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This project provides a strong stewardship opportunity for its young employees and the various visitors to the Fishway. The stewardship portion of this project targets people of all ages who visit the fish ladder, but particular focus is on its employees, including local high school and university students. These employees develop a good understanding of the salmon life cycle, management and habitat as they monitor information from DFO and ADF&G to follow the passage of the salmon up the river, and work with hatchery staff to collect broodstock, look after salmon fry aquaria in the interpretive centre, communicate this information to fishway visitors daily and conduct stream walks at Wolf Creek to monitor adult returns. Fishway employees also learn about sampling techniques and salmon husbandry through assisting the Hatchery manager with egg takes and ASL sampling. The employees communicate their knowledge to a broad range of visitors to the ladder, including the hosted Open House in August during the primary run time, which fosters an appreciation for salmon and support for the management of the salmon and their habitat. Public recognition of the importance of this interpretation venue to the tourism sector of the Yukon also enhances the local support for stewardship of Yukon River salmon. Through this project the various visitors learn about the valuable resource that is present in the Yukon River drainage and the employees through their work experience learn valuable skills that can help them pursue a career in fish and wildlife interests.

The objective of this proposal is the development of a “Klondike River Chinook Salmon Stock Restoration Plan” which will, among other aspects, serve to compile all existing Chinook salmon restoration and enhancement (R&E) research projects that have occurred along the Klondike River since 1989. It is our intention to examine existing data with respect to water quality, water quantity/ flow rates, water temperature, juvenile rearing habitat, juvenile success rates (including juvenile assessments of outmigration timings and documented size data for juveniles (i.e. length/ weight), redds/ adult spawning areas, and adult spawning timing. A thorough examination of this data will ultimately identify any knowledge gaps that must be addressed prior to committing to and deciding upon the type of restoration project that will best suit conditions found on the Klondike River.

Once all information has been compiled and evaluated, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in will then move forward with a review of the evaluation and fully develop the Klondike River Restoration Plan. It is our desire to have the Klondike River Restoration Plan determine the optimum approach for stock restoration for the Chinook salmon on the Klondike River through the data compilation and analysis, current site analysis and insight gained from other on-going restoration research in the Yukon River watershed.

The productivity of Chinook salmon in the upper Yukon River has decreased from a high of 5 recruits per spawner in the 1980s to less than 1 recruit per spawner at current returns (JTC, 2016). This decrease has severely affected both the abundance of salmon runs as well as the lives of the people who depend on salmon for sustenance, cultural identity, and overall fishery opportunities.

The Takhini River has been identified as a possible location for restoration activities due to informal understanding of abundant and good quality spawning and rearing habitat. The river is also road accessible making any potential restoration efforts more cost-effective than comparable remote sites.

Historic observations and studies from the late 1950s to the early 2000s suggest that the Takhini River (Figure 1) supported a Chinook salmon run with approximately 1000 spawners observed annually (DFO Whitehorse: FISS Files). Local and Traditional Knowledge surveys confirm that this relatively accessible area provided for modest subsistence and recreational angling opportunities (DFO Whitehorse: Unpublished; EDI, 2005).

The Takhini River originates from Kusawa Lake flows and joins the Yukon River north of Whitehorse, just south of Lake Laberge. The two major tributaries flow into the Takhini between Kusawa Lake and the Yukon River: the Mendenhall River and the Ibex River. Surveys and stock assessment data for Chinook salmon in the Takhini River has been limited to radio tagging (2002 to 2004), broodstock observations (2000s) and periodic fish presence assessments for regulatory work. Chinook spawn in the mainstem Takhini mostly between the outlet of Kusawa Lake and the confluence of Mendenhall River. Spawning also occurs in the Ibex River (tributary to Takhini) and in a few locations in the mainstem Takhini River below the confluence of the Mendenhall River.

In keeping with the Yukon River Panel’s priorities to identify candidate stocks or systems for stock restoration, this project will develop a strong information base to determine if restoration efforts would benefit Takhini River stocks.

