DISTRIBUTION OF CHINOOK SALMON (ONCORHYNCHUS TSHAWYTSCHA) IN UPPER-COLUMBIA RIVER SUB-BASINS FROM ENVIRONMENTAL DNA ANALYSIS by

Determining accurate species distribution is crucial to conservation and management strategies for imperiled species, but challenging for small populations that are approaching extinction or being reestablished. We evaluated the efficacy of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis for improving detection and thus known distribution of Chinook salmon in the Methow and Okanogan Sub-basins of the Upper-Columbia River, Washington, USA. We developed an assay to target a 90 base pair sequence of Chinook DNA and used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to quantify the amount of Chinook eDNA in 1-L water samples collected at 48 sites in the sub-basins. We collected samples once during high flows in June and again during low flows in August 2012. Results from eDNA surveys were compared to the current known