Russian River
Coho Water Resources
Partnership

Stream Hydrology | Streamflow Data | Coho Salmon Monitoring | Scientific Publications

Coho Salmon Monitoring                       - click to enlarge images - One of the overall goals of the Partnership is to return a viable, self-sustaining population of coho salmon to the Russian River watershed. Specifically, the Partnership is attempting to improve spring and summer stream flow for rearing juvenile coho and coho smolts that are migrating to the ocean. In order to evaluate whether Partnership projects are improving conditions for coho, UCCE-CSG is monitoring survival of coho in Partnership streams before and after project implementation. UCCE-CSG conducts general coho life-cycle monitoring in coordination with the Russian River Coho Salmon Captive Broodstock Program. Under this program, four of the five Partnership streams (Dutch Bill, Grape, Green Valley, and Mill Creeks) are stocked with juvenile coho each year. UCCE-CSG monitors the fish released into each of these streams by conducting stream surveys during different times of year. Between November and March, spawner surveys are conducted to look for returning adults in each creek, and an upstream migrant trap is run on Mill Creek. Between March and June, downstream traps and antennas are operated to estimate the number of smolts migrating from the streams to the ocean, and to estimate over-winter survival of stocked juveniles. During the summer months, snorkeling surveys are conducted to search for wild juvenile coho that are potential offspring of successfully spawning adults the previous winter. In addition to the general life-cycle monitoring, UCCE-CSG is conducting detailed over-summer survival studies in Partnership streams. Juvenile coho are released each spring into selected reaches and are monitored closely between June and October to estimate monthly survival rates. Habitat and flow data is also collected on a continuous basis to document the relationship between flow, habitat, and over-summer survival. By monitoring survival before and after project implementation in both implementation and non-implementation reaches, the Partnership can document the influence of its projects on the recovery of coho. 4179 Piedmont Ave., Suite 325, Oakland, CA 94611 | Email: info@cohopartnership.org | (510) 420-4565, ext. 107 Images are made available for personal use only and may not be copied, reproduced, or used in any way. © 2009-2011 Russian River Coho Water Resources Partnership