INCREASED SURVIVAL WITH WATER QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS AT AN ENDANGERED COHO SALMON Oncorhynchus kisutch RESTORATION HATRCHERY

The Monterey Bay Salmon and Trout Project (MBSTP) operates a small Coho Salmon conservation hatchery in Davenport, Ca., the Kingfisher Flat Genetic Conservation Hatchery. Central California Coast Coho salmon are listed as endangered species by both the Federal and State of California Governments.  This hatchery was constructed in the early 1980s as a freshwater, single pass, flow through facility.  Initially, the hatchery comprised two outdoor rectangular raceways and a building housing incubation jars, Heath trays, and fry troughs.  Over the years, an additional six circular pools from 3.5 meters to 4.5 meters in diameter were installed; however, during this time the only water facility upgrade was a small filter, chiller, and UV sterilizer added to the hatchery egg incubation water line.  In 2009 the Lockheed fire burned the canyon surrounding the hatchery.  Subsequently, the debris runoff from the burned hills during winter and spring storms increased the sediment load in the hatchery water supply, which appeared to be associated with fungal outbreaks in both adults and pre-smolts.  Each year from 2013-2015, a large number of adults and smolts were infected with Saprolegnia spp. and died either prior to spawning or prior to being released as smolts. To combat the fungal infections, NOAA Fisheries, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), and MBSTP combined funds to upgrade the hatchery's water delivery system.  Upgrades included sand filters, UV sterilizers, and two small recirculating systems attached to the captive broodstock rearing pools.  The following year CDFW replaced one raceway with four 3.75 meter pools.  These improvements have resulted in high quality, high turnover, filtered water in pools for both life stages.  No losses of adults or smolts to Saprolegnia spp. occurred during the 2016 spawning and smolt release seasons.