Evaluation of transportation of juvenile salmonids and related research on the Columbia and Snake Rivers, 1986

In 1986, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), under contract to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) continued to evaluate the effects of collection and transportation on juvenile salmonids at dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The major research objectives were: (1) mark transport and control groups of spring chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, and steelhead, Salmo gairdneri, at Lower Granite Dam and spring and fall chinook salmon at McNary Dam to provide up-to-date information on the benefits of smolt transportation; (2) compare the stress levels of spring chinook salmon smolts sampled from raceways at Lower Granite and Little Goose Dams, after marking at Lower Granite Dam and subsequent transport at low density to Little Goose Dam; (3) continue the recovery of adult fall chinook salmon tagged as juveniles at McNary Dam for transport research purposes and adult spring chinook salmon and steelhead tagged as juveniles at Lower Granite Dam to index the barge transport program; and (4) repeat the extended seawater rearing study on spring chinook salmon sampled from the collection and transport system at Lower Granite Dam. Contract no. DACW68-84-H-OO34