Inventory of Anadromous and Resident Fish Species in Tributaries to the Tanana River Between Nenana and Delta Junction, Alaska, 2008 and 2009

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The Tanana River valley near Fairbanks has experienced human population growth and development that may decrease available fish habitat. Some areas of the Tanana River drainage lack fish distribution data in developed areas and areas with development potential. During 2008 and 2009, portions of eight Tanana River tributary streams between Nenana and Delta Junction were sampled for fish species presence. Attempts were made to sample each stream portion three times in the open water season using a suite of capture gears including minnow traps, a backpack electrofisher, seine, gill net, dip net, angling, fyke net, cast net, and observation. Fish sampling resulted in Clear and Beaver creeks and the Lower South Fork Chena River being nominated to the Catalog of Waters Important for Spawning, Rearing or Migration of Anadromous Fishes and approved for the addition of juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha rearing. Beaver Creek and the Lower South Fork Chena River were approved for the addition of adult Chinook salmon spawning and present. Kiana Creek was nominated and approved for juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch rearing. Other fish species captured included Arctic lamprey Lampetra camtschatica, lake chub Couesius plumbeus, longnose sucker Catostomus catostomus, northern pike Esox lucius, round whitefish Prosopium cylindraceum, humpback whitefish Coregonus pidschian, Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus, burbot Lota lota, and slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus. Within sampled stream portions, aquatic habitat characteristics were collected to document current conditions at the time of fish sampling that included stream stage, water color, stream order, gradient, Rosgen stream classification, water temperature, specific conductivity, and pH.