Brett Boyd
I am happy to report that all is well down here at the fish hatchery. Spring finds us cleaning up after a very successful summer steelhead spawning season, and right in the middle of what I want to write about next: our spring smolt releases.
Every spring, juvenile salmon and steelhead undergo an amazing process that enables them to make the transition from a life in freshwater to saltwater called smoltification. Smoltification is triggered by an increase in an enzyme called ATPase. ATPase levels in a fish increase when they reach the right size at the right time of the year.
Research has shown that for spring chinook that size is 160 mm, or 6 inches, by February or March. For summer steelhead it is 190 mm, or a little over 7 inches, and the right time for them is April and May.
Our job at the hatchery is to make sure that our fish reach their optimum size and are healthy by their release date. This ensures they have every advantage we can give them before they start their amazing journey.
Another interesting part of the smolting process takes place during the last two to four weeks the fish are in fresh water and is called imprinting. When smolts imprint they memorize the water body they will return to as an adult. Fish that are reared and released from the same hatchery generally have no problems imprinting to that water source. But sometimes it is necessary to raise fish at other fish hatcheries and truck them back to their native streams for release. When this occurs these fish are sometimes held in ponds at the receiving hatchery or contained in acclimation ponds or net pens at the release site for this imprinting period. There are also situations when it is not possible to acclimate fish during this imprinting period. These fish are released directly into the river high enough in the watershed to allow them time to imprint before they migrate.
In the South Santiam River we have all three types of releases. We release 300,000 spring chinook and 144,000 summer steelhead smolts directly from the hatchery. We also use our raceways to acclimate a group of 153,000 spring chinook smolts that are transferred from Willamette Hatchery before releasing them here in March. Another group of 268,000 spring chinook are trucked from Willamette Hatchery and direct released into the South Santiam River at Waterloo and Pleasant Valley boat ramps.
There is also a fall release of 300,000 spring chinook that takes place from the hatchery in November, putting the total spring chinook releases into the South Santiam River at just over 1 million.
I would like to add that we are forced to use such a varied release strategy for our spring chinook program due to a lack of pond space at our facility, and that all the spring chinook released are from eggs taken at South Santiam Hatchery.
The smolts are released from the hatchery through an underground pipe that connects our raceways to the river. Just before dark, the pond screens that have protected our fish from the dangers of the outside world are removed and the smolts are allowed to swim out on their own free will.
Spring chinook migrate out of the raceways the fastest and are usually gone within one week. Summer steelhead require a little more time – three to four weeks – to migrate. At the end of that period there are usually around 3,000 summer steelhead smolts that refuse to leave the ponds. These nonmigrating fish are collected, placed in a separate raceway, and raised to a length of 8 inches so they can be stocked elsewhere as legal trout. We do this versus forcing them into the river so they will not stay and compete the ESA listed native winter steelhead smolts.
Spring is also the time many anglers start fishing for returning summer steelhead and spring chinook adults in the South Santiam. We encourage anglers to be mindful of our smolts as they start their 247-mile journey to the ocean.
These fish are very aggressive and will readily strike almost anything as they make their way through the South Santiam, Santiam, Willamette, and Columbia Rivers. Smolts are especially attracted to lures and presentations using bait. The use of single hooks on plugs and lures and increasing the hook size when using bait will reduce the number of smolts hooked.
Remember, our fish can’t make it back if they never make it there.
And as always we are open from daylight until dark seven days a week with staff available to answer questions from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
All are welcome and we hope to see you soon.
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Here’s more on the fishing scene as the snow begins to melt –literally!
The springers are here. Significant numbers of spring Chinook have entered the Columbia and Willamette Rivers and the bite is on. Stream flows in the South Santiam have been fairly stable and steelhead counts at Willamette Falls have improved some with about 3,600 winters and 700 summers passing through during the second week of April. Warming river temperatures could increase those numbers significantly.
Winter steelhead are present throughout both forks of the Santiam and enough summer-run fish have come in to make it interesting. A few spring chinook have been counted over the falls and will be entering the Santiam River by the end of the month, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officials say.
