ESTUARINE WETLAND Coho salmon life history/estuarine residence - - PDF document

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ESTUARINE WETLAND Coho salmon life history/estuarine residence - - PDF document

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Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Outline Orientation/Coos estuary alterations ESTUARINE WETLAND Coho salmon life history/estuarine residence RESTORATION Restoration Approach Lessons

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1 ESTUARINE WETLAND RESTORATION

Lessons Learned at the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Coos Bay, OR

Craig Cornu Stewardship Coordinator South Slough NERR

Outline

  • Orientation/Coos estuary alterations
  • Coho salmon life history/estuarine residence
  • Restoration Approach
  • Demonstration projects:

Kunz Marsh: subsidence adjustment Dalton Creek Marsh: tidal channel restoration Anderson Creek Marsh: non-tidal channel restoration Winchester Creek : large wood

CA OR WA Coos Bay

Oregon

Portland Eugene

South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

South Slough NERR South Slough Watershed Charleston Coos Bay North Bend

Coos Bay 1900 Coos Bay 1900

~80% Loss of Estuarine Wetlands (Scranton 2002)

Constructed Ditches Constructed Ditches Earth Levees Earth Levees

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Coho Salmon

South Slough NERR

  • Admin. Boundary

South Slough Watershed Winchester Creek

South Slough Watershed

Upper estuary rearing: 4-8 months (March-October)

Fry/Age 0 Movement

Spawning habitat

Source: Miller and Sadro 2003 and Koehler and Miller 2003 (report) mark-recapture/acoustic tagging

(Feb-June)

Smolts/Age 1 Migration

Upper estuary: 3 weeks Lower estuary: 5-8 days

Source: Miller and Sadro 2003 and Koehler and Miller 2003 (report) mark-recapture/acoustic tagging

South Slough Watershed

Stream-Estuary Ecotone

Winter salinity: 0.0 ppt. Summer salinity: ~20 ppt.

Rearing/Foraging Habitats:

  • Main channel
  • Marsh channels
  • Marsh plain
  • Tributary streams
  • Beaver ponds

South Slough Watershed

Winchester Tidelands Restoration Project Area

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Kunz Marsh (1996) Dalton Creek Marsh (1998) Anderson Creek (2002/2003) Fredrickson Marsh (1998) Cox Canyon Marsh (1996) Winchester Creek (2004) Kunz Marsh

1991 Aerial Photo

Dalton Creek Marsh Cox Canyon Marsh Fredrickson Marsh Winchester Creek Earth Levees

1991 Aerial Photo

Constructed Ditches LWD Removed

  • Estuarine Wetland Advisory group
  • Informal Information Gaps Assessment
  • Demonstration projects
  • Advisory Group/Coastal Decision Maker and

Restoration Practitioner Workshops

  • Publications/Outreach Documents

Winchester Tidelands Restoration Project Approach

  • Use Reserve as outdoor lab to test innovative

restoration techniques

  • Restore to pre-contact conditions as represented

by relatively undisturbed reference sites in Reserve

  • Self design methods used (manipulate key site

attributes and allow natural processes to do the rest of the work)

  • Demonstrate “accessible” restoration methods-

methods within reach of most restoration practitioners (e.g., watershed associations)

Restoration Approach

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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  • Approach is largely focused on “single family”:

salmonidae a.k.a. salmonids

Restoration Approach (cont.)

  • Projects are adaptive on multiple levels:

Restoration Approach (cont.)

Take corrective actions at sites based

  • n project monitoring information

Apply lessons learned from each project to future projects in Reserve Projects contribute to broader regional/national efforts to improve the practice of habitat restoration by testing and evaluating experimental or innovative methods

Kunz Marsh Restoration Project

Kunz Marsh

1991 Aerial Photo

Kunz Marsh

Earth levee Ditches

Kunz Marsh

Major Issues:

Subsided marsh surface (0.80 m)

Little or no salmonid access to marsh plain/edge Tidal channel network reduced to linear ditches Little or no connection with rest of estuary (nutrient exchange)

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Kunz Marsh

Kunz Marsh Profile Danger Point Marsh Profile

0.8 1.3 1.8 2.3 2.8 3.3 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Distance Along Transect (m) Elevation (m NAVD) Kunz Marsh Dike Subsided Kunz Marsh Surface Danger Point Marsh Surface

