20550 Biota (Elwha River salmon carcass addition experiment) Data Set Published / External 20544 FE Legacy Data Sets Project Completed 2007-08-15 2018-10-01 Dam removal and other fish-barrier removal projects in western North America are assumed to boost freshwater productivity via the transport of marine-derived nutrients from recolonizing Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp). In anticipation of the removal of two hydroelectric dams on the Elwha River in Washington State, we tested this hypothesis with a salmon carcass addition experiment. Our study was designed to examine how background nutrient dynamics and benthic foodwebs vary seasonally, and how these features respond to salmon subsidies. We conducted our experiment in six side channels of the Elwha River, each with a spatially paired reference and treatment reach. Each reach was sampled on multiple occasions from October 2007 to August 2008, before and after carcass placement. We evaluated nutrient limitation status, measured water chemistry, periphyton, benthic invertebrates, and juvenile rainbow trout (O. mykiss) response, and traced salmon-derived nutrient uptake using stable isotopes. Outside of winter, algal accrual was limited by both nitrogen and phosphorous and remained so even in the presence of salmon carcasses. One month after salmon addition, dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels doubled in treatment reaches. Two months after addition, benthic algal accrual was significantly elevated. We detected no changes in invertebrate or fish metrics, with the exception of 15N enrichment. Natural seasonal variability was greater than salmon effects for the majority of our response metrics. Yet seasonality and synchronicity of nutrient supply and demand are often overlooked in nutrient enhancement studies. Timing and magnitude of salmon-derived nitrogen uptake suggest that uptake of dissolved nutrients were favored over direct consumption of carcasses. The highest proportion of salmon-derived nitrogen was incorporated by herbivores (18–30%) and peaked 1–2 months after carcass addition. Peak nitrogen enrichment in predators (11–16%) occurred 2–3 months after addition. All taxa returned to background d15N levels by 7 months. Since this study was conducted, both dams on the Elwha River were removed over 2011-2014 to open over 90% of the basin to anadromous fishes. We anticipate that as the full portfolio of salmon species expand through the basin, nutrient supply and demand will become more balanced and positive feedback loops of reciprocal nutrient transfer reinforced. All datasets related to Elwha River carcass addition experiment. Includes physical habitat, chemical, and biological data. Raw/field data, Laboratory data Loaded by FGDC Metadata Uploader, batch 4675, 09-05-2013 15:49 Subject to Public Access to Research Results (PARR): Yes Presentation: Transfer of marine-derived salmon nutrients to freshwater food webs: predicted response of primary and secondary producers to dam removal on the Elwha River (Washington state), USA. Talk given at the 5th World Fisheries Congress, Yokohoma, Japan Presentation: Effects of salmon carcasses on riverine food webs in experimental field study on the Elwha River. Talk given at 81st Annual Meeting of the Northwest Scientific Association, Seattle, WA Theme Elwha River Theme aquatic invertebrate Theme dam removal Theme effectiveness monitoring Theme floodplain Theme food web Theme habitat Theme marine derived nutrients Theme nutrient enrichment Theme periphyton Theme salmon Theme side channel Theme stable isotopes Instrument Instrument Not Applicable Platform Animal and Plant Collection Device Platform Bottom Sampler Northwest Fisheries Science Center Seattle WA USA Data Set Spreadsheet Table (digital) Instrument Not Applicable Platform Not Applicable Animal and Plant Collection Device, Bottom Sampler 53995 Elwha Carcass Addition Published / External Planned Master table of all datasets collected as part of Elwha River carcass addition experiment. Spreadsheet Yes PARR Master table of all datasets collected as part of Elwha River carcass addition experiment. 