporting period due to insufficient daily catch.

 
Flow and Catch 

Figure 7. Daily Chinook salmon catch at Oakdale and Stanislaus River flow recorded at Goodwin Dam (GDW) and Ripon (RIP), 2010.

Stanislaus River seining surveys were conducted on May 14 at various locations between Oakdale (RM 40) and the confluence with the San Joaquin River. No Chinook salmon were captured. Average daily flow at Ripon was 1,006 cfs.

Data is not yet available for the Stanislaus River rotary screw trap at Caswell State Park (RM 8) for this reporting period.


2010 Tuolumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

The Tuolumne River rotary screw trap at Waterford (RM 30) operated continuously between May 3 and May 16. A total of 297 juvenile Chinook salmon were captured during the reporting period increasing the season total to 1,879. Daily catch ranged between 3 and 51 Chinook salmon. Average forklengths and weights of Chinook salmon are provided in Table 4 for 289 fish that were measured. Most of the measured fish were smolt (n=286) but a few fry (n=3) were also observed.

No O. mykiss have been captured so far this season.

Table 4. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon captured and measured at Waterford between May 3 and May 16, 2010. Parentheses indicate range.

 Chinook salmon

Instantaneous temperature taken at the trap ranged from 48.0�F to 57.4�F, and turbidity ranged from 0.14 NTU to 2.60 NTU. Daily average flow records from La Grange (LGN) ranged from 2,230 cfs to 3,300 cfs (Figure 8).

Due to insufficient daily catch, no trap efficiency experiments were conducted during the reporting period.
 

Flow and Catch

Figure 8. Daily Chinook salmon catch at Waterford and Tuolumne River flow recorded by La Grange (LGN) and Modesto (MOD), 2010.
 
The Tuolumne River rotary screw traps at Grayson (RM 5) sampled continuously
Figure 9. Tuolumne River rotary screw trap at Grayson.
Rotary Screw Trap
between May 3 and May 16. Three Chinook salmon were captured during the reporting period increasing the season total to 28 (Figure 9).

No O. mykiss have been captured yet this season.

Trap efficiency releases have not yet been conducted this season due to insufficient daily catch.

Instantaneous temperature taken at the trap ranged from 51.8�F to 58.3�F, and turbidity ranged from 0.69 NTU to 9.29 NTU. Daily average flow at Modesto (MOD) has not been available since April 21 (Figure 10).
 

Flow and Catch
Figure 10. Daily Chinook salmon catch at Grayson and Tuolumne River flow at La Grange (LGN) and Modesto (MOD), 2010.


 
2009/10 Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring 
 
Figure 11. Stanislaus River Weir.
Stanislaus River Weir
Between May 3 and May 16 no Chinook salmon were detected passing upstream of the Stanislaus River Weir. Season total remains at 1,281 (Figure 11).
 
No O. mykiss (170 mm) were detected passing upstream during this reporting period. Nine O. mykiss have been detected so far this season.

Several non-salmonid species were observed with passage dominated by Sacramento sucker and Sacramento pikeminnow (Table 4).
.
 
Table 4. Net passage counts for all species between May 3 and May 16, 2010 at the Stanislaus River Weir.
Net Counts

 
San Joaquin Conditions
 
Between May 3 and May 16, flows in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis ranged from 4,697 cfs to 5,933 cfs (Figure 12). Water temperatures in the San Joaquin River fluctuated between 57.1�F and 62.8�F at Vernalis; between 58.0�F and 64.1�F at Mossdale; and between 61.5�F and 65.6�F at Rough 'n Ready Island (Figure 13). Average daily dissolved oxygen (DO) in the San Joaquin River fluctuated between 8.3 mg/L and 8.8 mg/L in the deep water ship channel (measured at Rough 'n Ready Island) and fluctuated between 9.3 mg/L and 9.6 mg/L at Mossdale (Figure 14).



Flow 

Figure 12. San Joaquin River flow at Vernalis, May 1, 2009 through May 16, 2010.



Temperature 
Figure 13. San Joaquin River daily average water temperature at Vernalis, Mossdale, and Rough 'n Ready, May 1, 2009 through May 16, 2010.




 
D.O.
 
Figure 14. San Joaquin River daily average dissolved oxygen at Mossdale and Rough 'n Ready, May 1, 2009 through May 16, 2010.




 
Delta Exports 
 
Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated during the reporting period ranging from 820 cfs to 2,347 cfs. Mean daily pumping at the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (state pumps) ranged from 0 cfs to 1,524 cfs due to maintenance. Mean daily pumping at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant (federal pumps previously known as Tracy Pumping Plant) ranged from 820 cfs to 1,468 cfs during the reporting period (Figure 15).



Exports 

Figure 15. Daily exports at the Federal and State pumping stations, May 1, 2009 through May 16, 2010.


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