BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1997 Proposal

Section 1. Administrative
Section 2. Narrative
Section 3. Budget

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Title of project
Expanded Evaluation of In-River vs. Transported Smolt Survival

BPA project number   5515000

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
TBD

Sponsor type   Placeholder

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   ,

Biological opinion ID   RMEP, Hypothesis B.1.1 & B.1.2

NWPPC Program number   

Short description
Continue intensive evaluation of transportation vs. in-river migration at Lower Granite to obtain data for more than 1 year of each condition and for a variety of conditions Transport versus inriver testing should continue annually at MCN, with inriver migrants delivered to the stream of fish in the bypass outfall. It may also be possible to CWT-mark and release enough Lyons Ferry pre-smolts into the Hells Canyon-to-LGR reach to permit placement of perhaps 50,000 smolts in a transport group and 100,000 in an inriver migration group. [expansion and enhancement of ongoing transportation evaluations.

Project start year   1997    End year   

Start of operation and/or maintenance   0

Project development phase   PLANNING

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects

Project history

Biological results achieved

Annual reports and technical papers

Management implications
A key question in the decision path for juvenile migrations (see Figure 1, blocks I-IV) is whether transportation of smolts should be employed under most conditions. A range of inriver and population conditions are needed from which to infer best management strategy (e.g., transport v. inriver). Recommendation to test transport at McNary Dam does not negate what the BIOP recommends; tests there would compare in-river controls with transport of enough marked chinook salmon and steelhead spring smolts to duplicate the adaptive management tests underway in the Snake River at LGR.
Although the BIOP does not identify a “no transport” option for Snake River fall chinook salmon, these data are important to resolving modeling uncertainties relative to the ESA jeopardy standard.

Specific measureable objectives

Testable hypothesis
B.1.1 Smolts transported from collector dams do not survive at higher rates than in-river migrants from the same point

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints
Study protocols for transport research at MCN will require that both McNary ladders have trapping facilities and detection chutes for coded-wire tags, so that marked fish can be examined for brands and PIT tags (see I. DEVELOPMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE). Ideally, all ladders at BON would also be trapped on at least a sampling basis, so that any propensity for one test group to use one ladder or the other can be detected.

Methods
See NMFS detailed experimental designs from previous’ years.

Brief schedule of activities

Biological need
A key question in the decision path for juvenile migrations (see Figure 1, blocks I-IV) is whether transportation of smolts should be employed under most conditions (it would be unrealistic to base all future decisions on transportation or inriver migration on the results from 1995 tests alone; data should be available for more than 1 year of each condition and for a variety of conditions). The BIOP requests that BPA, COE, and BOR coordinate with NMFS, NPPC, states, tribes, and other groups to develop a comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and research program, including testing of hypotheses about mainstem approaches to salmon recovery (13., p. 119). The BIOP (p. 119, #13) calls for evaluation of concepts used in modeling; these data are important to resolving modeling uncertainties relative to the ESA jeopardy standard.

Critical uncertainties
Benefit of transportation from various sites across a range of conditions.

Summary of expected outcome
Results from 1995 will be fully available in late 1998 for decision-making (see Figure 1). Results from 1996 would be available for jacks in 1997 and 2-ocean adults in 1998. The 1996 results will materially add to the data base, whether conditions for transported and inriver migrants in 1996 are similar to or different from conditions during the 1995 tests.

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation

Risks

Monitoring activity
Multiple year data will eventually be available from a broad range of conditions. Decisions as to whether to transport or not in given flow years will depend on the spectrum of results from such studies. Survival of inriver migrants and, to a lesser degree, transported smolts, will depend on extant conditions, including flow, temperature, and fish condition.

Section 3. Budget

* For most projects, Authorized is the amount recommended by CBFWA and the Council. Planned is amount currently allocated. Contracted is the amount obligated to date of printout.

Funding recommendations

CBFWA funding review group   System Policy

Recommendation    Tier 2 - fund when funds available

Recommended funding level   $500,000