2004 Juvenile Salmonid Production Evaluation and Adult Escapement: Intensively Monitored Watersheds (IMW) Annual Report

Since the Endangered Species Act listing of numerous salmon and steelhead populations in the Pacific Northwest in the 1990’s, millions of dollars have been dedicated to the restoration of freshwater habitat. Little is known about the effectiveness of these efforts in restoring salmon populations. Scientists have concluded that the most effective means of determining the contribution of restoration projects to salmon recovery is to implement experimental, watershedscale evaluations that include the measurement of freshwater (smolt) production. Several organizations in the Pacific Northwest have begun to establish such projects. The Intensively Monitored Watersheds (IMW) Project evolved in 2003 from the joint Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington Department of Ecology Index Watershed Monitoring Project. A complete description of the watersheds and progress made on this project during its first year are described in IMWSOC (2004). IMW monitoring activities include the measurement of freshwater production and escapements into IMW streams. This appendix presents the 2004 freshwater smolt production estimates for the Hood Canal and Lower Columbia IMWs and the 2004 escapement estimates for the Hood Canal IMWs. It also details the field work and analytical steps taken to produce these estimates.