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<p><font size="4">Willow Creek Downstream Migrant Trap Site</font><br>
<font size="4">2010 In-Season Trapping Update –July 29, 2010</font><br>
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<font size="4">Synopsis: The 2010 Downstream Migrant trapping season at the Willow Creek Trap Site (river kilometer 34) is being conducted jointly by the USFWS Arcata Fish and Wildlife Office (AFWO) and the Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program (YTFP) on the mainstem Trinity River near Willow Creek, California. The season began March 8th, 2010 with the installation of two traps. A third trap was installed March 9th, 2010. See attached catch summary for details of this narrative.</font><br>
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<font size="4">This summary includes data from March 9th, 2010 through July 20 th, 2010 and is presented as </font><b><font size="4">raw catch</font></b><font size="4">. No expansions have been calculated at this time. Heavy debris load and high flows have occasionally resulted in null sets, causing less than 21 trap days (3 traps x 7 days) in some weeks resulting in variable effort over the season; therefore raw catch numbers should be interpreted with caution. </font><br>
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<font size="4">Raw daily catches of Chinook salmon (</font><i><font size="4">Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</font></i><font size="4">) have been captured each day sampling has occurred and most have been young-of-the-year (YOY). Weekly mean Fulton’s K values of YOY Chinook salmon were greater than 1.0 for all weeks sampled except JW 10 and 11. Efficiency calibrations were conducted with freeze-branded hatchery Chinook salmon during Julian Weeks 10-28. </font><br>
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<font size="4">Raw daily catches of steelhead (</font><i><font size="4">Oncorhynchus mykiss</font></i><font size="4">) smolts (age 1+) have been relatively steady since the beginning of trapping with hatchery steelhead showing up in JW 12; catch of steelhead smolts dropped off beginning mid-June. Weekly mean Fulton’s K values of Steelhead smolts were greater than 1.0 for all weeks sampled except JW 14 and JW 18-20 and JW 22. The drop in condition factor in the later weeks is consistent with smoltification processes. Steelhead YOY numbers have increased in the recent weeks and appear to have peaked, but catch is still consistent. </font><br>
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<font size="4">Raw daily catches of coho salmon (</font><i><font size="4">Oncorhynchus kisutch</font></i><font size="4">) are lower than last year at this time but not significantly lower than other years prior. Weekly mean Fulton’s K value of natural coho salmon smolts has varied greatly from week to week due to low catches. Hatchery Coho smolts occurred in the catch beginning Julian Week 15. </font><br>
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<font size="4">If you have any questions regarding this summary, don't hesitate to contact Bill Pinnix at (707) 822-7201.</font><br>
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<i>(See attached file: WCT_Catch_Summary_07_29_10.pdf)</i><br>
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William Pinnix<br>
USFWS, AFWO<br>
1655 Heindon Rd<br>
Arcata, CA 95521<br>
(707) 822-7201</body></html>