2007 Steelhead Redd Surveys Naches River Tributaries Gary Torretta District Fisheries Biologist Naches Ranger District

2007 Steelhead Redd Surveys Naches River Tributaries Gary Torretta District Fisheries Biologist Naches Ranger District

Survey Method/Purpose

Fourth year of monitoring steelhead spawning in the Naches River Basin. In 2007, surveys were focused in the Little Naches River drainage, Nile Creek, and Oak Creek. These reaches had favorable water flows and clarity during the spawning period
Attempt to establish a long term data set of key spawning reaches and document any expansions in the steelhead spawning distribution
Multiple pass surveys in tributaries of the Naches River, and GPS redd locations
In 2007 two to four surveys were accomplished per reach between April 24 - May 30
High stream flows and limited personnel prevented surveys on Bumping and American Rivers and Rattlesnake Creek

Oak Creek 4/24, 5/1, 5/8 and 5/17 Surveys Mouth to Indian Creek – 15 Redds New redds observed on each survey

Oak Creek
Steelhead spawning penetrated nearly one
mile upstream of a former impassible
beaver dam that washed out in 2006

Nile Creek No private land survey access to lower 0.5 mile of stream in 2007

Little Naches River and Tributaries Surveyed between May 3 and May 30 Redds observed between May 15 and May 30th 16 total redds in drainage

Little Naches Redds located between 2800’ and 3375’ elevation Highest elevation redds located in the North Fork Little Naches River

Little Naches Spawning found in three reaches:

Quartz Creek (2 redds, 1.5 miles)
North Fork Little Naches, mouth to 0.5 miles
above Pyramid Creek (6 redds, 2.7 miles)
Little Naches River, Four Way Meadow to Mid/Nth Fork (8 redds, 4.7 miles)

Upper Mainstem Little Naches

North Fork Little Naches River

Rattlesnake Creek

Rattlesnake Creek
No surveys in 2007 due to limited opportunities
of safe and favorable surveying conditions and
limited personnel availability

American River No surveys in 2007 due to high flow conditions during entire month of May

Bumping River No surveys in 2007 due to spring snow melt in March with filled Bumping Reservoir early, causing high water to be passed during April and May

Summary Comparison 2004-2007 Surveys Naches Steelhead Redds: 94 in 2004 140 in 2005 19 in 2006 44 in 2007 Miles Surveyed: 39.5 in 2004 91.4 in 2005 61.4 in 2006 30.4 in 2007 Prosser Adult Steelhead Passage: 2755 in 2004 3451 in 2005 2005 in 2006 1342 in 2007

Acknowledgements Jim Cummins, Jennifer Scott, WDFW Scott Willey, Scott Kline, BOR Lance Clarke, Jeff Thomas, USFWS Gary Torretta, Karen Lindhorst, Yuki Reiss, Linda Lowry, USFS Jim Matthews, Paul Huffman, YN Pat Monk, Irrigation Districts Alex Conley, YBFWRB Dick Matson, Landowner