Fish Transportation Oversight Team annual report - FY 1987: transport operations on the Snake and Columbia Rivers

The 1987 transport season began March 26 and ended October 29. A total of 19,821,789 juvenile salmonids was collected, including 5,512,434 at Lower Granite, 1,982,312 at Little Goose, and 12,326,034 at McNary. A total of 17,036,566 fish were transported, 1,681,436 by truck and 15,355,130 by barge. Total collection included 50,740 juveniles bypassed at Little Goose and 2,345,147 at McNary. These included marked juvenile fish released back to the river at McNary as controls for transport evaluation. Extreme low snowpack resulted in severe drought conditions throughout the Columbia River basin in 1987. Snake River flows peaked at 100 kcfs on April 30. Flows above powerhouse capacity never occurred; however, a minor amount of spill occurred at Lower Granite on April 30. Columbia River flows at McNary Dam peaked at 395 kcfs on June 1. McNary spilled for 24 days, with a peak spill of 101.8 kcfs on May 15. Lower Granite and Little Goose seasonal collection mortality was 0.72 and 1.14%, respectively. This compares with 0.19 and 0.36% in 1986. Seasonal collection mortality was 2.64% at the McNary facility compared to 1.45% recorded in 1986.