Estimates of Chinook salmon abundance in the Kenai River using split-beam sonar, 2005.

105 Pages·2008·1.13 MB·English

Fishery Data Series No. 07-92
Estimates of Chinook Salmon Abundance in the Kenai
River Using Split-Beam Sonar, 2005
by
James D. Miller,
Debby L. Burwen,
and
Steve J. Fleischman

December 2007
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Divisions of Sport Fish and Commercial Fisheries
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FISHERY DATA SERIES NO. 07-92
ESTIMATES OF CHINOOK SALMON ABUNDANCE IN THE KENAI
RIVER USING SPLIT-BEAM SONAR, 2005
by

James D. Miller,
Debby L. Burwen
Division of Sport Fish, Anchorage
and
Steve J. Fleischman
Division of Sport Fish, Research and Technical Services, Anchorage

Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Division of Sport Fish, Research and Technical Services
333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, Alaska, 99518-1599

December 2007
This investigation was partially financed by the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act
(16 U.S.C. 777-777K) under project F-10-21, Job No. S-2-5b.
The Division of Sport Fish Fishery Data Series was established in 1987 for the publication of technically oriented
results for a single project or group of closely related projects. Since 2004, the Division of Commercial Fisheries has
also used the Fishery Data Series. Fishery Data Series reports are intended for fishery and other technical
professionals. Fishery Data Series reports are available through the Alaska State Library and on the Internet:
http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/divreports/html/intersearch.cfm. This publication has undergone editorial
and peer review.
James D. Miller, Debby L. Burwen,
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish
and
Steve J. Fleischman
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish,
Research and Technical Services
333 Raspberry Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99518-1599, USA

This document should be cited as:
Miller, J. D., D. L. Burwen, and S. J. Fleischman. 2007. Estimates of Chinook salmon abundance in the Kenai
River using split-beam sonar, 2005. Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fishery Data Series No. 07-92,
Anchorage.
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For information on alternative formats and questions on this publication, please contact:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................................................iii
LIST OF FIGURES......................................................................................................................................................iv
LIST OF APPENDICES...............................................................................................................................................v
ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................................................................1
Project Objectives..........................................................................................................................................................5
METHODS....................................................................................................................................................................5
Study Area.....................................................................................................................................................................5
Site Description.............................................................................................................................................................6
Acoustic Sampling.........................................................................................................................................................6
Sonar System Configuration.....................................................................................................................................6
Bottom Mapping and Beam Coverage......................................................................................................................8
System Calibration..................................................................................................................................................11
Sampling Procedure................................................................................................................................................11
Echo Sounder Settings............................................................................................................................................12
Data Acquisition.....................................................................................................................................................12
Fish Tracking and Echo Counting...............................................................................................................................13
Data Analyses..............................................................................................................................................................14
Tidal and Temporal Distribution............................................................................................................................14
Spatial Distribution.................................................................................................................................................14
Target Strength Distribution...................................................................................................................................16
Species Discrimination...........................................................................................................................................16
Passage Estimates...................................................................................................................................................17
RESULTS....................................................................................................................................................................19
System Calibration......................................................................................................................................................19
Target Tracking...........................................................................................................................................................20
Tidal Distribution........................................................................................................................................................21
Spatial Distribution......................................................................................................................................................21
Distribution by Bank...............................................................................................................................................21
Distribution by Range.............................................................................................................................................21
Distribution by Vertical Position............................................................................................................................22
Target Strength............................................................................................................................................................25
Chinook Salmon Passage.............................................................................................................................................29
DISCUSSION..............................................................................................................................................................33
Accuracy of Passage Estimates...................................................................................................................................33
Early Run................................................................................................................................................................40
Late Run..................................................................................................................................................................43
Outlook........................................................................................................................................................................44
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...........................................................................................................................................45
REFERENCES CITED...............................................................................................................................................45
APPENDIX A. TARGET STRENGTH ESTIMATION............................................................................................51
i
TABLE OF CONTENTS (Continued)
Page
APPENDIX B. SYSTEM PARAMETERS................................................................................................................53
APPENDIX C. DATA FLOW...................................................................................................................................61
APPENDIX D. EXCLUDED HOURLY SAMPLES.................................................................................................63
APPENDIX E. DAILY PROPORTIONS OF UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM MOVING FISH FOR THE
CHINOOK SALMON EARLY AND LATE RUNS, KENAI RIVER, 2005.............................................................67
APPENDIX F. AVERAGE VERTICAL ANGLE BY TIDE STAGE, RUN, BANK, AND FISH
ORIENTATION (UPSTREAM OR DOWNSTREAM) FOR THE CHINOOK SALMON EARLY AND LATE
RUNS, KENAI RIVER, 2005.....................................................................................................................................71
APPENDIX G. HISTORIC PASSAGE BY YEAR AND DATE (1987–2005).........................................................75
APPENDIX H. ECHO-LENGTH STANDARD DEVIATION MIXTURE MODEL ESTIMATES OF SPECIES
COMPOSITION AND CHINOOK SALMON ABUNDANCE, EARLY RUN, KENAI RIVER, 2005....................81
APPENDIX I. FILTERED (CONVENTIONAL), UNFILTERED, AND NET-APPORTIONED CHINOOK
SALMON PASSAGE ESTIMATES, KENAI RIVER SONAR, EARLY AND LATE RUNS, 2005........................93

