Biodiversity Guide - The Intertwine

egional conservation strategybiodiversity guideChapter 5 Fish and Wildlife of the Regionupstream of the I-205 Bridge (at Woods Landingand Riverside), and in an area below BonnevilleDam (at Ives Island and Duncan, Hamilton,Horsetail, Multnomah, and Hardy creeks). Thehatchery program for these populations uses localbrood stock to augment the wild populationswith the same genetic stock.Other Fish SpeciesThe greater Portland-Vancouver region alsoincludes important habitats for other culturallyimportant, sensitive, and declining species suchas federally listed bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus),Pacific lamprey (Lampetra tridentata),coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkiclarki), Pacific eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus),North American green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris),and white sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus).These species have been affected by manyof the same factors that have resulted in declinesin salmon and steelhead, such as habitat loss anddegradation, alterations in flows and sediments,declines in water quality, and loss of access toimportant areas. Many of the conservation andrestoration actions that are being implementedfor salmon and steelhead are helping to improveconditions for these and numerous other nativespecies, although there are times when opportunitiesto benefit other species can be missed ifthey are not considered explicitly. Fortunately,efforts are under way to try to fill the gaps in ourknowledge and practices for some of the lessunderstood at-risk species in the region.Bull TroutBull trout are native throughout western NorthAmerica (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada,Montana, and British Columbia) and werehistorically found throughout the Columbia andWillamette rivers and in their tributaries. Givenbull trout’s long incubation time and need forvery cold water, the species is more sensitive toincreased water temperatures, poor water quality,and degraded stream habitat than many othersalmonids. Bull trout are now rarely found in thegreater Portland-Vancouver region. The U.S. Fishand Wildlife Service listed bull trout as threatenedin 1998 and designated critical habitat forthe species in 2005; these criteria were revised in2010. Critical habitat in the region includes themainstem Columbia River and portions of theLewis River. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceis in the process of updating its draft bull troutrecovery plan (scheduled for publication in 2012),although recovery actions are already under way.For example, in 2011, in cooperation with theOregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and otherpartners, an experimental population of bulltrout was reintroduced into the upper ClackamasRiver basin.Eulachon (Smelt)In 2010 NOAA Fisheries listed the Pacificeulachon (commonly called smelt, candlefish, orhooligan) as threatened in the greater Portland-Vancouver region, as part of the southern DPS.Eulachon typically spend 3 to 5 years in salt waterbefore returning to fresh water to spawn in theirnatal streams. Within the Columbia Basin, themajor and most consistent eulachon spawningruns occur in the mainstem of the Columbia Riveras far upstream as Bonneville Dam, and in theCowlitz River. Critical habitat designated in 2011includes the lower Columbia River up to BonnevilleDam and the lower portions of the Sandy andLewis rivers, which provide important spawninggrounds, with sandy and course gravel substrates.Most eulachon adults die after spawning. Larvaeare carried downstream and are dispersedby estuarine and ocean currents shortly afterhatching. Recovery planning for the species isexpected to occur now that the listing process hasbeen completed. Threats to the species includehabitat loss and degradation, hydroelectric dams(which block access to historical eulachon spawninggrounds and affect the quality of spawningsubstrates via flow management), altered deliveryof coarse sediments, and siltation. Other concernsinclude dredging activities (which can entrainand kill fish or otherwise result in decreasedspawning success), chemical pollutants, andthe potential impacts of climate change, such asocean warming trends that may alter prey, spawning,and rearing success.Pacific LampreyAlthough the Pacific lamprey has not been listedunder the Endangered Species Act, recent dataindicate that the abundance and distribution ofthis species have been reduced in many riverdrainages. Historically, Pacific lampreys werethought to be distributed wherever salmon andsteelhead occurred. The U.S. Fish and WildlifeService considers Pacific lamprey to be a speciesof concern and has been leading a Pacificlamprey conservation initiative to improve thestatus of the species in collaboration with NativeAmerican tribes and other federal, state, and localagencies. In 2010 the agency released the document,Best Management Practices to MinimizeAdverse Effects to Pacific Lamprey. In 2011, theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized its PacificLamprey Assessment and Template for ConservationMeasures, which contains an overalldescription of the status of the species, threatsaffecting them, and the relative risk of populationgroupings within specific geographical regionsthroughout the range of the species in the UnitedStates. The document also describes conservationactions and research, monitoring, and evaluationefforts that are occurring and needed within eachregion. Lower Columbia and Willamette riverPacific lamprey populations were found to be atlower risk than populations in other parts of theColumbia Basin. Needed actions identified withinthis area include passage improvements, lampreyspecificsurveys and identification workshops,water quality improvements, stream and floodplainrestoration, and outreach and education.The next phase of the initiative will involve developmentof regional implementation plans. Effortsare being made to address the specific needs oflamprey in fish passage and habitat restorationprojects, and to protect lamprey during and afterconstruction projects when ammocoetes (i.e.,lamprey larvae) are living in stream substrates.Coastal Cutthroat TroutThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is leadingdevelopment of a similar conservation plan forcoastal cutthroat trout under the multi-agencyCoastal Cutthroat Trout Conservation Initiative.Although the coastal cutthroat trout has beenproposed for listing under the federal EndangeredSpecies Act in the past, as recently in 2010the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has foundthat listing of this subspecies was not warranted.However, coastal cutthroat trout are consideredto be a sensitive species because of many ongoingthreats. Under the species initiative, partneringagencies and organizations will develop a rangewidecoastal cutthroat trout conservation planthat will assess coastal cutthroat trout populations,identify threats and conservation needs,and be used to help coordinate conservationefforts. This initiative, with the development ofthe conservation plan and other tools, will resultin the implementation and evaluation of importantconservation measures for coastal cutthroattrout.White SturgeonWhite sturgeon are not currently listed underthe Endangered Species Act, but the species hasreceived special conservation attention. TheLower Columbia River downstream from BonnevilleDam is the most productive in the species’range. The Oregon Department of Fish and82 83