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Willamette Project Biological Opinions: Improvements for fish in a dynamic environment

NWHA- Panel Discussion “Spawning Better Ideas for Fish Passage” February 23, 2011 Mindy Simmons Program Manager, Willamette Biological Opinion Implementation. Willamette Project Biological Opinions: Improvements for fish in a dynamic environment. Multiple Authorized Purposes.

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Willamette Project Biological Opinions: Improvements for fish in a dynamic environment

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  1. NWHA- Panel Discussion “Spawning Better Ideas for Fish Passage” February 23, 2011 Mindy Simmons Program Manager, Willamette Biological Opinion Implementation Willamette Project Biological Opinions:Improvements for fish in a dynamic environment

  2. Multiple Authorized Purposes • Flood damage reduction • Hydropower • Navigation • Irrigation • Fish & wildlife • Recreation • Water quality • Municipal & industrial water supply

  3. Detroit Big Cliff Green Peter Foster Willamette Project 13 multi-purpose dams Dexter Cougar Blue River Fall Creek Lookout Point Hills Creek

  4. Upper Willamette River Spring Chinook salmon Upper Willamette River winter steelhead ESA- listed anadromous fish in the Willamette Basin National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) jurisdiction • Adults spawn in tributaries of Willamette River • Juveniles migrate to ocean for part of their life • Return to same stream where they were born

  5. ESA- Listed resident fish in the Willamette Basin Oregon chub U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) jurisdiction Bull trout Resident fish spend their entire lifecycle in fresh water

  6. Major populations of ESA-listed species affected by the Willamette Project • Project Effects: • Dams blocked access to upstream spawning habitat • Dam operation affects rearing and migration habitat downstream of dams • ==> Willamette Project dams affect many life stages of fish Chinook North Santiam Steelhead Chinook South Santiam Steelhead Chinook McKenzie Oregon Chub: all basins have populations, many on Corps property Bull trout Chinook Middle Fork Bull trout

  7. Willamette Project Biological Opinions • No FERC licensing required for federal dams (no Sec 18) • Two Biological Opinions (NMFS and USFWS) issued in 2008 include: • Operation of 13 dams and reservoirs (and downstream effects) • Hatchery Mitigation Program • 42 miles of Bank Protection Projects • 90 Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs) in NMFS BiOp, T&Cs from USFWS • 15-year timeframe; opportunity for great survival increases • Action agencies: USACE, Bonneville Power Administration, BOR • Regional Collaboration through Willamette Action Team for Ecosystem Restoration (WATER)

  8. Willamette BiOpActions: A life cycle approach Types of Willamette BiOp Actions • Evaluate Feasibility of Downstream Fish Passage Facilities • Cougar- 2014 • Lookout Point- 2023 • Detroit- 2021 (or 2018) Historical spawning habitat • Upstream fish passage for adults via “trap-and-haul” • Minto- 2012 • Foster- 2013 • Dexter- 2014 • Fall Creek- 2015 • Downstream Habitat Improvements • Flow management • Temperature • Hatchery improvements • Habitat Restoration Projects Configurations and Operational Planning Study Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Adaptive Management

  9. Fish Passage Improvements: upstream passage DEXTER DAM (Re-regulating dam located downstream of Lookout Point Dam) Hatchery/Adult Collection Facility to take fish to hatchery Adult Collection Adult Sorting; load on to truck for transport Concept: Upgrade hatchery fish facilities to use as “trap-and-haul” fish passage for adult fishUse hatchery spring Chinook to evaluate potential for reintroduction in upstream habitat

  10. Upgrade Minto Hatchery Fish Facility: Adult Trap-and-Haul BIG CLIFF DAM NORTH SANTIAM

  11. Issue: Downstream fish passage is challenging • Long reservoirs • Predators?? • Multiple passage routes • Deep intakes (very little surface spill) • High mortality • Very little information on fish movement in reservoirs Spill gates (rarely used) Regulating Outlets (“spill”) Power Turbines Lookout Point Dam

  12. Willamette Downstream Passage: Design Requirements Report For 18 downstream passage projects, summarized: • Relevance • Design criteria • Target species • Geometry • Operation • Performance • Design studies • Design & construction schedule • Cost

  13. Willamette BiOp Challenges • Balance between RM&E and moving forward with designs- how much information do we need? • Performance standards- how do we avoid jeopardy and support recovery? • Understanding causes and implications of pre-spawning mortality of adult spring Chinook • Adjusting priorities based on research • Funding challenges- reliant upon Congressional appropriations and BPA ratecase

  14. Willamette BiOp ImplementationConcept and Timeline Short term (2008-2015) Long term (2016-2023) Short-term Implementation Actions/ Construction Long-term Implementation Actions/Construction Evaluate Presumed RPA Actions Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Configuration and Operations Planning (COP) Adaptive Management with Regional Collaboration Pink boxes in timeline = Construction Actions

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