Columbia River Spring Chinook 2008

[CW]

Yes, the Columbia River is closing at 12:01 am Monday April 21 to the retention of spring chinook, steelhead and shad. C.W. See:

OREGON AND WASHINGTON DEPARTMENTS OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

JOINT STAFF REPORT
WINTER FACT SHEET NO. 14
April 16, 2008

Fisheries under consideration: Recreational fishery below Bonneville Dam

Management guidelines and run forecasts for the 2008 spring season were presented in the Winter Fact Sheet #3 (February 15, 2008)

Stock Status
• The upriver spring Chinook count through April 15 at Bonneville Dam totaled 7,844 spring Chinook. Based on the recent 10-year average, about 14% of the run has passed by this date.
• Spring Chinook counts over Willamette Falls total 78 fish as of April 15.
• Run sizes cannot be updated until passage is at least 50% complete. At Bonneville Dam, the run is typically 50% complete on May 1 (10-year average). The Willamette River run cannot typically be updated until mid May.
River Conditions
• Columbia River water temperatures in March were slightly cooler than normal averaging 43 °F compared to the 10-yr average of 44 °F. During April 1-15, temperature has gradually increased to 47 °F, but remains cooler than the 10-year average of 50 °F for mid-April.
• Flow averaged 150 kcfs in March, which is 86% of the10-year average of 174 kcfs. April flow has continued to be low, averaging 146 kcfs, which is 75% of the 10-year average of 194 kcfs. Spill at Bonneville began on April 10.
• Water clarity during March averaged 5.7 feet, which is much higher than the 10-year average of 4.7 feet. Water clarity during April remains higher than average, measuring 5.0 feet on April 14, compared to the 10-year average of 4.2 feet on the same date.
• In summary, the river is cool and clear, with less than average flow.
Fishery Update
• The Columbia River is scheduled to be open for retention of hatchery spring Chinook in the area from the Hayden Island west powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam during March 16 through April 30. Retention of hatchery Chinook is also allowed from Bonneville Dam upstream to Priest Rapids Dam (with some area restrictions) during March 16 through May 10. The area from Buoy 10 upstream to the Hayden Island powerlines was open for Chinook retention open from March 24-April 4.
• Preseason catch expectations below Bonneville Dam totaled 18,000 to 20,000 Chinook kept.
• Catch rates have exceeded expectations during March and April. The April 7-13 catch rate was the highest since at least 2000. As expected, effort continues to be high.
Columbia River Recreational Fishery below Bonneville Dam
Area Date Trips Kept Released Impacts
<Hayden Isl. Mar 24-31 20,596 1,871 311 0.067%
>Hayden Isl. Mar 16-31 15,528 2,573 371 0.104%
March Total 36,124 4,444 682 0.170%

<Hayden Isl. Apr 1-4 10,250 1,283 170 0.049%
>Hayden Isl. Apr 1-13 31,059 8,575 1,227 0.356%
>Hayden Isl. Apr 14-20 (proj.) 20,000 8,000 2,000 0.364%
April total 61,309 17,858 3,397 0.769%

Grand Total (Lower River Sport) 97,433 22,302 4,079 0.939%
• By Monday April 21, impacts to upriver spring Chinook from the LCR recreational fishery are projected to total 0.939% (103% of the 0.915% impact guideline allocated to this fishery or 93% of the maximum allocation for this fishery (1.015%) that utilizes 0.1% of the commercial set aside).
• Based on catch rates and cumulative impacts to date, the sport fishery below Bonneville is tracking well ahead of management expectations.
Joint Staff Recommendation: 2008 Lower Columbia River Recreational Fishery
• Effective 12:01 AM Monday April 21, 2008 close the Columbia River to angling for spring Chinook, steelhead, and shad from the Hayden Island west powerlines upstream to Bonneville Dam.
• This fishery will exceed the maximum below Bonneville recreational impact allocation if allowed to continue without modification. Due to uncertainty in estimating this week’s catch, increasing fish abundance, and projections of continued high effort and catch rates, remaining impacts may not be sufficient to allow additional fishing days without risk of exceeding the adjusted upriver impact guideline.
• A run size update is not expected to be available prior to the fishery reaching the allocated impacts.
Non-Indian Impacts
Projected Non-Indian Handle of Upriver Chinook
Kept Release ESA-Impact
Commercial Fisherya 5,450 1,830 0.41%
Sport Fishery 21,392 3,904 0.94%
Total 26,842 5,734 1.35%
Impacts allowed 2.00%
a Commercial impacts based on catch projection of 3,500 fish for April 14 fishery
Future Hearings
• A Compact hearing is scheduled for 11:00 AM Monday, April 21, 2008 via teleconference to consider non-Indian Commercial fisheries.

[CW]

WDFW NEWS RELEASE
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov/

April 23, 2008

Contact: WDFW - Craig Bartlett, 360-902-2259
(cell) 360-480-1227
ODFW - Rick Hargrave, 503-947-6020
(cell) 503-559-1592

[NEWS ADVISORY: See options for news coverage at the end of this news release.]

