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Volume 2010/11, Issue 1
September 3, 2010
In This Issue
Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring
Tuolumne River Weir Monitoring
San Joaquin Conditions
Delta Exports
events
Teaming Up For The Tuolumne:
Sept. 11

Delta Science Conference:
Sept. 27-29


Stanislaus River Salmon Festival:
Nov. 14
links

FISHBIO

 
 
National Marine Fisheries Service

signup
field notes
install weir substrate rail
  Photo by FISHBIO.
 
Key Highlights
 
2010 Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring for fall-run Chinook salmon is scheduled to begin the week of September 6.

2010 Tuolumne River Weir Monitoring for fall-run Chinook salmon is scheduled to begin the week of September 13.
 
San Joaquin River Conditions. San Joaquin River flow at Vernalis was relatively stable, ranging between 1,025 cfs and 1,369 cfs. Water temperatures in the San Joaquin River ranged between 71.1�F and 80.0�F. Average daily dissolved oxygen (DO) in the San Joaquin River fluctuated between 9.1 mg/L and 13.3 mg/L at Mossdale, and fluctuated between 4.8 mg/L and 6.7 mg/L at Rough 'n Ready.

Delta Exports. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) fluctuated during the reporting period from 9,036 cfs to 11,524 cfs, but decreased to 6,331 cfs on September 1.

 
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.
 

 
2010/11 Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring 
 
The Stanislaus River Weir will be installed in the same location as past years, approximately two river miles downstream of Jacob Meyers Park (RM 31.4), near the town of Riverbank. This will be the eighth consecutive year that fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead migration in the Stanislaus River will be monitored using an Alaskan weir and Vaki Riverwatcher (Vaki) fish counter (Figure 1). Since 2003, annual counts of Chinook salmon at the weir have ranged between 408 (2007) and 4,848 (2003; Figure 2).
Figure 1. Chinook salmon passing upstream of the Stanislaus River Weir, 2009.
Chinook salmon passing through weir
Figure 3. Installation of the Stanislaus River Weir substrate rail.
Substrate rail installation















In preparation for 2010 monitoring, the original substrate rail installed during pilot evaluation of the weir in fall 2002 was replaced due to wear (Figure 3). The substrate rail serves as an anchor along the riverbed to hold the floating weir panels in place.
Cummulative Chinook passage 2003-2009
Figure 3. Cummulative passage of fall-run Chinook salmon at the Stanislaus River Weir during 2003-2009.


2010/10 Tuolumne River Weir Monitoring

Figure 4. Vaki Riverwatcher video clip of a Chinook salmon passing upstream through the Tuolumne River Weir in 2009. Click on the photo to view the video.
Chinook passing through Tuolumne Weir 2009
The Tuolumne River Weir is scheduled to be installed during the week of September 13, approximately two river miles downstream of Fox Grove Fishing Access (RM24) near the town of Hughson. This is the second year that fall-run Chinook salmon and steelhead migration will be monitored at this location using an Alaskan weir and Vaki Riverwatcher (Vaki) fish counter (Figure 4). During 2009, 282 Chinook salmon were detected passing upstream of the weir (Figure 5).


Cummulative Chinook passage 2009
Figure 5. Cumulative passage of fall-run Chinook salmon at the Tuolumne River Weir during 2009.

 
San Joaquin Conditions
 
During the reporting period, flows in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis were relatively stable between 1,025 cfs and 1,369 cfs (Figure 6). Water temperatures in the San Joaquin River ranged between 71.1�F and 77.9�F at Vernalis; from 72.0�F to 78.9�F at Mossdale; and from 75.5�F to 80.0�F at Rough 'n Ready Island (Figure 7). Average daily dissolved oxygen (DO) in the San Joaquin River fluctuated from 4.8 mg/L to 6.7 mg/L in the deep water ship channel (measured at Rough 'n Ready Island) and between 9.1 mg/L and 13.3 mg/L at Mossdale (Figure 8).

Flow 

Figure 6. San Joaquin River flow at Vernalis between August 1, 2009 through September 1, 2010.


Temperature 
Figure 7. San Joaquin River daily average water temperature at Vernalis, Mossdale, and Rough 'n Ready, between August 1, 2009 through September 1, 2010.

 
Dissolved Oxygen
 
Figure 8. San Joaquin daily average dissolved oxygen at Mossdale and Rough 'n Ready, between August 1, 2009 through September 1, 2010.

 
Delta Exports 
 
Mean daily pumping at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant (federal pumps previously known as Tracy Pumping Plant) was relatively stable during the reporting period and ranged between 4,048 cfs and 4,297 cfs, however on September 1 flow decreased to 82 cfs (Figure 9). Mean daily pumping at the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (state pumps) ranged between 4,884 cfs and 7,347 cfs during the reporting period. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) ranged from 6,331 cfs to 11,524 cfs during the reporting.



Exports 

Figure 9. Daily exports at the Federal and State pumping stations between August 1, 2009 through September 1, 2010.
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