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2014 San Joaquin River White Sturgeon Telemetry Study Annual Report

Prepared by: Laura B. Heironimus, Garrett D. Giannetta, and Zachary J. Jackson* U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office 850 South Guild Avenue, Suite 105 Lodi, California 95240 *Corresponding author: [email protected]

DISCLAIMER The mention of trade names or commercial products in this report does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use by the federal government.

Cover Photo: Anadromous Fish Restoration Program Fisheries Biologist Zachary Jackson assesses the condition of a newly-tagged White Sturgeon before release. This fish is immediately detectable within the study area receiver array and may contribute valuable information that will aid in achieving habitat restoration goals. The correct citation for this report is: Heironimus, L. B., G. D. Giannetta, and Z. J. Jackson. 2015. 2014 San Joaquin River White Sturgeon telemetry study. Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office, Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lodi, California.

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PREFACE The following is the 2014 annual report for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s investigations on anadromous sturgeon distribution and habitat use in the San Joaquin River, funded by the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) Anadromous Fish Restoration Program in Fiscal Year 2014. Title 34, Section 3406(b)(1) of the CVPIA, Public Law 102-575, requires the Secretary of the Interior to develop within three years of enactment and implement a program which makes all reasonable efforts to ensure that, by the year 2002, natural production of anadromous fish in Central Valley rivers and streams will be sustainable, on a long-term basis, at levels not less than twice the average levels attained during the period of 1967–1991. Section 3406(b)(1) also states that “this goal shall not apply to the San Joaquin River between Friant Dam and the Mendota Pool.” The purpose of these investigations is to provide scientific information to the Central Valley Project Improvement Act Anadromous Fish Restoration Program to assist in developing restoration recommendations that will help meet program objectives and achieve its anadromous fish doubling goals.

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2014 San Joaquin River White Sturgeon Telemetry Study Laura B. Heironimus, Garrett D. Giannetta, and Zachary J. Jackson U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lodi Fish and Wildlife Office, 850 South Guild Avenue, Suite 105, Lodi, California 95240 ABSTRACT White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus in the San Francisco Estuary were previously thought to reproduce almost entirely within the Sacramento River. Within the past decade, new research has documented White Sturgeon migration and reproduction in the San Joaquin River. In an attempt to understand the spawning migration, periodicity, and reproductive success within the San Joaquin River, the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program has collected, tagged, and tracked adult White Sturgeon since spring 2012. A 20-receiver telemetry array was used to assess fish movement and behavior. Receivers were distributed throughout the San Joaquin River basin from river kilometer 115 to 217 and within three major tributaries, the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced rivers. From March 11th to May 19th, 2014, 16 sturgeon were captured in the San Joaquin River and implanted with 69 kHz acoustic transmitters. The 2014 tagging effort increased the study total to 43 tagged White Sturgeon. In spring 2014, five previouslytagged sturgeon returned to the study area, of which three remained in the system for more than five days. Three sturgeon were detected in fall 2014, including one that had been detected in spring 2014 and one sturgeon that was tagged in spring 2014. Detection data suggested a spring spawning window from February 9th to May 3rd, 2014. Migration patterns appear correlated with fluctuations in water temperature and streamflow. Detections in subsequent years will allow us to refine our understanding of the environmental effects on behaviors, habitat use, spawning periodicity, and site fidelity among San Joaquin River White Sturgeon.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE .................................................................................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................................. iv LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................................... vi LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................................... vii INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 1 STUDY AREA ............................................................................................................................................. 2 METHODS ................................................................................................................................................... 2 Sampling – ................................................................................................................................................ 2 Fish Handling – ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Acoustic receivers – .................................................................................................................................. 3 Streamflow and Water Temperature Data – ............................................................................................. 4 RESULTS ..................................................................................................................................................... 4 Fish Capture and Migration Behavior –................................................................................................... 4 Returning Migrant Behavior – .................................................................................................................. 5 Streamflow and Water Temperature Data – ............................................................................................. 5 DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 7 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................. 8 TABLES AND FIGURES .......................................................................................................................... 12

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LIST OF TABLES Table 1.

Page Gear types and dimensions (stretch measure) used to capture adult White Sturgeon in the San Joaquin River from March 11th to May 19th, 2014………..

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2.

2014 San Joaquin River telemetry array receiver locations…….…......................

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3.

Tagging and movement information for newly captured adult White Sturgeon using gill and trammel nets in San Joaquin River during 2014. Tag ID refers to the implanted acoustic transmitter number. Movement refers to the behavior exhibited by sturgeon according to acoustic telemetry detections. The different types of movement are categorized as Exit (E), Holding (H), Roaming (R), and Fallback (F). Tag date and exit date is the first and last date, respectively, at which the sturgeon is detected within the telemetry array…….............................

