Relative Performance of Alsea Hatchery Steelhead Produced from Traditional and Wild Broodstocks

The Alsea River, on the central Oregon coast, historically boasted a premier winter steelhead Oncorhychus mykiss fishery, with smolt-to-adult survivorship exceeding 10% and annual harvests of over 10,000 fish.  During the 1990s, this hatchery program experienced a precipitous decline in adult returns and harvest rates. This decline prompted a change in management, whereby two winter steelhead broodstocks were used for smolt production: 1) a new broodstock comprised by “wild”, native steelhead and 2) the “traditional” segregated hatchery broodstock. 

To evaluate performance of these two broodstocks, we released three groups of differentiated marked smolts into the Alsea River during each of three years (2012-2014).   Initial results from creel surveys and trap monitoring indicate that the “wild” broodstock has a significantly higher adult return rate, protracted run timing, lower stray rate and higher in-river harvest rate (3:1, relative to “traditional”).  Our results will help management address public interest for a sustainable, productive and prolonged winter steelhead fishery.