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John W. Beeman

Publications and source records attributed to John W. Beeman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2016

Evaluation of the biological and hydraulic performance of the portable floating fish collector at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, September 2015–January 2016

The biological and hydraulic performance of a portable floating fish collector (PFFC) located in the cul-de-sac of Cougar Dam and Reservoir, Oregon, was evaluated during 2015–16. The PFFC, first commissioned in May 2014, was modified during winter 2014–15 to address several deficiencies identified during operation and testing in 2014. These modifications included raising the water inflow structures to reduce the depth and volume of inflow to improve the internal hydraulic profiles, and moving the anchors so the PFFC could be positioned closer to the existing reservoir outlet, a water temperature control tower. The PFFC was positioned about 18 meters (m) upstream of the intake of the water temperature control tower and faced into the prevailing water current. Like several floating surface collectors operating in the Pacific Northwest at the time, the PFFC used pumps to draw water and fish over an inclined plane, past dewatering screens, and into a collection area. The portable and experimental nature of the PFFC required a smaller size, shallower entrance (about 2.5-m deep), and smaller inflow rate (72 cubic feet per second [ft 3 /s] inflow during the Low treatment, 122 ft 3 /s during the High treatment) than other collectors in the region. The collection of the target species, juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) , during 2015–16 was an order of magnitude larger than in 2014. Subyearling-age Chinook salmon comprised most of the catch (2,616 subyearling compared to 258 yearling) and was greatest during the spring during the High inflow treatment. Bycatch consisted predominantly of cyprinids and centrarchids. Trap mortality (fish found dead in the trap) of juvenile Chinook salmon, at 9.2 percent of the subyearlings and 5.0 percent of yearlings, was about 30 percent of the level in 2014. Fish mortality from handling the live catch was about 1 percent. Data from fish tagged with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and those with acoustic+PIT tags released near the head of the reservoir indicated the catch rates of the PFFC were low. Eight of the 1,497 PIT-tagged fish and 5 of the 534 acoustic+PIT-tagged fish were collected by the PFFC. Fish collection efficiencies—the number collected by the PFFC out of the number detected at the head of the forebay (FCE FB ) or in the cul-de-sac (FCE CDS ) —were 0.002 and 0.003 during the Low treatment and 0.008 and 0.009 during the High treatment. The low FCEs were attributed to the following factors: Few acoustic+PIT-tagged fish were detected within 10 m of the PFFC entrance, Most fish were detected between the stern of the PFFC and the entrance to the tower, Fish depths commonly were several times greater than the PFFC entrance depth, and Surface water temperatures were warm. The data suggest that the shallow entrance and low inflow rate reduced fish guidance near the PFFC entrance and the hydraulic characteristics resulting from the outflow plumes (and perhaps water entering the temperature control tower) attracted fish to that area. Catch of juvenile Chinook salmon likely would increase if the collector entrance were deepened, the inflow rate were increased, and measures were taken to constrain fish presence to the area upstream of the trap entrance.

Oregon↗
USGS2016

Evaluation of the hydraulic and biological performance of the portable floating fish collector at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, 2014

The biological and hydraulic performance of a new portable floating fish collector (PFFC) located in a cul-de-sac within the forebay of Cougar Dam, Oregon, was evaluated during 2014. The purpose of the PFFC was to explore surface collection as a means to capture juvenile salmonids at one or more sites using a small, cost-effective, pilot-scale device. The PFFC used internal pumps to draw attraction flow over an inclined plane about 3 meters (m) deep, through a flume at a design velocity of as much as 6 feet per second (ft/s), and to empty a small amount of water and any entrained fish into a collection box. Performance of the PFFC was evaluated at 64 cubic feet per second (ft 3 /s) (Low) and 109 ft 3 /s (High) inflow rates alternated using a randomized-block schedule from May 27 to December 16, 2014. The evaluation of the biological performance was based on trap catch; behaviors, locations, and collection of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) tagged with acoustic transmitters plus passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags; collection of juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with only PIT tags; and untagged fish monitored near and within the PFFC using acoustic cameras. The evaluation of hydraulic performance was based on measurements of water velocity and direction of flow in the PFFC. The PFFC collected 156 juvenile Chinook salmon and 280 individuals of other species, primarily dace (Cyprinidae) and largemouth bass ( Micropterus salmoides ). The collection included one of the 212 acoustic+PIT-tagged fish detected near the PFFC and two of the 1,505 PIT-tagged fish released near the head of the reservoir. No juvenile salmonids were collected between early July and early September when water temperatures near the water surface were greater than about 16 degrees Celsius (°C). Depths of acoustic+PIT-tagged fish indicated a preferential selection of water temperature of 13–15 °C, which was often deeper than the entrance to the PFFC, and those fish rarely were at depths with water temperatures greater than 16 °C. Dam passage of acoustic+PIT-tagged fish was similar to previous years, but much of the passage occurred prior to the date the PFFC began operation. Discovery Efficiency, the proportion of acoustic+PIT-tagged fish detected in the cul-de-sac that were within 10 m of the PFFC entrance and 0–6 m deep (the Discovery Zone), was 0.736 during the Low treatment and 0.639 during the High treatment. Entrance Efficiency, the proportion of fish in the Discovery Zone that were collected by the PFFC, was 0.007 during the Low treatment and 0.000 during the High treatment. Fish Collection Efficiency, the proportion of acoustic+PIT-tagged fish collected of those detected in the cul-de-sac, was 0.005 and 0.000 during the Low and High treatments, respectively. The areas of highest use by acoustic+PIT-tagged fish were between the stern of the PFFC and the outlet of the reservoir (a water temperature control tower), with the greatest use being near the tower. Results from untagged fish detected with acoustic cameras indicated that most fish near and within the PFFC were in the 90–250-millimeter length bin and few were less than 60 millimeters long; most fish were present during crepuscular periods; trajectories of fish outside the PFFC were rarely directed toward the entrance; and many fish entering the PFFC swam back out before they could be collected. The hydraulic performance of the PFFC did not achieve the design goals of smooth acceleration of inflow culminating in a peak water velocity of 6 ft/s and, as a result, the hydraulic performance likely contributed to the low biological performance. The greatest water velocity measured in the PFFC (1.87 ft/s) was lower than designed due at least in part to the PFFC being lower in the water column than expected. Additionally, difficulties during anchor deployment prevented placement of the PFFC as near to the reservoir outlet as planned, resulting in a PFFC position outside the prevailing flow field and known areas of high fish densities. Overall, the results indicate that location, hydraulic conditions, water temperature, and shallow depth of the entrance were among the factors contributing to the low biological performance of the PFFC in 2014.

