Translocation is often used to increase local abundance of fish and wildlife populations for conservation or harvest purposes, and effects of releases on recipient populations are context dependent. Release of non-local animals intended for harvest can have negative demographic, genetic, and ecological risks to endemic populations when not harvested. In 2012-2014, we used radiotelemetry to monitor the fate and potential for interactions between non-local hatchery-origin adult summer-run steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss (n = 423) and Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed native winter-run steelhead (WRS) in two tributaries of the Willamette River, Oregon, USA. Summer steelhead were recycled-collected, translocated downstream, and released-to provide additional angler opportunity as a part of a regional mitigation program. Overall, reported harvest rate of recycled steelhead was low (15%) and a majority of individuals (62%) were last recorded in the release tributary. Furthermore, 14% of radio-tagged recycled steelhead were last detected outside the release tributary (i.e., strayed after release). Expanded estimates indicate the number of recycled summer-run steelhead remaining in the South Santiam River exceeded the WRS spawning population size. Low reported harvest and straying and demographic estimates indicate the recycling program may have negative effects on endemic WRS. Translocation and hatchery supplementation are likely to remain important conservation and mitigation tools in the future, though these results highlight the importance of post-release monitoring and considering both the risks and benefits of translocations to endemic populations and communities.
For more information on the USGS-the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment, visit http://www.usgs.gov or call 1-888-ASK-USGS.For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit http://www.usgs.gov/pubprodTo order this and other USGS information products, visit http://store.usgs.gov Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner.Suggested citation: Wood, T.M., Hendrixson, H.A., Markle, D.F., Erdman, C.S., Burdick, S.M., and Ellsworth, C.M., 2014, Simulation and validation of larval sucker dispersal and retention through the restored Williamson River Delta and Upper Klamath Lake system, Oregon: U.S. DatumsVertical coordinate information is referenced to the Bureau of Reclamation datum, which is 1.78 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NAVD 29).Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27).Elevation and lake level, as used in this report, refer to distance above the vertical datum. Simulation and Validation of Larval Sucker AbstractA hydrodynamic model with particle tracking was used to create individual-based simulations to describe larval fish dispersal through the restored Williamson River Delta and into Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon. The model was verified by converting particle ages to larval lengths and comparing these lengths to lengths of larvae in net catches. Correlations of simulated lengths with field data were moderate and suggested a species-specific difference in model performance. Particle trajectories through the delta were affected by wind speed and direction, lake elevation, and shoreline configuration. Once particles entered the lake, transport was a function of current speed and whether behavior enhanced transport (swimming aligned with currents) or countered transport through greater dispersal (faster random swimming). We tested sensitivity to swim speed (higher speeds led to greater dispersal and more retention), shoreline configuration (restoration increased retention relative to pre-restoration conditions), and lake elevation (retention was maximized at an intermediate elevation). The simulations also highlight additional biological questions, such as the extent to which spatially heterogeneous mortality or fish behavior and environmental cues could interact with wind-driven currents and contribute to patterns of dispersal.
Vertical coordinate information is referenced to the Bureau of Reclamation datum, which is 1.78 feet above National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD 29). Horizontal coordinate information is referenced to the North American Datum of 1927 (NAD 27).
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