Escapement, migration timing, and spatial distribution of adult Chinook and coho salmon in Prairie Creek, California
Graduation Date
2011
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Other
Program
Thesis (M.S.)--Humboldt State University, Natural Resources: Fisheries, 2011
Committee Chair Name
Walter G. Duffy
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Chinook salmon, Escapement estimation, Humboldt State University -- Theses -- Fisheries, Migration, Coho salmon, Adult salmonids
Abstract
During the 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 spawning seasons I monitored escapement of adult Chinook and coho salmon in Prairie Creek, California, a small coastal stream (34.4 km2 watershed) located within Redwood State and National Parks. I compared traditional stream survey escapement estimation methods with modern mark-recapture using a resistance-board weir as a sampling platform to tag salmon. Methods for estimating escapement included area-under-the-curve (AUC), redd count expansion, Chapman-Petersen live mark-carcass recapture, and Jolly-Seber carcass mark-recapture. Chinook salmon and coho salmon residence time in the survey area was estimated to improve accuracy of the AUC method. The four techniques provided estimates of Chinook salmon escapement ranging from 41 to 285 for the first study year and from 24 to 87 for the second year. Escapement estimates for coho salmon were 51 to 485 for the first year and 45 to 212 for the second year. Residence time in the survey area was estimated to be 12 days for Chinook salmon and 17 days for coho salmon. Trends in species, sex, and size of salmon captured at the weir were analyzed over time. Sex and body size were found to be significant in relation to date of weir capture, but not for both species or over both years. The daily probabilities of upstream movement of coho salmon past the weir were fit with generalized additive models of observed environmental factors. The best-fitting model of the probability of movement included the explanatory factors of mean daily discharge, mean daily stream temperature, and mean daily turbidity. Mean daily discharge and mean daily turbidity were identified as significant factors.
Recommended Citation
Wright, Katrina A., "Escapement, migration timing, and spatial distribution of adult Chinook and coho salmon in Prairie Creek, California" (2011). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 1160.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/1160
https://scholarworks.calstate.edu/concern/theses/bg257h60z