Oregon↗
USGS2015

Behavior, passage, and downstream migration of juvenile Chinook salmon from Detroit Reservoir to Portland, Oregon, 2014–15

An evaluation was conducted to estimate dam passage survival of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) at Detroit Dam during a period of spill. To estimate dam passage survival, we used a paired-release recapture study design and released groups of tagged fish upstream (997 fish) and downstream (625 fish) of Detroit Dam. A total of 43 fish (6.8 percent) passed Detroit Dam from the upstream release group and passage occurred through regulating outlets (54.8 percent), spill bays (31.0 percent), and turbines (14.3 percent). We do not present dam passage survival estimates from 2014 because these estimates would have been highly uncertain due to the low number of fish that passed Detroit Dam during the study. Secondary objectives were addressed using data collected from tagged fish that were released at the downstream release site. Juvenile salmonids have multiple passage options at the Bennett Dam complex, which includes a series of dams and braided channels. A pair of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) monitoring arrays were installed at Upper Bennett Dam and in the Stayton Canal by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife during 2014. We deployed acoustic telemetry hydrophones near these arrays to detect acoustic-tagged fish from our study and used these detections to quantify proportions of tagged fish passing through the two routes. About one-fourth (0.257) of the tagged fish that were released downstream of Big Cliff Dam were detected on the new PIT tag array while passing the Bennett Dam complex. A total of 402 acoustic-tagged fish were detected at the complex and many (248 fish; 62 percent) eventually entered the Stayton Canal. Median residence time in the canal was 6.5 hours, but 12.7 percent of the fish had extended residence times (7–37 days). Passage also was monitored at the Sullivan Project at Willamette Falls and about 40 percent (0.398) of the tagged fish passing the project were detected on the PIT tag array. A Cormack-Jolly-Seber mark-recapture model was developed to provide reach-specific survival estimates for juvenile Chinook salmon. A portion of the tagged population overwintered in the Willamette River Basin and outmigrated several months after release. As a result, survival estimates from the model would have been negatively biased by factors such as acoustic tag failure and tag loss. Data from laboratory studies were incorporated into the model to provide survival estimates that accounted for these factors. In the North Santiam River between Minto Dam and the Bennett Dam complex, a distance of 37.2 kilometers, survival was estimated to be 0.844 (95-percent confidence interval 0.795–0.893). The survival estimate for the 203.7 kilometer reach between the Bennett Dam complex and Portland, Oregon, was 0.279 (95-percent confidence interval 0.234–0.324), and included portions of the North Santiam, Santiam, and Willamette Rivers. The cumulative survival estimate in the 240.9 kilometer reach from the Minto Dam tailrace to Portland was 0.236 (95-percent confidence interval 0.197–0.275).

Oregon↗
USGS2015

Observational data on the effects of infection by the copepod Salmincola californiensis on the short- and long-term viability of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) implanted with telemetry tags

Background Fish movements are often studied using radio or acoustic tags assuming the handling and tagging procedures have little effect on the behavior of the animal. Indeed, many studies provide guidelines for acceptable methods. However, these studies generally assume the fish are otherwise healthy but this may not always be the case. One example is the infection of juvenile salmon in the western USA by the naturally-occurring parasitic copepod Salmincola californiensis, for which little is known about the effects on results from tagged animals. We report on observational data from juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) surgically implanted with telemetry tags relative to the numbers of S. californiensis within their branchial cavities and on their bodies to determine if the intensity of infection resulted in differences in mortality shortly after tagging or post-release activity in a reservoir over a period of about 4 months. Results The data indicate a negative effect of copepods in the branchial cavities on short-term mortality (within 24 h of tagging) and suggest negative effects on movements after release into the reservoir. Short-term mortalities were infrequent and, due to the observational nature of the data, few tagged fish had more than three copepods in their branchial cavities, although surveys of fish in the reservoir indicate much greater infection intensities are common. Copepod numbers on the body did not appear to be associated with short-term mortality or movements after release. The number of copepods on the body was unrelated to the number within the branchial cavities, indicating site-specific counts are needed to assess the infection. Conclusion Infection with Salmincola californiensis is common in juvenile Chinook salmon in western USA reservoirs and may affect the viability of fish used in studies of telemetered animals. Our limited assessment suggests infection by Salmincola californiensis affects the short-term morality of tagged fish and may affect long-term viability of tagged fish after release; however, the intensity of infection in the sample population did not represent the source population due to the observational nature of the data. We suggest these results warrant further study into the effects of infection by Salmincola californiensis on the results obtained through active telemetry and perhaps other methods requiring handling of infected fish.

