forum
library
tutorial
contact
Estimated Dam Passage Survival Parameter Values
Draft Biological Opinion, Appendix B
Data Reformatted from Tables B-1 through B-6
National Marine Fisheries Service, July 27, 2000
|
the film forum library tutorial contact |
|
Estimated Dam Passage Survival Parameter ValuesDraft Biological Opinion, Appendix B Data Reformatted from Tables B-1 through B-6 National Marine Fisheries Service, July 27, 2000 |
| Current Estimate | Estimate of Future | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dam | Spring/Summer Chinook | Fall Chinook | Steelhead | Spring/Summer Chinook | Fall Chinook | Steelhead | |||
| Lower Granite Turbine | 93% | 90% | 93% | 93% | 90% | 93% | |||
| Little Goose Turbine | 92% | 90% | 92% | 92% | 90% | 93% | |||
| Lower Monumental Turbine | 92% | 90% | 93% | 92% | 90% | 93% | |||
| Ice Harbor Turbine | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | |||
| McNary Turbine | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | |||
| John Day Turbine | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | 90% | |||
| The Dalles Turbine | 90% | 90% | 90% | 92% | 92% | 92% | |||
| Bonneville I Turbine | 90% | 90% | 90% | 92% | 92% | 92% | |||
| Bonneville II Turbine | 90% | 94% | 90% | 90% | 94% | 90% | |||
| Lower Granite Spillway | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| Little Goose Spillway | 100% | 98% | 100% | 100% | 98% | 100% | |||
| Lower Monumental Spillway | 97% | 98% | 97% | 98% | 98% | 99% | |||
| Ice Harbor Spillway | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| McNary Spillway | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| John Day Spillway | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| The Dalles Spillway | 90% | 88% | 90% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| Bonneville Spillway | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| Lower Granite Bypass | 98% | 98%1 | 98% | 99% | 99% | 99% | |||
| Little Goose Bypass | 99% | 98%1 | 95% | 99% | 98% | 98% | |||
| Lower Monumental Bypass | 95% | 98%1 | 93% | 99% | 98% | 99% | |||
| Ice Harbor Bypass | 98% | 98%1 | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| McNary Bypass | 98% | 97%1 | 98% | 99% | 99% | 99% | |||
| John Day Bypass | 98% | 98%1 | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| The Dalles SBC or Sluice | 96% | 89% | 96% | 98% | 96% | 98% | |||
| Bonneville I Bypass | 90% | 82% | 90% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| Bonneville II Bypass | 98% | 98%1 | 98% | 98% | 98% | 98% | |||
| Lower Granite Pool | 94.2% | 59.9% | 90.9% | ||||||
| Little Goose Pool | 92.8% | 80.4% | 93.4% | ||||||
| Lower Monumental Pool | 95.4% | 85.5% | 95.8% | ||||||
| Ice Harbor Pool | 93.6% | 85.1% | 92.7% | ||||||
| McNary Pool | 92.9% | 80.4% | 91.8% | ||||||
| John Day Pool | 85.0% | 64.3% | 86.9% | ||||||
| The Dalles Pool | 96.0% | 88.7% | 95.9% | ||||||
| Bonneville Pool | 78.9% | 92.4% | 90.5% | ||||||
| FCRPS System Survival | 39.2% | 7.9% | 37.1% | Eight Dams & Pools | |||||
| Dam | Spring/Summer Chinook | Fall Chinook | Steelhead | Spring/Summer Chinook | Fall Chinook | Steelhead | |||
| Current Estimate | Estimate of Future | ||||||||
Bold indicates an expected improvement from "Recommended and Prudent Alternatives"
Bold in blue indicates an expected improvement greater than 1%
See also this data in another format at Survival of Downstream Migration
In 1997 and 1998, Caspian terns nesting on Rice Island consumed between 6 million and 25 million, and 7 million and 15 million smolts (6-25 percent and 8-16 percent, respectively, of the estimated number of salmonid smolts to reach the estuary). Among those fish are 12 salmon and steelhead stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Idaho Fish & Game estimates about 15 of 100 spring/summer chinook entering estuary are eaten by Caspian terns but adds that many of these are the weaker fish that are likely to die before returning to spawn as adults.
