WILD STEELHEAD STATUS IN OREGON

STEELHEAD STATUS IN OREGON

By Rhine Messmer

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

2007

In Oregon there are 79 steelhead populations including 49 winter steelhead and 30 summer steelhead populations. These are grouped into Species Management Units (SMUs)

Winter Steelhead Status:

Oregon’s winter steelhead are found in the following SMUs: Coastal, Willamette, Rogue and Lower Columbia River.

Coastal SMU:

There are 23 populations classified as “Potentially at Risk” due to hatchery fish influence. The watersheds that fail the reproductive independence criteria include the Necanicum, Lower Nehalem, Wilson, Siletz, Yaquina, Alsea, Coos, Coquille, and South Coquille. Although no coastal winter steelhead populations are listed for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, they were listed as a candidate species in 1998.

Rogue SMU:

This population passed the interim Native Fish Conservation Policy criteria and is therefore classified as “Not At Risk.” This population of winter steelhead was determined by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to be not warranted for listing under the ESA in 2001.

Lower Columbia SMU:

There are 9 populations of winter steelhead in this SMU. These populations are classified as “At Risk” due to the lack of information on their status. Consequently, they failed the criteria for abundance, productivity, and reproductive independence. The lower Columbia River winter steelhead are listed as threatened by the NMFS under the ESA in 1998.

Willamette River SMU:

There are 9 winter steelhead populations in the Willamette River above Willamette Falls. This SMU is listed as “Potentially At Risk” due to distribution criteria. These populations include Rickreall Creek and the North and South Santiam rivers which all have passage blocked by dams. Winter steelhead in the Willamette SMU are listed (1999) as threatened by the NMFS under the ESA.

Summer Steelhead Status:

Wild, native summer steelhead populations are found in some coastal watersheds and many of the larger Columbia River tributaries from Hood River upstream to the Snake River.

Coastal Summer Steelhead SMU:

These populations are found in the Siletz and North Umpqua rivers and are classified as “Potentially At Risk” due to low productivity for the Siletz River population and failure of Reproductive Independence for the North Umpqua populations. Coastal summer steelhead are not listed under the ESA, but were listed as a Candidate species in 1998.

Rogue River Summer Steelhead SMU:

This SMU includes the middle and upper Rogue summer steelhead populations and because they passed all interim criteria under the Oregon Native Fish Conservation Policy they are classified as “Not At Risk.” Rogue summer steelhead were found to be “Not Warranted” for ESA listing in 2001.

Lower Columbia River Summer Steelhead SMU:

The only population in this SMU is the Hood River in Oregon. This SMU is listed as “At Risk” due to the failure to pass the abundance, productivity, and reproductive independence criteria under the Oregon Native Fish Conservation Policy. In addition, this population is listed as threatened by NMFS.

Middle Columbia River Summer Steelhead SMU:

There are 11 historic populations between The Dalles Dam and the Snake River. This SMU is classified as “At Risk.” Deschutes summer steelhead failed criteria for abundance, productivity, and independence. Many of the mid-Columbia River summer steelhead populations are affected by stray hatchery summer steelhead that originate from hatchery programs in the Snake River. The mid-Columbia River summer steelhead SMU was listed as threatened under the ESA in 1999. A draft recovery plan for the mid-Columbia summer steelhead has been completed.

Snake River Summer Steelhead SMU:

There are five Oregon summer steelhead populations in this SMU in tributaries flowing into the Snake River below Hells Canyon Dam. This SMU is classified as “Not At Risk” by Oregon even though the NMFS has listed it as a threatened species under the ESA in 1997. The upper Grand Ronde population did not meet the productivity criteria under the Oregon Native Fish Conservation Policy due to low resiliency.

Klamath River Steelhead SMU:

There are two populations in the Klamath upstream from the Oregon-California border. This SMU is listed as “At Risk” due to failure to meet five of the six interim criteria under the Oregon Native Fish Conservation Policy.

Native Fish Conservation Policy Criteria:

1. Existing Populations criteria: At least 80% of historical populations are still in existence and not at risk of extinction in the near future.

2. Habitat Use Distribution criteria: Naturally produced members of a population occupy at least 50% of the historically used habitat in at least 3 of the last 5 years for at least 80% of the existing population.

3. Abundance criteria: The number of naturally produced fish is greater than 23% of average levels in at least 3 of the last 5 years for at least 80% of existing populations.

4. Productivity criteria: The population replacement rate for at least 80% of existing populations is at least 1.2 naturally produced adult offspring per parent in 3 of the last 5 years when total abundance was less than average returns of naturally produced fish.

5. Reproductive criteria: 90% or more of the spawners are naturally produced in at least 3 of the last 5 years for at least 80% of existing populations.

6. Hybridization criteria: Hybridization with non-native species is rare or nonexistent in 3 of the last 5 years for at least 80% of existing populations.