Klamath River Project - Recovery of Fall-run Chinook and Coho Salmon at Iron Gate Hatchery October 7, 2014 to December 19, 2014

A total of 25,339 fall-run Chinook salmon (Chinook, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), entered Iron Gate Hatchery (IGH) during the fall 2014 spawning season from October 7, 2014 through December 19, 2014. Klamath River Project (KRP) staff systematically sampled one in every ten Chinook, as well as all adipose-clipped (AD) Chinook during recovery efforts, for a sample size of 6,491. Scale samples, sex, and fork length (FL) data were collected from systematically sampled Chinook. Analysis of the leng?h­frequency distribution for systematically sampled Chinook males indicates that the preliminary cutoff point between grilse and adults occurred at <60 cm. FL. Systematically sampled male Chinook ranged in size from 48 to 101 cm. FL, and systematically sampled female Chinook ranged from 40 to 91 cm. FL. Based on scale age analysis, the Klamath River Technical Team (KRTT) estimated that 4.1 % (1,039) of the run were grilse. Females accounted for 49% (12,416) of the run while males accounted for 51 % (12,923). The 2014 Chinook return to IGH contributed roughly 13.8% to the total (Klamath basin) in-river run and 17.4% to the total spawner escapement. Based on coded-wire tag (CWT) expansion, KRP staff estimated that 81 % of the Chinook entering IGH during the 2014 season were of hatchery origin.