NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report 2006- Pen-Rearing Projects

[Legacy]

NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report 2006

Section 18 Page 1

2006 New York Cooperative Trout and Salmon Pen-Rearing Projects

M.A. Wilkinson

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

270 Michigan Avenue

Buffalo, New York 14203

M.J. Sanderson

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

6274 East Avon-Lima Road

Avon, New York 14414

S.E. Prindle

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

1285 Fisher Avenue

Cortland, New York 13045

In 1998, concerns over post-stocking survival and

imprinting of steelhead and chinook salmon to

stocking sites led to the formation of several

cooperative sportsmen’s groups interested in pen

rearing (Bishop and Pearsall 1999). Concerns

from the eastern basin of Lake Ontario centered

on the predation of stocked steelhead by

cormorants. Western basin concerns included the

apparent lack of imprinting and subsequent

impaired homing of chinook salmon and steelhead

to the stocking streams.

After the successful completion of pen-rearing

projects at Oswego Harbor and Oak Orchard

Creek in 1998, a number of other sportsmen’s

groups expressed interest in pen-rearing. New

sites were added in 1999, including the Lower

Niagara River, Sandy Creek, Genesee River and

Sodus Bay. No additional sites were added until

2003, when a new pen project for Skamania

steelhead was initiated at Little Salmon River.

In 2005, a chinook pen-rearing project was

initiated at Olcott Harbor on Eighteenmile Creek

and steelhead were added here in 2006. Also in

2006, a steelhead pen-rearing project was initiated

at Wilson Harbor and only steelhead were raised

at the Lower Niagara and Sandy Creek penrearing

projects. All sites have been active each

year since inception, except for Sandy Creek

which was inactive in 2004 and 2005.

Evaluations of the pen-rearing studies conducted

at Oak Orchard Creek and the Lower Niagara

River are reported in Bishop et al. (2006). This

report summarizes 2006 pen-rearing activities and

results

Methods

All sites, except the Lower Niagara River, used

similar pen materials, design and netting as described

for the 1998 Oak Orchard Creek Project in Bishop

and Pearsall (1999). Standard operating procedures

for stocking, maintaining, feeding, and releasing

penned salmon were developed and refined by

NYSDEC (Wilkinson 1999, Sanderson 2006).

Differences are noted under each specific site

description. Table 1 provides characteristics of each

of the pen-rearing sites.

Observed mortalities for all projects were based on

the number of dead fish collected from the pens

during captivity and from the bottom of the pens after

release. Both sources of mortality were noted by

cooperators, except where listed otherwise. Mortality

does not include fish lost to cannibalism or from

predators that may have gained access to pens.

Little Salmon River

Five thousand Skamania steelhead were placed into

three pens at Salmon Country Marina on 18 April.

The steelhead were administered a double fin clip

(adipose and left pectoral fin); the standard clip for

all New York stocked Lake Ontario Skamania

steelhead.

Penned steelhead were fed five times daily, and pens

were cleaned twice during the rearing period. Water

temperature was measured once each day. On 9

May, after 21 days of rearing, the pen was towed to

the mouth of the Little Salmon River, where the

NYSDEC Lake Ontario Annual Report 2006

Section 18 Page 2

steelhead were released.

Oswego Harbor

Twenty thousand steelhead were placed by the

Oswego Net Pen Group into three pens at

Oswego Marina on the Oswego River on 14 April.

Forty thousand chinook were also placed into two

pens on the same date.

Penned steelhead and Chinook were generally fed

five times daily, although on some days, the fish

were fed as infrequently as three times per day.

Water temperature was recorded at most

feedings. Pen netting cleaning times were not

recorded during the pen rearing period. Steelhead

were released on 5 May (22 days in pens) and

salmon were released on 8 May (25 days in pens)

by releasing them at the pen site. Both species

were released without towing to the Lake, as had

been done in previous years.

Sodus Bay

On 12 April, 52,600 Chinook were placed into two

pens near First Creek at Sodus Bay. Chinook

were piped to the pens directly from the hatchery

truck.

Feeding was performed five times per day, and

pens were cleaned weekly during the rearing

period. Water temperature was monitored with a

digital recording device starting on 12 April.

Dissolved Oxygen was measured on 1 May with

a YSI Model 55 meter. On 6 May, after 25 days

of rearing, the pens were towed into the open

lake. The fish were released in approximately 25

feet of water lakeward, and east of, Sodus Bay

Channel. Pens were inverted to release the fish.

Genesee River

The Genesee Charter Association, in conjunction

with Irondequoit Bay Fish and Game Club and

Greater Rochester Sportfishery Association, used

six pens located at Shumway Marina in the

Genesee River for raising steelhead and

Chinook.Ten thousand steelhead were placed into

two pens on 11 April. Chinook (85,250) were

placed in four pens also on 11 April. The pens

were gravity-loaded by piping the steelhead and

salmon from the hatchery truck.

Feeding was performed five times per day, and

pens were cleaned once weekly. Water

temperature was monitored with a digital recorder

starting on 11April. Dissolved Oxygen was measured

on 28 April with a YSI Model 55 meter. Steelhead

and Chinook were released on 29 April and 3 May,

respectively, by inverting the pens on site. Chinook

were released four days after the steelhead to reduce

potential predation by steelhead upon recentlystocked

chinook.

Sandy Creek

The Sandy Creek project was a community group

effort. Volunteers included SUNY Brockport

students, Boy Scouts, high school groups, charter

captains, and community members. On 14 April,

7,300 steelhead were placed into two pens in the

Sandy Creek Marina basin. The steelhead were

piped to the pens directly from the hatchery truck.

The pens were then towed from the basin to the

creek immediately adjacent to the marina, and tied to

a private residence dock. The pens were oriented

with the pens’ long axis parallel to water flow.

Feeding was performed six times per day, and pens

were cleaned once a day during the rearing period.

Water temperature was monitored with a digital

recording device starting on 14 April. Dissolved

Oxygen was measured on 24 and 28 April with a YSI

Model 55 meter. On 29 April, after 16 days of

rearing, the pens were inverted to release the fish at

the pen site.

Oak Orchard Creek

The Oak Orchard Business Association sponsored

this pen project. On 10 April, 14,000 steelhead were

delivered to Lake Breeze Marina and placed into

three pens. On the same date, 85,250 Chinook were

placed into four pens at the same location. A PVC

extension pipe was used to transfer steelhead and

Chinook into pens located farthest from the shore.

Trout and salmon were fed four times daily, and pens

were cleaned every two days. Water temperature

was monitored with a digital recording device starting

on 10 April. Dissolved Oxygen was measured on 24

April with a YSI Model 55 meter. The steelhead and

salmon were released after 17 days on 26 April by

towing the pens to the river mouth at Point Breeze.

Eighteenmile Creek

The Eighteenmile Creek pen project was sponsored

by Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Association

(LOTSA), Town of Newfane, Niagara County

Fisheries Development Board, Niagara County

“Skip Hartmanâ€Â