Both Foster (4,000) and Green Peter (9,000) lakes were stocked with legal-sized trout on April 7, according to the ODFW, and again with the same numbers on April 21. Sunnyside Pond is scheduled for 300 legal-sized trout and 25 larger trout (12 inches or larger) on April 28. Foster is scheduled to get 4,000 more trout, Green Peter 6,000 and Sunnyside 450 plus 50 larger trout on May 5.
Many streams closed to angling March 31. Anglers are reminded to check regulations for the stream they are planning to fish.
Hatchery smolt releases are occurring in April in several streams. Anglers are reminded to carefully release any smolts encountered. Remember, these are the fish to catch in the future.
In other outdoor news:
– The new Hunter Reporting System is on-line and all persons who purchased an Oregon deer, elk, pronghorn, cougar, black bear or turkey tag for a 2007 hunt are asked to report the result of their harvest efforts—whether or not they were successful, whether or not they hunted. The results of the new reporting system will improve the quality and quantity of hunting effort and harvest information, according to the ODFW.
Hunters can report either by telephone or through the ODFW Web site. Call 1-866-947-ODFW (6339) for the automated phone system, or access the hunting report form through the Hunter Resource section of the Web site, http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/hunting/reporting/index.asp
“We would like all hunters to use the new system to report their hunting activity,” said Thornton. “Even if you received a survey phone call from ODFW this year, we would like you to try out the new system.”
Hunters who purchased bighorn sheep and Rocky Mountain goat tags do not have to report as these hunters are required to check out of the hunt area.
When to report:
– 2007 season hunters are asked to report by June 1, 2008.
– Hunters with tags for 2008 hunting seasons can report beginning June 1, 2008.
Before calling the phone line or logging into the new online system, hunters should have the following information ready:
– Hunter/Angler ID number (located on ODFW licenses, tags and applications);
– The two-digit Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) number of the unit hunted. If the hunt area included more than 1 WMU, use the number of the unit hunted in most of the time;
– The total number of days hunted — including mentoring youth;
– The number of days hunted in the WMU hunted most often.
For additional information, visit ODFW’s Web site, http://www.dfw.state.or.us.
– Spring bear and turkey hunting: Take your time. The remaining controlled eastside spring bear seasons and statewide general turkey seasons opened April 15. But no need to be in a hurry to get out—take advantage of the long hunting seasons (through May 31) because access to traditional hunting areas may be difficult due to snow, particularly in the Wallowa District which has received record snowfall. Bears remained denned up later than usual this year, and the peak of turkey mating behavior—when toms are most actively searching for a mate or a fight, and are easiest to call in—could also be delayed. See the spring bear and spring turkey hunting forecasts for tips and local information about hunting conditions.
– National Park Week, April 19-27: This spring or summer, why not plan to visit at least one Oregon National Park you haven’t visited? If you haven’t been there, start with Crater Lake National Park. No place else on earth combines a deep, pure lake, so blue in color. A visit to the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is like taking a journey into ancient Oregon. Whether you tour the museum at Sheep Rock or hike a trail at the Painted Hills, Oregon’s exciting past will be revealed. Oregon Caves National Monument offers opportunities to explore a marble cave, visit a National Historic Landmark and hike trails through ancient forests. Find other areas of interest to visit on the Oregon section of the National Park Web site.
– Got thoughts about big game hunting in Oregon? ODFW hosts a series of public meetings each spring to present controlled big game hunt tag number proposals, season dates, etc. and get the public’s feedback.
The closest meetings to Sweet Home will be on May 6 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Springfield at the Dept. of Forestry building at 3150 E. Main St., on May 8 from 7 to 8 p.m. in Albany at the Armory Building at 104 SW 4th St., and on May 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Salem at Chemeketa Community College, Building 48, Room 202 B at 4000 Lancaster Dr. NE.
The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider staff recommendations and adopt final 2008 tag numbers and 2009 big game regulation concepts at its June 6 meeting in Salem.
Interested individuals may also provide input on ODFW proposals during public testimony at the June 6 Commission meeting in Salem. Written comments can be sent to ODFW Wildlife Division, 3406 Cherry Ave NE, Salem, OR 97303 or e-mailed to [email protected]