Central Valley Steelhead Comprehensive Monitoring

The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive monitoring plan for Central Valley steelhead which will provide fishery managers the data necessary to assess steelhead population status and trends in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds.

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Introduction

Current steelhead monitoring programs throughout the Central Valley lack statistical power (the ability to detect a significant pattern), are not standardized throughout the region, and in many cases lack dedicated funding. Many monitoring programs in the Central Valley are narrowly focused on Chinook salmon due to their commercial importance. Projects designed to monitor Chinook salmon abundance, distribution, and population trends are not applicable for monitoring steelhead due to differences in life history patterns between the two species.

The goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive monitoring plan for Central Valley steelhead, which when implemented, will provide fishery managers the data necessary to assess steelhead population status and trends. This information is necessary as part of an overall strategy to ensure steelhead conservation and is critical to moving forward on numerous management and recovery efforts.

Benefits of Developing a Monitoring Program

Providing a sound basis for implementing protective measures and assessing recovery of listed stocks;

Assisting in the evaluation of restoration projects, such as those implemented and funded through the Central Valley Project Improvement Act, the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, and California Bay-Delta Authority;

Fulfilling regulatory needs to assess and quantify population impacts from authorized activities such as water diversions, fisheries, and hatchery programs;

Evaluating the contribution of hatchery fish to Central Valley steelhead populations;

Providing life history information helpful to improve the management of steelhead in the Central Valley.

Existing Program Review

The first phase of the project reviewed and critiqued all existing steelhead monitoring programs in the Central Valley. The program review identified sampling protocols, project strengths and weaknesses, and provided recommendations for additional monitoring projects. The Review of Present Steelhead Monitoring Programs in the California Central Valley May 2008 was released October 2010.

Comprehensive Monitoring Plan

The comprehensive monitoring plan will develop a spatially and temporally balanced sampling protocol that when implemented will allow for statistically defensible estimates of population status. The plan will incorporate an adaptive management strategy, and recommend a standardized database structure, as well as standardized reporting techniques. The final draft of A Comprehensive Monitoring Plan for Steelhead in the California Central Valley became available in October 2010.

Central Valley Steelhead Monitoring Program

Implementation of the Central Valley Steelhead Monitoring Program will begin in the spring of 2015. The program methods are detailed in the Implementation Plan for the Central Valley Steelhead Monitoring Program (Fortier et al. 2014). This plan will be available in Spring 2015.