Columbia River Estuary Science Policy Exchange 15 excellent talks and a lot of good discussion Brief summaries, next step/questions, and takeways (a challenge to synthesize, apologies to speakers for any errors or omissions)
Ongoing monitoring session On salmon use of the estuary and plume - Columbia River estuary survival estimates (Bonneville to plume) are among the best around for yearling Chinook and steelhead smolts (when published) Innovative and super effort but still riddles within the data -questions about ESU mixing in the estuary also need more genetic sampling in the upper estuary re emphasis of life history diversity – they are there all year as per 2007 presentations -past the Bar – mortality out there and is it linked to the estuary
Systems overview -boundary conditions are important on both sea and landward side. The estuary has been squeezed at both ends -the hydrosystem affects from the landward side and natural tidal cycle from seaward -effect of former is less shallow water habitat -above and beyond the macroview there is a lot of reach specific planning needed for restoration Invasive species -some might be coming on the ships travelling up the estuary on today’s flood tide -habitat alteration gives them a toehold in some cases (caution eg purple loosestrife) -early detection system is slow to respond at current program level
Wetland characteristics -eelgrass is being sought as it is high quality habitat -emergent wetland shows interannual variability (it is on a successional trajectory anyway) -data on shrub-scrub wetlands are needed at all trophic levels Plume survival with JSATS (chinook and steelhead) -survival good to km 50 then decreases -decreases even more to Astoria -why and is it real -potential for detecting if fish overwinter in the estuary (a possible source of error for subyearling estimates) -technology and tag type coordination
Session : Research to reduce restoration uncertainties Contaminants -they are present, a risk to restoration, and a factor in site selection -20% of wild fish have lipid < 1 % and this level could affect health and survival (contaminants mobilized at this concentration) -could affect secondary production (ie invertebrate prey for salmonids) Tidal freshwater habitats -findings at Sandy River delta confirm they are important -abundance of AIS fish is worrying (shad? ) -validation of representativeness will help guide further work
Tidal salt water habitats -myths vs reality of several issues: fry a dominant life history strategy, Growth-residency; all ESU use the estuary; density-dependence? (see next slide) -current drivers are population viability and resilience ie conservation biology not production biology (but there are exceptions)
Ecosystem classification system, emerging tools for Implementation, and estuary action plans -The hierarchical system developed should provide an agreed upon currency for estuary research, monitoring, and conservation planning -The pilot study in reach F and peer review workshop will help focus and get buy-in -Further integration of various agencies’ efforts are needed for Implementation of plan elements
Session – case studies in restoration, adaptive Management and Action Effectiveness Monitoring. Overview and Approaches -need a central coordinating body -restoration goal is numerical but not all data tracked -long term maintenance? Adaptive management -there are still issues for implementing AM
Project level effectiveness monitoring -still scope for focusing Cumulative effects - a key tool to roll things up
Final thoughts and takeways (my own thoughts mixed with others) -an impressive array of applied science projects are underway and contributing valuable RM&E -what about other species: eg chum, nomad coho, sockeye, Cutthroat that use the estuary (all must “use” it up or down) as separate taxa and part of the fish community -policy/management concern re habitat quality might be tied in with food type issues (ISAB working on a report on food now) -there is no silver bullet –the watershed, estuary and ocean needs to be viewed as a continuum and sometimes events outside the estuary can override estuary benefits – it is sometimes hard to get our minds and management systems around this because it so complex. We have to keep looking upstream and downstream (way downstream) -an experimental watershed-estuary project might be considered to focus research energies (as per the IMW s further upstream)
FINALLY -through whatever management mechanisms available try to develop overall quantitative, science-based goal (s) for estuarine management or at least a vision for the whole estuary in relate to fish conservation targets
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