1 ID text No No Active Metadata: unique site-month-reach code. text 2 Date text No No Active Metadata: collection date. text 3 Month text No No Active Metadata: collection month. text 4 Time text No No Active Metadata: month relative to carcass placement. text 5 Site text No No Active Metadata: study side channel. text 6 Section text No No Active Metadata: river section (lower or middle Elwha). text L = Lower Elwha, M = Middle Elwha 7 Reach text No No Active Metadata: treatment or reference reach. text T = Treatment, R = Reference 8 Carcass text No No Active Treatment: carcass relative abundance (as proportion of initially-placed mass). Units for values are %. text % 9 Temp numeric No No Active Habitat: mean monthly temperature. Units for values are C. numeric C 10 Light numeric No No Active Habitat: mean monthly lumens. Units for values are Lumens. numeric Lumens 11 CFS numeric No No Active Habitat: site-specific flow at date of collection (approximate). Units for values are CFS. numeric CFS 12 RiverMean numeric No No Active Habitat: mean of Elwha River flow for 2-week period prior to sample collection date. Units for values are CFS. numeric CFS 13 RiverSD numeric No No Active Habitat: standard deviation of Elwha River flow for 2-week period prior to sample collection date. Units for values are CFS. numeric CFS 14 P numeric No No Active Water chemistry: total phosphorous. Units for values are �g/L. numeric �g/L 15 N numeric No No Active Water chemistry: total nitrogen. Units for values are �g/L. numeric �g/L 16 PO4 numeric No No Active Water chemistry: phosphate. Units for values are �g/L. numeric �g/L 17 SiO4 numeric No No Active Water chemistry: silicate. Units for values are �g/L. numeric �g/L 18 NO3 numeric No No Active Water chemistry: nitrate. Units for values are �g/L. numeric �g/L 19 NO2 numeric No No Active Water chemistry: nitrite. Units for values are �g/L. numeric �g/L 20 NH4 numeric No No Active Water chemistry: ammonium. Units for values are �g/L. numeric �g/L 21 DIN numeric No No Active Water chemistry: dissolved inorganic nitrogen. Units for values are �g/L. numeric �g/L 22 OM numeric No No Active Periphyton: organic matter density on cobbles. Units for values are mg/cm2. numeric mg/cm2 23 IM numeric No No Active Periphyton: inorganic matter density on cobbles. Units for values are mg/cm2. numeric mg/cm2 24 Chl numeric No No Active Periphyton: chlorophyll-a density on cobbles. Units for values are �g/cm2. numeric �g/cm2 25 AFDM numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: ash-free dry mass of benthic invertebrate samples. Units for values are g/m2. numeric g/m2 26 Rich numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: taxa richness. Units for values are No. numeric No. 27 Den numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: density. Units for values are No./m2. numeric No./m2 28 EPT numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: taxa richness of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera. Units for values are No. numeric No. 29 Eph numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: relative abundance of Ephemeroptera individuals. Units for values are %. numeric % 30 Ple numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: relative abundance of Plecoptera individuals. Units for values are %. numeric % 31 Tri numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: relative abundance of Trichoptera individuals. Units for values are %. numeric % 32 Col numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: relative abundance of Coleoptera individuals. Units for values are %. numeric % 33 Dip numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: relative abundance of Diptera individuals. Units for values are %. numeric % 34 NonIn numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: relative abundance of Non-insect individuals. Units for values are %. numeric % 35 Chiro numeric No No Active Benthic invertebrates: relative abundance of Chironomidae individuals. Units for values are %. numeric % 36 ED numeric No No Active O. mykiss: energy density. Units for values are KJ/g wet weight. numeric KJ/g wet weight 37 IGF numeric No No Active O. mykiss: insulin-like growth factor. Units for values are ng/mL. numeric ng/mL 38 Peri.N15 numeric No No Active Isotopes: periphyton N15. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 39 Peri.C13 numeric No No Active Isotopes: periphyton C13. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 40 MY.N15 numeric No No Active Isotopes: o.mykiss N15. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 41 MY.C13 numeric No No Active Isotopes: o.mykiss C13. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 42 Cin.N15 numeric No No Active Isotopes: cinygmula N15. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 43 Cin.C13 numeric No No Active Isotopes: cinygmula C13. