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US Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING STRONG ® Willamette Project Biological Opinions: Improvements...
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Transcript of US Army Corps of Engineers BUILDING STRONG ® Willamette Project Biological Opinions: Improvements...
US Army Corps of Engineers
BUILDING STRONG®
Willamette Project Biological Opinions:Improvements for fish in a dynamic environment
NWHA- Panel Discussion
“Spawning Better Ideas for Fish Passage”
February 23, 2011
Mindy SimmonsProgram Manager, Willamette Biological Opinion Implementation
BUILDING STRONG®
Multiple Authorized Purposes
Flood damage reduction
Hydropower Navigation Irrigation Fish & wildlife Recreation Water quality Municipal & industrial
water supply
BUILDING STRONG®
Detroit
Blue RiverCougar
Hills Creek
Lookout Point
Foster
Fall Creek
Dexter
Big Cliff
Green Peter
Willamette Project13 multi-purpose
dams
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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
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ESA- Listed resident fish in the Willamette Basin
Oregon chub
Bull trout
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) jurisdiction
Resident fish spend their entire lifecycle in fresh water
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Major populations of ESA-listed species
affected by the Willamette Project
North Santiam
South Santiam
Middle Fork
McKenzie
Chinook
Steelhead
Chinook
Steelhead
Chinook
Chinook
Bull trout
Bull trout
Oregon Chub: all basins have populations,
many on Corps property
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
BUILDING STRONG®
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)
BUILDING STRONG®
Historicalspawning habitat
Downstream Habitat Improvements•Flow management•Temperature•Hatchery improvements•Habitat Restoration Projects
Upstream fish passage for adults via “trap-and-haul”•Minto- 2012•Foster- 2013•Dexter- 2014•Fall Creek- 2015
Types of Willamette BiOp ActionsEvaluate Feasibility of Downstream Fish Passage Facilities•Cougar- 2014•Lookout Point- 2023 •Detroit- 2021 (or 2018)
Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation
Willamette BiOp Actions: A life cycle approach
Configurations and Operational Planning
Study
Adaptive Management
Adult Collection
DEXTER DAM (Re-regulating dam located downstream of Lookout Point Dam)
Adult Sorting; load on to truck for transport
Concept: Upgrade hatchery fish facilities to use as “trap-and-haul” fish passage for adult fish
Use hatchery spring Chinook to evaluate potential for reintroduction in upstream habitat
Hatchery/Adult Collection Facility to take fish to hatchery
Fish Passage Improvements: upstream passage
BUILDING STRONG®
Upgrade Minto Hatchery Fish Facility: Adult Trap-and-Haul
NORTH SANTIAM
BIG CLIFF DAM
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Issue: Downstream fish passage is challenging
Regulating Outlets (“spill”)
Power Turbines
Spill gates (rarely used)
• Long reservoirs
• Predators??
• Multiple passage routes
• Deep intakes (very little surface spill)
• High mortality
• Very little information on fish movement in reservoirs
Lookout Point Dam
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
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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
BUILDING STRONG®
Willamette BiOp Implementation Concept and Timeline
Willamette Reservoir System MM Major Milestone / Decision Point Detailed Design Report (DDR) Configuration / Operation Planning (COP)
Conceptual ESA Implementation Strategy AM Annual Milestone / Decision Point Construction Plans & Specification (P&S)IM Interim Mileston / Decision Point Monitoring & Evaluation Site / Concept Study
Flow Actions Authorization & Appropriation
Phase / Activity
Flow Management
Meet Tributary Flows, Mainstem Flows & Ramp Rates
Annual Opearting Plan Updates and Revisions AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1
Near-term Operational changes
Action a (Fall Creek Drawdown?)
Action b (Detroit Temperature?) IM2
Annual Fish Passage Management Plan AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2
Flow-Related M&E AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3
Cougar Adult Trap
Upgrade Existing Fish Collection & Handling Facilities
Minto Adult Fish Collection IM3
Dexter Adult Fish Collection IM7
Foster Adult Fish Collection IM10
Fall Creek Adult Fish Collection IM12
Construct new Fish Release sites IM1
Leaburg Dam Sorting Facility IM4 IM8
Configuration / Operation Planning
COP Research, Monitoring & Evaluation
Reconnaissance Phase Study MM1Comprehensive Study / environmental compliance MM3
Longer Term Operational Changes
Prototype Juvenile Head-of-Reservoir Collector IM5 MM2
COP Focal Study: Cougar Downstream Passage IM9 IM11
COP Focal Study: Detroit Temperature Control MM4Authorization (WRDA 2013?) & Appropriation MM5Preauthorization Engineering & Design IM13
Implementation
COP Focal Study: Lookout Point Downstream Passage MM6Authorization (WRDA 2015?) & Appropriation MM7Preauthorization Engineering & Design IM14
Implementation
COP Focal Study: Detroit Fish Passage MM8Authorization (WRDA 2015?) & Appropriation MM9Preauthorization Engineering & Design IM15
Implementation
2008 20162013 2014 20152009 2010 2011 2012 2021 2022 20232017 2018 2019 2020
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Short term (2008-2015) Long term (2016-2023)
Short-term Implementation Actions/ Construction
Adaptive Management with Regional Collaboration
Evaluate Presumed RPA Actions
Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation
Configuration and Operations Planning (COP)
Long-term Implementation Actions/Construction
Pink boxes in timeline = Construction Actions