GROWTH RATE VARIATION AMONG JUVENILE CHINOOK SALMON COHORTS DUE TO REARING CONDITIONS

Elianna Y Rosenthal; California State University, Fresno ; rosenthe@mail.fresnostate.edu; Dr. Steve Blumenshine

The construction of Friant Dam and its water diversion canals in 1942 has caused degradation of extended portions of the San Joaquin River (SJR), and has eliminated one of the largest Chinook salmon runs on the West Coast. Water diversions mainly for agricultural purposes resulted in reduced flows to the SJR, causing stretches of the San Joaquin River to run dry. The anadromous life cycle of salmon is dependent on a connected river for migration. The San Joaquin River Restoration Program was created in 2006 to mitigate the negative effects. To ensure successful Chinook reintroduction into the SJR, it is crucial to know the optimum diet and hydrological conditions for fish growth to create a sustainable population. Fish growth rates from otoliths are useful integrators of habitat conditions. How different river hydrology influences growth rates of SJR cohorts from 2014 and 2016 will be compared. Juvenile Chinook growth rates will also be compared to other populations, including from the adjacent Merced River. Growth rates of juveniles from the Salmon Interim Research Facility in Friant were also processed to serve as a control with known parameters. This information can help us inform bioenergetics models for SJR population and water policy management.

Poster Session     Student Paper