Frequently Asked Questions on the Availability of the Biological Status Report for Oregon Coast and Southern Oregon/Northern California Coastal Chinook Salmon

Why are you making this status review available now?

In the interest of fulfilling our obligation to provide meaningful consultation and coordination with tribal officials, the West Coast Region (WCR) has shared the status review report with interested NW tribes. The report is now considered a public document and is available for download from our website.

When will you make a final determination about the listing of OC/SONCC Chinook?

We anticipate making a 12-month finding on the petition this spring.

Why did the status review team conclude that significant portions of the SONCC Chinook salmon evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) are most likely to be at moderate risk of extinction?

The status review team concluded that significant portions of the SONCC Chinook ESU were most likely at moderate risk of extinction: the spring-run component in the Rogue River basin and the coastal (non-Rogue River) populations. Risk factors for spring-run Chinook salmon in the Rogue River basin include the recent large decline in abundance and lack of subsequent recovery despite considerable ongoing conservation efforts, the ongoing effects of Lost Creek Dam which may be increasing gene flow between the fall and spring runs, and vulnerability to the very high summer stream temperatures predicted by the end of the century. Risk factors for the populations in coastal streams include the relatively small sizes and small number of coastal populations, and the lack of adequate population level monitoring in the Smith River basin.

Why did the status review team conclude that the OC Chinook salmon ESU is most likely to be at low risk of extinction?

The team concluded that the range-wide extinction risk for the OC Chinook salmon ESU was mostly likely to be low. The primary factors leading to this conclusion include relatively high total abundance, with multiple populations having natural-origin spawning abundance of more than 10,000 spawners in typical years, and total ESU abundance commonly greater than 100,000 spawners. The team also evaluated whether there were any portions of the ESUs range that were both significant and at moderate-to-high risk. The team identified four geographic strata that were considered to be significant to the long-term viability of the ESU but at low risk. The team also concluded that the spring-run component of the ESU was at moderate risk but not significant to the long-term viability of the ESU due to the lack of spring run-specific habitat in most of the river systems and the lack of strong evidence that the spring run was historically a major component of the ESU. 

What are the next steps?

Considering the conclusions in the status review report, the WCR will next evaluate conservation efforts (both ongoing and new/unproven) to determine whether they may reduce threats to the species. For conservation efforts that have been implemented for long enough to show the likely effects on the species, we will evaluate them to determine how they affect our 12-month finding on the petition. For those efforts yet to be implemented, we will evaluate the certainty that the conservation effort will be implemented and for those efforts that have not yet demonstrated effectiveness, we will evaluate the certainty that the conservation effort will be effective.

Following that evaluation, the agency will publish a finding on the petition.