Animal Biotelemetry↗
USGS2015

An evaluation of fish behavior upstream of the water temperature control tower at Cougar Dam, Oregon, using acoustic cameras, 2013

This report describes the initial year of a 2-year study to determine the feasibility of using acoustic cameras to monitor fish movements to help inform decisions about fish passage at Cougar Dam near Springfield, Oregon. Specifically, we used acoustic cameras to measure fish presence, travel speed, and direction adjacent to the water temperature control tower in the forebay of Cougar Dam during the spring (May, June, and July) and fall (September, October, and November) of 2013. Cougar Dam is a high-head flood-control dam, and the water temperature control tower enables depth-specific water withdrawals to facilitate adjustment of water temperatures released downstream of the dam. The acoustic cameras were positioned at the upstream entrance of the tower to monitor free-ranging subyearling and yearling-size juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ). Because of the large size discrepancy, we could distinguish juvenile Chinook salmon from their predators, which enabled us to measure predators and prey in areas adjacent to the entrance of the tower. We used linear models to quantify and assess operational and environmental factors—such as time of day, discharge, and water temperature—that may influence juvenile Chinook salmon movements within the beam of the acoustic cameras. Although extensive milling behavior of fish near the structure may have masked directed movement of fish and added unpredictability to fish movement models, the acoustic-camera technology enabled us to ascertain the general behavior of discrete size classes of fish. Fish travel speed, direction of travel, and counts of fish moving toward the water temperature control tower primarily were influenced by the amount of water being discharged through the dam.

Oregon↗
USGS2015

In-reservoir behavior, dam passage, and downstream migration of juvenile Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead from Detroit Reservoir and Dam to Portland, Oregon, February 2013-February 2014

In the second year of 2 years of study, the movements of juvenile spring Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) and juvenile summer steelhead ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) through Detroit Reservoir, passing Detroit Dam, and migrating downstream to Portland, Oregon, were studied during a 1-year-long period beginning in February 2013. The primary purpose of the study was to provide empirical data to inform decisions about future alternatives for improving downstream passage of salmonids at Detroit Dam. A secondary purpose was to design and assess the performance of a system to detect juvenile salmonids implanted with acoustic transmitters migrating in the Willamette River. Inferences about fish migration were made from detections of juvenile fish of hatchery origin at least 95 millimeters in fork length surgically implanted with an acoustic transmitter and released during the spring (March–May) and fall (September–November) of 2013. Detection sites were placed throughout the reservoir, near the dam, and at two sites in the North Santiam River and at three sites in the Willamette River culminating at Portland, Oregon. We based most inferences on an analysis period up to the 90th percentile of tag life (68–78 days after release, depending on species and season), although a small number of fish passed after that period as late as April 8, 2014. Chinook salmon migrated from the tributaries of release to the reservoir in greater proportion than steelhead, particularly in the fall. The in-reservoir migration behaviors and dam passage of the two species were similar during the spring study, but during the fall study, few steelhead reached the reservoir and none passed the dam within the analysis period. Migrations in the reservoir were directed and non-random, except in the forebay. Depths of fish within 25 meters of the dam were deeper in the day than at night for Chinook salmon and similar in the day and night for steelhead; steelhead generally were at shallower depths than Chinook salmon. The primary factors affecting dam passage rates were seasonal dam operating conditions and diel period. Fish passage rates were much greater during the spring and summer than in the fall and winter, and the difference was attributed to the availability and use of the spillway near the top of the dam during the spring and summer. The flood-control purpose of the reservoir prevented spillway use during much of the fall and winter because of the low forebay elevation. Passage rates at night were greater than in the day during spring and summer (4.2 times) and during the fall and winter (14.9 times). Fish length, dam discharge, and forebay elevation also affected dam passage rates. Travel times from Detroit Dam passage to the downstream sites were shorter during the fall and winter than during the spring and summer, and were less than a median of 8.68 days to Portland. The estimated survival in the 11 kilometers (km) between Detroit Dam and the Minto Dam forebay was lower than in the remaining 241 km to the Portland site. Estimated survival per 100 km in the free-flowing reach from Minto Dam to Portland was 0.675–0.836, depending on species and season, and was similar to other free-flowing rivers in the Western United States. The high probability of fish in the reservoir reaching the dam, the chance for repeated presence near the dam, the fish depths, and the factors known to affect passage rates suggest that a properly designed surface passage route could be a viable downstream passage alternative for juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead at Detroit Dam. As part of the evaluations conducted at Detroit Dam, we continued to refine and improve methods for monitoring fish movements in the Willamette River. The goal was to develop stable, cost-effective, long-term monitoring arrays suitable for detection of any Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS)-tagged fish in the Willamette River. These data then could be used to estimate timing, migration rates, and survival of JSATS-tagged fish from various studies in the Willamette River Basin. The challenge, however, is that acoustic telemetry generally performs poorly in shallow, turbulent water, like that found in the Willamette River. We successfully designed, deployed, and maintained a series of monitoring sites near the Oregon cities of Salem, Wilsonville, and Portland. In the spring, detection probabilities at these sites ranged from 0.900 to 1.000. In the fall, the detection probabilities decreased and ranged from 0.526 to 1.000. The lower detection probabilities, particularly at the Salem site (0.526), were owing to loss of data caused by abnormally high flows as well as the 2013 Federal government shutdown, which prevented us from servicing the equipment. The monitoring sites that we installed seem to be robust and enable the efficient use of acoustic-tagged fish for studies of migration or survival in the Willamette River and similar environments.