Kunz High Kunz Mid Kunz Low 1 Kunz Low 2

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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High- 2.2 m Mid- 1.8 m Low 1- 1.5 m Low 2- 1.5 m Elevations tied to NAVD ‘88

Kunz Marsh 2003 Emergent Vegetation

Kunz Mid Marsh Cell- 1996 Kunz Mid Marsh Cell- 1999 Kunz Mid Marsh Cell- 2002

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Figure 3

Kunz Marsh N

50 m Tom’s Creek High Marsh (Reference Site) Danger Point High Marsh (Reference Site) Kunz High Kunz Mid Kunz Low 1 Kunz Low 2 Flotsam Cove Low Marsh (Reference Site)

Developing Tidal Channels

Winchester Creek

Tidal Channels Number

  • f Tidal

Channels:

  • 23 in 2005
  • 7 in 1999
  • More

channels developing at lower elevations Evolution

  • f Tidal

Channels:

  • Channels not

evolving at high elevation

  • 71%

developing lower order channels Evolution

  • f Tidal

Channels: Elevation isn’t everything

  • Channels

dimensions ~increasing in Kunz Mid and Kunz Low 2

  • Channel

dimensions decreasing in Kunz Low 1

Kunz Low 1 Kunz Mid

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Other Monitoring

Sediment dynamics using feldspar horizon markers, surface elevation tables (SETs) Fish use of research cells using winged fyke nets Invertebrate community abundance and species composition using sediment cores and fallout traps

Lessons Learned

  • 1. Manipulating the marsh surface to mid

marsh elevations provided conditions favorable for relatively rapid emergent marsh vegetation colonization while allowing channel development over time.

  • 2. Manipulating the marsh surface to low

marsh elevations resulted in slower vegetation community development but allowed channel development and benefited more fish in the early stages

  • f marsh recovery.

Lessons Learned

  • 3. Manipulating the marsh surface to high

marsh elevations sacrificed channel development for rapid vegetation colonization.

  • 4. Channels developed initially by

erosion/headcutting at different rates depending on marsh elevation, gradient and path of small tributary creek

  • 5. Fill material at the project site

consolidated as predicted and did not get exported off-site

Dalton Creek Restoration Project

1991 Aerial Photo

Dalton Creek Marsh

Dalton Creek Lower Watershed and Floodplain- 1991 High Gradient Non-Tidal Channel Low Gradient Non-Tidal Channel Tidal Channel

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Earth Levees Ditches Dalton Creek Lower Watershed and Floodplain- 1991 Dalton Creek Lower Watershed and Floodplain- 1991

Dalton Creek Marsh

Major Issues:

Tidal channel network reduced to linear ditches

Little or no salmonid access to marsh plain/edge Little or no connection with rest of estuary (nutrient exchange) Logistical: No access to marsh surface for excavating equipment except tracked vehicles between muted tides

1991 1999 2005 Dalton Creek Tidal Channel Blast Sequence

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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1998 1999 2002

Dalton Pilot Channel Profile- Channel Mouth

0 .5 1.0 1.5 2 .0 2 .5 0 .0 5.0 10 .0

Meters Meters NAVD 2004 2003 1999 1998 Dalton Pilot Channel Profile: Mid Marsh

0 .5 1.0 1.5 2 .0 2 .5 0 .0 5.0 10 .0 15.0

Meters Meters NAVD 2004 2003 1999 Dalton Pilot Channel Profile: Upper Marsh

0 .5 1.0 1.5 2 .0 2 .5 0 .0 5.0 10 .0 15.0

Meters Meters NAVD 2004 2003 1999 Dalton Pilot Channel Profile: Channel Mouth Mid Marsh

Dalton Creek Marsh: Evolution of lower order tidal channels

Dalton Creek Marsh - Vegetation

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1997 1999 2004 Year Percent Composition (based on percent frequency) Lyngby's sedge Bentgrass Saltmarsh bulrush Brass buttons

Dalton Creek Marsh- Vegetation Change

Juvenile coho salmon growth rates in the constructed Dalton tidal creek and Winchester Creek

