Early evidence for establishment of a Chinook salmon population in a restored watershed
Abstract As fish populations face compounding pressures under climate change, highly modified rivers are receiving increasing research and conservation attention as important sites for restoration. Across the North Pacific Ocean, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have experienced unprecedent...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70207 |
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| author | Lauren G. Hitt Malte Willmes George Whitman Mackenzie C. Miner Carson Jeffres Rachel C. Johnson Dennis E. Cocherell Nann A. Fangue Andrew L. Rypel |
| author_facet | Lauren G. Hitt Malte Willmes George Whitman Mackenzie C. Miner Carson Jeffres Rachel C. Johnson Dennis E. Cocherell Nann A. Fangue Andrew L. Rypel |
| author_sort | Lauren G. Hitt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract As fish populations face compounding pressures under climate change, highly modified rivers are receiving increasing research and conservation attention as important sites for restoration. Across the North Pacific Ocean, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have experienced unprecedented declines and extirpations because of habitat loss and fragmentation and climate variability. Here, we studied a rare example of a novel salmon population developing in Putah Creek, California, a dam‐controlled stream flowing through an area of intensive agriculture where salmon were unlikely to occur prior to the rehabilitation of a more natural flow regime. We used otoliths from adult Chinook salmon carcasses recovered from Putah Creek to determine river or hatchery of origin for five spawning year classes. Our results provide evidence of successful salmon reproduction, outmigration survival, and natal homing of individuals back to Putah Creek in recent years. Although hatchery‐origin fish that strayed to Putah Creek to spawn dominated returns each year, this study documents life‐cycle completion required for the potential development of a self‐sustaining salmon population. This study demonstrates that targeted restoration and flow rehabilitation efforts can generate viable new salmon spawning habitat in dam‐controlled river systems, which could help mitigate habitat lost to dams and developments. Further, successful anadromous life‐cycle completion can occur in new spawning habitat within the first several generations, which will help inform efforts to restore or reintroduce salmon in other altered river systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-01a90f90cae04ee9b741fbad9d50b315 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj-art-01a90f90cae04ee9b741fbad9d50b3152025-08-20T03:42:23ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252025-03-01163n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.70207Early evidence for establishment of a Chinook salmon population in a restored watershedLauren G. Hitt0Malte Willmes1George Whitman2Mackenzie C. Miner3Carson Jeffres4Rachel C. Johnson5Dennis E. Cocherell6Nann A. Fangue7Andrew L. Rypel8Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology University of California Davis Davis California USANorwegian Institute for Nature Research Trondheim NorwayCenter for Watershed Sciences University of California Davis Davis California USADepartment of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology University of California Davis Davis California USACenter for Watershed Sciences University of California Davis Davis California USACenter for Watershed Sciences University of California Davis Davis California USADepartment of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology University of California Davis Davis California USADepartment of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology University of California Davis Davis California USADepartment of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology University of California Davis Davis California USAAbstract As fish populations face compounding pressures under climate change, highly modified rivers are receiving increasing research and conservation attention as important sites for restoration. Across the North Pacific Ocean, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) have experienced unprecedented declines and extirpations because of habitat loss and fragmentation and climate variability. Here, we studied a rare example of a novel salmon population developing in Putah Creek, California, a dam‐controlled stream flowing through an area of intensive agriculture where salmon were unlikely to occur prior to the rehabilitation of a more natural flow regime. We used otoliths from adult Chinook salmon carcasses recovered from Putah Creek to determine river or hatchery of origin for five spawning year classes. Our results provide evidence of successful salmon reproduction, outmigration survival, and natal homing of individuals back to Putah Creek in recent years. Although hatchery‐origin fish that strayed to Putah Creek to spawn dominated returns each year, this study documents life‐cycle completion required for the potential development of a self‐sustaining salmon population. This study demonstrates that targeted restoration and flow rehabilitation efforts can generate viable new salmon spawning habitat in dam‐controlled river systems, which could help mitigate habitat lost to dams and developments. Further, successful anadromous life‐cycle completion can occur in new spawning habitat within the first several generations, which will help inform efforts to restore or reintroduce salmon in other altered river systems.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70207anadromous fishfunctional flow regimeotolith microchemistryreintroductionrestoration |
| spellingShingle | Lauren G. Hitt Malte Willmes George Whitman Mackenzie C. Miner Carson Jeffres Rachel C. Johnson Dennis E. Cocherell Nann A. Fangue Andrew L. Rypel Early evidence for establishment of a Chinook salmon population in a restored watershed Ecosphere anadromous fish functional flow regime otolith microchemistry reintroduction restoration |
| title | Early evidence for establishment of a Chinook salmon population in a restored watershed |
| title_full | Early evidence for establishment of a Chinook salmon population in a restored watershed |
| title_fullStr | Early evidence for establishment of a Chinook salmon population in a restored watershed |
| title_full_unstemmed | Early evidence for establishment of a Chinook salmon population in a restored watershed |
| title_short | Early evidence for establishment of a Chinook salmon population in a restored watershed |
| title_sort | early evidence for establishment of a chinook salmon population in a restored watershed |
| topic | anadromous fish functional flow regime otolith microchemistry reintroduction restoration |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.70207 |
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