Upper Yukon River Chinook Salmon populations (defined for the purpose of this study as fish that terminate in the mainstem Yukon River or its tributaries above the confluence with the Teslin River) have experienced similar declines to other Yukon River populations in recent years. Greater declines probably occurred much earlier in the past century. Historic reports from First Nations along with a biologist and RCMP officer indicate that ~10,000 Chinook Salmon were harvested annually in the M’Clintock River system (Cox 1997); however, returns counted at the Whitehorse Rapids Generating Facility (WRGF) fish ladder have averaged only ~1200 fish over the past 15 years, and no active fisheries are able to exploit the population.

The fate of many Chinook Salmon after they pass the fish ladder is unknown. Previous radio telemetry studies (Cleugh and Russel 1980; Matthews 1999) showed that 74% to 81% of these Chinook Salmon traveled to the M’Clintock/Michie system, though sample sizes were small. The majority are believed to spawn in Michie Creek, between Michie Lake and Byng Creek (de Graff 2015). Understanding whether Chinook Salmon spawn elsewhere in the M’Clintock River system will inform further efforts to recover the stock. Other spawning locations may represent genetically unique stocks that would benefit from restoration, or habitats that would benefit from improved access (e.g., log jam removal). Perhaps more importantly, the fate of the ~25% of Chinook Salmon that pass the WRGF fish ladder but do not terminate in the M’Clintock River system is unknown. These fish could spawn in unknown locations in the Southern Lakes or the mainstem Yukon River above the WRGF, or they may expire before reaching the spawning grounds. In either case, stock or habitat restoration actions could be identified that would benefit these depleted stocks, once their terminal location is known.

The role of the WRGF in limiting Chinook Salmon population recovery is largely unknown. Returns have oscillated considerably around a relatively stable mean since the dam and fish ladder were built in 1958 and 1959, respectively. Beginning with the first release of hatchery-reared fry in 1985, returns have been maintained in part by hatchery-origin fish, which represent ~50% of the return. Each year, ~1200 fish successfully pass via the fish ladder; however, the proportion that fail to pass the WRGF remains unknown. The first step is understanding whether passage failure is occurring at the WRGF and whether delays are rare and short or more severe.

This project has two primary goals. The first is to identify depleted stocks that are candidates for restoration, along with potential spawning restoration sites. Specific objectives for this proposal associated with this goal are to assess:

1) Where salmon spawn in the M’Clintock River system;
2) What other terminal locations exist above Lake Laberge aside from the Takhini River, Wolf Creek and the M’Clintock River;
3) Whether some fish that pass the WRGF fail to reach Marsh Lake (and to subsequently assess whether these fish spawn successfully in the mainstem Yukon River or experience pre-spawning mortality).

The second goal is to assess whether challenges associated with passage at the WRGF are limiting production of Upper Yukon River Chinook stocks. Specific objectives for this proposal associated with this goal are to assess:

4) What proportion of fish approaching the WRGF successfully pass it;
5) The extent to which fish are delayed at the WRGF before passing;
6) What proportion of fish return downstream after passing the WRGF.

Between 10% and 15% of all Yukon River fall chum salmon (U.S.- and Canadian-origin) return to the Kluane River to spawn. About 25% of the fall chum salmon that come back to the Yukon River return to the Upper Yukon River in Canada (i.e., are Canadian-origin). Of these, nearly half (an average of 46 %) return to the White River (JTC, 2016) and the major spawning areas in this system are in the Kluane River and in Kluane Lake.

A major, natural hydrological change resulting from a glacial-shift in the St. Elias Mountians (headwater areas) has affected Kluane Lake and River with potentially significant consequences to the spawning habitat of this major population of Yukon River chum salmon.

With its source in the ice fields of the Saint Elias Mountains, the Kaskawulsh glacier sits on the drainage divide between the Alsek and Yukon drainage basins in south western Yukon (Figure 1). For the last 300 – 400 years, the Kaskawulsh glacier meltwater has drained into the Yukon River basin via the Slims River, to Kluane Lake, to Kluane River, and downstream to the White River (Figure 2). In the spring of 2016, meltwater from the Kaskawulsh glacier change from flowing primarily into the Slims River and the Yukon drainage to flowing primarily to the Kaskawulsh River in the Alsek drainage. Flow to the Slims River during 2016 has been minimal.

The Slims River is the major input to Kluane Lake and modern isotope hydrology confirmed that positive water balance is dependent on input from the Slims River (Brahney et al. 2010). This summer the lake level is one meter lower than in previous years.

