Lower Yuba River Accord Monitoring and Evaluation Program Interim Report

Transcription

1 Lower Yuba River Accord Monitoring and Evaluation Program Interim Report Lower Yuba River Symposium July 9,

2 Express Requirements of the Fisheries Agreement (2005) Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the implementation of the Lower Yuba River Accord Evaluating the condition of fish resources in the Lower Yuba River Evaluating the viability of Lower Yuba River fall-run Chinook salmon and any Sub-populations of the Central Valley steelhead and spring-run run Chinook salmon Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs) that may exist in the Lower Yuba River

3 Yuba Accord Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Team developed Yuba Accord flow schedules, including water temperature considerations for Chinook salmon and steelhead Yuba Accord implemented on a pilot program basis, including water temperature and fisheries monitoring SWRCB issued water right orders for the long-term implementation of the Yuba Accord. Establishment of the Yuba Accord RMT Yuba Accord M&E Program implemented 2008 through 2011 RMT published annual reports describing individual year results RMT evaluated the Yuba Accord Water Temperature regime since 2006 and published the results RMT began evaluating multi-year trends and preparation of the MONITORING AND EVALUATION PROGRAM INTERIM REPORT. 3

4 Monitoring & Evaluation Program Interim Report EVALUATE WHETHER IMPLEMENTATION OF THE YUBA ACCORD Maintains Fish in Good Condition Promotes Viable Salmonid Populations Provides suitable flow, water temperature and habitat conditions Also evaluate: Aquatic habitat attributes Species/ lifestage, trends and behaviors 4

5 M&E Where Are We Now Full-time staff of 6 to 11 Interim report 2012 Bi-weekly RMT meetings approximately 150 and counting Final report late 2015 M&E Data Collection Challenges/ Lessons Learned Weather, High flows, Water Clarity Escapement Developing, testing & deploying new data collection techniques Acoustic Tracking Fixed, and finite, stationary receivers No directional ability Redd Sampling Platform challenges (kayak, pontoon, deep water camera) Lost or missed fish Cormack-Jolly-Seber vs Schaeffer Vaki Counter Time lag from lower river or Daguerre Pool holding Imperfect photos thus species capture (although getting better)

6 M&E Interim Conclusions The lower Yuba has highly functional spatial structure Diverse & Persistent Recurring functional flows Natural, complex river morphology Implementation ti of the Accord provides suitable flows and temperatures for all life stages for anadromous salmonids The Lower Yuba has good habitat conditions Abundance of available, suitable habitats The lower Yuba is attractive (from standpoint of habitat) relative to other rivers

7 Functional Spatial Structure 2D Modeling Geomorphologic Unit, Mesohabitat, t Substrate, t and Cover Mapping Photo courtesy of Dr. Greg Pasternack, UCD 7

8 Functional Spatial Structure 2D Modeling Geomorphologic Unit, Mesohabitat, t Substrate, t and Cover Mapping 8

9 Functional Spatial Structure The River Provides an Array of Abundant Habitats for Different Salmonid Life Stages Life Stage Holding Spawning Rearing MU Pool Riffle, Run, Riffle Slow Glide, Transition Slackwater Reach Percent Areas of Baseflow Channel Englebright Timbuctoo Parks Bar Dry Creek DPD Hallwood Marysville Total LYR

10 Spawning Site Selection Predictive Model Bioverification Chi Chinook k Salmon S l 830 cfs High Medium Low = redd Very Poor Non-habitat 10

11 Water Temperature Considerations Yuba Accord implemented on a pilot p program basis, including water temperature monitoring SWRCB issued water right orders for the long-term implementation of the Yuba Accord. Establishment of the Yuba Accord RMT Yuba Accord M&E Program implemented Continued water temperature monitoring 2010 RMT reviewed and updated lifestage periodicities water temperature suitability index values water temperature occurrences Evaluated the Appropriateness of the Yuba Accord Water Temperature Regime since Present Continued water temperature monitoring 11

12 Yuba Accord M&E Program Given the entire suite of considerations in this Technical Memorandum, the RMT concludes that implementation i of the Yb Yuba Accord provides a suitable thermal regime for target species in the lower Yuba River (Water Temperature Objectives Memo 2010). 12

