Three decades of research on migration timing, growth, and survival of the most remote wild Chinook salmon populations in the Continental USA

From 1992-2022, NOAA fisheries has PIT tagged 321,623 juvenile wild Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon throughout the Salmon River basin and monitored migration timing, growth, and estimated parr-to-smolt survival of individual populations.  Fish were collected in late summer (July – September) and tagged in up to 16 study sites.  As the fish migrate from study sites to Lower Granite Dam (LGD), data is collected on in-stream PIT arrays (ie Valley Creek) and again at LGD allowing the calculation of tributary segment survival, stream segment survival, arrival timing, and parr-to-smolt survival.  Detection data at LGD and throughout the hydropower systems along the Snake and Columbia Rivers allow for the estimation of parr-to-smolt survival rates.  Once arriving at LGD, fish passing through the juvenile bypass are recaptured using the sort-by-code (SbyC) system in order to collect data on growth (length and weight) and condition of the fish (K).  The data generated by this project provides critical information to regional fisheries managers to make informed decisions on operation of the hydropower system (FCRPS) to best aid ESA-listed fish during out-migration.