Post-Habitat Enhancement Construction Monitoring (2017-2019)
After the installation of the spawning habitat enhancements, we conducted regular monitoring visits from 2017 to 2019 to assess habitat use by deploying randomly positioned plots in Reach 1 Natural (non-modified area) (52 plots), Reach 1 Enhanced (modified area) (97 plots), and the Tailrace Area (77 plots). Egg survival was determined based on the proportion of live eggs compared to the total, including dead or non-fertilized eggs, during the early stages of development. During the monitoring visits, we estimated egg density, calculated the egg survival index, and recorded habitat characteristics per randomly positioned plot. The same habitat characteristics used in 2016 were assessed in Reach 1 Natural, Reach 1 Enhanced, and within known egg deposition areas of the Tailrace Area. The surveys began in early September, and each reach was sampled with a minimum of 15 survey plots per year, except for 2019 when a tighter schedule led to the start of surveys in early October and only four survey plots were deployed in Reach 1 Natural. All surveys were completed by early November, just prior to freeze-up each year.