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Tagging and movement information of tagged adult White Sturgeon returning to the San Joaquin River during 2014. Tag ID refers to the implanted acoustic transmitter identification code. The fork length provided was measured at the time of transmitter implantation. Movement refers to the behavior exhibited by sturgeon according to acoustic telemetry detections. The different types of movement are categorized as Exit (E), Holding (H), Roaming (R), and Fallback (F). Enter date and exit date is the first and last date, respectively, at which the sturgeon is detected within the telemetry array…..…………………....................

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4.

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LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.

2.

3.

4.

Page 2014 San Joaquin River telemetry array receiver (stars) and stream gage (crosses) locations (ESRI 2011)………………………………………………….

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The number of White Sturgeon detections overlaid with median daily water temperature (°C; panel A) and mean daily streamflow (m3/s; panel B) from the San Joaquin River near Vernalis, California (U.S. Geological Survey, ). Individual fish tags were only counted the first time it appeared in a day………………………………..…

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White Sturgeon spring migrations overlaid with median daily water temperature (°C; panel A) and mean daily discharge (m3/s; panel B) from the San Joaquin River near Vernalis, California (U.S. Geological Survey, ). Positive migrations (above the horizontal line) indicate upstream migration events, while negative migrations (below the horizontal line) indicate downstream migration events. Only migrations that occurred within a 24 h period were considered a migration event. Different sections within a bar indicate individual migration events. Some fish may have exhibited multiple migration events within a day and throughout the season. Newly-tagged fish migrations were not plotted for 48 h post-tagging to account for possible post-tagging effects………………………..

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White Sturgeon fall migrations overlaid with median daily water temperature (°C; panel A) and mean daily discharge (m3/s; panel B) from the San Joaquin River near Vernalis, California (U.S. Geological Survey, ). Positive migrations (above the horizontal line) indicate upstream migration events, while negative migrations (below the horizontal line) indicate downstream migration events. Only migrations that occurred within a 24 h period were considered a migration event. Different sections within a bar indicate individual migration events. Some fish may have exhibited multiple migration events within a day and throughout the season. Newly-tagged fish migrations were not plotted for 48 h post-tagging to account for possible post-tagging effects…..……………………

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2015 San Joaquin River White Sturgeon Telemetry Study INTRODUCTION White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus are an anadromous species native to the Pacific Coast of North America. Acipenserids are believed to have strong homing capabilities and exhibit spawning site fidelity, characteristics which may result in sub-populations within a species (Waldman et al. 1996a, 1996b; Bemis and Kynard 1997; Wirgin et al. 1997). Recent evidence suggests that there are six genetically distinct populations of White Sturgeon: the Upper Fraser River, Lower Fraser River, Kootenai River, Columbia-Snake rivers from Dalles Dam to the Transboundary Reach, Columbia River estuary, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin rivers (hereafter referred to as the San Francisco Estuary; Drauch Schreier et al. 2013). Within Canada, White Sturgeon populations in the Upper Fraser, Upper Columbia, and Upper Kootenay rivers are listed as Endangered and the Lower Fraser River population is listed as Threatened (COSEWIC 2012). The Kootenai River population was listed as Endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in December 2000 (59 Federal Register 45989-46002). In contrast, populations within the San Francisco Estuary and the lower Columbia-Snake river basins are considered widespread and abundant, with the exception of some impounded reaches showing relatively low recruitment (Duke et al. 2004). Genetic differences and variation in river system dynamics between sturgeon populations may influence migratory behavior and recruitment success. Understanding the differences in basic ecology between sturgeon populations and subpopulations is needed to develop and achieve unique management objectives. The San Francisco Estuary population of White Sturgeon is thought to primarily recruit from the Sacramento River (Stevens and Miller 1970). In a disc-dangler tag population study, Miller (1972) documented White Sturgeon migration into the Sacramento River for a presumed spawning season of March through June. Females within the San Francisco Estuary are estimated to recruit to the spawning population above 95 cm fork length (FL) with a spawning periodicity of 2–4 years (Chapman at el. 1996). A study conducted in the late 1960’s captured White Sturgeon larvae on the San Joaquin River side of the Delta; however, there was not sufficient evidence to conclude spawning within the San Joaquin River itself (Stevens and Miller 1970). Kohlhorst (1976) reported adult White Sturgeon caught by anglers in the San Joaquin River from Mossdale to the mouth of Merced River in late winter to early spring, suggesting a possible spawning run. Since 2007, a small sturgeon fishery within the San Joaquin River has been documented by angler fishing report cards (Gleason et al. 2008; DuBois et al. 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014). The report cards have documented 151 sturgeon (144 White Sturgeon and 7 Green Sturgeon A. medirostris) reported between Stockton and the highway 140 bridge, approximately river kilometer (rkm) 65 to 210. Additionally, 99 sturgeon (97 White Sturgeon and 2 Green Sturgeon) have been reported upstream of the highway 140 bridge. Nonetheless,

