USFWS - Yakima Newsletter | Jul

Staff netting Bull Trout at Clear Creek Dam

Clear Creek Dam Trap-and-Haul

Staff captured 40 Bull Trout at Clear Creek Dam this year, 39 of which were unique, and one was a recapture first tagged in 2025. Genetic assignments showed 12 of the fish were born in the North Fork Tieton River. These fish were transported over the dam and released into Clear Lake.

Tagging enables monitoring of migration timing, estimation of survival rates, and evaluation of trap-and-haul effectiveness. With fish passage construction paused until 2028, this work remains critical in providing interim passage for North Fork Tieton River Bull Trout. In September, efforts will shift to the upper Yakima River at Keechelus and Kachess dams.

Gold Creek Pond Oneida Nets

In partnership with the Yakama Nation, staff deployed and fished three Oneida nets in Gold Creek Pond for the first time. Approximately 2,000 native fish were captured over the week, including one Bull Trout that was acoustically tagged and released.

This fish was first detected on the PIT antenna at the pond outlet before entering the pond and being captured. To date, three unique Bull Trout have been captured or detected entering Gold Creek Pond. All of the work supports efforts to assess fish use and develop salvage methods ahead of pond filling as part of the Gold Creek Valley Restoration Project. Staff plan to repeat the netting effort in October to assess potential seasonal differences while PIT monitoring in the outlet channel continues.

Acoustic receivers in Keechelus Reservoir

Keechelus Reservoir Acoustic Monitoring

Staff continue to monitor acoustically tagged Bull Trout in Keechelus Reservoir, where the array of hydrophones continuously tracks depth, temperature, and locations of tagged fish.

The resulting data will be used to estimate survival and entrainment rates of La Salle reared Bull Trout, Bull Trout transported through the trap-and-haul program, and Bull Trout rescued from Gold Creek Pond during fish salvage.

Deep Creek PIT Antennas

Two submersible PIT antennas were installed in Deep Creek, the sole spawning tributary of Bumping Reservoir. Historically, few Bull Trout have been captured and tagged at Bumping Dam, limiting monitoring efforts.

Recent surveys by Mid-Columbia Fisheries Enhancement staff identified extensive dewatering in Deep Creek where juveniles were collected from isolated pools and PIT tagged. While initial efforts to collect and tag adults at the creek mouth proved unsuccessful, last year’s trap-and-haul work below Bumping Dam indicated fish were entraining from the reservoir in larger numbers than previously thought.

Icicle Creek Snorkel Survey

Yakima Sub-Office staff participated in the annual Icicle Creek snorkel survey led by colleagues from the Leavenworth office. Conducted since 2003, the survey enumerates Chinook and Bull Trout.

This year, 230 Chinook were counted, the fourth highest total since 2014, despite record-low flows in the creek.

Satus Creek Mussel eDNA

Staff collected eDNA samples from multiple sites in Satus Creek to better understand the distribution of four freshwater mussel species in the lower Yakima Basin: Western Pearlshell, Western Ridged, Oregon Floater, and California Floater.

Last year staff completed eDNA surveys in Toppenish and Ahtanum creeks and will expand to additional streams in the lower Yakima River Basin. The work will help clarify species distributions and their relationship to key water quality parameters ahead of the forthcoming listing decision for the Western Ridged Mussel.