ii
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
1. Main components of the split-beam sonar system used in 2005.....................................................................8
2. HTI model 244 digital echo sounder settings used in 2005...........................................................................12
3. Echo acceptance criteria for digital echo processing, 2005...........................................................................13
4. Results of 2005 in situ calibration verifications using a 38.1 mm tungsten carbide standard sphere............20
5. Minimum voltage thresholds (-35 dB) from sonar system reciprocity calibrations, 1998-2005...................21
6. Chinook salmon passage estimates by tide stage and direction of travel for the 2005 early run (16 May-
30 June).........................................................................................................................................................22
7. Chinook salmon passage estimates by tide stage and direction of travel for the 2005 late run (1 July-5
August)..........................................................................................................................................................22
8. Chinook salmon passage estimates by river bank and direction of travel for the 2005 early run (16
May-30 June).................................................................................................................................................24
9. Chinook salmon passage estimates by river bank and direction of travel for the 2005 late run (1 July-5
August)..........................................................................................................................................................24
10. Mean target strength (dB) for upstream and downstream moving targets (Chinook salmon only) by
riverbank during the early (16 May-30 June) and late (1 July-5 August) runs, 2005....................................35
11. Daily upstream Chinook salmon passage estimates, Kenai River sonar, early run, 2005.............................36
12. Daily upstream Chinook salmon passage estimates, Kenai River sonar, late run, 2005...............................37

