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
Lower Snake Natural River Drawdown

BPA project number   5518800

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   Research M&E Program, Hypothesis B3.4

NWPPC Program number   

Short description
Project would attempt to prove/disprove hypothesis that smolt survival cannot be increased by drawdown of Snake River hydroelectric projects to natural river grade.

Project start year   1997    End year   

Start of operation and/or maintenance   0

Project development phase   PLANNING

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects
See BPA Project No. 9302900

Project history

Biological results achieved

Annual reports and technical papers

Management implications
Results of study could affect volumes and timing of flows needed during the spring/summer migration; this in turn could affect amount and timing of availability of power from the hydrosystem; drawdowns, depending on the extent, can affect other uses of the dams and reservoirs, e.g., irrigation, recreation, use of juvenile collection facilities, etc. . In addition, the results of this study should clearly either support or counter the use of natural river grade drawdown to improve juvenile salmon survival, thereby directing the use of available funds to those measures that are truly improving the survival of listed stocks.

Specific measureable objectives
Determine: 1) short-term disruption of adult migration and subyearling rearing in MCN pool; 2) extent to which sediments move downstream from LGR pool through to MCN pool; 3) effects on redistribution of predator populations; 4) effects on size and distribution of wildlife and furbearer populations.

Testable hypothesis
SMOLT SURVIVAL CANNOT BE INCREASED BY DRAWDOWN OF SNAKE RIVER HYDROELECTRIC PROJECTS TO RIVER GRADE

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints

Methods

Brief schedule of activities

Biological need

Critical uncertainties
The ability of listed Snake River stocks to recover under a Lower Snake River natural river grade drawdown in complicated by several conditions: 1) population levels may already be so low that genetic and demographic factors may lead to near-term extinction; 2) poor migration conditions and high smolt mortality in the lower Columbia may severly limit overall survival, and overshadow any increase realized in the Snake River; and 3) factors outside the hydro power corridor may have such a major effect on survival of the species that any changes in the migration corridor may be insufficient to change adult escapement. Moreover, it cannot be ruled out that if flow augmentation is reduced in response to implementation of drawdown and reduced smolt travel times, hydrologic conditions in the estuary may be altered (i.e., further degraded) to the degree that estuarine and nearshore ocean survival may decline.

Summary of expected outcome

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation

Risks

Monitoring activity

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