Population recovery of a migratory anadromous fish in a small forest stream following restoration of longitudinal connectivity

Abstract

Restoration of movement corridors is a key management action used to address threats to migratory and other mobile species. Yet, we lack restoration effectiveness studies that allow for species to reestablish naturally (i.e. without supplementation) following habitat reconnection that capture all phases (dispersal, growth, and regulation) of recovery, and that takes an ecosystems approach. We investigated the natural recovery of migratory anadromous Coho salmon following habitat reconnection across a 5‐km section of Rock Creek, a forested tributary of the Cedar River, Washington, United States, 3 km upstream of Landsburg Dam. The dam blocked upstream fish movement for 102 years until the completion of a fish ladder in 2003. We also evaluated the response of non‐migratory trout, which are closely related to Coho salmon. Juvenile Coho salmon natal to the Cedar River dispersed into Rock Creek for rearing until spawning there in 2007. After restoration, juvenile Coho salmon density (fish/m2) increased 18‐fold, approaching an asymptote (i.e. regulation phase) a decade later. Coho salmon recovery in Rock Creek was spatially variable, however, slowing with distance from the site of restoration. Trout density was also higher after restoration relative to before, likely due to several mechanisms, including increased capacity resulting from the reestablishment of marine organic matter subsidies delivered by spawning anadromous fish. Our study demonstrates that migratory species can recover naturally after the restoration of habitat connectivity and associated movement corridors. Furthermore, our results suggest that such actions can also benefit nontarget species by reestablishing key ecosystem links driven by the target species.