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NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-F/NWC-187 Status and Future of Spring Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River BasinConservation and Enhancement Donn L. Park, Convenor August 1990 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE |
NOAA NMFS F/NWC-187: Status and Future of Spring Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River BasinConservation and Enhancement
NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS Series
The Northwest Fisheries Science Center of the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, uses the NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS series to issue informal scientific and technical publications when complete formal review and editorial processing are not appropriate or feasible due to time constraints. Documents published in this series may be referenced in the scientific and technical literature.
The NMFS-NWFSC Technical Memorandum series of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center continues the NMFS-F/NWC series established in 1970 by the Northwest & Alaska Fisheries Science Center, which has since been split into the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the Alaska Fisheries Science Center. The NMFS-AFSC Technical Memorandum series is now being used by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
This document should be cited as follows:
Park, Donn L. 1990. Status and Future of Spring Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River BasinConservation and Enhancement. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS F/NWC-187. 130 p.
This document is available to the public through:
National Technical Information Service
U.S. Department of Commerce
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, VA 22161
1-800-553-8647
[email protected]
Introduction by Donn L. Park
Session I: Stock Structure and Population Dynamics
Session II: Stock Status and Carrying Capacity
Session III: Hatchery Management Strategies and Supplementation
Session IV: Habitat Enhancement
by Donn L. Park
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) sponsored the Spring Chinook Salmon Workshop because we believe urgent changes in priorities am required if a meaningful resurgence of the Columbia River Bm&s once plentiful spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) stocks are to be realized. Others share our concern for spring chmook salmon. About a week prior to the workshop we received a letter from the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society calling for additional protection of spring chinook salmon in light of potential endangered species listing. The letter states in part: "The protection of species native to the Columbia River system is a fundamental obligation we all share. Species preservation does not 'compete' with other uses of the river; it automatically takes precedence over them as a reserved right." The letter further states: 'The Chapter regards the potential for extinction of wild chinook salmon with considerable dismay and is actively monitoring the status of this species within the Snake River watershed. We have notified the Regional Director, NMFS, and other State and Federal agencies (including the Bonneville Power Administration) and Indian tribes in the region that we will formally seek listing of these stocks pursuant to the Endangered Species Act if a material improvement in their status is not realized by 1992." Because of perceived mutual concerns throughout the Basin for spring chmook salmon we chose the theme Status and Future of Spring Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River Basin-Cowervation and Enhancement.
The upriver stocks of spring chmook salmon have been in a general decline since 1970. Outmigrations from the Snake River alone produced approximately 100,000 adults annually as recently as 1975. These runs provided so abundance of naturally spawning fish and a harvestable surplus was used by commercial, tribal, and sport fishing interests. Notable depletion of spring chinook salmon have been cataclysmic in some years. The adult runs in 1979, 1980, and 1984 were approximately 9,000 fish counted each year at Ice Harbor Dam. Recently, the runs rebounded to more than 30,000 fish, only to collapse again in 1989. The fluctuating but low numbers of spring chinook salmon returning to Columbia Basin stream prompted the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority to call for a status report on the stocks. The ensuing report prepared by the Columbia River fisheries agencies and tribes did not offer substantive alternatives for improving the runs. It did, however, attempt to explain why the run has been depressed and fluctuating.
Time may be running out for restoration of the valuable population of spring chinook salmon. We hope that the workshop can be a starting point for a revitalized restoration process.
The proceedings of the workshop include an abstract of each speaker's presentation
as well as a condensation of the questions and answers that followed each presentation.