iii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure Page
1. Cook Inlet showing location of Kenai River......................................................................................................2
2. Kenai River sonar site locations, 2005............................................................................................................7
3. Cross-sectional (top) and aerial (bottom) diagrams of sonar site illustrating insonified portions of the
Kenai River, 2005...........................................................................................................................................9
4. Daily right- and left-bank transducer placement and insonified ranges relative to bipod tower located
on the right bank, Kenai River, 2005. Distance from bipod to thalweg is approximately 88 m...................10
5. Bottom profiles by bank for the Kenai River Chinook salmon sonar site with approximate transducer
placement and sonar beam coverage for 16 May 2005.................................................................................11
6. Diagram of 2005 split-beam sonar system configuration and data flow.......................................................15
7. Percentage of upstream and downstream moving Chinook salmon by tide stage during the early (top)
and late (bottom) runs, Kenai River, 2005....................................................................................................23
8. Standardized distance from transducer of early-run upstream and downstream moving Chinook salmon
by bank, Kenai River, 2005...........................................................................................................................25
9. Standardized distance from transducer of late-run upstream and downstream moving Chinook salmon
by bank, Kenai River, 2005...........................................................................................................................26
10. Standardized distance from transducer of early-run upstream moving Chinook salmon by tide stage
and bank, Kenai River, 2005.........................................................................................................................27
11. Standardized distance from transducer of late-run upstream moving Chinook salmon by tide stage and
bank, Kenai River, 2005................................................................................................................................28
12. Vertical distributions above and below the acoustic axis of early-run upstream and downstream
moving Chinook salmon by bank, Kenai River, 2005...................................................................................29
13. Vertical distributions above and below the acoustic axis of early-run upstream moving Chinook
salmon by tide stage and bank, Kenai River, 2005........................................................................................30
14. Vertical distributions above and below the acoustic axis of late-run upstream and downstream moving
Chinook salmon by bank, Kenai River, 2005................................................................................................31
15. Vertical distributions above and below the acoustic axis of late-run upstream moving Chinook salmon
by tide stage and bank, Kenai River, 2005....................................................................................................32
16. Early-run target strength (acoustic size) for all upstream and downstream moving targets by bank,
Kenai River, 2005.........................................................................................................................................33
17. Late-run target strength (acoustic size) for all upstream and downstream moving targets by bank,
Kenai River, 2005.........................................................................................................................................34
18. Daily sonar passage estimates by bank (top), total passage (center), and historical cumulative
proportions (bottom) for the Chinook salmon early run returning to the Kenai River, 2005........................38
19. Daily sonar passage estimates by bank (top), total passage (center), and historical cumulative proportions
(bottom) for the Chinook salmon late run returning to the Kenai River, 2005....................................................39
20. Daily discharge rates collected at the Soldotna Bridge, Secchi disk readings taken in front of the sonar
site, Chinook salmon sonar passage estimates, inriver gillnet CPUE, and Chinook salmon sport fish
CPUE, early run (16 May-30 June), Kenai River, 2005................................................................................41
21. Daily discharge rates collected at the Soldotna Bridge, Secchi disk readings taken in front of the sonar
site, Chinook salmon sonar passage estimates, inriver gillnet CPUE, river mile-19 sockeye sonar
passage estimates, and Chinook salmon sport fish CPUE, late run (1 July-5 August), Kenai River,
2005...............................................................................................................................................................42
22. Early- (top) and late-run (bottom) fish passage estimates based on unfiltered sonar (all species),
standard filtered sonar (Chinook salmon only), and net-apportioned sonar (alternative Chinook salmon
only), Kenai River, 2005...............................................................................................................................44

iv
LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix Page
A1. The sonar equation used to estimate target strength (dB) with dual- and split-beam applications................52
B1. Example of system parameters used for data collection on the right bank (transducer 733).........................54
B2. Example of system parameters used for data collection on the left bank (transducer 738)...........................57
C1. Data flow diagram for the Kenai River Chinook salmon sonar project, 2005...............................................62
D1. Hourly samples excluded by bank from calculation of early- and late-run Chinook salmon daily
passage estimates, Kenai River, 2005...........................................................................................................64
E1. Daily proportion of upstream and downstream moving fish for the Chinook salmon early run, Kenai
River, 2005....................................................................................................................................................68
E2. Daily proportion of upstream and downstream moving fish for the Chinook salmon late run, Kenai
River, 2005....................................................................................................................................................69
F1. Average vertical angle by tide stage and orientation for the Chinook salmon early run, Kenai River,
2005...............................................................................................................................................................72
F2. Average vertical angle by tide stage and orientation for the Chinook salmon late run, Kenai River,
2005...............................................................................................................................................................73
G1. Kenai River early-run Chinook salmon sonar passage estimates, 1987-2005...............................................76
G2. Kenai River late-run Chinook salmon sonar passage estimates, 1987-2005.................................................78
H1. Echo-length standard deviation mixture model estimates of species composition and Chinook salmon
abundance, early run, Kenai River, 2005......................................................................................................82
I1. Estimated fish passage based on unfiltered sonar (all species), standard filtered sonar (Chinook salmon
only), and net-apportioned sonar (alternative Chinook salmon only), Kenai River, early run, 2005............94
I2. Estimated fish passage based on unfiltered sonar (all species), standard filtered sonar (Chinook salmon
only), and net-apportioned sonar (alternative Chinook salmon only), Kenai River, late run, 2005..............95

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