Implementation of Components of Upper Willamette Basin Bull Trout Action Plan
Specifically, Objective 2, which is to reestablish a naturally reproducing bull trout population in the
Swift/Bear creek system
Vince Tranquilli, Michael Hogansen, Kelly Reis, and Jeff Ziller
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 3150 Main Street, Springfield, Oregon 97478
(541) 726-3515 ext. 33, vince.tranquilli@state.or.us
Proposed Accomplishment Summary:
This project builds on ten years of collaborative work conducted by the Upper Willamette Bull Trout
Working Group (Working Group). The Working Group recently summarized this work in a report
prepared for USFWS, titled “Status of Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) in the Middle Fork
Willamette Basin; Ten years after Implementation of the 1998 Rehabilitation Plan”. This project will
fund parts of the 2008 “Upper Willamette Basin Bull Trout Action Plan”. In the past, we collected fry
from Anderson Creek and transferred them directly to the Middle Fork Willamette River. To date,
these fry transplants have successfully resulted in a small naturally reproducing bull trout population
in the upper Middle Fork Willamette River. However, the primary historic bull trout spawning and
rearing habitat in Swift and Bear creeks remains unoccupied. To reestablish bull trout in these areas
we propose to rear bull trout fry collected from the McKenzie River Basin in captivity through a “life-
stage that experiences poor survival in the wild” to improve their chances of survival (65 FR 56916)
after transfer and release into the Swift/Bear creek system.
The importance to the Resource:
This project funds actions that work towards meeting draft recovery criteria in the Willamette
Recovery Unit. In a recovered condition, the Upper Willamette River core area would include a local
population in the upper Middle Fork Willamette River (meeting distribution criteria). By reestablishing
local populations in unoccupied or inaccessible historic habitat, such as Swift/Bear creek system, this
project also works to meet abundance and trend criteria. A reestablished population in the Middle
Fork Willamette also serves as a refuge population, reducing the risk of catastrophic events, such as
forest fire, chemical spill, or volcanic activity, which could extirpate one or more local populations in
the McKenzie River Basin. By transferring more individuals to the Middle Fork Willamette, we also
continue to increase the genetic diversity of this reestablished population and further reduce the risks
of inbreeding depression and genetic drift.
The problem:
While direct fry transfers successfully produced naturally reproducing adult bull trout in the upper
Middle Fork Willamette near Iko, Indigo, and Chuckle springs, to date, we have not observed adult
bull trout moving into upper Swift/Bear creek system to spawn. The Working Group believes that
upper Swift and Bear creek system is the largest patch of unoccupied suitable/historic habitat for bull
trout in the upper Middle Fork Willamette River. In addition, USFWS has expressed concerns over
the potential cumulative impact of fry removal from Anderson Creek. When bull trout fry are available
for us to collect in Anderson Creek access to upper Swift/Bear creek system is often blocked to
vehicular traffic by snow. We have also found higher densities of potential predators in this system,
including cutthroat, Pacific giant salamander and aquatic shrew than Iko, Indigo, and Chuckle springs.
To overcome these problems, the Working Group has developed a new captive-rearing/release
strategy, which addresses the vehicle access problem, predation problem, and greatly reduces the fry
take from the donor population. Instead of making direct fry transfers, we propose to rear fewer bull
trout fry in captivity to fingerling size before transfer and release. Using this approach, we would
collect bull trout fry when they are available, rear them to a larger size to reduce predation and
release them before the end of the fall while upper Swift/Bear creek system is still accessible by road.
We tested the feasibility of this strategy in 2007 by bringing 300 wild fry from Anderson Creek into
Leaburg Hatchery in March and April. We reared these fish to fingerling size and released 231
tagged juvenile bull trout into Swift and Bear creeks in October 2007. Rearing bull trout fry at
Leaburg Hatchery for seven months is a considerable commitment of Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife staff and other resources (well water, rearing space, etc.). Current funding for the Middle
Fork Willamette Basin Bull Trout Monitoring and Rehabilitation project is not adequate to care for the
health and well-being of these fish. In 2007, personnel funded by other projects reared these 300 fish
at Leaburg Hatchery. In 2008, we anticipate up to 1,200 bull trout fry may be captively-reared at the
hatchery from mid-February through October.
We are requesting 8 months of funding for an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife employee at a
Natural Resource Specialist 1 (NRS1) level. We believe 70% of that time will be spent in Leaburg
Hatchery captively rearing bull trout and 30% of that time will be spent collecting and reporting
biological data. If funded, a successful candidate for this position will work with the Project Leader
(NRS3) and Assistant Project Leader (NRS2) to collect bull trout fry, possibly snorkeling at night using
dip nets to capture fry, provide daily care for fish in rearing tanks, raise live brine shrimp, purchase
other specialty food products, communicate fish health and disease concerns to ODFW Research,
participate in the tagging and marking of fish, collect length and unique marking and secondary
marking information, enter this marking data into spreadsheets in MS excel, and calculate descriptive
statistics for tag loss, survival by rearing week, and growth, write periodic progress reports for the
Working Group, assist in spawning ground surveys conducted in Anderson and Olallie creeks and
other potential donor populations, help install and maintain PIT tag monitoring equipment in the upper
McKenzie River with USFS/McKenzie Ranger District personnel, review digital video, upload infrared
fish counts, upload PIT tag data files, and record redd survey data and maintain project data in MS
excel spreadsheets, and assist in the release of fish into Swift and Bear creeks with USFS/Middle
Fork Willamette Ranger District personnel.
