Kootenai River Fisheries

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Kootenai River Fisheries Recovery
Investigations KOOTENAI RIVER ECOSYSTEM
REHABILITATION PROJECT
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• Ecosystem disturbances
• Diking of the river
• (loss of flood plain connection)
• 2)Channelization and some
• dredging (loss of habitat diversity)
• 3) Eutrophication
• 4) Mining (possible heavy metals)
• 5) Dam
• a. River regulation
• b. Temperature changes
• c. Nutrient trapping

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Effects On Ecosystem Nutrients

• Nutrients bind to sediment

Libby Dam (1972)
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Effects On Ecosystem Primary Production
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Effects On Ecosystem Secondary Productivity
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Community Type Change
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Are There Solutions?

• In-river nutrification to stimulate productivity

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Successful Nutrient Enhancement
Kootenay Lake
Increase escapement from 300,000 in 1991 to 2.1
million in 1998 (Ashley et al. 1997a)
Arrow Reservoir
99-00, kokanee abundance increased 4.4 million to
10 million (Holderman et al. 2001)
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The Next Step?

• Pre-treatment Biomonitoring until 2004

• Currently in feasibility faze

• Costs

• Application

• Location

• Permitting

• Public

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Direct effects on fish community?

• Tanks treated with 0, 1.5, and 5 µm/L P

• Test hatch success and yolk absorption rate of
  white sturgeon larvae

• Preliminary results no effect on hatching
  success

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Angler Destination
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Kootenai River White Sturgeon Recovery
Investigations
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Statement of the problem The future of Kootenai
River white sturgeon is in jeopardy Main
reasons 1) Ecosystem and habitat changes 2)
Recruitment of wild sturgeon is limited 3)
Nutrients may be limiting 4) Stock limitations
and population trends 5) Overharvest
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Flow during spring freshet lost - sturgeon
spawning season
1928 - 1972
2002
1991-2001
1973-1990
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Kootenai River white sturgeon spawning reach
rkm 228 to 246
Rkm 228
Shortys Island
Bonners Ferry
Rkm 246
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Sampling mats were distributed from 1991
through 2001.
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Examination of sturgeon eggs to determine age (h)
and back calculate spawning date (event)
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1996
Flow Temperature
Increasing temperature decreasing flow
18 spawning events
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Recommendations 1) Mitigated flows should
follow local inflow 2) Maintain flows
between 630 and 1,200 m3/s 3) Maintain stable or
increasing temperatures - 9.5 - 12.5oC
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0.75 km upstream from Myrtle Creek
Spawning location
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Habitat issue a limiting factor Survival
bottleneck
Thousands of eggs collected
One Larvae collected
Few wild juveniles
Hatchery juveniles 60 S year one 90 thereafter
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Chi square analysis plt0.01
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Kootenay Lake elevations
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Historic spawning reach?
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0
Section K-18, above Deep Creek
Left Bank
Right Bank
Sand
Gravel
Gravel
EXPLANATION
Gravel
Pre-Libby Dam Lacustrine Clay
M.-C. Sand
F. Sand
Clay
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Proper temperature and flow mitigation will
enhance white sturgeon spawning but the issue of
spawning location and habitat and survival of
eggs and larvae is still unresolved.
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Population dynamics
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How are we addressing the problem ?
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Monitoring and Evaluation Set lining and angling
Egg mats Larval sampling Radio and sonic
telemetry Gill netting Trawling
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Monitoring and evaluation
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Net and jet program unite sturgeon with
better spawning habitat in upper river location
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• Net and Jet summary
• Brought 9 males and 3 females up to
• hemlock reach (rkm 262.0)
• 2) All females and 2 males radio and sonic
  tagged
• 3) 2 out of 3 females stayed in general area
  for a week or more
• 4 eggs found on substrate mats at rkm 262.0 on
  June 5th. Unable to tell if eggs were
  fertilized
• 5) Additional research pheromone drip
  station set up at rkm 262.5 to help to keep males
  in the area of females

