Volume 2013/14, Issue 13

April 2, 2014

In This Issue

Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

Stanislaus River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

Tuolumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

Mokelumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

Stanislaus River Weir Adult Migration Monitoring

Tuolumne River Weir Adult Migration Monitoring

San Joaquin River Conditions

Delta Exports

Central Valley Tour
April 23-25

ACWA 2014 Spring Conference & Exhibition
May 6-9

FISHBIO

VAKI Riverwatcher

Association of California Water Agencies

Northwest Marine Technology

FishWatch

Photo by FISHBIO

Key Highlights
March 3, 2014 - March 23, 2014

Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring continued at Shelton Road (RM 28) and a total of 316 O. mykiss were captured, increasing the season total to 620.

Stanislaus River Juvenile Migration Monitoring continued at Oakdale (RM 40) and a total of 19,895 Chinook salmon were captured, increasing the season total to 72,578. No data were available for monitoring at Caswell Memorial State Park (RM 9) during the reporting period.

Tuolumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring continued at Waterford (RM 30) and a total of 3,069 Chinook salmon were captured, increasing the season total to 11,142. No Chinook salmon were captured at Grayson (RM 5). The season total remains at zero.

Mokelumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring continued at Vino Farms (RM 54) and a total of 4,642 Chinook salmon were captured, increasing the season total to 26,673. Monitoring continued at Golf (RM 38) and a total of 596 Chinook salmon were captured, increasing the season total to 837.

Stanislaus River Weir Monitoring continued and 5,460 Chinook salmon have passed upstream through the weir this season.

Tuolumne River Weir Monitoring continued and 3,752 Chinook salmon have passed upstream through the weir this season.

San Joaquin River Conditions. San Joaquin River flow at Vernalis ranged from 656 cfs to 998 cfs. Daily average water temperature in the San Joaquin River ranged from 58.2�F to 63.5�F at Vernalis, and from 58.2�F to 64.4�F at Mossdale. Daily average dissolved oxygen (DO) in the San Joaquin River ranged from 8.9 mg/L to 15.3 mg/L at Mossdale, and from 8.5 mg/L to 9.3 mg/L in the deep-water ship channel (measured at Rough 'n Ready Island).

Delta Exports. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) increased during the reporting period, ranging from 2,071 cfs to 7,424 cfs.

2013/14 Calaveras River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

The Calaveras River rotary screw trap at Shelton Road (RM 28) operated 16 days between March 3 and March 23, and a total of 316 O. mykiss were captured, increasing the season total to 620. Daily catches ranged from 1 to 82 individuals (Figure 1). One adult O. mykiss measuring 420 mm was captured, but most O. mykiss captured were Age 1+ (100-299 mm) and were rated as parr (n=88), silvery parr (n=127) and smolt (n=13). Young-of-year were also observed and rated as fry (n=46) and parr (n=6). Average forklengths and weights of O. mykiss are provided in Table 1.

No Chinook salmon were captured and the season total remains at 11.

Instantaneous temperatures recorded at the trap ranged from 54.3�F to 59.5�F, and turbidity ranged from 0.46 NTU to 10.26 NTU. During the reporting period, daily average combined flow from New Hogan Dam (NHG) and Cosgrove Creek (COS) ranged from 18 cfs to 48 cfs, and at Bellota (MRS) flow ranged between 1 cfs and 38 cfs (Figure 1).

Table 1. Biosampling data for O. mykiss captured at Shelton Road between March 3, 2014 and March 23, 2014. Parentheses indicate range.

Figure 1. For Nov. 2013 to March 2014: daily O. mykiss catch at Shelton Road (red), Calaveras River flow recorded by New Hogan Dam and Cosgrove Creek combined (blue), and flow recorded at Bellota (green).

2014 Stanislaus River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

Stanislaus River rotary screw trap monitoring at Oakdale (RM 40) continued, and a total of 19,895 Chinook salmon were captured, increasing the season total to 72,578. Average forklengths and weights of all Chinook salmon are provided in Table 2. Most of the fish measured were fry (n=653), but parr (n=484) and smolt (n=40) were also captured.

Table 2. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon captured and measured at Oakdale between March 3 and March 23, 2014. Parentheses indicate range.

A total of 14 O. mykiss were captured during the reporting period, increasing the season total to 24.

Instantaneous temperatures recorded at the trap ranged from 51.9�F to 57.4�F, and instantaneous turbidity ranged from 0.25 NTU to 1.72 NTU. Daily average flow at Goodwin Dam (GDW) ranged from 203 cfs to 558 cfs, and flow ranged from 255 cfs to 526 cfs at Ripon (RIP) (Figure 2).

