Stehekin River Side Channel Trout Spawning and Abundance Surveys, NPS Sample Clauses

Stehekin River Side Channel Trout Spawning and Abundance Surveys, NPS. As part of the effort to reestablish native WCT in the Lake Chelan System, a series of monitoring surveys were implemented in the Stehekin River. These surveys included: 1) side channel spawning and abundance surveys, 2) mainstem spawning and abundance surveys, and 3) genetic analysis of newly emerged trout fry to determine parental lineage. Spawning surveys for XXX and WCT were conducted by NPS staff from 2009-2011 in selected Stehekin River side channel and tributary index reaches to evaluate progress towards restoration of adfluvial WCT. Another three-year sequence of spawning surveys was initiated in 2015 and will continue through 2017. This second round of spawning surveys is intended to assess the results of supplemental Stehekin River tributary stocking which began in 2012 and/or natural recruitment (Figure 2-6). Figure 2-6: Density of fish observed in core index sites by month for surveys conducted during a) 2009- 2011 and b) 2015-2016. A summary report of 2009-2011 results can be found in Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxx 2012. In the 2009 to 2011 surveys actively spawning XXX xxxxx were routinely observed during the spring though no WCT were observed. Surveys conducted in 2015 and 2016 have documented a number of large adfluvial WCT in index sites during the spring spawning period. While no WCT have been observed actively digging or spawning, one individual was observed on 5/23/2016 holding on a newly constructed xxxx. Large adfluvial WCT were frequently observed in established index sites in August and September, though these fish were only observed holding and feeding, and were not exhibiting spawning behavior.