Oregon↗
USGS2014

Passage and survival probabilities of juvenile Chinook salmon at Cougar Dam, Oregon, 2012

This report describes studies of juvenile-salmon dam passage and apparent survival at Cougar Dam, Oregon, during two operating conditions in 2012. Cougar Dam is a 158-meter tall rock-fill dam used primarily for flood control, and passes water through a temperature control tower to either a powerhouse penstock or to a regulating outlet (RO). The temperature control tower has moveable weir gates to enable water of different elevations and temperatures to be drawn through the dam to control water temperatures downstream. A series of studies of downstream dam passage of juvenile salmonids were begun after the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined that Cougar Dam was impacting the viability of anadromous fish stocks. The primary objectives of the studies described in this report were to estimate the route-specific fish passage probabilities at the dam and to estimate the survival probabilities of fish passing through the RO. The first set of dam operating conditions, studied in November, consisted of (1) a mean reservoir elevation of 1,589 feet, (2) water entering the temperature control tower through the weir gates, (3) most water routed through the turbines during the day and through the RO during the night, and (4) mean RO gate openings of 1.2 feet during the day and 3.2 feet during the night. The second set of dam operating conditions, studied in December, consisted of (1) a mean reservoir elevation of 1,507 ft, (2) water entering the temperature control tower through the RO bypass, (3) all water passing through the RO, and (4) mean RO gate openings of 7.3 feet during the day and 7.5 feet during the night. The studies were based on juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) surgically implanted with radio transmitters and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Inferences about general dam passage percentage and timing of volitional migrants were based on surface-acclimated fish released in the reservoir. Dam passage and apparent survival probabilities were estimated using the Route-Specific-Survival Model with data from surface-acclimated fish released near the water surface directly upstream of the temperature control tower (treatment group) and slightly downstream of the dam (control group). In this study, apparent survival is the joint probability of surviving and migrating through the study area during the life of the transmitters. Two rearing groups were used to enable sufficient sample sizes for the studies. The groups differed in feed type, and for the December study only, the rearing location. Fish from each group were divided nearly equally among all combinations of release sites, release times, and surgeons. The sizes, travel times, and survivals of the two rearing groups were similar. There were statistical differences in fish lengths and travel times of the two groups, but they were small and likely were not biologically meaningful. There also was evidence of a difference in single-release estimates of survival between the rearing groups during the December study, but the differences had little effect on the relative survival estimates so the analyses of passage and survival were based on data from the rearing groups pooled. Conditions during the December study were more conducive to passing volitionally migrating fish than conditions during the November study. The passage percentage of the fish released in the reservoir was similar between studies (about 70 percent), but the passage occurred in a median of 1.0 day during the December study and a median of 9.3 days during the November study. More than 93 percent of the dam passage of volitionally migrating fish occurred at night during each study. This finding corroborates results of previous studies at Cougar Dam and suggests that the operating conditions at night are most important to volitionally migrating fish, given the current configuration of the dam. Most fish released near the temperature control tower passed through the RO. A total of 92.2 percent of the treatment group passed through the RO during the November study and the RO was the only route open during the December study. The assumptions of the survival model were either met or adjusted for during each study. There was little evidence that tagger skill or premature failure of radio transmitters had an effect on survival estimates. There were statistically significant differences in travel times between treatment and control groups through several of the river reaches they had in common, but the differences were typically only a few hours, and the two groups likely experienced the same in-river conditions. There was direct evidence of bias due to detection of euthanized fish with live transmitters released as part of the study design. The bias was ameliorated by adjusting the survival estimates for the probability of detecting dead fish with live transmitters, which reduced the estimated survival probabilities by about 0.02. The data and models indicated that the treatment effect was not fully expressed until the study reach terminating with Marshall Island Park on the Willamette River, a distance of 105.8 kilometers downstream of Cougar Dam. This was the first reach in which the 95-percent confidence interval of the estimated reach-specific relative survival overlapped 1.0, indicating similar survival of treatment and control groups. The median travel time of the treatment group from release to Marshall Island Park was 1.64 days during the November study and 1.36 days during the December study. The survival probability of fish that passed into the RO was greater during the December study than during the November study. The relative survival probability of fish passing through the RO was 0.4594 (standard error [SE] 0.0543) during the November study and 0.7389 (SE 0.1160) during the December study. These estimates represent relative survival probabilities from release near Cougar Dam to the Marshall Island site. The estimated survival probability of RO passage was lower than previous studies based on balloon and PIT tags, but higher than a similar study based on radio transmitters. We suggest that, apart from dam operations, the differences in survival primarily are due to the release location. We hypothesize that the balloon- and PIT-tagged fish released through a hose at a point near the RO gate opening experienced more benign conditions than the radio-tagged fish passing the RO volitionally. This hypothesis could be tested with further study. An alternative hypothesis is that some live fish remained within the study area beyond the life of their radio transmitter. The results from these and previous studies indicate that entrainment and survival of juvenile salmonids passing Cougar Dam varies with dam operating conditions. The condition most conducive to dam passage has been the discharge and low pool elevation condition tested during December 2012. That condition included large RO gate openings and was the condition with the highest dam passage survival.