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spawning was not documented within the San Joaquin River system until recently (Gruber et al. 2012). The Anadromous Fish Restoration Program (AFRP) has implanted acoustic transmitters into adult and sub-adult White Sturgeon captured within the San Joaquin River since 2012. The primary objective of this study is to track adult White Sturgeon movements within the San Joaquin River to better understand migratory patterns (i.e., migratory movement, spawning periodicity, site fidelity, habitat use, and the effects of acoustic transmitter implantation). The results of this study will identify the spatial and temporal distribution of White Sturgeon within the study area. This information will help guide future habitat protection and necessary restoration and management actions. STUDY AREA The study area remained the same as described in previous reports (Figure 1; Faukner and Jackson 2014, Jackson and Faukner 2014). Three major tributaries drain into the San Joaquin River from the east—the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced rivers. Each tributary has a lowelevation dam that serves as a barrier to anadromy. In 2012, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) defined a river station system for the San Joaquin River at 1-m intervals. The river stationing follows the centerline of the San Joaquin River from its confluence with the Sacramento River upstream to the confluence of the Merced River (M. Marineau and S. Wright, USGS, unpublished). All subsequent measures of distance within the San Joaquin River, below the Merced River, are referenced to this coordinate system. Outside of the range of the USGS map, rkm was measured by tracing a path down the center of the river channel using the Google Earth ruler-path function (imagery taken March 29, 2015, Version 7.1.5.1557). Upstream of the Merced River, rkm was measured starting at the furthest upstream point on the USGS map. Within-tributary measurements started at the USGS marker closest to the center of each river’s confluence with the San Joaquin River. METHODS Sampling – Sampling was conducted using gill nets and trammel nets (Table 1). Nets were fished on the river bottom either parallel or perpendicular to the current depending on site characteristics. Nets were set in areas of high capture probability, determined by use of empirical data from previous years’ sampling and assessing acoustic receiver information for recent detections of previously-tagged fish. Set times and Global Positioning System coordinates (Lowrance®, Model Structure Scan HDS 10) were recorded prior to net deployment. End time was recorded immediately prior to net retrieval.

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Fish Handling – White Sturgeon were brought aboard, carefully removed from the net, and placed ventral side up in a custom made fish cradle (for description, see Jackson and Faukner 2014) causing the sturgeon to relax into a state of tonic immobility. We then lowered the anterior end of the sturgeon in-cradle back into the river near shore to allow for water to run over the gills and minimize handling stress. Measurements of fork length (FL; cm) and girth (cm; immediately posterior to the pectoral fins) were recorded. We attempted field sex determinations through palpation (i.e., stripping) and visual examination through the abdominal incision made for transmitter insertion. We drew blood samples from the caudal artery (BD Vacutainer, BD, Franklin Lakes, NJ) and sent the samples to Dr. Molly Webb at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Bozeman Fish Technology Center. Blood samples were tested for estradiol and testosterone concentrations for assessment of sex and stage of reproductive maturity. We removed a small section of soft tissue from the right pelvic fin for genetic analysis. Genetic samples were air dried and stored in a labeled coin envelope for subsequent analysis. All fish were scanned (RS200B, Allflex, Dallas, TX) for a passive integrated transponder (PIT) tag and visually assessed for external tags (California Department of Fish and Wildlife marks White Sturgeon with disc tags in the San Francisco Estuary). If a PIT tag was not detected, we inserted a tag (12 mm FDX Oregon RFID, Portland, OR) into the dorsal musculature immediately anterior to the dorsal fin and posterior to the dorsal scutes using a PIT tag injector (Kahn and Mohead 2010). Next, we used a scalpel (size #4 handle, size #12 blade) to make a 3–4 cm incision through the ventral surface of the fish anterior of the pelvic fin and slightly off the midline. Through this incision we inserted a 69-kHz acoustic transmitter (V 16, Vemco©, Bedford, Nova Scotia) with a 3650-d battery life into the abdominal cavity. The incision was closed with three interrupted knots using Oasis® violet monofilament absorbable suture (PDO II size I, NCP-1 cutting needle). Captured fish, other than sturgeon, were identified, measured to FL (cm), and released. Acoustic receivers – We determined the movements of tagged fish using 69 kHz acoustic monitoring receivers (VR2W, Vemco©, Bedford, Nova Scotia), deployed in a 20-receiver array throughout the San Joaquin River basin and monitored as part of this study (Table 2; Figure 1). The original array was installed in October 2009 and it has been in continuous operation since. Receiver functionality assessments and data downloads have occurred every 3–6 months. The original receivers were intentionally distributed around the three major tributary confluences, including: the Merced River (rkm 187.6), the Tuolumne River (rkm 130.6), and the Stanislaus River (rkm 116.3). We placed additional receivers in habitats thought to be used by reproductively mature adult sturgeon and to bridge gaps in the study area between tributary receivers. Note, receiver detection ranges do not overlap and detection gaps exist within the study area. During spring 2014, the most downstream receiver in the study area, SJR DS SR at rkm 115.0, was buried due to fine sediment transport and replaced twice. We tracked fish in May–June 2014 using a mobile 3

