How Many Different Ways

is this Method Implemented?

Western Division AFS Workshop

April 15, 2013

• PNAMP provides a forum for coordination and collaboration between state, federal, and tribal aquatic monitoring programs

• Open & inclusive process, voluntary participation

• Supported by partner funding and in-kind contributions of time from participants

• www.pnamp.org

Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership

PNAMP

Methods Review

Background

• Methods may be different because of different study objectives, equipment used, or differing opinions about what is the best practice.

• For collaborative projects or programs that share data, it is essential to document the details of the methods used to collect the data.

Methods Review

Goals

Identify and promote best practices,

facilitate data sharing,

promote consistent documentation,

and to reduce duplicate methods in monitoringmethods.org.

• Fish Length – How hard can be?

o What do you mean by length?

o Total length, fork length, other?

• Is a method needed? YES

Fish Length Review

A recent example

Fish Length Review

monitoringmethods.org

• Various descriptions:

o Adult fish captured in the Lower Granite Dam adult trap will be measured from the tip of the snout to the fork in the caudal fin (forklength) in mm.

o Length measurements of juvenile and adult fish are made with measuring boards or tapes according to methods described in Anderson and Neumann 1996. Measurements include total length, fork length, midorbital-hypural length, and postorbital-hypural length.

o WDFW personnel will measure hatchery smolts from the tip of the snout to the fork in the tail in millimeters (mm). Hatchery and wild origin adults captured at adult traps or found during spawning grounds surveys, or hatchery origin adults from the program captured in fisheries (after the program expands) will be measured from the tip of the snout to the fork in the tail to the nearest centimeter (cm).

Fish Length Review

Documented Method Examples

Fish Length Review

Search for documented methods

Fish Length Review

Online Discussion

Fish Length Review

Results

• Community input/recommendations

• New methods documented

Fish Length Review

Follow-up

Update monitoring

methods .org

Community discussion

Review of existing

methods

Find SMEs and key players

Identify topic

Methods Review

Process

Approach 1: monitoringmethods.org online discussion

Approach 2: Facilitated workshop followed by online discussion

Workshop

Goals

Discuss best practices,

promote consistent documentation,

increase awareness about monitoringmethods.org .

• Documentation – clear descriptions leaves no confusion about what was collected or how

• Consistency – makes things easier to compare

Methods Review Why are documentation & consistency important?

• Snorkel Surveys – Jennifer O’Neal, Tetra Tech

• Pool Characteristics – Brett Roper, USFS

Methods Review

Today’s focus

Snorkel Surveys

Methods and Objectives

Jennifer O’Neal

Why Do We Snorkel?

• Collect specific fish metrics

• Observe fish using specific habitats or structures

• Observe fish behavior under various conditions (e.g., depth, velocity, seasonal timing, flow, temp)

• Low cost/less labor intensive

• No take/permit needed

Potential Metrics

• Juvenile fish density

• Relative/total fish abundance

• Species assemblage/diversity

• Fish distribution

• Presence/absence

• Length/size/age class distribution

• Habitat use/associations

• Fish behavior

Challenges of Snorkel Surveys

• Turbid water Minimum recommended visibility

is 1.5 meters

• Very shallow water Minimum recommended depth is

20 cm

• Water that’s too fast • Very deep water • Temperature

Daytime surveys between 10°C - 18°C For water temps <10° C or >18° C nighttime

surveys

Snorkel Gear

• Dry suit/wet suit • Neoprene hood • Mask/snorkel • Neoprene gloves • Neoprene socks • Wading boots • Warm under layers • Thermometer • Data forms • Slate or waterproof paper/pencil • Fish ID reference materials

• Wet suit cement or Aquaseal® for repairing suits

• Small halogen light • Food/Water • First-aid kit • Mobile phone and/or radio for

emergency contact • Waterproof camera • Flagging

Additional gear for nighttime snorkel surveys: • Handheld halogen dive lights

• Red filter for dive light - can be helpful for reducing fish disturbance

Snorkel Training

• Snorkel crew training: Safety – First Aid/CPR, Swift Water

Rescue, Wilderness First Aid Snorkel procedures Fish identification Underwater fish measurement techniques