Oregon↗
USGS2014

Investigation of methods for successful installation and operation of Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System (JSATS) hydrophones in the Willamette River, Oregon, 2012

Acoustic telemetry equipment was installed at three sites in the Willamette River during October 2012 to test the effectiveness of using the Juvenile Salmon Acoustic Telemetry System to monitor the movements of fish in a high-flow, high-velocity riverine environment. Hydrophones installed on concrete blocks were placed on the bottom of the river, and data cables were run from the hydrophones to shore where they were attached to anchor points. Under relatively low-flow conditions (less than approximately 10,000 cubic feet per second) the monitoring system remained in place and could be used to detect tagged fish as they traveled downstream during their seaward migration. At river discharge over approximately 10,000 cubic feet per second, the hydrophones were damaged and cables were lost because of the large volume of woody debris in the river and the increase in water velocity. Damage at two of the sites was sufficient to prevent data collection. A limited amount of data was collected from the equipment at the third site. Site selection and deployment strategies were re-evaluated, and an alternate deployment methodology was designed for implementation in 2013.

Oregon↗
USGS2014

Behavior and dam passage of juvenile Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead at Detroit Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, March 2012-February 2013

The in-reservoir movements and dam passage of individual juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) and juvenile steelhead ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) were studied at Detroit Reservoir and Dam, near Detroit, Oregon, during 2012 and 2013. The goal of the study was to provide data to inform decisions about future downstream passage alternatives and factors affecting downstream passage rates with the existing dam configuration. In 2012, 468 juvenile Chinook salmon and 200 juvenile steelhead were tagged and released during a 3-month period in the spring, and another 514 juvenile Chinook salmon were tagged and released during a 3-month period in the fall. The fish were surgically implanted with a small acoustic transmitter with an expected life of about 3 months and a passive integrated transponder tag with an indefinite life, and were released into the two main tributaries several kilometers upstream of the reservoir. Juvenile Chinook salmon migrated from the release sites to the reservoir in a greater proportion than juvenile steelhead, but once in the reservoir, juvenile steelhead migrated to the forebay faster and had a higher dam passage rate than juvenile Chinook salmon. The routes available for passing water and fish varied throughout the year, with low reservoir elevations in winter and high reservoir elevations in summer in accordance with the flood-control purpose of the dam. Most dam passage was through the spillway during the spring and summer, when the reservoir elevation was high and the spillway and powerhouse were the most common routes in operation, and via the powerhouse during the fall and winter period, when the reservoir elevation was low and the regulating outlet and powerhouse were the most common routes in operation. Few tagged fish passed when the powerhouse was the only route in operation. Dam passage rates during the spring and summer were greatest at night, increased with dam discharge, and were greater when water was passed freely over the spillway compared to when it was controlled by the spillway Tainter gates. Dam passage rates during the fall and winter, when the reservoir elevation usually was too low for spillway operation, were lower than during the spring and summer, negatively related to reservoir elevation, and positively related to dam discharge, though the latter relation diminished as reservoir elevation decreased. Fish locations near the dam from estimates of three-dimensional positions often were near the locations of dam discharge and fish depths were surface oriented relative to the depth of the forebay. Fish passage rates with the existing dam configuration were greatest when the spillway was in operation and were lowest when the powerhouse was the only route in operation; the latter result may be related to the relatively low magnitude or variability in discharge during that condition. The available data suggest that a properly designed surface outlet could be a viable passage route for juvenile Chinook salmon and juvenile steelhead at Detroit Dam. A second year of data collection based on a similar study design was complete at the time of this report.

Oregon↗
USGS2014

Behavior and dam passage of juvenile Chinook salmon at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, March 2012 - February 2013

