2000-014-00

Evaluate Population Dynamics and Habitat Use of Lampreys in Cedar Creek, Washington

Project Title: Evaluate Habitat use and population dynamics of lamprey in Cedar Creek

Project Background Section:

Three lamprey species (Lampetra tridentata, L. ayresi, and L. richardsoni) occur in the Columbia River basin (Kan 1975). Pacific lampreys (L. tridentata) in the basin have declined to only a remnant of their pre-1940s populations (Close et al. 1995) and the status of the river lamprey (L. ayresi) and the western brook lamprey (L. richardsoni) is unknown. The ecological, economic, and cultural significance of these species, especially the Pacific lamprey, is grossly underestimated (Kan 1975; Close et al. 1995). Though biological and ecological information for these species is available (e. g. Pletcher 1963; Beamish 1980; Richards 1980; Beamish and Levings 1991), few studies have been conducted within the Columbia River basin (Kan 1975; Hammond 1979; Close 2001). Actions are currently being considered for the recovery of Pacific lamprey populations (Close et al. 1995).

Identifying the biological factors that are limiting lamprey success in the Columbia River basin is critical for their recovery. Availability and accessibility of suitable spawning and rearing habitat may affect the amount of recruitment that occurs within a basin (Houde 1987; Potter et al. 1986). Factors such as food base, disease, competition, and predation also need to be examined. Moreover, studying lamprey population dynamics is essential for developing and evaluating management plans (Van Den Avyle 1993). Population assessments allow for the description of fluctuations in abundance and measure responses to environmental disturbances. Such knowledge may eventually allow the use of mathematical models to predict future trends relative to alternative management strategies.

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Columbia River Fisheries Program Office (CRFPO), has received funding from Bonneville Power Administration to monitor adult and juvenile lamprey in Cedar Creek since 2000 to describe life-histories and investigate factors affecting lamprey. Cedar Creek is a third-order tributary to the Lewis River, whose 89.3 square km drainage includes diverse stream types and habitat conditions. Fish access to Cedar Creek is not directly inhibited by dams on the mainstem Columbia River; however, the indirect effects that hydropower facilities, particularly Bonneville, may have are unclear. For example, they may 1) block upstream spawning migration forcing fish into tribs below Bonneville; or 2) change historical flow (e.g., freshets) in the mainstem and influence behavior. Pacific lamprey, western brook lamprey (Stone et al. 2001, 2002; Pirtle et al. 2003; Lê et al. 2004; Luzier & Silver 2005) and possibly river lamprey (Dan Rawding, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, personal communication) are found in Cedar Creek.

Activities of the CRFPO in the Cedar Creek project have focused on larval, juvenile and adult lamprey. Activities for juvenile lamprey have included monitoring the abundance and timing of movement of individuals by operating a rotary screw trap (Stone et al. 2001, 2002; Pirtle et al. 2003; Lê et al. 2004, Luzier and Silver 2005), investigating the distribution and habitat use of larvae (Stone and Barndt 2005), and assessing the susceptibility of larvae to electrofishing, as well as our ability to predict which larvae will transform (Stone et al. in press). Activities focused on adults have included describing timing and habitat used by spawning Pacific lamprey (Stone submitted), and collecting individuals to describe their biological characteristics and estimate abundance. In addition to providing essential information describing lamprey inhabiting Cedar Creek, these activities are assisting in the evaluation of methods that may be applicable to studies of lamprey in other areas of the Columbia River basin.

None

2000

2011

Deborah Docherty (Inactive)

Closed - Project Status Report

Province	Subbasin	%
Lower Columbia	Lewis	100.00%

Habitat

RM and E

Lamprey, Pacific

Anadromous: 100.0%   Resident: 0.0%   Wildlife: 0.0%

Estuary (Public Tags)
Exclude Tributary Habitat RME (Public Tags)

None

None