• All members of snorkel crew should be trained and current in First Aid/CPR at a minimum

• Training using visual aids – fish ID materials, fish photos, identification keys

• In-water training promotes proper application of techniques

Fish Identification Training

Underwater fish photos

Identifying features

Schematic to illustrate features

Fish Identification Resources

Examples of Freshwater Fish Identification Resources:

Inland Fishes of Washington - Wydoski, R.S. and R.R. Whitney (2003)

Field Identification of Coastal Juvenile Salmonids - Pollard, W. R., G. F. Hartman, C. Groot and P. Edgell (1997)

The Behavior and Ecology of Pacific Salmon and Trout - Quinn (2004)

Field Guide to the Fishes of Eastern Washington – Scholtz, A and H. McLellan (Eastern WA University)

Salmon and Trout Identification – King County - http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAnd Plants/salmon-and-trout/identification.aspx

Fish Passage Center - www.fpc.org

NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources - http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/fish/

WDFW Trout and Salmon Identification Guide - http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/salmon/identification.html

Fish Length Estimation

• Objects viewed underwater appear about 1.3x larger

• Method: Estimating Fish Total Length Underwater – available on MM.org

• Practice estimating fish sizes by viewing objects/fish of known sizes underwater

• Examples of ways to calibrate fish length estimation include:

Calibrated wooden dowels or floating cutouts of fish of various sizes can be attached to weights and distributed throughout a stream channel

Live fish of known size can also be used - individually mark fish of known sizes in a stream reach

Marked lengths on gloves can be used to compare with observed fish

Snorkel Data Sheet

Fish Survey Form

Widths (fish passage only):

1: 8: 15:

Survey Type: Habitats Species 2: 9: 16:

Site: Fast F Chinook CH Rainbow RB 3: 10: 17:

Station: slow S Coho CO Bulltrout BT 4: 11: 18:

Date: backwater BW Sockeye SK Brooktrout BK 5: 12: 19:

H2O temp: sidechannel SC Chum CM Sculpin SC 6: 13: 20:

Team: Wood WD Steelhead ST Lamprey LP 7: 14: 21:

Visit: Visibility Pink PK Dace DC

Cutthroat CT Stickleback SB

Transect Time Quadrat/Habitat Snorkeler Species Number Size Assoc. with new Habitat?

AIS or off-channel Comments

Fish Data Output

Fish Data Output

= In-stream Habitat Projects Floodplain Enhancement Projects

Fish Density Percent of projects with species present

0102030405060708090

0.00000

0.05000

0.10000

0.15000

0.20000

0.25000

0.30000

Chinook Coho Steelhead

Fish Data Output

Potential Methods

• 17 protocols and 21 methods related to snorkeling listed in MonitoringMethods.org

• Snorkel surveys can be combined with other methods/tools such as sonar or GIS to generate three-dimensional maps of habitat use by fish species

• Calculating population estimates can be done with mark-re-sight techniques

Examples from MM.org

• YRWP Steelhead parr monitoring snorkel surveys

• CTWS Hood River M&E - Juvenile spring Chinook distribution

• CTWS RM&E - Bull & Brook Trout - Deschutes River Basin - Juvenile Density Monitoring

• CTWS RM&E - Multiple Species - Deschutes River Subbasin - Distribution Surveys

• CTWS RM&E - Bull Trout - Lower Deschutes River Subbasin - Fluvial Migration Patterns and Resident Home Range Research

• OBMEP - Juvenile Abundance - Snorkel Surveys

• ISEMP Bridge Creek Remote Location Fish Capture

• SRFB - Estimating In-stream Juvenile Salmonid Abundance Using Snorkeling

• Detecting Fish Species Assemblages Using Backpack Electrofishing or Snorkeling

• Mark-Recapture Estimates from Snorkeling Data

• Fish Capture-Snorkel Herding

• Estimating Fish Total Length Underwater

Data Precision vs. Cost

Snerding

Snorkeling & Electrofishing

Snorkeling

Snorkeling & Mark-Recapture

Snorkel Survey Approaches Survey Approach Potential Objectives

Snorkel survey • Observation of species/Distribution • Presence/Absence/Behavior/Structure Use • Count by species/size/Diversity • Local abundance estimate • Juvenile/adult density • Age class distribution

Snerding (Snorkel Herding) • Employed with PIT Tagging for survival and growth rates

• Estimate density, abundance, distribution as responses to habitat condition

Snorkeling with electrofishing calibration

• More precise estimates of abundance, density, age class distribution, etc.