The key chum salmon spawning areas potentially impacted are Kluane River from the Duke River fan approximately 20 km downstream (identified in yellow in Figure 2). Chum salmon spawn in Kluane River’s active stream channels and high densities of spawning adults have been observed at specific sites, in particular Swede Johnson slough – a significant spawning area first documented in the 1940s. This section of Kluane River will be referred to as Kluane River spawning grounds for the remainder of this proposal. There are also lake spawning chum salmon in Kluane Lake. The records of specific spawning locations are not well established.

Information on current habitat use, habitat requirements and suitability, and anticipating the changes to habitat and the chum salmon that rely on them will be key elements of understanding the impacts of the hydrological changes in the Kluane/White River system and will help managers to make informed decisions.

The goal of this program is to improve public awareness of fishing conditions and to foster community support for the management of Yukon River salmon. This is done on a weekly basis through the hosting of in-season salmon management teleconferences during the fishing season. The program has run consistently for the past 12 years, funded by the Yukon River Panel and the Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program. Participants on the call include Yukon River fishermen, community harvest surveyors, Tribal councils, First Nations, policy makers, non-governmental organizations and state and federal resource managers. The content of the call includes updates and reports from villages on fishing activities and environmental conditions as well as management reports on their fisheries assessments and strategies. Open discussion and question and answer periods take place following the reports. The calls are focused on in-season management and there are numerous questions posed from the fishermen to the managers. In recent years, with low Chinook salmon runs, it is critical to have this open dialogue that enables management to share weekly data on run counts, timing, gear restrictions etc. and for managers to hear from fishermen on their reports of what they are harvesting and seeing in the river. Management is complex and new fishing gear and many openings and closings in the different fishing districts have become common. This dialogue helps build community support because it is an open forum where the public gets to interact directly with resource managers and hear rationale for management decision-making. While not everyone agrees on fisheries management strategies this open forum helps to build an open dialogue and working relationship. It is also a place for fishermen to share their concerns directly with managers and they can ask for changes in fishing gear or hours of time allowed to fish. Outcomes from this program have included the development of a cadre of people from the Yukon River that communicate on a weekly basis about the Yukon River salmon runs, in-season, many of which are different than those that participate in other annual forums. The calls are a reliable, affordable and effective in-season communication that should continue in order to offer an opportunity for people from the Yukon River to participate in fisheries management discussions about the conservative management actions taking place in recent years. People who participate on the call are local leaders in various ways and they share the information on the calls with other community members. They also share their community concerns on the call thus actings as community liaisons during the fishing season. This is extremely helpful as the management agencies are only based in two locations during the fishing season and have limited time and ability to travel out to each and every community to meet firsthand with fishing families.

A genetics-based analysis can be used to identify to what river system, drainage, or sub-drainage a salmon is returning, long before the salmon actually reaches its spawning grounds. This type of analysis is generally referred to as genetic stock identification (GSI) and is used in both research and management. In the Yukon River, it is used to identify the stock of origin of salmon caught in commercial, subsistence, and test fisheries (e.g., Pilot Station or Eagle Sonar). This information on stock composition is used by fisheries managers to make in-season decisions and to reconstruct the run at the end of the season. It can also be used to understand where a juvenile salmon is from; this is particularly useful given that many juvenile salmon do not rear in their natal streams.

All of this analysis and its resultant information hinges on having a representative genetic baseline. This project aims to ensure that the genetic baseline used by researchers and managers is representative of Canadian-origin salmon. A good portion of the genetic baseline already exists thanks to the work on this project that has already taken place. The aim of this project is to gather genetic baseline samples from those areas and stocks that are currently un-represented or under-represented and, in this way, improve the accuracy of all the estimates developed using GSI. Canadian sampling efforts are focused on filling the baseline gaps by collecting tissues from poorly represented Canadian tributaries.

After a returning salmon leaves the marine environment, water temperatures largely determine its ability to migrate and spawn successfully. The goal of this project is to develop a publicly accessible baseline of the thermal regimes of Yukon River Chinook Salmon spawning and migration habitats in Canada.