Five trap efficiency evaluations were conducted during the reporting period with naturally spawned juvenile Chinook salmon marked caudal fin green (CFG). Preliminary estimates of capture efficiency ranged from 19.1 to 22.6% at flows of ~200 cfs and from 13.6 to 33.7% at flows near 550 cfs (Table 3). A total of 20 trap efficiency evaluations have been conducted this season.

Table 3. Trap efficiency tests conducted at Oakdale between March 3 and March 23, 2014.

Figure 2. Daily Chinook salmon catch at Oakdale and Stanislaus River flow recorded at Goodwin Dam and Ripon, in 2013/2014.

No data were available for monitoring at Caswell Memorial State Park (RM 9) during the reporting period.

2014 Tuolumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

Tuolumne River rotary screw trap monitoring at Waterford (RM 30) continued and a total of 3,069 Chinook salmon were captured, increasing the season total to 11,142. Average forklengths and weights of all Chinook salmon are provided in Table 4. Most of the fish measured were fry (n=902), but parr (n=212) and smolt (n=19) were also measured.

Table 4. Biosampling data for Chinook salmon captured and measured at Waterford between March 3 and March 23, 2014. Parentheses indicate range.

No O. mykiss were captured during the reporting period.

Instantaneous temperature taken at the trap ranged from 55.2�F to 62.3�F, and turbidity ranged from 0.33 NTU to 4.86 NTU. Daily average flow at La Grange (LGN) was stable between 161 cfs and 166 cfs (Figure 3).

Five trap efficiency evaluations were conducted during the reporting period with naturally spawned juvenile Chinook salmon marked caudal fin orange (CFO). Preliminary estimates of capture efficiency ranged from 8.0% to 12.7% at flows of ~160 cfs (Table 5). A total of 16 trap efficiency evaluations have been conducted this season.

Table 5. Trap efficiency tests conducted at Waterford between March 3 and March 23, 2014.

Figure 3. Daily Chinook salmon catch at Waterford and Tuolumne River flow recorded at La Grange (LGN) between January 1 and March 23, 2014.

Tuolumne River rotary screw trap monitoring at Grayson (RM 5) continued during the reporting period and no Chinook salmon were captured. The season total remains at zero.

Instantaneous temperatures recorded at the trap ranged from 58.0�F to 64.7�F, and turbidity ranged from 1.27 NTU to 14.82 NTU. Daily average flow at Modesto (MOD) was stable during the reporting period, ranging between 187 cfs and 222 cfs.

Four trap efficiency evaluations were conducted during the reporting period using hatchery origin juvenile Chinook salmon marked caudal fin pink (CFP). Preliminary estimates of capture efficiency ranged from 0.2% to 1.2% at flows of ~190 cfs (Table 6).

Table 6. Trap efficiency tests conducted at Grayson between March 3 and March 23, 2014.

2013/14 Mokelumne River Juvenile Migration Monitoring

Mokelumne River rotary screw trap monitoring at Vino Farms (RM 54) continued intermittently during the reporting period. A total of 4,642 juvenile Chinook salmon were captured, increasing the season total to 26,673.

Average daily flow from Camanche Reservoir (CMN) ranged from 205 cfs to 208 cfs (Figure 4). Instantaneous temperatures ranged between 53.4�F and 55.6�F, and instantaneous turbidity ranged between 1.78 NTU and 2.82 NTU.

Figure 4. Daily juvenile Chinook catches at Vino Farms and Mokelumne River flow recorded at Camanche Reservoir between December 1, 2013, and March 23, 2014.
Mokelumne River rotary screw trap monitoring at Golf (RM 38) continued sampling intermittently during the reporting period. A total of 596 Chinook salmon were captured, increasing the season total to 837 (Figure 5).

Instantaneous temperature ranged between 54.7�F and 60.4�F, and instantaneous turbidity ranged between 1.96 NTU and 3.92 NTU.

Figure 5. Daily juvenile Chinook catches at Golf and Mokelumne River flow recorded at Camanche Reservoir between January 1 and March 23, 2014.

2013 Stanislaus River Weir Adult Migration Monitoring

A total of 2 Chinook salmon were detected passing upstream of the Stanislaus River Weir (RM 31) between March 3 and March 23, increasing the season total to 5,460 (Table 7).

Three O. mykiss were detected passing upstream during the reporting period, increasing the season total to 39. Ten of the O. mykiss observed this season have been positively identified as adipose fin clipped.

Instantaneous water temperature measured at the weir ranged between 55.3˚F and 59.7˚F, and daily average water temperature at Ripon (RPN; RM 15) ranged between 57.2˚F and 61.6˚F. Instantaneous turbidity ranged between 0.61 NTU and 2.16 NTU. Instantaneous dissolved oxygen at the weir ranged between 9.61 mg/L and 11.13 mg/L, and daily average dissolved oxygen at Ripon (RPN; RM 15) ranged from 9.28 mg/L to 10.15 mg/L.

Daily average flows in the Stanislaus River at Goodwin Dam (GDW; RM 58) ranged from 203 cfs to 558 cfs (Figure 6). Flows at Ripon (RIP; RM 15) ranged from 255 cfs to 526 cfs. Note: flows downstream of Goodwin Dam may differ from dam releases due to irrigation, precipitation, and other factors.

Table 7. Annual fall-run Chinook passage at the Stanislaus River weir, 2003-2013.

Figure 6. Daily upstream Chinook passage at the Stanislaus River weir in relation to daily average flows (cfs) recorded in the Stanislaus River at Goodwin (GDW) and Ripon (RIP), 2013.

2013 Tuolumne River Weir Adult Migration Monitoring

A total of 10 Chinook salmon were detected at the Tuolumne River weir (RM 24) between March 3 and March 23. Counts are not yet available from February 7 through February 19 due to the time required to review video footage. The season total is 3,762 (Table 8).

No O. mykiss have been detected at the Tuolumne River weir this season.

Daily average flow in the Tuolumne River ranged from 161 cfs to 166 cfs at La Grange (LGN; RM 50) and 187 cfs and 222 cfs at Modesto (MOD; RM 17). Note: flows downstream of La Grange may be higher than dam releases due to accretion and Dry Creek inflow.

Instantaneous water temperature measured at the weir ranged between 58.9˚F and 65.6˚F and daily average water temperature at Modesto (MOD; RM 17) ranged between 58.5˚F and 65.1˚F. Instantaneous turbidity ranged between 0.95 NTU and 3.13 NTU, and instantaneous dissolved oxygen ranged between 9.28 mg/L and 10.94 mg/L.

Table 8. Annual Fall-run Chinook salmon passage, 2009 - 2013.

Figure 7. Daily upstream Chinook passage 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) in 2013.

San Joaquin River Conditions

During the reporting period, flow in the San Joaquin River at Vernalis ranged from 656 cfs to 998 cfs (Figure 8). Water temperature in the San Joaquin River ranged from 58.2�F to 63.5�F at Vernalis, from 58.2�F to 64.4�F at Mossdale, and from 57.2�F to 63.2�F at Rough 'n Ready Island (Figure 9). Average daily dissolved oxygen (DO) in the San Joaquin River fluctuated from 8.5 mg/L to 9.3 mg/L in the deep-water ship channel (measured at Rough 'n Ready Island), and from 8.9 mg/L to 15.3 mg/L at Mossdale (Figure 10).

Figure 8. San Joaquin River flow at Vernalis from March 1, 2013, and March 23, 2014.

Figure 9. San Joaquin River daily average water temperature at Vernalis, Mossdale, and Rough 'n Ready from March 1, 2013, and March 23, 2014.

Figure 10. San Joaquin River daily average dissolved oxygen at Mossdale and Rough 'n Ready, from March 1, 2013, and March 23, 2014.

Delta Exports

Mean daily pumping at the C.W. Jones Pumping Plant (federal pumps previously known as Tracy Pumping Plant) ranged from 1,000 cfs to 3,361 cfs (Figure 11). Mean daily pumping at the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (state pumps) ranged from 1,071 cfs to 4,127 cfs. Combined total exports (state and federal pumps) during this period ranged from 2,071 cfs to 7,424 cfs.

Figure 11. Daily exports at the state and federal pumping stations from March 1, 2013, and March 23, 2014.

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Data Disclaimer: The data displayed on the FISHBIO website are courtesy of California Department of Fish & Game (CDFG), U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), Tri-dam, Turlock Irrigation District (TID), Modesto Irrigation District (MID), East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and FISHBIO. Data are intended to be current, but are preliminary and are not guaranteed to be accurate. Source data compiled and provided by FISHBIO, from whom further information can be obtained. Use or reproduction of this data is prohibited without prior permission.