Snorkeling as part of mark/re-sight survey

• Population estimates/Growth Rates/Production

• Localized abundance

Objective/Approach Objective Recommended Approach/Method

Distribution • Snorkel Survey – no calibration

Average Density/Relative Abundance

• Snorkel Survey – with calibration

Habitat Use • Snorkel Survey – no calibration

Total Abundance • Snorkel with mark re-capture

Others….

Questions

Jennifer O’Neal 360-336-3071, x2305

Jennifer.Oneal@TetraTech.com

Pools The epitome of fish

habitat and

management

Brett Roper, USFS

How do we define pools? Pool and Riffle; deep and shallow portions of an undulating stream bed. Pools are most easily seen in a meandering stream where the outer edge of each meander loop is deep and undercut; riffles form in the shallow water of the short, straight, wide reaches between adjacent loops. … Encyclopedia Britannia (on-line version) Velocity/depth ratio and Froude number showed the most significant differences between habitat types. In the study river, pool habitat was associated with velocity/ depth ratios of less than 1.24 and Froude numbers less than 0.18. Jowettt 1993

How to use pool data;

precision, relationships, and

relevance

• Training

• Protocol

• Usefulness

• Dimensions

Very early we saw a need for training.

Roper and Scarnecchia 1995

Observer Riffle Pool Glide 1 61 39 0 2 52 38 10 3 34 44 22 4 63 35 2 5 66 31 3 6 57 42 1 7 52 35 13 8 60 39 1

Observer Riffle Pool Glide 1 53 43 4 2 54 46 <1 3 57 39 4 4 59 38 3 5 58 39 3 6 60 36 4

1st

Eff

ort

2

nd E

ffo

rt

We compared many monitoring programs. Where

are good and is less so.

Attribute AREMP CFG EMAP NIFC ODFW PIBO UC

Gradient

Sinuosity

Bankfull

WD

% Pool

Pool/km

Pool Depth

d50

% Fines

LWD

But more training does not mean people

have the same protocol (view of the

stream)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

PB PR SP

Per

cen

t P

oo

l

AREMP

CFG

EMAP

NIFC

ODFW

PIBO

UC

Roper et al. 2010

Pools inter-related

• Gradient (-)

• Stream Size (+)

• Geology (various)

• Wood (+)

• Fines (+)

• Sinuosity (+)

Fish Density (especially trout)

• Driven by complexity.

• Driven by food.

• Driven by cover

All of these are affected by habitat composition.

Peer reviewed publications that evaluate pools Hankin and Reeves. 1988. Estimating total fish abundance and total habitat area … Roper et al. 1994. Summer Distribution of and Habitat Use by Chinook Salmon … Urabe, H. 2010. Evaluation of habitat quality for stream salmonids … Carline and McCollough. 2003. Effects of Floods on Brook Trout Populations … Kruzic, et al. 2001. Comparison of midsummer survival and growth of age-0 hatchery coho… Lobon-Cervia, J. et al. 2011. Factors driving spatial and temporal variation in production … Rosi-Marshall, E. J. et al. 2006 . Ecological responses to trout habitat rehabilitation …. Deschenes J et al. 2007. Context-dependent responses of juvenile Atlantic salmon to …. Roni, P. 2001. Density and size of juvenile salmonids in response to placement… Quist and Hubert. 2005. Relative effects of biotic and abiotic processes… Hasegawa and Yamamoto. 2010. The effect of flow regime on the occurrence … Bagliniere. 2005. Inter annual changes … Baldigo, 2001. Effects of stream acidification and habitat on fish populations … Bowlby and Roff. 1986. Trout biomass and habitat relationships in southern Ontario … Bryant. 2005. An approach to effectiveness monitoring … Cote, D. 2007. Measurements of salmonid population performance in relation to habitat … Davies, P. E. 1989 Relationships between habitat characteristics and population abundance … De Groot, J.D. et al.2007. Effects of logging second-growth forests on headwater populations … Fayram and Mitko. 2008.Relationships between Reach-Scale Habitat Variables … Flitcroft, R.L. et al. 2012. Do network relationships matter? Comparing network .. Nickelson, T. E. 1992. Seasonal-changes in habitat use by juvenile coho salmon … Bryant, M. D. 2009. The Response of Salmon Populations to Geomorphic Measurements… Jutila, E. 2001. Instream and catchment characteristics affecting the occurrence …

Kanno, et al. 2012. Estimating size-specific brook trout abundance in continuously … Kozel, S. J. et al. 1989. Factors influencing the abundance of brook trout… Magoulick and Wilzbach. 1998. Effect of temperature and macrohabitat on interspecific … Newman, R.N. 1989. Differences in brown trout (salmo-trutta) production among contiguous … Urabe and Nakano. 1998. Contribution of woody debris to trout habitat modification … Weigel, D. E. 2001. The influence of habitat characteristics on the longitudinal distribution … Young, M.K. et al. 2005. Prediction cutthrout trout abundance in high elevation streams… Latterell, J.J. et al. 2003. Physical constraints on trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) distribution … Johnson, S.L. et al.2005. Effects of an increase in large wood on … Stichert, ND. 2001. A test of factors hypothesized to influence biomass of salmonids … Fausch and Northcote. 1992. Large woody debris and salmonid habitat … Muhlfeld, CC. 2001. Summer habitat use by Columbia River redband trout .. Reeves, G. 2011. Seasonal Changes in Habitat Availability and the Distribution and Abundance … Nelson, R.L., et al. 1992. Trout distribution and habitat in relation to geology and geomorphology. Stoneman and Jones. 2000 The influence of habitat features on the biomass and distribution … Whiteway, S.L. et al.2010. Do in-stream restoration structures enhance salmonid. Roni, P. 2002. Habitat use by fishes and pacific giant salamanders. Shepard, B.B. 2004.Factors that may be influencing nonnative brook trout invasion and their … Beard and Carline. 1991. Influence of spawning and other stream habitat features … Hayes, D. 2009. Linking fish population dynamics to habitat conditions: insights from … Langford, T. E. et al. 2012. Conflicting effects of woody debris on stream fish populations … Ebersole et al.2003. Thermal heterogeneity, stream channel morphology, … Hicks and Hall. 2003. Rock type and channel gradient structure Salmonid populations … Inoue, M. 2002. Effects of longitudinal variations in stream habitat structure on fish abundance … Holecek, D. E. 2009. Juvenile Chinook salmon summer microhabitat availability, use, …

Models

Fish Attribute Habitat Attribute R2 -All Trout 50 m reach Basin (f), Wetted Width (-), Percent Pool (+) 0.41 Long Reach Basin (f), Wetted Width (-) 0.55 -Older Trout 50 m reach Basin (f), Bankfull Width (-), Percent Pool (+), Percent Pool *Basin (f), Residual Pool Depth (+) 0.71 Long Reach Basin (f), Wetted Width (-), Percent Pool (+) 0.64

From Bisson et al 1982

• People like to use pool types.

• Explains variation in fish metrics.

• But inconsistent

• Not worth the df.

Considerations when measuring pools • Length

• of Pool • of Reach

• Width • Depth

• Slow (laminar flow) • > Residual Pool Depth

Methods Review – Workshop Results

Post Discussion on Monitoring Methods

Methods Review – Workshop Results

Post Discussion on Monitoring Methods

• Workshop Summary - list of issues identified, possible resolution, any recommendations for best practices, other points discussed

• Post online - opportunity for others that were not able to attend to comment

• Leave discussion open for limited time

• PNAMP to solicit feedback & finalize discussion in future

All discussions and final outcomes

will be documented and available online for future reference

Methods Review

Look for Future Topics

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

Parting thoughts?