receiver (VR100 acoustic tracking receiver, VH165 omni-directional hydrophone, and VH110 directional hydrophone, Vemco©, Bedford, Nova Scotia) to determine if any tagged fish remained in the study area. Sturgeon movements, based on detections in the receiver array, were categorized to characterize sturgeon behavior in response to tagging and environmental events. Sturgeon movements were categorized as: (1) Exit, leaving the study area within 2 d post-transmitter implantation; (2) Roaming, traveling widely within the study area and visiting both upstream and downstream sites repeatedly; (3) Fallback, fish moved downstream within 2 d after tagging but thereafter resumed typical movements within the study area; and (4) Holding, fish held position at a single receiver for more than 2 d post-tagging or seven consecutive days any time after the initial 2 d post-tagging period. After leaving the study area, returning migrants were categorized as either Spring Migrants or Fall Migrants. Spring Migrants were considered any fish entering the study area January through June. Fall Migrants were considered any fish entering the study area July through December. Over-summering fish were considered any fish that remained in the study area across the Spring-Fall timeline. Conversely, over-wintering fish were considered any fish that remained in the study area across the Fall-Spring timeline. Streamflow and Water Temperature Data – River discharge and temperature data were obtained from the U.S. Geological Survey gaging station near Vernalis (). RESULTS Fish Capture and Migration Behavior – In 2014, we captured three species of fish and one turtle as bycatch, including: Blue Catfish Ictalurus furcatus, Channel Catfish I. punctatus, Common Carp Cyprinus carpio, and a Red-eared Slider Trachemys scripta elegans. We captured 15 White Sturgeon in gill or trammel nets, one (fish ID 27469) was captured twice within the same day. Total effort for 2014 spring sampling was 204.4 net-hours. One additional juvenile White Sturgeon (65 cm) was captured and tagged during sampling associated with a California Department of Fish and Wildlife project evaluating adult Chinook Salmon migrations in the basin (Table 3). Field identifications of sex for two fish (fish ID 27468 and 25840) matched sex steroid assessments; all other field assessments of sex were unknown due to difficulties associated with identification. Of the fish sexed based on sex steroid concentrations, the female to male sex ratio was 1:8 (Table 3, 4). Newly captured sturgeon with an unidentified sex in Table 3 had concentrations of sex steroids that led to inconclusive sex assignments. Fish ID 27465 moved the furthest upstream post-tagging and it was detected the furthest upstream of all 2014 migratory fish at SJR PAT (rkm 154.3; Table 3). Fish ID 27466 was detected for the longest amount of time post-tagging (41 d) and it exhibited fallback, roaming, 4

and holding behaviors during that time (Table 3). Three male fish (fish ID 25839, 27465, and 27464) resumed roaming immediately post-tagging while three fish (two males and one unknown; fish ID 27452, 27450, and 25842) exited the system within two days post-tagging (Table 3). The peak number of sturgeon detected in a single day occurred on April 4th (Figure 2). The peak upstream spring migration consisted of three fish and occurred on March 1st, with nearly 67 rkms covered in a single day (Figure 3). No sturgeon were detected in the Tuolumne River, Merced River, or in the San Joaquin River upstream of the Merced River confluence. Two sturgeon, fish IDs 27464 and 27466, were detected in the Stanislaus River at the SR DS BW receiver on April 21st and 24th, respectively, coinciding with the late April flow pulse (Figure 2). Mean discharge at the Vernalis gaging station increased from 23.0 m3/s (April 10th–14th) to 80.4 m3/s (April 20th–24th). Neither fish were detected above the rock weir at SR DS AW. Returning Migrant Behavior – In 2014, six previously-tagged sturgeon were detected in the study area. Five of the six returning sturgeon were detected in spring 2014, three of which remained in the system for more than 5 d (Table 4). Two of the six returning sturgeon were detected in fall 2014, including one that was also detected in spring 2014. One sturgeon that was tagged in spring 2014 returned to the study area in fall 2014. All fall migrants were detected for less than 10 d in December and none were considered over-wintering. Fish ID 63048 was the furthest spring and fall upstream migrant of previously-tagged fish, it was detected at SJR DPC (rkm 146.4) in the spring and SJR US TR (rkm 131.7) in the fall. Fish ID 63048 also accounted for the first spring detection on February 10th, 2014, while fish ID 27459 was the final spring detection on May 3rd, 2014 (Table 4), indicating an 82 d potential spring migration period based off tagged individuals. The earliest fall migrant was detected on December 22nd 2015 (Fish ID 25839) and the final fall detection occurred on December 30th (Fish ID 27454; detections did not continue into January 2015), indicating a 9-d potential fall migration period (Table 4). Streamflow and Water Temperature Data – Mean water temperature during the 2014 spring migration period (February 9th–May 3rd) was 16.3 °C (range of 12.3–22.4 °C) and mean streamflow was 34.8 m3/s (range of 16.0– 86.4 m3/s). During the fall migration period (December 22nd–December 30th), mean water temperature was 10.8 °C (range of 8.8–13.2 °C) and mean streamflow was 36.2 m3/s (range of 31.1–43.3 m3/s). There appears to be a relationship between directional sturgeon migrations and environmental parameters, specifically temperature and streamflow. Declines in temperature and increases in streamflow during March apparently stimulated upstream movement of sturgeon (Figure 3). With a few exceptions of brief upstream movements, a majority of sturgeon migrating 5

