Monitoring fluvial bull trout migration and movements in the Lemhi River Subbasin, Idaho:

integrating PIT tag technology with radio telemetry

Kevin Poolea and Jeff DiLucciaIdaho Department of Fish and Game

aPacific States Marine Fisheries CommissionSalmon, Idaho

2015 PIT Tag Workshop

STUDY AREA

Lemhi River Subbasin• 3,289 km2

• 2,140 stream km• 251 cfs (mean annual flow)• High elevation topography

3,900 – 12,195 ft

Source: Idaho Dept. of Water Resources, 2014

700 gravity diversions

• Heavily diverted by irrigation• 2 out of 31 tributaries connected

Hayden Creek Big Springs Creek

• USFWS identified critical habitat

LEMHI SUBBASIN WATER DEVELOPMENT

Connected

Lemhi Subbasin Tributary Status: 2008

Tributary Reconnection

Restoring Perennial Stream Flows

Habitat Restoration

LEMHI CONSERVATION PROGRAM (LCP)

Screening (ongoing)

Canyon Creek Functional Reconnection

Little Springs Creek Complete Restoration

Kenney Creek Functional Reconnection

Big Timber Creek Bohannon Creek Hawley Creek

Diversions/Screens

Additional Flow

Flow Barriers/Screens

IMPLEMENTATION PROGRESS

HABITAT ACTION EFFECTIVENESS MONITORING

IMW: Intensively Monitored Watershed

ISEMP: Integrated Status & Effectiveness

Monitoring Program

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE

Presence of fluvial sized Bull Trout:• Lemhi mainstem• Hayden Creek• Big Timber Creek• Kenney Creek

?

2003-2005: Upper Salmon River migration study (Schoby and Curet 2007)

• 15 radio tagged

2006: Lemhi Subbasin migration study (Lamperth et al. 2006)

• 32 radio tagged

RADIO TELEMETRY

Migration ResultsRADIO TELEMETRY

Upper Salmon River Study

• Mean Length (mm): 466 ± 82 (330-680)

Lemhi River Subbasin Study: 2006

Lemhi River Subbasin Study

• Mean Length (mm): 493 ± 89 (352-696)

Hayden Creek Prespawn Migration Upper Salmon River Study: 2005

RADIO TELEMETRY

Bull Trout Movements

Upper Salmon River Study• None detected entering or leaving Lemhi Subbasin• Winter habitat: mainstem Lemhi

Lemhi River Subbasin Study• Detected entering or leaving Lemhi Subbasin

• Winter habitat: mainstem Lemhi and Salmon River

Movement Results

• 13 of 31 tributaries monitored• Three Upper Salmon River arrays

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PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

• 2007: PIT tagging initiated• 2008 – Present: PIT tag arrays• Support habitat actions

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

3247 tagged Bull TroutMean Length (mm): 196 ± 92 (56-740)

Tagging Results

(n=2899)

(n=343)

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

90%

Tagging Results

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

1018 (31%) Bull Trout detected

Detection Results

(n=608)

(n=409)

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

Mean Length (mm): 435 ± 80 (300-700)

Hayden Creek Prespawn Migration

Migration Results

Tributaries/Reaches

Hayden Creek

Mainstem Lemhi

Kenney Creek

Pattee Creek

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGYMovement Results

Hayden Creek

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

• 704 (38%) detected leaving Hayden

• 64 detected leaving Lemhi subbasin Overwintered in upper Salmon River

• 17 detected in tributaries Kenney Creek Little Springs Creek Wimpy Creek

Movement Results

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

• 55 (41%) detected leaving mainstem

• 30 detected leaving Lemhi subbasin Overwintered in upper Salmon River

• 42 detected in Hayden Creek

• Four detected in other tributaries Kenney Creek Big Timber Creek

Movement ResultsMainstem Lemhi

Kenney Creek

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

• 14 (5%) detected leaving Kenney

• One detected leaving Lemhi Subbasin

• One detected In Hayden Creek

Movement Results

Pattee Creek• One (5%) detected elsewhere

No PIT tag array

• Detected in Hayden Creek

PIT TAG TECHNOLOGYMovement Results

DISCUSSION

RADIO TELEMETRY PIT TAG TECHNOLOGY

Expanding Our Knowledge

• Integrating technologies is beneficial

• Fluvial Bull Trout utilizing greater extent

• Interchange of Bull Trout populations

• Supports and directs future adaptive management: Lemhi River Subbasin Bull Trout

DISCUSSIONManagement Implications

Through the years, all of the:• IDFG Fisheries Biologists, Technicians, and Bioaides• PSMFC Fisheries Biologists and Technicians

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Any Questions?

It’s hard to work with this view!

Lampert, J., C. Claire, and J. Lutch. 2007. Fluvial bull trout Salvelinus confluentus migratory dynamics and life history in the Lemhi River subbasin, Idaho. Idaho Department of Fish and Game,

Report 07-11, Boise.

Murphy, P. and M. Horsmon. 2003. Kenney Creek fisheries report. Idaho Department of Fish and Game Anadromous Screen Program, Salmon.

Murphy, P. and M. Horsmon. 2004. Big Timber Creek fisheries report. Idaho Department of Fish and Game Anadromous Screen Program, Salmon.

Schoby, G.P. and T. Curet. 2007. Seasonal migrations of bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout, and rainbow trout in the upper Salmon River basin, Idaho. Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Report 07-12, Boise.

(USFWS) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. Chapter 17, Salmon River Recovery Unit, Idaho. 194 pages in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bull trout Salvelinus confluentus draft recovery plan. Portland, Oregon.

LITERATURE CITED