This study tracked the behavior and fates of Chinook salmon, steelhead, and striped bass acoustically tagged and released at the Tracy Fish Collection Facility in 2013. The goals were to quantify fish survival and facility efficiency. A total of 133 salmonids and 36 striped bass were released under different flow conditions and their movement, salvage rates, predation, and losses were monitored. The key findings were that Chinook salmon were more likely to enter the facility at mid-high flows while steelhead behavior was more variable, with more upstream movement away from the facility and lower predation and louver loss rates than Chinook salmon. Both salmonids spent more time in front of the trash rack and

1. Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Loss
Study, Tracy Fish Collection Facility-2013

2. Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Loss Study,
Tracy Fish Collection Facility-2013
• 2013 goal: Learn to distinguish Chinook salmon,
steelhead, and striped bass telemetry tracks
(behavior) at the TFCF to begin to quantify fish
survival (loss) and facility efficiency

3. Methods
• Acoustically tagged juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead
were released from the trash boom; acoustically tagged adult
striped bass were released upstream and downstream of the
trash rack; tags implanted 2 days – 1 week prior (included
control fish)
• Fish released at 6 TOD at 3 study flows: 1, 3, 4/5 JPP pumps,
March and May
• Fish behavior (including salvage, louver loss, predation,
nonparticipation, and swim-out) was determined for the 24 hr
period for each specific flow
• Facility hydraulic data were recorded throughout 2 study
periods and will be analyzed for influence on fish behavior
• Facility operated normally with louver cleanings and VC/HT
pump changes as needed

8. Fish Data Summary
• Released 133 salmonids:
• 69 Chinook salmon (x = 136.2 mm FL)
• 64 steelhead (x = 198.7mm FL)
• Control salmonids held for 7 days
• 24 Chinook salmon (x=135.5 mm FL)
• 24 steelhead (x=200.5 mm FL)
• Released 36 adult striped bass (x = 510 mm FL);
18 in upper channel, 18 in primary channel

9. • 37 salvage (28 CS, 9 SH)
• 10 louver loss (7 CS, 3 SH)
• 19 predation (17 CS, 2 SH)
• 7 nonparticipation
• 3 swim-out
• 57 unknown (may change with
additional processing)
Preliminary Fish Fates
Fate assignments based on interagency August meeting, on following a tag
through time, and on known species behavior (from salvaged fish).

10. 37 Salvaged Fish
• Fish collected in holding tank and detected in
acoustic tag database
• 28 Chinook salmon (of 69 released= 40.6%)
• 9 steelhead (of 64 released = 14.1%)

11. 3 salvaged Chinook salmon under range of flows

12. 3 salvaged steelhead under range of flows

13. Participation (Passed Trash Rack) with Flow

14. Chinook
salmon
(28)
Upstream
Trashrack
(hr)
Primary
Channel
(hr)
Secondary
Channel and
bypasses (hr)
Total
(hr)
Range 0.04 – 13.7 0.01 – 0.2 0.03 – 0.7 0.1 – 14.6
Mean 1.1 0.1 0.1 1.2
SD 3.29 0.05 0.19 3.35
Steelhead
(9)
Upstream
Trashrack
(hr)
Primary
Channel
(hr)
Secondary
Channel and
bypasses (hr)
Total
(hr)
Range 0.6 – 9.0 0.3 – 7.4 0.06 – 16.1 0.3 – 24.5
Mean 1.6 1.1 4.5 7.2
SD 2.91 2.42 6.14 7.88
Facility Component Time (hr)

15. Louver losses (10)
• Primary channel: 5 fish
• 1 Chinook through gap between bays 1 and 2
• 1 Chinook through louvers when secondary
channel being cleaned
• 2 Chinook and 1 steelhead through louvers
unrelated to cleaning
• Secondary Channel: 5 fish
• 2 steelhead and 3 Chinook through
louvers unrelated to cleaning

16. 3407.21 (Primary Louver Loss, 3 JPP)

17. 3771.21 (Secondary Louver Loss, 5 JPP)

18. Predation Losses (19)
(as indicated by change in fish’s behavior and detection of a
defecated tag within 2-3 days after fish released in
MarkTags; predation occurred in both the channel upstream
of trash rack (13) and in primary channel (6)
• 17 Chinook salmon
• 2 Steelhead

19. Confirmation of defecated tag in data processing

20. Size of 19 predated Chinook/steelhead with time to defecation
Time to Defecation (from release time)
• Chinook salmon (n = 17, mean = 1.71 days, range = 0.7 - 2.8 days)
• Steelhead (n = 2, mean = 3.45 day, range 3.3 - 3.6 days)

21. Example of swim-out (blue, ~2.8 days) and non-
participation (green,~4.5 days) fates

22. 2 Striped Bass

23. What did we learn from 37 salvaged fish?
• Chinook more likely to move into facility at mid/high
flows, more variable behavior at lower flow
• Steelhead behavior more variable; more upstream
movement away from facility, less loss to predation
and louvers
• Both salmonids generally passed through the primary
channel quickly; spent more time in front of trash rack
and in bypasses; lots of looping behavior at mid and
low flows (and high flows for steelhead)

24. Acknowledgements
• TFCF Facility and Biology Staff
• CVO
• DWR
• HTI