Pacific Lamprey Lampetra tridentata Status and Distribution in the Clearwater River Drainage, Idaho

Christopher W. Claire

Timothy G. Cochnauer

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Bonneville Power Administration Deborah Docherty

• Idaho Department of Fish and Game Jody Brostrom

Anne Peterson, Rebecca Repp, Kyle Steele, Terry Douglas

• Bureau of Land Management

Craig Johnson

• Columbia River Research Laboratory Jennifer Bayer

• University of Idaho

Dr. George LaBar

Dr. Dale Everson

STATUS OF LAMPREY IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND SNAKE RIVER

• Three species of lamprey present historically in the Columbia River basin, river lamprey, Lampetra ayresi, brook lamprey, Lampetra richardsoni, and Pacific lamprey Lampetra tridentata.

• Pacific lamprey Columbia River and Snake River declines since 1960’s

• Hydropower development, habitat alterations, and land management practices (irrigation, etc.) are thought to be driving decline

• Little is known about life history, habitat utilization, and distribution of the three species.

INTRODUCTION

• Objectives

1. Determine life history of Pacific lamprey and ammocoetes and macrothalmia in the

Clearwater River drainage.

2. Determine habitat utilization and preference of Pacific lamprey ammocoetes in Red River.

3. Determine distribution of Pacific lamprey ammocoetes and macrothalmia in the

Clearwater River drainage.

4. Develop and implement strategies to protect Pacific lamprey ammocoete and macrothalmia habitat in the Clearwater River drainage.

Pacific Lamprey Adult

PACIFIC LAMPREY LIFE HISTORY

• Anadromous, spawn in salmon and steelhead streams in April, May, and June.

• Eggs hatch in ~ 20 days, ammocoetes are eyeless, live in finer substrates (Scott and Crossman 1973)

• Transform at age 4-7 (Beamish and Levings 1991)

• Juveniles migrate in late fall and spring

• 1-2? years in ocean feeding on herring, hake, salmon, and steelhead; marks found on mammals

• Return to rivers to spawn

Bonneville Dam

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Ice Harbor Dam

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Lower Granite Dam

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Clearwater River

N. F. Clearwater

S. F. Clearwater

Dworshak Dam

PROJECT AREA

WA

OR

MT

ID

PROJECT AREA HISTORY

• White settlement of Clearwater River drainage 1860-1920, habitat alterations predominantly 1920-2002

• Lewiston Dam on main Clearwater 1927-1972

• Harpster Dam on South Fork Clearwater River rkm 32.0 Grangeville Electric Light and Power Company 1910, removed 1963

HARPSTER DAM

METHODS

• Life History, Distribution, and Habitat Utilization assessment

- Trapping and electrofishing

• Habitat Utilization in Red River:

-Red River segmented into 1 km sections, randomly selected 100 m reach within km

-Classify stream habitat, (riffle, pool, etc.) based on Platts et al. (1983) and Overton et al. (1997).

RESULTS

• Captured 1301 (2000-02) total ammocoetes and macrothalmia electroshocking and trapping in Clearwater River drainage

-614 ammocoetes and macrothalmia electroshocking Red River

-456 ammocoetes and macrothalmia electroshocking South Fork Clearwater River

-207 ammocoetes and macrothalmia in Red River trap

• Pacific lamprey ammocoete density:

-decreased with increasing flow velocity

-decreased with increasing coarse substrate

-increased with increasing riparian canopy cover “shade”

Red River 2000-03

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35

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03

South Fork Clearwater River 2000-03

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000103

Selway River 2002-03

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45

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2003

Lochsa 2002-03

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2003

Pacific Lamprey Percentage Transformed, Lolo Creek Rotary Screen Trap 1994-2003

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* * * *

* No data available

*

Courtesy Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries 2003

Distribution S. F. Clearwater R.

drainage

WA

IDMT

OR

PACIFIC LAMPREY DISTRIBUTION 1970PACIFIC LAMPREY DISTRIBUTION 1980PACIFIC LAMPREY DISTRIBUTION 2003

SUMMARY

• 2000-03 sampling indicates possible low densities and lack of recruitment

• Lower Granite Dam counts in 1995-2003 continue to average <600, (Adults)

• Distribution restricted to mainstem Selway, Lochsa, Rivers, Middle Fork Clearwater, and S. F. Clearwater River

• Measure stream velocity, stream depth, substrate composition (Platts et al. 1983), stream temperature, and riparian canopy for unit and site of capture

- Velocity: at substrate, and .6

- Maximum Depth: to 0.10 m- Substrate: size classes

- Temperature: @ stream surface - Riparian Canopy: Densiometer (4 readings in a unit)

• Evaluated the Pacific lamprey ammocoete density (/100 m2) and parameter relationship with ANOVA, Linear regression, and Multiple regression ( = 0.05)

Red River(randomly sampled units)

Total Total Total Density

Habitat Type Lamprey Captured Area Fished m2 Time Fished (Min) (Lamprey/100m2) C.P.U.E. Lmp/Min.

Lateral and 342 1283.4 1461 26.6 0.23Straight Scour Pools

Riffle 15 603.5 726 2.5 0.02

Riffle with Pockets 57 1269.8 825 4.5 0.07

Rapids with Boulders 10 357.3 305 2.8 0.03

Alcove 19 7.5 20 253.3 0.95(non random)TOTALS: 443 3521.5 3337 - -Average 12.6 0.13

S.F. Clearwater River(non random)

Lateral Scour 423 137.2 232 308.2 1.82

ANALYSISRegression

Source DF Type III SS Mean Square F Value P >F R-square

Velocity 1 22.84545 22.84545 16.48 0.0007 0.4779

Substrate Crse. 1 12.57106 12.57106 6.42 0.0208 0.2630

Substrate Med. 1 15.94397 15.94397 9.01 0.0070 0.3335

Shade (Canopy) 1 9.18372 9.18372 5.71 0.0280 0.2515

Multiple Regression (Stepwise) ModelSource DF Type III SS Mean Square F/t Value P >F/t R-square

Model 3 23.06964 7.68988 8.58 0.0015 0.6319Error 15 13.44007 0.89600

Corrected Total 18 36.50972

Velocity 1 3.01* 0.0080* --

Substrate Crse. 1 2.30* 0.0350* --

Shade 1 2.25* 0.0400* --Dependent Variable: ldensity

MANAGEMENT

• Development of Pacific Lamprey Habitat Requirement Criteria

• Pacific Lamprey Habitat and Recovery Management Goals

- Persistence of Pacific lamprey in the South Fork Clearwater River drainage, requires maintenance or improvement of remaining lateral scour/straight scour pool habitat and stream riparian canopy cover

Figure courtesty U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Lower Granite Dam

• Improvement of upstream migrant passage at Snake and Columbia River dams critical for persistence of species

• Improve downstream migrant conditions at Snake River and Columbia River dams

- Increase spill (with average or > flows) - Determine methods to decrease impingement of lamprey on bypass system

Clearwater River Drainage Pacific lamprey distribution 1970

I. Harbor, J. Day, L. Monumental, L. Goose, L. Granite

Red River

Ammocoetes/100 m2 and Flow Velocity

y = -5.3291x + 3.414

R2= 0.4779 (without one lateral scour pool)

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Red River

Ammocetes/100 m2 and Coarse Substrate (Large boulder-cobble)

y = -3.5047x + 3.6688

R2= 0.2630 (without one lateral scour pool)

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Red River

Ammocoetes/100 m2 and Canopy Cover "Shade"

y = 0.0434x + 0.7894

R2 = 0.2515(without one lateral scour pool)

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Two