in April began to migrate downstream, regardless of changes in streamflow or temperature (Figure 3). Alternatively, an increase in temperature and streamflow in December preceded detections of three sturgeon in the lower half of the study area (Figure 4). DISCUSSION Sturgeon generally exhibit strong homing abilities (Waldman et al. 1996a,1996b; Wirgin et al. 1997) and site fidelity (Parsley et al. 2008); however, the timing of spawning events vary between populations (McCabe and Tracy 1994; Paragamian et al. 2009). Spring migrations of San Francisco Estuary White Sturgeon primarily occur between March and June (Miller 1972). Our data from 2014 suggests that the spring sturgeon migration period for the San Joaquin River is from February 10th to May 3rd — a month earlier than the migration period observed by Miller (1972). Additionally, the return rate for tagged sturgeon within the San Joaquin River decreased from 50% return in 2013 (5 of 10 tagged sturgeon; Faukner and Jackson 2014) to 21% in 2014. Unfortunately, the furthest downstream receiver within the study area (SJR DS SR) was unreliable to verify sturgeon entering and exiting the system from February 25th to April 21st due to repeatedly becoming buried by a highly-mobile bedload. The loss of this receiver for part of the spring may have resulted in the missed detection of returning sturgeon. Regardless, the difference in migration period and changes in return rate between years is likely due to variations in environmental conditions and spawning periodicity. There was no evidence of over-summering behavior within the study area during 2014; over-summering has only been detected previously during 2013. Several studies have documented evidence for fall-run and fall-spawn sturgeon, including: Atlantic Sturgeon A. oxyrinchus oxyrinchus (Balazik et al. 2012), Stellate Sturgeon A. stellatus (Shubina et al. 1989), Persian Sturgeon A. persicus (Vlasenko et al. 1989), Chinese Sturgeon A. sinensis (Wei et al. 2009), and Shovelnose Sturgeon Scaphirhynchus platorynchus (Tripp et al. 2009). Based on the occurrence of fall detections within our study area in 2014 and in previous years (Faukner and Jackson 2014), it is likely that at least some fish migrate into the system early, but hold outside of the detection range of the furthest downstream receiver until environmental conditions cue further upstream movement for spring spawning. In 2014, several fish were no longer detected within the study area after March and April indicating that environmental conditions may not have been suitable for spawning. Six of 15 newly captured White Sturgeon left the study area within 10 d post-tagging, four of which were tagged in April and may have already been leaving the study area. Several sturgeon exhibited holding behavior, which may indicate fish waiting for environmental cues to initiate spawning, spawning in-progress, or perhaps an unknown territorial behavior. Ten newly-tagged sturgeon exhibited either exit or fallback movements which may indicate excessive handling causing adverse effects, interrupting or even aborting migration (Moser and Ross 1995; Kynard et al. 6