Sea lion relocation to begin tomorrow (April 24)

OLYMPIA-The Washington and Oregon departments of Fish and Wildlife plan to begin relocating a number of California sea lions tomorrow morning from the Columbia River to several zoological facilities across the country.

Any relocated animals will be those identified as preying on federally protected endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead in waters immediately below Bonneville Dam. The sea lions are adult males that migrate seasonally from the coast of California to feed on runs of salmon and steelhead returning to the Columbia River. They target fish that congregate below the dam before passing up the dam's fish ladders.

In March, the National Marine Fisheries Service granted Washington, Oregon and Idaho the authority to remove up to 85 identified California sea lions annually in an effort to reduce the animals' impact on protected fish.

The states first priority is relocate as many of the identified California sea lions as possible to federally approved zoos and aquariums. So far, placements have been found for up to 20 sea lions.

The states' plan is to relocate animals was not affected by today's ruling by the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco that temporarily prohibits using lethal means to deter predation on protected salmon and steelhead by California sea lions. The court is expected to hear arguments on that issue in early May.

The legal challenge was filed by the Humane Society of the United States, the Wild Fish Conservancy and two private citizens.

A team of marine mammal biologists plan to capture marked sea lions in live traps on floating barges near the dam, and transfer them in cages to specially equipped horse trailers for their journey to a temporary quarantine facility, before they are flown to designated zoological facilities.

The trapping operation is expected to continue on various days for several weeks.

The affected sea lions are part of a robust West Coast population that since 2001 has been seasonally feeding on federally protected salmon and steelhead below the dam.

Despite three years of efforts to deter them, sea lions consumed more than 4 percent of the returning spring chinook salmon run last year, in just the area visible to observers on the dam. As of this week, approximately 50 sea lions were observed feeding on salmon and steelhead immediately below the dam. A single California sea lion consumes an average of seven salmon per day.

"Sea lion predation at the base of Bonneville Dam is a new and significant threat to recovery of Columbia River ESA-listed salmon and detracts from efforts to reduce impacts on protected fish from other sectors-including fisheries, habitat modifications, hatchery and dam operations," said Guy Norman, regional director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's southwest regional office. "Hundreds of millions of dollars of salmon-recovery investments could be compromised if sea lion impacts are not managed as well."

MEDIA ADVISORY: Thursday's trapping activities can be observed at a distance from the Washington shore of the Columbia River. Possibly as early as next week, participating agencies plan to give credentialed members of the news media a closer view from a restricted area at Bonneville Dam. To register for any special viewing opportunities next week, members of the news media must contact Rick Hargrave at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife no later than 3 p.m. Friday, April 25 at (503) 947-6020. There will be no exceptions to the requirement for prior registration, and members of the media must present their credentials to participate. To register, please provide the names of any accompanying staff, the name of your news organization and contact phone numbers.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Looks like the Snake River run must be huge! Three hatchery fish per day, plus two jacks!


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Chinook Season Opens on Snake River


Date:

April 24, 2008

Contact:

Rhine Messmer (503) 947-6214
Jessica Sall (503) 947-6023
Fax: (541) 673-0372

Salem, Ore — Due to strong returns of spring chinook in the Snake River, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife announced the opening of a spring chinook fishery below Hells Canyon Dam from April 26 to as late as July 20.

This section of the river will be open to sport fishing seven days a week from Dug Bar Boat Ramp to the deadline below Hells Canyon Dam. The daily bag limit will be three adult adipose fin-clipped spring chinook per day. Two fin-clipped jack chinook may be retained in addition to the adult bag limit.

“The department expects over 124,000 thousand hatchery spring/summer chinook to migrate over Lower Granite Dam in 2008,” said Rhine Messmer, ODFW recreational fisheries program manager.

“These fish are more than what we need for broodstock purposes, and we expect several thousand of these hatchery fish to return to the base of Hells Canyon and be available for sport harvest,” he said.

Fishing must be with barbless hooks in order to reduce potential impacts on wild fish, and for consistency with Idaho regulations. Otherwise, general statewide angling regulations regarding gear restrictions, legal angling times and fishing methods apply.

The decision to open the chinook fishery to sport fishing was made by ODFW and Idaho Fish and Game, who co-manage the fisheries on the Snake River.

The mission of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is to protect and enhance Oregon's fish and wildlife and their habitats for use and enjoyment by present and future generations. Headquartered in Salem, ODFW has regional offices in Clackamas, Roseburg, Bend, and La Grande with ten district offices located throughout the state. For additional information, please visit www.dfw.state.or.us.

[gljjr]

Looks like I'll be hitting the Kalama in a drift boat on Thursday May 1st. I'm hoping for a good day on the river. If I get a fish that will just make it all that much better!

[CW]

Gary,

the guys I know who do pretty well on the Kalama use a flat black diving plug (no hooks) with about an 8ft. leader running behind it (12 lb. test?) with a sand shrimp on a hook with a spin 'n glo ahead of a bead ahead of a swivel about 2/3 down that leader towards the bait. Good luck. Water temps are still cold, but maybe these next few warm days will help with that. C.W.