KRIS Kootenai : Meta Information Page

Meta Identifier	Kruse_IDFG
Type of Data	White sturgeon spawning and recruitment data; including hydrology.
Originator	Gretchen Kruse, Idaho Department Fish and Game
Description	Document containing and evaluating data related to determining environmental requirements for adequate spawning and recruitment of white sturgeon in the Kootenai River.
Area	Kootenai River below Libby dam
Metadata Contact	Brian Woolsey
Contact Person Primary	Gretchen Kruse
Status	complete
Access Constraints	None
Lead Organization	Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Data Set Name	flow_avedaily_projectcomparison_bonners_ferry.db
Date of Content Start	1/1/1998
Date of Content End	12/31/1998
Maint. and Update Freq.	Unknown
Purpose	Determine environmental requirements for adequate spawning and recruitment of white sturgeon in the Kootenai River.
Data Quality Information	High
Use Constraints	none
Keywords	Kootenai, sturgeon, mitigation, flow
Publisher	Idaho Department of Fish and Game
Publication Place	Idaho
Publication Date	2001
Abstract	Flows in the Kootenai River for white sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus spawning in 1998 were expected to be at a minimum because the snow pack in the basin was only about 79% normal, and local inflow was expected to be very low, <142 m3/s (5,000 cfs). Flows in the Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry from late April through early May were at about 425 m3/s (15,000 cfs) while water temperature ranged from about 8 to 10oC (45 to 50o F). Spawning and incubation flows from Libby Dam began on May 18 when flow at the dam was brought up to 765 m3/s (27,000 cfs). Unusually frequent rains and several enormous storms brought peak flows at Bonners Ferry to over 1,175 m3/s (41,500 cfs) on May 27, temperature ranged between 8 and 10.6oC (45 to 51o F). Flow gradually subsided at Bonners Ferry during June and was steady at 708 to 765 m3/s (25,000 to 27,000 cfs) while temperature gradually rose to 14.4oC (58o F). Forty-seven adult white sturgeon were captured with 4,220 hours of angling and setlining effort between March 1 and April 15, 1998 by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG). Sonic and radio tags were attached to four female and five male sturgeon during this effort. From April 1 through July 31, 1998, a total of 17 fish were monitored specifically for pre-spawn and spawning activities. White sturgeon spawning location, timing, frequency, and habitat were evaluated by sampling for eggs with artificial substrate mats. Four hundred and eighty-four eggs were collected, 393 eggs (81%) were collected on 60 standard mats, and 91 eggs (19%) were collected on seven experimental mats with drift nets. Ten eggs collected with experimental mats were found mixed with sand, suggesting eggs are moving in the lower water column with sand. The middle Shorty#s Island reach (rkm 229.6 - 231.5) produced the most eggs (173) while the Deep Creek section (rkm 237.6 to 240.5) produced 112 eggs. No eggs were collected above the Deep Creek section (>rkm 240.5). Four hundred and twenty (87%) of the 484 white sturgeon eggs collected in 1998 were viable. Development ranged from stage 12 to 28 (1 h to 12 d old), with 95% of the viable eggs at stage 21 (about 2.4 days) or earlier. The oldest egg was estimated at 293 hours old or about 12 days. Based on ages of viable eggs and the dates of egg collection, we estimated that white sturgeon spawned during at least 20 days in 1998. The first spawning episode was estimated to have occurred on May 6. The next episode was estimated to have occurred May 7 with a gap in spawning until May 10. Thereafter, spawning occurred for the next three days with a second break. From May 22, spawning occurred nearly every day through June 6. Peak spawning appeared to occur between from May 23 through May 28. Juvenile sampling yielded 163 individual fish (several fish were recaptured) of which 160 were hatchery and three wild sturgeon recruited from flow test years. Food habit studies of hatchery age-3 sturgeon indicated Chironomids comprised about 36% of the total food items by number while the Ephemeropterans Ephemerellidae and Baetidae contributed 22%. Continuous seismic profiling of a 12-km (7.45 mi) reach of the Kootenai River (rkm 228 - 240) indicated the riverbed was comprised primarily of fine and coarse sand. There was no evidence to suggest pre-dam gravels were overlain with sand. Recommendations for the 1999 spawning season include coordinating the flow test with sturgeon behavior and river temperatures of 8 to 100 C (46 - 500 F), and discharge should be in increments of 57 m3/s (2,000 cfs) per day to a minimum of 1,130 m3/s (40,000 cfs) at Bonners Ferry. We also recommend no load following.
Contact Organization	Free Run Aquatic Research
Contact Address	214 E. Hayden Ave.
Contact City	Hayden
Contact State	ID
Contact Zip Code	83835
Contact Voice Telephone	208-762-9800
Contact Email	fraqr@aol.com

 
 
 

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