2002). Frank et al. (2009) examined the effects of tagging by measuring the response of glucose, cortisol, and chloride ions and by assessing the variation in migration patterns post-tagging and found little evidence for adverse tag effects. The perceived negative effects of tagging in the form of fallback may simply be part of the natural diversity in movement patterns (Frank et al. 2009). Similar to the findings of Forsythe et al (2014), sturgeon in our system appear to respond to changes in temperature or streamflow suggesting a behavioral response to environmental cues. In previous years (i.e., 2012 and 2013), sex was evaluated through endoscopic examination which led to many “unknown” sex determinations. Chapman et al. (1996) also found it difficult to determine sex through external examination with exceptions only in identifying spermiating males and some ripe females with an enlarged abdomen. Measuring reproductive hormone concentrations in blood plasma samples has increased the frequency of sex identification of mature adult sturgeon. More research is warranted to determine accuracy and consistency of this new methodology. Specifically, paired plasma steroid evaluations and histological examination of gonads of San Francisco Estuary White Sturgeon should be conducted to maximize the utility of plasma-steroid based sex assignments in this population. In this study, we found some fish did not have enough of either hormone to determine sex and these individuals may have been either “spawn-curious” immature sturgeon or non-reproductive adults that instinctively migrated. This study found a male-dominated sex ratio within the spawning area which supports the Beamesderfer et al. (1995) finding that a majority of fish within spawning areas will be either male or immature. Our research has demonstrated that some White Sturgeon exhibit site fidelity to the San Joaquin River. Suitable rearing habitat (e.g., flooded riparian surfaces) for larval and juvenile fish is imperative to maintain a successful White Sturgeon population but these habitats may only be available in high water years (Coutant 2004). Specific spawning site access may be limited by environmental conditions during dry and critical years. Future research into the behavioral patterns of White Sturgeon in response to environmental cues within the San Joaquin River will help us identify habitat use in a dynamic environment. Additional years of telemetry data will also provide information to inform restoration and management decisions needed to increase natural production of White Sturgeon within the San Joaquin River. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This project was funded by the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program under the authority of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (P.L. 102-575). This project would not have been a success without the assistance of many people. Paul Cadrett, Jimmy Faukner, Jerrad Goodell, Dominic Giudice, Gretchen Murphy, Bill Powell, Michael Tolan, and Steve Tsao contributed to the 2014 adult sampling fieldwork. Nathan Cullen created the map of receiver and stream gage locations. Paul Cadrett, Matt Dekar, Jimmy Faukner, Marty Gingras, Josh Gruber, and Sharon Rayford reviewed and offered helpful criticisms for the development of this report. 7

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Balazik, M. T., G. C. Garman, J. P. Van Eenennaam, J. Mohler, and L. C. Woods III. 2012. Empirical evidence of fall spawning by Atlantic Sturgeon in the James River, Virginia. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 141:1465–1471. Beamesderfer, R. C. P., T. A. Rien, and A. A. Nigro. 1995. Differences in the dynamics and potential production of impounded and unimpounded White Sturgeon populations in the Lower Columbia River. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 124:857–872. Bemis, W. E. and B. Kynard. 1997. Sturgeon rivers: an introduction to acipenseriform biogeography and life history. Environmental Biology of Fishes 48:167–183. CalEPA (California Environmental Protection Agency). 1995. Water quality control plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary. State Water Resources Control Board. Report 95-1WR. Sacramento, CA. Chapman, F. A., J. P. Van Eenennaam, and S. I. Doroshov. 1996. The reproductive condition of White Sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, in San Francisco Bay, California. Fishery Bulletin 94:628–634. COSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada). 2012. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the White Sturgeon Acipenser transmontanus in Canada. Available: http://www.sararegistry.gc.ca/document/default_e.cfm?documentID=414. (July 2015). Coutant, C. C. 2004. A riparian habitat hypothesis for successful reproduction of White Sturgeon. Reviews in Fisheries Science 12:23–73. Drauch Schreier, A., B. Mahardja, and B. May. 2013. Patterns of population structure vary across the range of White Sturgeon. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 142:1273–1286. DuBois, J., B. Beckett, and T. Matt. 2010. 2009 sturgeon fishing report card. Preliminary data report. California Department of Fish and Game, Stockton, California. DuBois, J., M. Gingras, and R. Mayfield. 2009. 2008 sturgeon fishing report card: preliminary data report. California Department of Fish and Game, Stockton, California. DuBois, J., M. D. Harris, and J. Mauldin. 2014. 2013 sturgeon fishing report card: preliminary data report. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Stockton, California. DuBois, J., T. MacColl, and E. Haydt. 2012. 2011 sturgeon fishing report card: preliminary data report. California Department of Fish and Game, Stockton, California. 8