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Dual beam SONAR (BIOSONICS)
With fixed radio telemetry station 1) Estimate
spawning stock 2) More behavioral data 3) Timing
of migration
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USGS subcontracts 1) Sedimentation transport why
? We need to know where sedimentation is
occurring. Habitat improvement is futile if done
in depositional areas. 2) Acoustic Doppler
Current Profiling why? Sturgeon may be seeking
out specific current velocities (versus
substrate) and we need to know what these
requirements are, and the relationship between
lake elevation and micro current velocities
(habitat improvement ramifications or larval
stocking). 3) Bathymetric mapping detailed
account of river substrate and depth
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Acoustic doppler current profile (ADCP) of
Kootenai River
Relationship between lake elevation and micro
current velocities
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Bathymetry mapping
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• Where are our best opportunities
• to improve spawning habitat?
• Rehabilitation of historic reach
• Spawning channels/islands
• constructed in popular spawning
• locations
• 3) New ideas or thoughts?

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Summary How are we addressing the problems ? 1)
Mitigation flows from Libby dam best possible
conditions for successful spawning 2) High tech
research from USGS contracts determine optimal
current velocities for spawning and best
locations for habitat improvement 3) Net and Jet
unite sturgeon with better habitat, novel ways
to promote wild recruitment 4) Depth sensitive
telemetry behavioral data and habitat
improvement ramifications 5) Continued monitoring
and evaluation population level 6) Experimental
studies Dual beam SONAR
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Kootenai River Rainbow and Bull Trout Research

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Rainbow Trout
Last major sport fishery left in the Kootenai
River
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The Problem The Kootenai River has - low
density trout population - low trout catch rates
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Hypotheses -Recruitment Limited -High Angling
Exploitation -Nutrient Limited
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Objective 1
Quantify rainbow trout recruitment (out-migrants)
to the Kootenai River
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Fluvial stock Spawn in Tributaries rear In river
Adfluvial stock Mature in Kootenay Lake
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Change in Regulations ???
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Kootenai River Trout Regulations
Bag Size Bait Closed Limit Limit Restrict.
Season
2001 6 None None None
2002 2 16 None None
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- Protect most fish until they can spawn at least
once
- Improve the size structure for a more quality
fishery
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Bull Trout Life History Investigations
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Kootenai Falls
O'Brien Cr., MT
ID-MT Border
Bonners Ferry, ID
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OBrien Cr.
ID-MT Border
Bonners Ferry, ID
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Recommended Flows for Burbot Spawning
Migrations in the Kootenai River
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In Idaho endemic only to the Kootenai
River Once provided important winter commercial
and sport fishery in Kootenai River and Kootenay
Lake
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Burbot life stages and food
Larger burbot move To deeper water and Feed on
fish and shrimp
Adults migrate to streams In winter and form
spawning balls
Burbot Egg 1 mm in diameter
As young grow in length they move to
shoreline and feed on insects and small fish
Pelagic (open water) Feed on plankton
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Spawning synchrony (Arndt and Hutchinson 2000)
Highly synchronized in timing of maturity and
arrival to spawning habitat
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Burbot swimming endurance (Jones et al. 1974)
Burbot length cm 0 10 20 25
30 35 40
Even largest burbot Cannot sustain their
swimming for 10 min after velocity reaches about
24 cm/s
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
35 Water velocity cm/second
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Burbot Activity time of year
Paakkonen (2000)
Spawning season
Activity
Jan April July Sept
Dec Month
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Burbot are capable of moving long distances (120
km) but they are slow
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Bonners Ferry
Libby Dam 1972
Winter flow
1973
Post Libby Dam Pre Libby Dam
Burbot
Time
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Duncan
Goat River Only known Consistent Spawning site
Lake
Primary burbot study area
North Arm
N
Kootenay
E
W
S
West Arm
Nelson
Lake
South Arm
River
Kilometers
(rkm 120)
0
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Goat
BRITISH COLUMBIA
(rkm 170)
Boundary Cr.
MONTANA
WASHINGTON
IDAHO
River
Moyie River
rkm 228
Lake Koocanusa
Yaak
Bonners Ferry (rkm 246)
Creek
Deep
Libby Dam (rkm 352)
Kootenai Falls (rkm 310)
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• Sensitive Life History Factors
• Low swimming endurance
• Winter spawners - highly synchronized
• In Kootenai River must travel
• long distances (Kootenay Lake and
• lower river), up to 120 km.
• Larvae need immediate source
• of food (winter)