The Yukon River Canadian Water Temperature Monitoring Network (the Network) was initiated during the 2011 – 2012 ADF&G water temperature project, and is continued by a Canadian Consultant to the present. The Network currently comprises 15 Stations, and data collection is conducted in watercourses utilized by Chinook Salmon for adult migration and spawning, as well as juvenile incubation, rearing, overwintering and downstream migration. Design of the Network includes both geographical and temporal components. Data from temperature data loggers at each station are downloaded, checked and used to generate mean, minimum and maximum daily temperatures, and this data set is uploaded to yukonwatertemperatures.info.

The primary rationale for the project continuing is that it extends the temporal length of the baseline. This allows more complete consideration of the inter-annual range of temperatures that may be expected, and strengthens the baseline for future salmon fishery and habitat managers to determine temperature trends and effects thereof. The secondary rationale is the public nature of the project, with data being widely and freely distributed. This enables access to the data by agency and non-agency persons, and reduces the risk that data – and the investment in collecting it – will be lost due to personnel changes, government reorganizations or simple neglect.

Fox Creek is a lake-headed tributary to Lake Laberge and the Yukon River, located approximately 50 km north of Whitehorse. It lies within the traditional territory of Ta’an Kwäch’än Council (TKC) and historically supported a Chinook salmon fishery; however, since the late 1950’s this stock has been extirpated. Habitat changes (forest fire/beavers and/or fishing (easy access) to Fox Creek may have played a role in decline of this stock. Ta’an Kwäch’än Council’s goal for the Fox Creek Salmon Chinook Salmon Restoration Program is to re-establish a self-sustaining population of Chinook with sufficient spawners to have a high probability of long-term persistence in the face of variability in survival due to natural changes in the environment. TKC aims to ensure that a viable natural stock is abundant enough to contribute to a sustainable harvest for current and future generations as part of their natural culture and heritage.
From 2007 to 2015 TKC assessed, developed and implemented Phase I of this program and Year 8 (2015) marked the end of that phase. The Phase I Chinook Salmon Stock Restoration Plan for Fox Creek (CRE-52N-07) suggested restoration of this extirpated stock be conducted over 2 Chinook salmon life cycles.
The latter part of Phase I saw the return of Chinook salmon to Fox Creek and the stock is showing signs of recovery. Phase II will use knowledge gained in Phase I to guide an implementation and monitoring approach to establish a viable, naturally self-sustaining Chinook salmon population that will contribute to a sustainable harvest for TKC citizens.

Chinook and chum salmon stocks in the Porcupine River watershed comprise an important subsistence fishery for the community of Old Crow and the Vuntut Gwitch’in Government (VGG). The management, monitoring and restoration of these stocks is of primary importance to local fisheries managers and previous R&E projects have aimed to better understand these stocks and to provide in-season estimates of escapement. In particular, the 2015 Chinook and 2013-2015 chum telemetry projects have provided a great deal of information regarding the spawning distribution of these species in the Canadian portion of the Porcupine River watershed, and have determined that the Rock River is a spawning area for both Chinook and chum salmon. The headwaters of the Rock River are located to the east of the Dempster Highway (north of Eagle Plains) and the stream flows into the Bell River approximately 75 km to the northwest of the highway. During 2015 radio tag tracking flights, 5 radio-tagged Chinook were found in the Rock River between the Bell River and a point 15 km downstream of the highway. This represents a notable portion of the applied radio tags (14%), once tag dropouts, mortalities and recaptures in the fishery are accounted for. To provide perspective, other well documented Chinook spawning areas such as the Miner and Fishing Branch rivers each had 13 and 4 tags, respectively. The analysis of the 2016 telemetry data is ongoing; however, there was a notable number of tags (4 or more) relocated in the Rock River, which is similar to the number of tags relocated in well documented spawning areas such as the lower Fishing Branch, Miner and Whitestone rivers.

This project investigates the potential for Chinook and/or chum restoration projects in the watershed. This includes the identification of limitations to productivity and options for stock or habitat restoration efforts. Aerial counts of both Chinook and chum salmon during the respective spawning periods will be conducted, and juvenile Chinook will be sampled during the summer months. During the juvenile sampling, baseline habitat information for Chinook and chum (water temperature, habitat quality, etc.) will also be collected. A secondary goal of the project is to collect baseline genetic information for both Chinook and chum salmon in the watershed to aid in determining if the Rock River population is genetically distinct from other spawning populations in the Canadian portion of the Porcupine River watershed. These samples can then be pooled with genetic samples collected for this watershed in previous years.