< Idaho Department of Fish and Game Clearwater Regional Office ) - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

JUVENILE LAMPREY DISTRIBUTION and DENSITY in the CLEARWATER RIVER BASIN, IDAHO USFWS Idaho Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office Doug Nemeth ( { Frank Mullins John Erhardt r Mike Murray Chris Griffith < Idaho Department of Fish and Game Clearwater Regional Office ) 7 (Selway data) Robert Hand

WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTION FROM NATURALLY-MIGRATING LAMPREY ADULTS in the CLEARWATER BASIN? • Upstream of adult releases • Lochsa River • Sampled most Type I and Type II habitat on Highway side • Lamprey Electrofishing Systems ABP-2 electro-fisher --- - - • 60-90 seconds/m 2 • Sampled in 2.5 m 2 units, at least 10m 2 per site ( • Type I or Type II habitat only ( j 1

LOCHSA RIVER l 7

WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTION FROM NATURALLY-MIGRATING  Weir Cr. Powell LAMPREY ADULTS in the CLEARWATER BASIN? Fish Cr. USFWS 2018 Lamprey Sampling Level (fish/ m 2 ) 0 Hi gh> 14.9 • M edium 5. 0- 1 4.9 Low <5.0 • 0 No ne • 8 sites sampled along Lochsa • Type I and II habitat limited due to gradient and highway

WHAT IS THE LEVEL OF PRODUCTION FROM NATURALLY-MIGRATING  Weir Cr. Powell LAMPREY ADULTS in the CLEARWATER BASIN? Fish Cr. • 8 sites sampled along Lochsa • Type I and II habitat limited due to gradient and highway • High frequency of occurrence – Ammocoetes present in 7 of 8 Lochsa sites. • Densities ranged from 0.1 – 38.8 ammo/m 2

 Weir Cr. Powell Fish Cr. USFWS 2018 Lamprey Sampling Level (fish/ m 2 ) 0 High> 14.9 Blue Circles IDFG Sampling 2002-2006 0 Medium 5.0-14.9 • Low <5.0 • Similar densities, similar locations 0 None • No ammocoetes upstream of Weir Cr.

SELWAY RIVER ; 1

IDFG Selway R. Sites 2002-2006 (primarily wilderness) IDFG 2002-2006 Sampling Level (fish/m 2 ) 0 High >14.9 • Medium 5.0-14.9 • Low <5.0 0 None High Frequency of Occurrence

2018 sites sampled by IDFG in Red 2002-2006 sites sampled by IDFG in Blue High Frequency of Occurrence High > 14.9 Medium 5.0 – 14.9 Low < 5.0

MIDDLE FORK AND MAINSTEM CLEARWATER RIVERS ) l ) 1

High Frequency Potlatch R.  of Occurrence 5.6 Lewiston C\earwater R,ver Note Adult Release Sites MFCR and Clearwater R.  Middle Fork Clearwater R. , r USFWS 2018 Lamprey Sampling Level (fish/ m 2 ) 0 High> 14.9 0 Medium 5.0-14.9 Low <5.0 • 0 None S.f:. C} * Lamprey release locations iearw. ater n- "111er l,

LOWER SNAKE RIVER l ' Middle Fork Clearwater River ) l.... ) 7

Lower Snake River Clearwater Ri ver • No ammocoetes seen in 64 minutes of e- fishing 5 sites ( • Sampled USFWS 201 B Lamprey Sampling Clearwater as Level (fish/ m 2 ) 0 High> 14.9 reference Medium 5.0-14.9 • Lo w <5.0 0 None * Lamprey release locations

FIN SAMPLES 1 River t C\earwa er 2018 Genetic Samples Se\way River Lochsa River: 1,008 M.F. Clearwater: 79 Clearwater: 116 Orofino Creek: 20 Lolo Creek: 21 Newsome Creek: 20 Selway: 1 - -

FIN SAMPLES MAXIMIZED FIN SAMPLES TAKEN 21 • Number of C\earwater River naturally-migrating females producing progeny • Contribution of translocated adults • Increased sample 2018 Genetic Samples size  emigrants se\way Lochsa River: 1,008 and adults at dams M.F. Clearwater: 79 in future years. Clearwater: 116 Orofino Creek: 20 Lolo Creek: 21 • Continue to Newsome Creek: 20 S. f:. C} ,earw. Selway: 1 improve Length at ater n- "-1'Ver Age information

FUTURE PLANS • Sample watersheds not recently sampled in cooperation w partners (density and fin samples) • Quantify Type I and Type II habitat along mainstem Lochsa R. • Measure juvenile densities opposite highway in Lochsa (minimal human presence) • Define relationship between 1 st pass lamprey captures and total present  Lochsa Population Estimate • Identify spawning areas of adult lamprey • Radio tag and release NPTH adults in early 2019- well ahead of spawning • Identify summer, fall and winter holding areas of adult lamprey in the Clearwater • Radio tag 2019 downstream dam captures and release in 2019 • Track movement of ammocoetes through Clearwater mainstems- Visual Tags and Fixed Site Sampling

CONCLUSIONS • Current ammocoete distribution and density in Lochsa and Selway similar to that from 2002-2006 investigations. • High frequency of occurrence in preferred habitat in the Clearwater. • Limited amount of preferred habitat  Opportunities for quantification, fin sampling, understanding movement, others. • No ammocoetes found in the lower Snake River.