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 44 Swe.N15 numeric No No Active Isotopes: sweltsa N15. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 45 Swe.C13 numeric No No Active Isotopes: sweltsa C13. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 46 Hyd.N15 numeric No No Active Isotopes: hydropsychidae N15. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 47 Hyd.C13 numeric No No Active Isotopes: hydropsychidae C13. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 48 Cap.N15 numeric No No Active Isotopes: capniidae N15. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 49 Cap.C13 numeric No No Active Isotopes: capniidae C13. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 50 Tan.N15 numeric No No Active Isotopes: tanytarsini N15. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass 51 Tan.C13 numeric No No Active Isotopes: tanytarsini C13. Units for values are �. numeric � blank insufficient biomass Data Steward 2025 Person Liermann, Martin Martin.Liermann@noaa.gov 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle WA 98112 206-860-6781 Distributor 2015-10-01 Organization Northwest Fisheries Science Center NWFSC nmfs.nwfsc.metadata@noaa.gov https://ror.org/05r7z1k40 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle WA 98112 USA 206-860-3200 https://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov NWFSC Home Online Resource Metadata Contact 2025 Person Liermann, Martin Martin.Liermann@noaa.gov 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle WA 98112 206-860-6781 Originator 2015-10-01 Person Morley, Sarah Sarah.Morley@noaa.gov 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle WA 98112 206-860-6780 Point of Contact 2025 Person Liermann, Martin Martin.Liermann@noaa.gov 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle WA 98112 206-860-6781 -123.7579 -123.3293 48.1502 47.6658 Elwha River: Lower and middle Elwha River basin Range 2007-08-01 2008-08-30 Unclassified At this time, contact the Data Manager for information on obtaining access to this data set. In the near future, the NWFSC will strive to provide all non-sensitive data resources as a web service in order to meet the NOAA Data Access Policy Directive (https://nosc.noaa.gov/EDMC/PD.DA.php). NA https://www.webapps.nwfsc.noaa.gov/apex/parr/elwha_carcass_addition/data/page/ 2015-10-01 Organization Northwest Fisheries Science Center https://ror.org/05r7z1k40 Elwha Carcass Addition (RESTful) Master table of all datasets collected as part of Elwha River carcass addition experiment. https://www.webapps.nwfsc.noaa.gov/apex/parrdata/inventory/tables/table/elwha_carcass_addition 2015-10-01 Organization Northwest Fisheries Science Center https://ror.org/05r7z1k40 Elwha Carcass Addition Master table of all datasets collected as part of Elwha River carcass addition experiment. https://www.webapps.nwfsc.noaa.gov/apex/parrdata/inventory/datasets/dataset/2045 Master Dataset for Elwha Carcass Addition Experiment Online Resource Web site NWFSC Dataset Information page. All datasets related to Elwha River carcass addition experiment. Includes physical habitat, chemical, and biological data. Spreadsheet Medium All laboratory samples checked against blanks and duplicates. These data were collected and processed in accordance with established protocols and best practices under the direction of the project’s Principal Investigator. Contact the dataset Data Manager for full QA/QC methodology. No 5 No No Yes 0 days No Delay NCEI-MD 14 The Northwest Fisheries Science Center facilitates backup and recovery of all data and IT components which are managed by IT Operations through the capture of static (point-in-time) backup data to physical media. Once data is captured to physical media (every 1-3 days), a duplicate is made and routinely (weekly) transported to an offsite archive facility where it is maintained throughout the data's applicable life-cycle. Invertebrates identified and enumerated under microscopy, chlorophyll samples analyzed by fluormeter, isotope samples analyzed in mass spec 53995 Entity gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:20550 Robert Marsicek 2013-09-05T15:49:10 SysAdmin InPortAdmin 2026-03-04T19:17:17 2019-06-04 Northwest Fisheries Science Center NWFSC 2725 Montlake Boulevard East Seattle WA 98112 USA 206-860-3200 https://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov 1001 Public No No 2019-06-04 1 Year 2020-06-04