The movements and dam passage of individual juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) were studied at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, near Springfield, Oregon, during 2012 and 2013. Cougar Dam is a high-head flood-control reservoir with a temperature control tower as its outlet enabling selective withdrawals of water at various depths to control the temperature of water passed downstream. This report describes the second year of a 2-year study with the goal of providing information to inform decisions about future downstream passage alternatives. Inferences were based on the behavior of yearling-size juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with acoustic transmitters. The fish were released near the head of the reservoir during the spring (March, April, and May) and fall (September, October, and November) of 2012. Most tagged fish were of hatchery origin (468 spring, 449 fall) because of the low number of wild fish captured from within the reservoir (0 spring, 65 fall). Detections at hydrophones placed in several lines across the reservoir and within a collective system used to estimate three-dimensional positions near the temperature control tower were used to determine fish behavior and factors affecting dam passage rates. Most tagged fish made repeated non-random migrations from one end of the reservoir to the other and took a median of 3.7–11.7 days to travel about 7 kilometers from the release site to within about 100 meters of the temperature control tower, depending on season and origin. Reservoir passage efficiency (percentage of tagged fish detected at the head of the forebay) was 97.8 percent for hatchery fish and 74.2 percent for wild fish. Tagged fish commonly were within about 100 meters of the temperature control tower, and often spent considerable time near the entrance to the tower; however, the dam passage efficiency (percentage of dam passage of fish detected at the head of the forebay) was low for fish released during the spring (11.1 percent) and moderate for fish released during the fall (58.1 percent for hatchery fish, 65.2 percent for wild fish) over the 90th percentile of the empirically determined tag life, which was about 90 days. The primary factors affecting the dam passage rate were diel period, dam discharge, and reservoir elevation, and most passage occurred during conditions of night, high dam discharge, and low reservoir elevation. Most fish entering the temperature control tower passed the dam without returning to the reservoir. The common presence of tagged fish near the tower entrance and high proportion of dam passage after tower entry suggests that the primary cause of the poor dam passage rate was the low rate of tower entry. We hypothesize that fish reject the tower entrance because of low water velocities contributing to a small flow field, an abrupt deceleration at the trash rack, or a combination of those two conditions. Results of a controlled test of head differential (the difference between water elevation outside and inside the temperature control tower) indicated weak statistical support (P= 0.0930) for a greater tower entry rate when the differential was 0.65–1.00 foot compared to 0.00–0.30 foot. Results from hatchery and wild fish were similar, with the exception of the reservoir passage efficiency, indicating hatchery fish were suitable surrogates for the wild fish for the purpose of this study.

Oregon↗
USGS2013

Behavior and dam passage of juvenile Chinook salmon at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, March 2011 - February 2012

The movements and dam passage of juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with acoustic transmitters and passive integrated transponder tags were studied at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, near Springfield, Oregon. The purpose of the study was to provide information to aid with decisions about potential alternatives for improving downstream passage conditions for juvenile salmonids in this flood-control reservoir. In 2011, a total of 411 hatchery fish and 26 wild fish were tagged and released during a 3-month period in the spring, and another 356 hatchery fish and 117 wild fish were released during a 3-month period in the fall. A series of 16 autonomous hydrophones throughout the reservoir and 12 hydrophones in a collective system near the dam outlet were used to determine general movements and dam passage of the fish over the life of the acoustic transmitter, which was expected to be about 3 months. Movements within the reservoir were directional, and it was common for fish to migrate repeatedly from the head of the reservoir downstream to the dam outlet and back to the head of the reservoir. Most fish were detected near the temperature control tower at least once. The median time from release near the head of the reservoir to detection within about 100 meters of the dam outlet at the temperature control tower was between 5.7 and 10.8 days, depending on season and fish origin. Dam passage events occurred over a wider range of dates in the spring and summer than in the fall and winter, but dam passage numbers were greatest during the fall and winter. A total of 10.5 percent (43 of 411) of the hatchery fish and 15.4 percent (4 of 26) of the wild fish released in the spring are assumed to have passed the dam, whereas a total of 25.3 percent (90 of 356) of the hatchery fish and 16.9 percent (30 of 117) of the wild fish released in the fall are assumed to have passed the dam. A small number of fish passed the dam after their transmitters had stopped working and were detected at passive integrated transponder detectors at various locations downstream of the dam, indicating some tagged fish passed the dam undetected. The rate of dam passage was affected by diel period, discharge, and reservoir elevation. Diel period was the most influential factor of those examined, with nighttime dam passage rates about 9 times greater than daytime rates, depending on the distance of fish from the dam outlet. Dam passage rates also were positively related to dam discharge, and negatively related to reservoir elevation. In the operational condition used as an example, fish approached the dam outlet at the temperature control tower from the south and east and, when most fish got near the tower, they were directly in front of it. In many cases, the results for wild and hatchery fish were similar, or the results suggested hatchery fish could be reasonable surrogates for wild fish. Hatchery-origin and wild-origin fish behaved similarly in the following ways: their general movements in the reservoir; the timing of their dam passage; and the effects of diel period, discharge, and elevation on their passage rates. Parasitic copepods were present on most wild fish examined, and the mortality of wild fish during capture, handling and tagging was much greater than that of hatchery fish. This suggests that the ability of wild fish to cope with stressors may be less than that of fish directly from the hatchery.

Oregon↗
USGS2012

Detection probability of an in-stream passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag detection system for juvenile salmonids in the Klamath River, northern California, 2011

A series of in-stream passive integrated transponder (PIT) detection antennas installed across the Klamath River in August 2010 were tested using tagged fish in the summer of 2011. Six pass-by antennas were constructed and anchored to the bottom of the Klamath River at a site between the Shasta and Scott Rivers. Two of the six antennas malfunctioned during the spring of 2011 and two pass-through antennas were installed near the opposite shoreline prior to system testing. The detection probability of the PIT tag detection system was evaluated using yearling coho salmon implanted with a PIT tag and a radio transmitter and then released into the Klamath River slightly downstream of Iron Gate Dam. Cormack-Jolly-Seber capture-recapture methods were used to estimate the detection probability of the PIT tag detection system based on detections of PIT tags there and detections of radio transmitters at radio-telemetry detection systems downstream. One of the 43 PIT- and radio-tagged fish released was detected by the PIT tag detection system and 23 were detected by the radio-telemetry detection systems. The estimated detection probability of the PIT tag detection system was 0.043 (standard error 0.042). Eight PIT-tagged fish from other studies also were detected. Detections at the PIT tag detection system were at the two pass-through antennas and the pass-by antenna adjacent to them. Above average river discharge likely was a factor in the low detection probability of the PIT tag detection system. High discharges dislodged two power cables leaving 12 meters of the river width unsampled for PIT detections and resulted in water depths greater than the read distance of the antennas, which allowed fish to pass over much of the system with little chance of being detected. Improvements in detection probability may be expected under river discharge conditions where water depth over the antennas is within maximum read distance of the antennas. Improvements also may be expected if additional arrays of antennas are used.