We are also requesting funding from USFWS for 5-month lease of an extra vehicle and the purchase
of 700 23 mm long half-duplex PIT tags (USFS/Middle Fork Ranger District will provide another 300),
200 12 mm long PIT tags, and 120 PIT tag applicators.
The objective:
Rear wild bull trout fry originating from the McKenzie Basin up to fingerling size (≥ 100 mm fork
length), tag with 23 mm long half-duplex PIT tag to monitor survival and life history characteristics,
use a secondary mark (color coded visual elastomer implant mark, fish’s left eye) to estimate tag loss
and later identify untagged fish by release year, and release fish in upper Swift/Bear creek system by
the end of October to minimize effects of the artificial environment. In addition, we will continue to
monitor the donor population for potential impacts resulting from fry removal.
The method:
Collect, transfer, and rear wild bull trout fry at Leaburg Hatchery in four 400-gallon Canadian troughs
in 10°C pathogen-free well water. Seek to maintain rearing densities below 250 fish per trough by
releasing extra fish when they reach a size ≥ 55-65 mm fork length. We will PIT tag these smaller
fish with 12 mm long PIT tags and release as they reach size (mid-summer) in areas in the upper
Middle Fork Willamette Basin identified by the Working Group. Raise live brine shrimp at Leaburg
Hatchery as a food source, conduct spawning ground surveys in Anderson and Olallie creeks and
maintain PIT tag monitoring equipment in the upper McKenzie to assess donor population status.
Further description:
The budget request of $59,684 will provide minimal equipment and personnel time to support the
components of the Upper Willamette Bull Trout Action Plan identified above and will compliment
approximately $40,947 in cost sharing from the Working Group. We believe about 30% or 2.4
months of the NRS1 position time will be spent on data collection, data summary, report writing, fish
marking, and fieldwork. This work portion of the work could be funded by USFWS. USFWS would
also fund the 5-month vehicle lease, cost of PIT tags, and PIT tag applicators. We believe the other
70% or 5.6 months of the NRS1 position time will be spent on fish culture at Leaburg Hatchery and
could be funded by USACE. We are therefore, requesting $36,850 from the USACE for captive
rearing and $21,363 from USFWS for marking fish and biological monitoring of the resource.
Partners & friends groups:
The Upper Willamette Bull Trout Working Group is a dedicated group of biologist from the: Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), South Willamette Watershed District, Springfield, OR,
ODFW Fish Research and Monitoring Program, Leaburg, OR, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS),
Middle Fork Willamette Ranger District, Westfir, OR, and the USFS McKenzie Ranger District,
McKenzie Bridge, OR, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, Portland, OR,
USACE Willamette Valley Projects, Lowell, OR, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS),
Endangered Species Division, Portland, OR, and USFWS Abernathy Fish Technology Center,
Longview, WA, and Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), Eugene, OR.
SALARIES & WAGES Monthly OPE Requested Cost Share Requested USACE USFWS Cost Share Cost Share
Name, Position, Title Salary % Months Months 70% Salary 30%Salary ODFW USFS
Vacant, NRS3 $4,570.00 50.64% 1.5 $10,326
Vince Tranquilli, NRS2 $4,356.00 51.85% 1.5 $9,922
Michael Hogansen, NRS1 $3,437.00 57.16% 1.5 $8,102
NEW NRS1 position $3,044.00 61.87% 8 $39,419 $27,593 $11,826
Subtotal $39,419 $27,593 $11,826 $28,351 $0
C. EXPENDABLE Price per unit No.
$218/mo.
Vehicle lease OR-DAS $0.19/mi. 5 $2,500 $2,500
300 HDX PIT tags $2.96 300 $888
700 HDX 23 mm PIT tags $2.96 700 $2,072 $2,072
200 FDX PIT tags $2.25 200 $450 $450
12 - FDX tag applicators $25.00 10 $250 $250
Subtotal $5,272.00 $0.00 $5,272.00 $0 $888
D. CAPITAL EXPENSES Subtotal
E. TRAVEL (in state) Subtotal
F. OTHER
Publication costs $500
Computer Network $495
Services - phone, zerox, utilities $650
Subtotal $0 $0 $0 $1,645 $0
Indirect @ 33.55% $14,994 $9,257 $4,265 $10,064 $0
ANNUAL GRAND TOTAL $59,684 $36,850 $21,363 $40,059 $888