Spring Chinook Salmon, Rogue SMU – Oregon Conservation Strategy

Chinook Salmon - Spring/Summer Run — Photo Credit: ODFW

Overview

Species Common Name Chinook Salmon
Species Scientific Name Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
State Listing Status Sensitive
SMU/ESU/DPS/Subspecies Spring Chinook - Rogue SMU, Southern Oregon/Northern California Coasts ESU

Ecoregions

Coast Range

Oregon’s Coast Range, known for its dramatic scenery, is extremely diverse, with habitats ranging from open sandy dunes to lush forests and from tidepools to headwater streams. It follows the coastline and extends east through coastal forest to the border of the Willamette Valley and Klamath Mountains ecoregions

Klamath Mountains

The Klamath Mountains ecoregion covers much of southwestern Oregon, including the Umpqua Mountains, Siskiyou Mountains, and interior valleys and foothills between these and the Cascade Range. The Rogue watershed has the largest population of any coastal watershed in Oregon (Jackson County, Josephine County, and a portion of Curry County). Several popular and scenic rivers run …

West Cascades

The West Cascades ecoregion extends from east of the Cascade Mountains summit to the foothills of the Willamette, Umpqua, and Rogue Valleys, and spans the entire length of the state of Oregon. It is largely dominated by conifer forests, moving into alpine parklands and dwarf shrubs at higher elevations.

Nearshore

The Nearshore ecoregion includes a variety of habitats ranging from submerged high-relief rocky reefs to broad expanses of intertidal mudflats in estuaries and hosts a vast array of fish, invertebrates, marine mammals, birds, plants, and micro-organisms. This ecoregion encompasses the area from the outer boundary of Oregon’s Territorial Sea to the supra-tidal zone, and up into the estuaries.

Special needs

Fish species most affected by William Jess Dam/Lost Creek Reservoir. Significant amount of high-quality habitat blocked. Water quality below dam problematic. Corps of Engineers, especially outside of flood control operations, must operate in way that protects spring Chinook to meet its fishery enhancement objective.

Limiting factors

Water quality (changes in flow and temperature that result from reservoir operation). Fish passage (limited amount of spawning habitat). Fishery impacts. Marine survival.

Data gaps

Development and implementation of water temperature model for Lost Creek Reservoir; ongoing monitoring of gravel quantity and quality below Lost Creek, and restoration of gravel as needed (USACE). Update knowledge of fall Chinook spawning distribution upstream within remaining spring Chinook spawning habitat.

Conservation actions

Continue coordination with Oregon Water Resources to help Corps of Engineers meet its fishery enhancement responsibility through fish-friendly operation and use of stored water. Work with water users on Big Butte Creek to identify and implement streamflow restoration, especially during spring Chinook spawn period. Continue to implement spawning gravel augmentation on Big Butte Creek as supported by monitoring results. Maintain or restore mainstem riparian and floodplain habitat. Continue ongoing restoration efforts involving landowners, tribes, and agency partners (NOAA, NMFS, ODFW, OWEB).

Key reference or plan

Rogue Spring Chinook Conservation Plan Effects of Lost Creek Dam on Spring Chinook Salmon in the Rogue River Phase II (2000) Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan