Portland Harbor Phase 3 Subyearling Chinook 2018 Field Observations

The Upper Willamette River (UWR) Chinook salmon Ecologically Significant Unit (ESU) includes naturally spawned Chinook salmon originating from the Clackamas River and from the Willamette River and its tributaries above Willamette Falls, as well as Chinook salmon from six artificial propagation programs. UWR Chinook salmon migrate through highly industrialized Portland Harbor (an active Superfund site) in the lower Willamette River, despite historical contamination. Juvenile salmon may be especially vulnerable to toxicant exposures.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the growth of naturally spawned UWR juvenile Chinook salmon within the area of Portland Harbor compared to upstream reference sites, and to evaluate relationships between fish growth and tissue concentrations of legacy persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and tributyltin (TBT). Previous research has demonstrated a distinctive DDT signature in the UWR juvenile Chinook salmon out-migrating through an area of known historical DDT contamination (~ river mile 7). Sampling for this study will include a broader geographic representation within the contaminated area of the river than previous efforts, which will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the tissue contaminant levels in Willamette River salmonids, including DDTs, PCBs, PAHs, and TBT. Evaluating the association of tissue contaminant levels with indicators of skeletal growth will provide a metric of associated injury to this salmon population. UWR juvenile Chinook salmon will be collected by beach seine from select sites within Portland Harbor during the spring outmigration. Individual fish will have genetic confirmation of stock. Whole body and stomach content composites for UWR juvenile Chinook salmon will be analyzed for persistent organic pollutant (POP) concentrations including PCBs and DDTs, among others. Additionally, otolith analysis will be conducted to measure and quantify recent growth. The samples and related data from this study will support restoration and recovery efforts including projects specifically aimed at addressing and compensating the public for injuries to juvenile salmon from contaminant exposures.

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For more information on field observation techniques and quality, read the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) and Field Sampling Plan (FSP), which can be accessed with through DIVER:

https://pub-data.diver.orr.noaa.gov/portland-harbor/20181109_PH_JuvenileChinook_QAPP-FSP_FINAL_4264.pdf

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