DuBois, J., T. MacColl, and E. Haydt. 2013. 2012 sturgeon fishing report card: preliminary data report. California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Stockton, California. DuBois, J., T. Matt, and T. MacColl. 2011. 2010 sturgeon fishing report card: preliminary data report. California Department of Fish and Game, Stockton, California. Duke, S., T. Down, J. Ptolemy, J. Hammond, and C. Spence. 2004. Acipenser transmontanus. The IUCN RedList of threatened species. Version 2015.2. Available: www.iucnredlist.org. (July 2015). ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.). 2011. ArcGIS Desktop: Release 10. ESRI, Redlands, CA. Faukner, J. R., and Z. J. Jackson. 2014. 2013 San Joaquin River White Sturgeon telemetry study. Stockton Fish and Wildlife Office, Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lodi, California. Forsythe, P. S., K. T. Scribner, J. A. Crossman, A. Ragavendran, E. A. Baker, C. Davis, and K. K. Smith. 2012. Environmental and lunar cues are predictive of the timing of river entry and spawning-site arrival in Lake Sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens. Journal of Fish Biology, 81:35– 53. Frank, H. J., M. E. Mather, J. M. Smith, R. M. Muth, J. T. Finn, S. D. McCormick. 2009. What is “fallback”?: metrics needed to assess telemetry tag effects on anadromous fish behavior. Hydrobiologia 635:237–249. Gleason, E., M. Gingras, and J. DuBois. 2008. 2007 sturgeon fishing report card: preliminary data report. California Department of Fish and Game, Stockton, California. Gruber, J. J., Z. J. Jackson, and J. P. Van Eenennaam. 2012. 2011 San Joaquin River sturgeon spawning survey. Stockton Fish and Wildlife Office, Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lodi, California. Jackson, Z. J. and J. R. Faukner. 2014. 2012 San Joaquin River White Sturgeon telemetry study. Stockton Fish and Wildlife Office, Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Lodi, California. Kahn, J. and M. Mohead. 2010. A protocol for use of Shortnose, Atlantic, Gulf, and Green sturgeons. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA Techical Memorandum. NMFS-OPR-45. Kohlhorst, D. W. 1976. Sturgeon spawning in the Sacramento River in 1973, as determined by distribution of larvae. California Department of Fish and Game. 62: 32–40.

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Kynard, B., R. Suciu, and M. Horgan. 2002. Migration and habitats of diadromous Danube River sturgeons in Romania: 1998–2000. Journal of Applied Ichthyology 18:529–535. McCabe, G. T. and C. A. Tracy. 1994. Spawning and early life history of White Sturgeon, Acipenser transmontanus, in the lower Columbia River. Fishery Bulletin 92:760–772. Miller, L. W. 1972. Migrations of sturgeon tagged in the Sacramento-San Joaquin estuary. California Fish and Game 58:102–106. Moser, M. L., and S. W. Ross. 1995. Habitat use and movements of Shortnose and Atlantic sturgeons in the lower Cape Fear River, North Carolina. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 124:225–234. Paragamian, V. L., R. McDonald, G. J. Nelson, and G. Barton. 2009. Kootenai River velocities, depth, and White Sturgeon spawning site selection – a mystery unraveled? Journal of Applied Ichthyology 25:640–646. Parsley, M. J., N. D. Popoff, C. D. Wright, and B. K. van der Leeuw. 2008. Seasonal and diel movements of White Sturgeon in the Columbia River. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 137:1007–1017. Shubina, T. N., A. A. Popova, and V. P. Vasil’ev. 1989. Acipenser stellatus Pallas, 1771. Pages 395–443 in J. Holcik, editor. The freshwater fishes of Europe, volume 1, part II: general introduction to fishes, Acipenseriformes. AULA-Verlag, Wiesbaden, Germany. Stevens, D. E. and L. W. Miller. 1970. Distribution of sturgeon larvae in the Sacramento-San Joaquin river system. California Fish and Game 56:80–86. Tripp, S. J., Q. E. Phelps, R. E. Colombo, J. E. Garvey, B. M. Burr, D. P. Herzog, and R. A. Hrabik. 2009. Maturation and reproduction of Shovelnose Sturgeon in the middle Mississippi River. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 29:730–738. U.S. Office of the Federal Register. 1994. Endangered and threatened wildlife and plants; determination of endangered status for the Kootenai River population of the White Sturgeon, final rule (50 CFR Part 17). Federal Register 59:179(06 September 1994):45989–46002. Vlasenko, A. D., A. V. Pavlov, and V. P. Vasil’ev. 1989. Acipenser persicus Borodin, 1897. Pages 345–366 in J. Holcik, editor. The freshwater fishes of Europe, volume 1, part II: general introduction to fishes, Acipenseriformes. AULA-Verlag, Wiesbaden, Germany. Waldman, J. R., J. T. Hart, and I. I. Wirgin. 1996a. Stock composition of the New York Bight Atlantic Sturgeon fishery based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society 125:364–371.

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Waldman, J. R., K. Nolan, J. Hart, and I. I. Wirgin. 1996b. Genetic differentiation of three key anadromous fish populations of the Hudson River. Estuaries 19:759–768. Wei, Q. W., B. Kynard, D. G. Yang, X. H. Chen, H. Du, L. Shen, and H. Zhang. 2009. Using drift nets to capture early life stages and monitor spawning of the Yangtze River Chinese sturgeon (Acipenser sinensis). Journal of Applied Ichthyology 25(Supplement 2):100–106. Wirgin, I. I., J. E. Stabile, and J. R. Waldman. 1997. Molecular analysis in the conservation of sturgeons and paddlefish. Environmental Biology of Fishes 48:385–398.

