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Biological Monitoring

What we do

Salmon and steelhead spawner surveys

Salmon spawner surveys (also called salmon carcass surveys) are stream bank or above-water surveys. Surveyors usually walk along the stream channel and record the number of spawned salmon carcasses, redds, and live adults. This information is useful to:

• Determine which species are spawning in the watershed

• Determine relative abundance and distribution of carcasses, redds, live fishRecover and record marked fish for mark studiesCollect tissue samples for genetic analysis

• Identify preferred spawning habitat area.

Methods

The typical method for conducting spawner surveys is to walk along the stream bank or wade in the stream counting and recording all carcasses, redds and live fish observed.  Carcasses are examined to determine species, sex, and/or missing fins. The fork lengths (FL) of fish are measured from the tip of the snout to middle of the tail to the nearest centimeter (cm). Counted carcasses are either cut in half or marked with a hog ring or metal tag to eliminate being counted in subsequent surveys. With prior DFG approval, the heads of carcasses with missing adipose fins are removed and retained for coded-wire-tag (CWT) extraction by DFG.  Spawning redd locations are recorded with a handheld GPS unit and converted to a GIS layer for each season.

 

Spawner Surveys

Salmon

• 2008 – Napa River (2 surveys)

• 2007 – Napa River (6 surveys)

• 2006 – Napa River (9 surveys)

• 2006  - Napa Creek (1 survey)

• 2005 – Napa River (1 survey)

• 2004 – Napa River (3 surveys)

Steelhead

• 2009 – Heath Canyon Creek (1 survey)

• 2008 – Redwood Creek (2 surveys)

• 2008 – Heath Canyon Creek (2 surveys)