See Researchers Tally Tern Relocation Impacts on Salmon
A 1992 study calclulated that during the 100 days when adult Snake River spring chinook were migrating, 2,100 seals in the Columbia River consumed 15,700 salmon, of which 3,000 were Snake River chinook. A 1993 study estimated that harbor seals took 22,558 salmon of which 4,500 were assumed to be Snake River chinook.
Scarring (tooth marks and claw rakes) is considered another indicator of pinniped predation pressure on salmonids. Studies conducted in 1990 at the Lower Granite Dam with 19% of examined Snake River spring chinook showing scarring,k 1990 to 1993 showed 7.8% of the steelhead with scars and 16.4% of the spring/summer chinook. 1994 Bonneville Dam and several hatcheries on the Columbia and Snake Rivers found 24% of the steelhead with scarring and 16% of the spring chinook. Research suggests that pinniped-induced stress from scarring and injuries may also result in lowered spawning success and that considerable salmonid mortality, bot direct and indirect, may result from confrontations with, and injuries from pinnipeds.
Current harvest rates of Snake River spring/summer chinook range from 6-9% in lower river fisheries and less than 2% in ocean fisheries.
Current harvest rates remain high for listed Snake River fall chinook in downriver and ocean non-tribal and tribal fisheries. This is a signficant conservation concern. Harvest rates in ocean and lower river fisheries are approximately 40%-60% each.
These high rates, relative to spring/summer chinook, occur because listed fall chinook are intermingled with more abundant unlisted fall chinook stocks targeted by fisheries. These mixed-stock fisheries have been slow to embrace opportunities for selective fishing techniques, which would target the abundant stocks while allowing higher escapement of listed fish.
Following the listing of Snake River steelhead in 1998, NMFS established a 17% ceiling on harvest of listed B-run steelhead in mainstem Columbia River fisheries (15% tribal; 2% non-tribal). This rate is significantly higher than the harvest rate of listed spring/summer chinook, and represents an opportunity for additional conservation benefits. Current harvest rate of listed A-run steelhead in lower river fisheries is approximately 7-8%. Snake River steelhead are rarely taken in ocean fisheries.
Harvest rates for commercial fisheries on wild fish remain excessive. The Plan states that last year's harvest rate on Snake River fall chinook was about 31 percent. However, this accounts only for fisheries within the Columbia River. When ocean fisheries are added, the cumulative harvest rate rises to roughly 50 percent.
See Idaho Response to Draft 2000 FCRPS BiOp
1Survival estimates for Fall Chinook at "Medium Flows" are shown here although estimates for "High and Low Flows" are given in Table B-2.
2No Data is available for mortality/survivability before dams were built but it was certainly much less than the current mortality.
Best professional judgement was used to develop some of the passage parameters, e.g., in some cases, fish passage data gathered at one dam during a single passage season was applied to several other similar hydrosystem projects.
Reach survival data is limited to NMFS PIT tag data collected during 1994-99. These years represent a range in flow and environmental conditions. In several years, reach survival data were extrapolated from some of the upper projects in the Snake River (on a per-mile basis) to the entire system. The reach survival estimates are point estimates roughly classified by the volume of runoff during the year in which the data were collected.
Although there may be uncertainty about the accuracy of the resulting pool and dam survival estimates, the BET and NMFS found that the model output for the years 1994-99 was reasonable and produced reach survival estimates similar to the empirical estimates. Once the model was calibrated to data for the current operation, the BET and NMFS considered it had a reasonable base case from which to make comparisons of additional model studies over a range of water conditions represented by water years 1994-99 of potential future juvenile fish passage actions.
Caveats of methodology:
Related Links:
Columbia Basin Salmon Recovery Strategy
learn more on topics covered in the film
see the video
read the script
learn the songs
discussion forum