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TABLES AND FIGURES Table 1. Gear types and dimensions (stretch measure) used to capture adult White Sturgeon in the San Joaquin River from March 11th to May 19th, 2014.

Gear Type

Length (m)

Height (m)

Mesh Size (cm)

Line Type

Gill Net

30.5

3.7

22.9

Mono twist

Trammel Net

30.5

3.7

20.3, 81.3

Multifilament

Trammel Net

22.9

3.7

20.3, 81.3

Multifilament

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Table 2. 2014 San Joaquin River telemetry array receiver locations.

Descriptive Receiver Location

Receiver Abbreviation

River Kilometer (rkm)

San Joaquin River Receivers Downstream of the Stanislaus River Upstream of the Stanislaus River Old Fisherman's Club Downstream of the Tuolumne River Upstream of the Tuolumne River Hidden Valley Ranch Grayson Road Bridge Del Puerto Creek Patterson Downstream of the Merced River Upstream of the Merced River Junction of Highways 140 & 165 Downstream of the East Side Bypass

SJR DS SR a SJR US SR SJR OFC b SJR DS TR SJR US TR SJR HVR b SJR GRB b SJR DPC SJR PAT b SJR DS MR SJR US MR SJR HWY 140 SJR DS ESB

115.0 118.1 126.2 129.0 131.7 137.3 139.8 146.4 154.3 187.3 192.6 209.0 217.1

Stanislaus River, rkm 116.3c Downstream, Below Rock Weir Downstream, Above Rock Weir Upstream

SR DS BW SR DS AW b SR US

2.9 3.5 52.2

Tuolumne River, rkm 130.6c Downstream Upstream

TR DS TR US

1.0 41.6

Merced River, rkm 187.6c Downstream Upstream a.

b. c.

MR DS MR US

0.7 40.1

Multiple receivers at this location were deployed and lost during the 2014 season due to high sediment transport. All dates covered by receivers in this location are up to Feb 25th, 2014, Mar 6th to May 8th, 2014, and Apr 21st, 2014 to present. New deployment during 2014. Rkm designations mark the river kilometer of the confluence of each tributary on the San Joaquin River.

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Table 3. Tagging and movement information for newly captured adult White Sturgeon during 2014 using gill and trammel nets in San Joaquin River. Tag ID refers to the implanted acoustic transmitter number. Movement refers to the behavior exhibited by sturgeon according to acoustic telemetry detections. The different types of movement are categorized as Exit (E), Holding (H), Roaming (R), and Fallback (F). Tag date and exit date is the first and last date, respectively, at which the sturgeon is detected within the telemetry array.

Tag ID

Fork Move Length Sexa Type (cm)

27450 27451 27452 27468 27469 27466 27467 25839 25840 27462 27463 27464 27465 25841 25842 25844c a. b. c.

103 151 149b 153 163 109 133 135 136 117 137 109 119 119 142 65

M M F M F M M M M M M M M M -

E H E F, R F, R, H F, R, H F, R R F, R, H F, R F, R, H R, H R H E -

Tag Date

Exit Date

March 11 March 11 March 11 March 13 March 13 March 21 March 25 April 3 April 3 April 3 April 3 April 3 April 3 April 4 April 4 August 19

March 13 April 10 March 13 April 4 April 19 May 1 April 18 April 13 April 18 April 10 April 18 April 30 April 18 April 7 April 6 -

Furthest Upstream Detection (rkm)

Days Detected

115.0 115.0 115.0 137.3 137.9 138.1 137.5 139.8 137.3 137.9 137.9 139.8 154.3 115.0 115.0 -

2 30 2 22 37 41 24 10 15 7 15 27 15 3 2 -

Sex assigned by testosterone and estradiol concentrations in blood sample. Dashes indicate unknown sex. Length is measured in Total Length (cm). White Sturgeon captured and tagged outside of regular study.

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Table 4. Tagging and movement information of tagged adult White Sturgeon returning to the San Joaquin River during 2014. Tag ID refers to the implanted acoustic transmitter identification code. The fork length provided was measured at the time of transmitter implantation. Movement refers to the behavior exhibited by sturgeon according to acoustic telemetry detections. The different types of movement are categorized as Exit (E), Holding (H), Roaming (R), and Fallback (F). Enter date and exit date is the first and last date, respectively, at which the sturgeon is detected within the telemetry array

Tag ID

Fork Length (cm)

Sex

Move Tag Type Year

Enter Date

Furthest Upstream Detection (rkm)

Days Detected

April 23 April 2 March 6 May 3 March 18

146.4 137.3 139.8 118.1 115.0

72 32 5 62