Habitat Surveys - Background

Habitat Requirements: Chum Salmon have specific habitat requirements for spawning, including clean water (limited fine sediment), substrate size used for spawning (gravels to small cobble), sufficient water depth and flow rate, low gradient, and lack of barriers. It also appears that Chum Salmon prefer to spawn in locations where upwelling groundwater is present.
Available Data Existing habitat survey data collected by the ODFW Aquatic Inventories (AQI) Project provides a detailed description of channel form. Additional Chum Salmonspecific data were needed at finer spatial scales to assess the quantity and quality of existing habitat. To this end, a Chum Salmon habitat protocol was developed to quantify upwelling groundwater, survey existing barriers, and quantify suitable substrates. This protocol is a companion to the AQI protocol.
Survey Locations: Habitat surveys were conducted in the Youngs Bay, Big Creek, Clatskanie River, and Scappoose Creek populations. Additional data were collected in Coastal Oregon and Washington streams and rivers where Chum Salmon are present to better understand the specific ha bi tat attributes associated with locations where Chum Salmon spawn.

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