California↗
USGS2012

Interim results from a study of the behavior of juvenile Chinook salmon at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, Oregon, March--August 2011

The movements and dam passage of yearling juvenile Chinook salmon implanted with acoustic transmitters and passive integrated transponder tags were studied at Cougar Reservoir and Dam, near Springfield, Oregon. A total of 411 hatchery fish and 26 wild fish were tagged and released between March 7 and May 21, 2011. A series of 16 autonomous hydrophones placed throughout the reservoir were used to determine general fish movements over the life of the acoustic transmitter, which was expected to be 91 days. Movements within the reservoir were directional, and it was common for fish to migrate repeatedly from the head of the reservoir downstream to the dam outlet and back. The dam passage rate was 11.2 percent (95-percent confidence interval 7.8–14.6 percent) for hatchery fish and 15.4 percent (95-percent confidence interval -1.0–31.8 percent) for wild fish within 91 days from release. Most fish passage occurred at night. The median time from release to dam passage was 34.5 days for hatchery fish and 34.2 days for wild fish. A system of hydrophones near the dam outlet, a temperature control tower, was used to estimate positions of fish in three dimensions to enable detailed analyses of fish behavior near the tower. Analyses of these data indicate that hourly averaged depths of fish within a distance of 74 m from the upstream face of the tower ranged from 0.6 to 9.6 meters, with a median depth of 3.6 meters for hatchery fish and 3.4 meters for wild fish. Dam discharge rates and the diurnal period affected the rates of dam passage. Rates of dam passage were similar when the dam discharge rate was less than 1,200 cubic feet per second, but increased sharply at higher discharges. The rate of dam passage at night was 4.4–7.8 times greater than during the day, depending on the distance of fish from the dam. This report is an interim summary of data collected as of August 3, 2011, for planning purposes.

Oregon↗
USGS2012

The Mekong Fish Network: expanding the capacity of the people and institutions of the Mekong River Basin to share information and conduct standardized fisheries monitoring

The Mekong River is one of the most biologically diverse rivers in the world, and it supports the most productive freshwater fisheries in the world. Millions of people in the Lower Mekong River Basin (LMB) countries of the Union of Myanmar (Burma), Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam rely on the fisheries of the basin to provide a source of protein. The Mekong Fish Network Workshop was convened in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in February 2012 to discuss the potential for coordinating fisheries monitoring among nations and the utility of establishing standard methods for short- and long-term monitoring and data sharing throughout the LMB. The concept for this network developed out of a frequently cited need for fisheries researchers in the LMB to share their knowledge with other scientists and decisionmakers. A fish monitoring network could be a valuable forum for researchers to exchange ideas, store data, or access general information regarding fisheries studies in the LMB region. At the workshop, representatives from governments, nongovernmental organizations, and universities, as well as participating foreign technical experts, cited a great need for more international cooperation and technical support among them. Given the limited staff and resources of many institutions in the LMB, the success of the proposed network would depend on whether it could offer tools that would provide benefits to network participants. A potential tool discussed at the workshop was a user-friendly, Web-accessible portal and database that could help streamline data entry and storage at the institutional level, as well as facilitate communication and data sharing among institutions. The workshop provided a consensus to establish pilot standardized data collection and database efforts that will be further reviewed by the workshop participants. Overall, workshop participants agreed that this is the type of support that is greatly needed to answer their most pressing questions and to enable local researchers and resource managers to monitor and sustain the valuable and diverse aquatic life of the Mekong River.

Mekong River↗
USGS2012

Passage probabilities of juvenile Chinook salmon through the powerhouse and regulating outlet at Cougar Dam, Oregon, 2011

Cougar Dam near Springfield, Oregon, is one of several federally owned and operated flood-control projects within the Willamette Valley of western Oregon that were determined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service in 2008 to impact the long-term viability of several salmonid stocks. In response to this ruling, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is looking for means to reduce impacts to salmonids, including improving downstream passage of juvenile salmonids at Cougar Dam. This study of juvenile Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ) passage at Cougar Dam was conducted to inform decisions about potential improvements for downstream fish passage. The primary objective of the study was to estimate route-specific passage probabilities of yearling Chinook salmon at Cougar Dam. The study was conducted using fish from a nearby hatchery surgically implanted with radio transmitters and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and released near the entrance of a temperature control tower through which all water going through the dam must pass. Water passing through the temperature control tower may be routed through a penstock to a powerhouse with two Francis turbines, or to a spillway-like structure called the regulating outlet. Secondary objectives of the study were to estimate the probability that fish enter a bypass at a non-federal facility downstream, and to estimate dam-passage and in-river fish survival. Dam operating conditions during the study included an average forebay elevation of 1,580 feet (National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929) and an average of 48.2 percent of the total dam discharge of 1,106 cubic feet per second passing through a regulating outlet opening of 1.25 feet. Dam passage probability was greatest at night (0.8741 standard error [SE] 0.0265) and primarily through the regulating outlet (0.8896 SE 0.0617 day; 0.9417 SE 0.0175 night). The joint probability of entering the bypass at Leaburg Dam and being detected at the PIT system within the bypass was 0.0755 (SE 0.0363), but some fish were known to pass the PIT system undetected, indicating that the true probability of entering the bypass was underestimated. The estimated survival of fish passing through the temperature control tower, through the dam, and to a site at a bridge over the South Fork of the McKenzie River 3.9 kilometers downstream was 0.3680 (SE 0.1322) for fish passing through the powerhouse, and 0.4247 (SE 0.0440) for fish passing through the regulating outlet. The estimated in-river survival through the 37.3 kilometers from the bridge to a site at Leaburg Hatchery on the McKenzie River was 0.5857 (SE 0.2227) for fish that had passed through the powerhouse, and 0.4537 (SE 0.0551) for fish that had passed through the regulating outlet.

