Capture and transport of juvenile coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and steelhead (O. mykiss) salmon past the Cleveland Dam on the Capilano River in 2001 and 2002 with an assessment of Upper Capilano River production

In 2001, the Greater Vancouver Water District (GVWD) initiated construction work on the Cleveland Dam in the Capilano River. This prevented the downstream migration of coho and steelhead salmon smolts rearing upstream of the dam. To help mitigate this situation smolts were trapped upstream of the reservoir and transported to a release site below the dam. In 2001, 4,821 coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) and 236 steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) salmon smolts were transported. A simple stratified mark recapture technique estimated the production of coho salmon smolts upstream of the reservoir as 55,318 in 2001 (95% CI: 41,937 to 68,700) and 47,448 in 2002 (95% CI: 43,509 to 51,386). Survival of coho and steelhead salmon smolts travelling over the Cleveland dam spillway was estimated to be 23.3% and 61.5%, respectively. An assessment of coho salmon productivity in the upper Capilano River suggested that 1999 stocking levels likely did not exceed the carrying capacity of the watershed.