BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1998 Proposal

Section 1. Summary
Section 2. Goals
Section 3. Background
Section 4. Purpose and methods
Section 5. Planned activities
Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation
Section 7. Relationships
Section 8. Costs and FTE

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Summary

Title of project
Yakima Screens - Phase II O&M

BPA project number   9200900

Short description
Provide preventative and major maintenance on Yakima Basin Phase 2 fish screen facilities.

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
Wash. Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, Yakima Screen Shop

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

Section 2. Goals

General
Supports a healthy Columbia basin; maintains biological diversity; maintains genetic integrity; increases run sizes or populations

Section 3. Background

Stream area affected

Stream name   Yakima R. & tributaries (Naches R., Teanaway R., Ahtanum Cr., etc.)
Hydro project   N/A
Subbasin   Yakima
Land ownership   Public (BPA owns screen facility & land)
Habitat types   N/A

History
Since June 1993, WDFW has performed preventative maintenance and major repairs on the majority of completed Phase 2 fish screen facilities. Currently, WDFW is responsible for 18 sites (FY 97). Remaining sites are Bureau of Reclamation (BR) responsibility. Duties also include acting as BPA's local liaison with the diversion owner. WDFW monitors and verifies diversion owner performed "routine" maintenance eligible for BPA reimbursement and processes claims for payment.

Biological results achieved
Biological evaluation of recently completed Phase 2 fish screens by Battelle (Proj # 8506200) has shown juvenile salmonid survival and guidance rates approaching 100%. Without comprehensive preventative maintenance, long-term screen performance will decline as will fish survival. The life span of BPA's investment in new screens also depends on a program of regular maintenance.

Project reports and papers
Yakima Basin BPA Phase II Fish Screen O&M, Progress Reports 1 through 7 (#1: 5/93 - 8/93; #2: 9/93 - 12/93; #3: 1/94 - 5/94; #4: 6/94 - 12/94; #5: 1/95 - 6/95; #6: 7/95 - 12/95; #7: 1/96 - 6/96)

Adaptive management implications
Knowledge gained from fish screen evaluation studies performed by Pacific Northwest Labs (Proj. 8506200) is used by YSS staff in a feedback process to improve O&M procedures.

Section 4. Purpose and methods

Specific measureable objectives
Perform operation and preventative maintenance on assigned Phase 2 fish screen facilities in order to preserve facility life span and maintain peak fish protection and guidance efficiency on a long-term basis.

Critical uncertainties
None

Biological need
Juvenile anadromous salmonid survival is being increased at Yakima Basin irrigation diversions by constructing state-of-the-art fish screen facilities (Proj # 9105700 and # 9107500). However, the improvements in survival and capital facility investments can only be sustained through a long term commitment to comprehensive and regular O&M. Failure to do so will result in facility deterioration and an increase in fry, fingerling and smolt injury and mortality.

Hypothesis to be tested
N/A

Alternative approaches
N/A

Justification for planning
N/A (project provides tangible on-the-ground survival benefits to juvenile salmonids)

Section 5. Planned activities

Constraints or factors that may cause schedule or budget changes
If Phase 2 screen construction is delayed due to problems with land acquisition, rights-of-way, permitting or budget shortfall, projects may not be operational in FY98. Projects deferred to FY99 will result in an O&M budget carryover.

Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation

SUMMARY OF EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Expected performance of target population or quality change in land area affected
High initial survival and guidance of juvenile fish at Phase 2 screens can be sustained in the long-term by implementing regular preventative maintenance.

Present utilization and convservation potential of target population or area
Target stocks are too weak to support in-basin harvest other than very minor Yakama Indian Nation tribal C&S fishery on spring chinook. Virtually all returning fish are necessary for spawning and stock rebuilding.

Assumed historic status of utilization and conservation potential
Target stocks once supported significant harvest by tribal and non-tribal fishers in ocean, Columbia R. and terminal area fisheries.

Long term expected utilization and conservation potential for target population or habitat
The fishery co-managers (WDFW and Yakama Nation) objective is to restore Yakima Basin anadromous fish stocks to levels capable of supporting significant terminal area tribal and sport harvest. Phase 2 fish screen construction (and O&M) is a critical component of the overall strategy to restore fish runs.

Contribution toward long-term goal
Phase 2 fish screen construction (and O&M) is a critical component of the overall strategy to restore fish runs by improving survival of wild and hatchery supplementation juvenile salmonids.

Indirect biological or environmental changes
Resident fish populations that support valuable sport fisheries (e.g. the “blue ribbon” Yakima R. wild rainbow trout fishery) also benefit from new fish screens built, operated and properly maintained to protect anadromous species.

Physical products
N/A

Environmental attributes affected by the project
None

Changes assumed or expected for affected environmental attributes
N/A

Measure of attribute changes
N/A

Assessment of effects on project outcomes of critical uncertainty
N/A

Information products
N/A

Coordination outcomes
N/A

MONITORING APPROACH
Target stock monitoring is performed by the Yakama Indian Nation at Prosser Dam and Roza Dam. Both adults and migrant smolts are enumerated each year to track stock status. Fish screen evaluation studies (Proj. No. 8506200) define the fish protection performance of individual or types of Phase 2 screen facilities. No M&E is directly performed as a task of this project.

Provisions to monitor population status or habitat quality
N/A (see above)

Data analysis and evaluation
N/A

Information feed back to management decisions
Information from the related fish screen evaluation project (8506200) performed by Pacific Northwest Labs (Battelle) feeds back into the design, fabrication and O&M components of the Yakima Phase 2 program. Results of PNL studies have been used by WDFW and BOR to improve fish screen designs and fabrication methods to increase fish protection and survival rates. Evaluation results have also been used to fine tune O&M procedures to increase screen life and maximize fish protection in the long term.

Critical uncertainties affecting project's outcomes
N/A

Evaluation
For this project, success is measured in the steady completion of state-of-the-art fish screen facilities at Yakima Basin gravity water diversions.

Incorporating new information regarding uncertainties
N/A

Increasing public awareness of F&W activities
Fish screen O&M activities at some Phase 2 sites (e.g. Congdon screen next to Eschbach County Park) are visible to the public and are a tangible testimony that the region is actively working to recover weak anadromous fish stocks in the Yakima Basin.

Section 7. Relationships

Opportunities for cooperation
The addition of new sites each fiscal year is dependent on completion of fabrication (# 9105700) and civil works construction (# 9107500). WDFW derives the O&M budget based on assumed "online" dates, but delays can result in lower expenditures and carrying over funds to the next fiscal year. WDFW and BOR work cooperatively to assure that project objectives are attained with the least cost to BPA. WDFW and BOR share equipment and manpower as needed to accomplish project objectives.

Section 8. Costs and FTE

1997 Planned  $85,000

Other non-financial supporters
N/A

Operation & Maintenance

How does percentage apply to direct costs
O/H applied to total direct project costs