Use of passive integrated transponder tags to estimate survival of migrant juvenile salmonids in the Snake and Columbia rivers

Single-release and modified single-release statistical models were evaluated as means to generate reliable survival estimates from release-recapture studies of migrant salmonid smolts in the Snake and Columbia rivers of the northwestern United States. Monte Carlo simulation studies were used to assess robustness of estimation methods to violations of model assumptions. To field test model assumptions, passive integrated transponder tagged chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) smolts were released on seven consecutive days in 1993 above Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River. These releases were used to estimate sampling variability of survival estimates for comparison with model-based variance estimates and to assess mixing of detected and nondetected individuals. Field results satisfied model assumptions. The average survival estimate from point of release to the tailrace of Lower Granite Dam (31 km) was 0.902 ± 0.004 (mean ± SE). From the tailrace of Lower Granite Dam to the tailrace of Little Goose Dam (60 km) the average survival estimate was 0.859 ± 0.013.