Dalton Creek Salt Marsh Coho

Growth Rate = 0.44 mm/day

Winchester Creek Upland Coho

Growth Rate = 0.25 mm/day

Winchester Creek Head of Tide Coho 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 3/8 3/15 3/22 3/29 4/5 4/12 4/19 4/27 5/4 5/11 5/18 6/2 6/10 6/23 Growth of 0+ coho salmon populations in salt marsh and freshwater stream environments in 1998. Error Bars represent 95% confidence intervals for fork length. Fork Length (mm)

Dalton Creek Salt Marsh- 2001

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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1998 1999 2003

Ditch Filling

Lessons Learned

  • 1. The use of explosives was a viable and

cost-effective channel construction strategy (given specific conditions)

  • 2. The establishment of a pilot channel

appears to be a viable and cost-effective tidal channel establishment strategy

  • 3. Constructed ditches over-filled with dike

material appear to remain filled over time

  • 4. Juvenile coho appeared in the upper

Dalton Creek tidal channel at their first

  • pportunity (and have been observed in

the pilot channel in subsequent years)

Lessons Learned

  • 5. Chronic stream turbidity did not appear

to an issue for this project- the pilot channel was observed to be turbid only intermittently during the first winter after channel construction

  • 6. Bury large wood in pilot channels to

truly incorporate structure in channel development

Anderson Creek Restoration Project

Anderson Creek

N

Anderson Creek Marsh 1991

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Anderson Creek Marsh

Major Issues:

Non-tidal channel network reduced to a linear ditch

Severe ditch downcutting- no hydrologic connection between stream and floodplain Salmonid habitat reduced in abundance and complexity Beaver pond habitat confined to linear ditch Suspected turbidity caused by “banging” of ditch banks.

Natural Stream Channel Profile Downcut Ditch Profile

Yearly winter flows Yearly summer flows 50 year storm Floodplain

Stream Level

Low flow channel High flow channel Summer/Fall Winter/Spring

Groundwater Level

Summer/Fall Winter/Spring Floodplain Yearly summer flows 50 year storm

Yearly winter flows

Anderson Creek Restoration Project Design

Anderson Creek Pilot Channel

N

Pilot Channel Profile

Floodplain Low flow channel High flow channel

Pilot Channel Plan View

Low flow channel High flow channel

Pilot Channel Profile

Floodplain Large conifers

Pilot Channel Plan View

Low flow channel High flow channel

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Anderson Creek Valley October 2002 Final Phase of Restoration Anderson Creek Valley October 2002 Final Phase of Restoration Slough Sedge (Carex

  • bupta) hay, baled at

an adjacent site, used as mulch January 2003 May 2003

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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September 2005 Biota Collection Crew- 2002 Upland trees, willows and sedge planting in the Anderson Creek floodplain February 2003

Willow stakes

Summer 2003 Fall 2002 Spring 2005

Anderson Creek Marsh - Vegetation Change (% frequency)

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 1999 2002 2003 2004 2005

Year Percent Composition (based on frequency of occurrence) Buttercup Velvet grass Bentgrass Birds-foot trefoil White clover Toad rush Perennial ryegrass Sweet vernalgrass Soft rush Horsetail Small-fruited bulrush Tufted hairgrass Red alder Slough sedge

Project Construction

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Anderson Creek Marsh - Vegetation Change (% cover)

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% 1999 2002 2003 2004 2005 Year

Percent Cover Buttercup Velvetgrass Birds-foot trefoil Soft rush Horsetail Small-fruited bulrush Slough sedge

Project Construction

Invasive exotic vegetation: Bull/Canada thistle Blackberry Reed canarygrass

Anderson Creek Maximum Daily Temperatures - 2004 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

6/14/04 6/17/04 6/20/04 6/23/04 6/26/04 6/29/04 7/2/04 7/5/04 7/8/04 7/11/04 7/14/04 7/17/04 7/20/04 7/23/04 7/26/04 7/29/04 8/1/04 8/4/04 8/7/04 8/10/04 8/13/04 8/16/04 8/19/04 8/22/04 8/25/04 8/28/04 Temperature (C)

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 Site 7 Site 8 Anderson Creek Daily Maximum Temperature - 2003