Oregon↗
USGS2012

Design and performance of radio telemetry systems for assessing juvenile fish passage at three hydroelectric dams

Studies of the effects of hydroelectric dams on fish populations are common (Williams 2008). Dams block passage of migratory and resident fish, alter habitats from free-flowing to lacustrine, and can alter water temperatures both upstream and downstream. At some dams, structures or operations are modified to reduce their effects on fish populations. In these cases, it is recommended that a series of studies be conducted before and after the alterations to help assess the effectiveness of the actions. We will describe three studies at hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest of the United States prompted by a need to reduce their effects on fishes, primarily salmonids, listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA 1973). Hydroelectric development on the Columbia and Snake rivers occurred chiefly between the early 1930s and the late 1970s. Fish originating in the upper portions of the Columbia and Snake rivers must pass as many as eight dams on these rivers during their seaward migration and again on their trip back to their natal waters. Small changes in passage survival at each dam can be important, due to the multiplicative effects of the series of dams. For example, if downstream passage survival at each of eight dams and reservoirs was 90% and it was increased by only 3% per dam, the numbers of fish surviving through the entire hydro system would increase from 43% to 56%. Thus, precisely measuring small changes in passage survival are important to the overall program. This has been achieved by designing efficient telemetry systems and releasing large numbers of tagged fish.

Book chapter↗
USGS2012

A history of telemetry in fishery research

Biotelemetry has been defined as “the instrumental technique for gaining and transmitting information from a living organism and its environment to a remote observer” (Slater 1965). Biotelemetry typically utilizes wireless transmission of either an audible signal or electronic data to determine location of a tagged animal. Fisheries researchers use location information to gain a variety of insights into migration, habitat use, behavior, productivity, or survival of fish. Biotelemetry can be divided into two basic categories, acoustic or radio, based on mode of transmission, mechanical or electromagnetic energy, and operating frequency. Most acoustic systems in use today transmit at low frequency, between 30 and 300 kHz, while most radio systems transmit at very high frequency, between 30 and 300 MHz (Sisak and Lotimer 1998). Acoustic telemetry is based on the principals of sonar (sound navigation and ranging), which was developed to detect submarines during World War I. The properties of acoustic systems favor their use in deep waters with high conductivity and low turbulence (Winter 1996). Radio telemetry is based on the principals of wireless radio communication, which were first demonstrated by Nikola Tesla in 1893. Radio systems are best suited in shallow waters with relatively low conductivity but have the added benefit of improved signal detection in turbulent conditions and with aerial antennas. Advances in both technologies have resulted in highly efficient transmitter and receiving systems. Advancements in products used for animal telemetry over the past 50 years have generally followed those in the electronics field (Figure 1). Bell Laboratories1 ushered in the age of digital electronics with the invention of the transistor in 1947 (Mann 2000). Today transistors are common in everyday items such as radios, televisions, hearing aids, computers, cell phones and even MP3 players. Consumer demand for inexpensive small electronic devices with increased functionality has continually driven advancements in the field of electronics. These advancements have subsequently led to improvements in biotelemetry transmitters and receivers such as miniaturization of components, increased battery performance, and more powerful micro-processing.

Book chapter↗
USGS2012

Bias from false-positive detections and strategies for their removal in studies using telemetry

The use of radio and acoustic telemetry to study aquatic animals has flourished since the 1950s and 1960s (see Section 1). Electronic data-logging receivers are commonly used in both types of active telemetry to record the presence of transmitters in the detection field formed by one or more antennas or hydrophones. As described in Sections 5.1 and 7.1, the path of a transmitter signal to a telemetry receiver can be influenced by many factors and the received signal is not always detected or correctly assigned. It should be of no surprise to users of active telemetry systems that not all records in telemetry receivers are from tagged fish and not all tagged fish are recorded when present. Four types of observations are possible in data from telemetry receiving systems based on the binary nature of presence and absence (Table 1). True positives and true negatives are what one ideally expects from telemetry systems, but in most studies they are accompanied by false negatives (not recorded when present) and false positives (recorded when absent). False negatives arise due to a variety of causes, including insufficient detection area relative to transmitter pulse rate and fish travel speed, collisions between transmitters in the detection area, interference from ambient noise, or a received signal too weak to be recorded (see Sections 3, 5, and 7). The probability of false negatives can be calculated as (1–detection probability) and can be estimated with proper study design and incorporated into estimates of fish presence (see Sections 7.2 and 9.2).

Book chapter↗