The Wilson, The Trask, The Nestucca, The Nehalem, The Necanicum, Big Creek, Youngs Bay.........
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Interview with Jim Erickson
Northwest Steelheaders Association
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Salmon Smolt Tagging
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Tagging Smolt on the Nehalem River
Read about the study
Just talked to Jim Erickson, and learned quite a bit about the radio tagging program on the North Fork of the
Nehalem. It is really interesting, and kind of funny in spots.
They are radio tagging smolts to see where they go and how fast, and where they stop.
Now remember, this is not my writing, so if any of it is incorrect or controversial, its not from Jennie!
This is from what I can understand so far, and directly quoted from Jim Erickson.
Oregon State University Dept. of Fisheries and
Wildlife
is doing the project,.
headed by Dr. Carl Schreck
"Well, they radio tagged ten salmon smolts with pitt tags on Monday by placing them in their gullets. This
enables them to track the salmon as far as 1/4 of a mile with the telemetry device. The cost of this is approximately
$150 per radio tag. They then let them loose with 100,000 other smolts.
Down the river they went!
The idea is to see where the smolts go, where they migrate to, and how long they stay in the estuary.
Of all the millions of smolts raised in the hatchery, nobody has ever radio tagged them to see what the migration
cycle is from the hatchery. This is the first time in the world to attempt such a project and we are proud to say
it is being done on the Nehalem.
I took them and their telemetry equipment down the river in my raft to see if we could locate the smolts, and to
see where and how fast they go down the river.
As soon as the raft was put in, we heard one, "beep beep beep!" But the signal was stationary, it didn't
move, so the fish was dead or it was a regurgitated tag.
So we started floating again and got about 1/2 mile down and
"beep, beep!" again! It registered as tag 22.
Then the signal disappeared!
We couldn't find the smolt or the signal in the pool and we should have, being that it was a small pool. After
checking the equipment we gave up. About 1/4 mile more down the river, we picked up 22 again!
(Each smolt has a different radio.
This signal after identification was radio 22.)
We were all perplexed! "What is going on?"
1/4 mile down the river, yet again and "beep beep!"
It was the same tag again! 22!
We waved the antenna around and there in the river are two Hooded Merganzers.
These ducks are small, like robins, and we thought it impossible for the duck to eat these large smolt.
NOT!
We pulled over and the ducks flew back up the river. again we heard "beep beep beep" up the river!
22 was in a duck!
Down the river we went to Aldervale takeout, and we heard no signals.
This tells us the hatch went straight to the estuary.
Today they jumped in the sled to look for the other 999,000. They found three. One migrated to Paradise Cove, at
the lower end of the bay.
They were checking for the saline content of the water where the river meets the tide water.
Points to consider:
Where do the smolts stop in the estuary if indeed they do?
If they stop in the estuary what is the predation factor going to be?
The seals and sea lions, avian, and other factors?
With three days working they have found out more than they ever known.
However, this program, according to Jim is very complicated!
He thinks it would be much simpler to just shoot a couple of cormorants to see what is in them.
This will answer the two basic questions and save a heck of alot of money.
What the cormorants eat, and how long the smolts stay in the estuary."
Read "A Shining Star in Salmon Recovery".
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Contact:
Jim Erickson 368-5365
Bill Hedlund738-6515
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Association of
Northwest Steelheaders
North Fork Nehalem Chapter
Rt. 1 Box 268
Nehalem, Oregon 97131
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