13 Spring-Run Chinook Salmon Modeled Water Temperature Exceedances Modeled Water Temperature Exceedances for Spring-Run Chinook Salmon in the lower Yuba River at Smartsville (SMRT), Daguerre Point Dam (DPD), and Marysville (MRY) (Modified from Water Temperature Objectives Memo 2010). Lifestage Gage WTI Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Adult Immigration & Holding SMRT 64 F 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% DPD 64 F 0% 0% 0% 2% 2% MRY 64 F 0% 0% 8% 11% 4% Spawning Embryo Incubation Juvenile Rearing & Downstream Movement SMRT 56 F 7% 1.4% 0% SMRT 56 F 0% 0% 7% 1.4% 0% 0% DPD 65 F 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 1.4% 1.4% 0% 0% 0% MRY 65 F 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 6% 4% 3% 2% 0% 0% 0% Yearling + Smolt Emigration DPD 63 F 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% MRY 63 F 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 13

14 Spring-Run Chinook Salmon Water Temperature Monitoring 14

15 Acoustic, Redd, and Juvenile Data 15

16 Adult Immigration and Holding Spring-Run Chinook Salmon DIVERSE PATTERN OF MOVEMENT AND HOLDING Most, but not all, fish migrate upstream of Daguerre Point Dam Some fish migrate downstream, including into the Feather River Daguerre Point Dam to the SR20 Bridge largely used as a migratory corridor Protracted temporal migrations to areas upstream of the SR20 Bridge Nelson and Bloom, CDFG, 2011 Prolonged occupancy in pools throughout the river Extended holding in the Daguerre Point Dam plunge pool and the Narrows pool 16

17 SAMPLING Outmigration Rotary Screw Trapping Seasonal (fall to summer) Year round round 2007/ /09 Capture Efficiency Tests GENERAL RESULTS Most Chinook emigrate as post emergent fry or YOY Some Chinook mm captured from October March Steelhead exhibit variable emigration YOY from spring through summer Steelhead YOY movement associated with ramping rates 17

18 Outmigration Rotary Screw Trapping 1999 to % of catch from December 1 to April Cumulative Distribution of Weekly Observed Catch Cu umulative Fraction All Years Expected Distribution Pre Accord Expected Distribution Accord Expected Distribution 18

19 Fitted temporal distribution of Chinook salmon carcass observations on the lower Yuba River, CA from Y =1/(1+e ( *X) ) 1/ Cumulative Fract tion Accord Cumulative Fraction Accord Fitted Logistic Curve Pre Accord Cumulative Fraction Pre Accord Fitted Logistic Curve Y =1/(1+e ( *X) ) 1/ Sep 8-Sep 15-Sep 22-Sep 29-Sep 6-Oct 13-Oct 20-Oct 27-Oct 3-Nov 10-Nov 17-Nov 24-Nov 1-Dec 8-Dec 15-Dec 22-Dec 29-Dec 5-Jan 12-Jan

20 Adult Escapement Spring-Run + Fall-Run Chinook Salmon Sacramento River System vs. Lower Yuba River % Contribution of the Lower Yuba River to the Sacramento River System 20

21 Year All Spring- Run Chinook Salmon Ad Clipped Spring-Run Chinook Salmon Abundance Spring-Run Chinook Salmon Non-Ad clipped Spring-Run Chinook Salmon % Ad-clipped % , , % All Spring-run % TOTAL = 4, % AVG = 1, % % ,985 1,816 1, % % , % 2012* % * Only encompasses the period extending to June 25, 2012 Non - Ad Clipped Spring-run TOTAL = 2, AVG =

22 M&E Interim Conclusions The lower Yuba has highly functional spatial structure Implementation of the Accord provides suitable flows and temperatures for all life stages for anadromous salmonids The Lower Yuba has good habitat conditions The lower Yuba is attractive (from standpoint of habitat) relative to other rivers M&E Program what next?

23 Common Challenges, Central Valley Salmonids Introgression Occurs in all rivers, to what level? l? Hatchery Influence Benefit or curse? Ocean and Delta Impacts Non-river conditions play a huge role in cohort success

24 M&E Next Phase Understand the interactions and interrelationships of the lower Yuba River in the regional context Understand the Yuba s contribution to the system Future directions for management of the Lower Yuba: Maximize the benefit of the lower Yuba, or Minimize the impact of the lower Yuba on the system?

25 Lower Yuba River Accord Monitoring and Evaluation Program Interim Report Lower Yuba River Symposium July 9, 2012