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• Objectives 1993-1994
• Determine the population status
• of burbot in the Kootenai River
• Size structure
• Distribution
• (3) Abundance

(4) Movement (winter telemetry)
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Spawning season - telemetry 1994-1995
Flow
Flow from Libby Dam
Burbot travel and river location
Burbot movement
December January February
Time
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• Objectives 1995-present
• Determine genetic differences
• Estimate population size
• Determine blood physiology (stress)
• Determine flow vs. movement relationships

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Hypothesis h Libby Dam flows do not inhibit
burbot spawning migration simulate pre-dam
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Controlled flow tests
Test Test Test
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• Results of three low flow tests during
• the winter of 1997-1998
• Significantly more movement
• during low flow - movement started in
• late October but more movement in
• January (need 90 days for migration)

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A Conservation Strategy was prepared but flow
recommendations were necessary for the next
step- A Conservation Agreement.
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Hypothesis h flow from Libby Dam does not
impair Burbot travel rate or distance.
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Rate/day and distance
Test
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1999-2002 no tests
Rate/day and distance
Test
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Search for an alternative method to determine
suitable flows for burbot migration !
Test only 3 days
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• Search all burbot telemetry records from
  1994-2000
• (68 burbot with transmitters).
• (2) Examined all telemetry records 1,835
  contacts.
• (3) Travel rate criteria based on distance from
  Kootenai
• River in British Columbia to spawning tributaries
  in
• Idaho ( 45 km) and a total travel time of 90
  days.
• Criteria- Burbot must travel 5 km or more in
• 10 days or less. Stepwise movement

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Stepwise movement 1994-2000 Flow range (m /s)
Number of cases 100-200 20 201-300 10 301-400
3 401-500 5 501-600 5 601-700
1 700 0 Total
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Spawning migration and spawning Examined all
stepwise movements of burbot and flow in two
class intervals, Oct-Feb 1994-2000 only
Cases of Cases of (m /s)
movement flow days (m /s) 100-
15 186 300 301-
11 538 700 Fisher exact
test (p 0.001)
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Recommendations
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• Flow of 176 m /s from Libby Dam
• For period of 90 d

Flow 1994-2000
Burbot spawn
Burbot migration
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Gee Whizz
Fidelity for Goat River
Free ranging transboundary
Examination of temperature and burbot behavior
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• New ideas for rehabilitation?
• Use donor stocks
• Use a captive signal stock to
• a. Concentrate spawners
• b. Establish spawners in individual
• tributaries
• c. Rehabilitation measure with
• wild fish improve recruitment

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Goal Rehabilitate the Kootenay River stock of
burbot in Idaho to population abundance that can
sustain a harvest of surplus fish.
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Objective Determine the extent of the spawning
stock of burbot in selected tribs. Objective
Determine if burbot spawner numbers can be
concentrated with a signal Stock of
burbot. Objective Use a donor stock of burbot
to Enhance recruitment - burbot are stock
limited
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Experiment with tributaries
A
B
C
Captive fish
Weir
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An International Conservation Strategy has
been prepared What is next? (1) A Conservation
Agreement is needed now. Implementation of
Recommended flows from Libby Dam during winter
could range from 100 300 m /s but must average
about 176 m /s for 90 days (Nov-Jan).
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