Fisheries, Subsistence, and Habitat
Publications Searchable Database
Search Again| Division: | Sport Fish |
| Title: | Estimates of chinook salmon abundance in the Kenai River using split-beam sonar, 2001. |
| Author: | Miller, J. D., D. L. Burwen, and S. J. Fleischman. |
| Year: | 2003 |
| Report ID: | Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fishery Data Series No. 03-03, Anchorage. |
| Abstract: | The passage of chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Kenai River in 2001 was estimated using side-looking split-beam sonar technology. Early (16 May-30 June) and late (1 July-10 August) runs of Kenai River chinook salmon have been monitored acoustically since 1987. A 200 kHz split-beam sonar system has been used since 1995 to estimate numbers of adult chinook salmon migrating into the Kenai River. From 1987 to 1994, a 420 kHz dual-beam sonar was used to generate similar estimates. In 2001, total upstream chinook salmon passage from 16 May through 10 August was an estimated 50,592 (SE = 633) fish, composed of 16,676 (SE = 285) fish during the early run and 33,916 (SE = 565) fish during the late run. The variability associated with these estimates reflects only sampling error and not other sources of uncertainty including target detectability, species composition, direction of travel, and target tracking. The daily peak of the early run occurred on 12 June when 50% of the run had passed by that date. The daily peak of the late run occurred on 17 July; 50% of the late run passed by 18 July. |
| Keywords: | split-beam sonar, dual-beam sonar, chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, acoustic assessment, Kenai River, riverine sonar, early run, late run. |