Dispersal of larval suckers at the Williamson River Delta, Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2006-09

Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5016
Prepared in cooperation with the Bureau of Reclamation?
By: , and 

Links

Abstract

An advection/diffusion modeling approach was used to simulate the transport of larval suckers from spawning areas in the Williamson River, through the newly restored Williamson River Delta, to Upper Klamath Lake. The density simulations spanned the years of phased restoration, from 2006/2007 prior to any levee breaching, to 2008 when the northern part of the delta was reconnected to the lake, and 2009 when levees on both sides of the delta had been breached. Model simulation results from all four years were compared to field data using rank correlation. Spearman ρ correlation coefficients were usually significant and in the range 0.30 to 0.60, providing moderately strong validation of the model. The correlation coefficients varied with fish size class in a way that suggested that the model best described the distribution of smaller fish near the Williamson River channel, and larger fish away from the channel. When Lost River and shortnose/Klamath largescale suckers were simulated independently, the correlation results suggested that the model better described the transport and dispersal of the latter species. The incorporation of night-time-only drift behavior in the Williamson River channel neither improved nor degraded correlations with field data. The model showed that advection by currents is an important factor in larval dispersal.

Study Area

Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Dispersal of larval suckers at the Williamson River Delta, Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, 2006-09
Series title Scientific Investigations Report
Series number 2012-5016
DOI 10.3133/sir20125016
Year Published 2012
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) Oregon Water Science Center
Description vi, 28 p.; Animation Downloads 2006-2009
Time Range Start 2006-01-01
Time Range End 2009-12-31
Country United States
State Oregon
Other Geospatial Upper Klamath Lake;Agency Lake;Williamson River Delta
Datum North American Datum of 1927
Projection UTM, Zone 10N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details