| Summary: | Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1997 Escapement information for management of coho salmon, (Oncorhynchus kisutch), is lacking in some drainages on Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge. In 1993 and 1994,1 assessed availability of spawning substrate for coho salmon in the Ayakulik River, a major drainage of the Refuge, as a potential cost-effective method for setting escapement goals. Spawning substrate was divided into three categories: optimal, suboptimal and marginally usable. I conducted a foot survey to count coho salmon spawners in 10 river sections during late October 1994 in three of four strata comprising the Ayakulik River. I found a significant relationship between numbers of spawners and availability of optimal substrate in two of the strata combined (r2=0.28, p=0.04); with optimal and suboptimal substrate combined the significance increased (r2=0.39, p=0.01). When I pooled optimal, suboptimal, and marginally usable substrate I found no significant relationship (r2=0.21, p=0.08). Adequate escapement of coho salmon may be predicted by the amount of optimal and suboptimal substrate available. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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