Project
Test of a horizontal submerged screen weir to capture sea lampreys for FishPass
Recent pilot tests conducted in the Black Mallard River suggests that a submerged horizontal lead which allows the upper 50% of the water column to flow freely over can be effective at guiding upstream migrating sea lamprey into shore mounted traps. We hypothesize that a similarly designed trap lead deployed at the DNR salmon weir on the Boardman River would be equally or more effective given the water depth in the Boardman is greater and thus a taller lead could be deployed (~0.6 m). We will test that hypothesis by achieving two research objectives: \\\\r\\\\n1) Determine if capture efficiency of a submerged lead trap deployed at the DNR salmon weir is greater or less than traditional trapping technologies currently deployed in the Boardman River; and if a submerged lead trap can capture sufficient lamprey to conduct a mark recapture study and obtain a riverwide population abundance estimate. We will also track movement of sea lamprey around a submerged weir to guide future deployments. If successful this tool would also provide research animals for the FishPass initiative to begin soon in the Boardman River. \\\\r\\\\n