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 6/18/03 6/21/03 6/24/03 6/27/03 6/30/03 7/3/03 7/6/03 7/9/03 7/12/03 7/15/03 7/18/03 7/21/03 7/24/03 7/27/03 7/30/03 8/2/03 8/5/03 8/8/03 8/11/03 8/14/03 8/17/03 8/20/03 8/23/03 8/26/03 Temperature (C) Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 Site 7 Site 8 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 6/22/05 6/26/05 6/30/05 7/4/05 7/8/05 7/12/05 7/16/05 7/20/05 7/24/05 7/28/05 8/1/05 8/5/05 8/9/05 8/13/05 8/17/05 8/21/05 8/25/05 8/29/05 9/2/05 9/6/05 9/10/05 9/14/05 9/18/05 9/22/05 9/26/05 9/30/05

Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Site 4 Site 5 Site 6 Site 7 Site 8 Anderson Creek Daily Maximum Temperatures - 2005 Temperature (C) Anderson Creek Pre-Restoration Temperatures - 2002

10 15 20 25 30 35 40 7/12/02 7/15/02 7/18/02 7/21/02 7/24/02 7/27/02 7/30/02 8/2/02 8/5/02 8/8/02 8/11/02 8/14/02 8/17/02 8/20/02 8/23/02 8/26/02 Temperature (C) Site 1 Site 2 A B C D

18° C: “Near term” daily maximum temperature for juvenile Coho salmon survival

  • 16° C: Long term daily maximum temperature for optimum juvenile Coho salmon growth
  • Anderson Creek Ditch

Before Project Construction

(2002) Anderson Creek Pilot Channel

1 Year After Project Construction

(2003) Anderson Creek Pilot Channel

2 Years After Project Construction

(2004) Anderson Creek Pilot Channel

3 Years After Project Construction

(2005)

Anderson Creek Daily Maximum Creek Stream Temperature Anderson Creek Pre- and Post- Construction Turbidity Youth crew placing conifer stumps: Summer 2005 First beaver dams/ponds: Summer 2005

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Lessons Learned

  • 1. The establishment of a pilot channel

appears to be a viable and cost-effective tidal channel establishment strategy

  • 2. Some water quality impacts (high

summer stream temperature) resulting from relocating the channel appear to be temporary and manageable

  • 3. Other potential water quality impacts

(turbidity) did not materialize

  • 4. The aggressive native vegetation seeding

and planting appears to have contributed to a plant community that is out- competing reed canary grass…

Lessons Learned

  • 5. In non-tidal wetland, adaptive

management is required the first 3-5 years (or more?) after project construction to help ensure native plants are out-competing invasive plants

  • 6. Bury large wood in pilot channels to

truly incorporate structure in channel development

South Slough Salmon Rearing Habitat Enhancement Project

Project Location and Flight Path

Winchester Creek

Major Issue:

Mainstem tidal channel without complex structure

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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A B C D

N

South Slough NERR administrative boundary

A1

6 Trees 38” 36” 35” 29” 27” 25”

29” Bottom 27” Top 36” 35” 25” Top 38” Bottom

N

3 4

A4

1 2 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

3 4

Mouth of Tom’s and Dalton Creek In tidal channels Mainstem Winchester Creek

Study Locations

A3 A1 A2

Activities:

  • Use underwater

videography to monitor density and behavior of fish

  • Monitor fish use of other

subtidal habitats with underwater videography and beach seining Questions:

  • Are there higher

densities of fish near LWD compared with habitats lacking LWD?

  • What is the behavior of

fish around LWD?

Restoration Monitoring- Juvenile Salmonids

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006

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Underwater video cameras in place at the mouth of Dalton Creek tidal channel

Activities:

  • Track changes in

invertebrate abundance and composition near LWD and in areas without LWD using benthic cores Questions:

  • Is the presence of wood

increasing invertebrate abundance or changing invertebrate community composition?

Restoration Monitoring- Invertebrates

Total Average Invertebrate Abundance

200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000 Site 3 Site 4 Site 7 Site 11

Paired Sampling Sites Average Abundance

no wood wood

Activities:

  • Record changes in channel

morphology with detailed elevation surveys

  • Detect wood movement with

sub-meter level GPS Questions:

  • What changes in channel

morphology are associated with LWD placement?

  • Does the wood move?

Restoration Monitoring- Physical Changes

  • What changes in

temperature and microhabitat (hydrologic refuge) occur with LWD placement?

  • Track water

temperature and flow in locations near and away from LWD

Adaptive Restoration of the West Coast's Tidal Wetlands Craig Cornu Presentation Coastal Training Program Elkhorn Slough & SF Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve January 12, 2006