FY07-09 proposal 200705200

Jump to Reviews and Recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal titleChum Salmon Evaluations Within Bonneville Reservoir
Proposal ID200705200
OrganizationWashington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
Short descriptionEvaluate and expand upon existing data for chum salmon movement patterns, habitat preferences, and population dynamics within Bonneville Reservoir with the intent to establish a viable spawning population of chum salmon.
Information transferExtensive work is being accomplished below Bonneville Dam with chum salmon monitoring and restoration. This proposal will build upon the efforts of Projects 199900301, 200001200, and 200105300. Research efforts will be coordinated with CBFWA's CSMEP program and all results will be available to any agency upon request. Data will also be made available to the StreamNet program for inclusion in their Independant Data Sets warehouse (http://www.streamnet.org/online-data/ids.cfm) and will be available for public download. Ultimate use will be to support the development of a spawning population of chum salmon above Bonneville Dam through natural/hatchery augmentation.
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
Contacts
ContactOrganizationEmail
Form submitter
Steven Gray Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife grayswg@dfw.wa.gov
All assigned contacts
Steven Gray Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife grayswg@dfw.wa.gov
Steven Gray Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife grayswg@dfw.wa.gov
Karen Southwell WDFW southkjs@dfw.wa.gov

Section 2. Locations

Province / subbasin: Columbia Gorge / Columbia Gorge

LatitudeLongitudeWaterbodyDescription
+/- 45 38 33.0 +/- 121 55 60.0 Main stem Columbia River, Bonneville Reservoir Bonneville Reservoir
+/- 45 38 33.0 +/- 121 55 60.0 multiple Upper Gorge Tributaries with the exception of Little and Big White Salmon River

Section 3. Focal species

primary: Chum Columbia River ESU
secondary: Steelhead Middle Columbia River ESU
secondary: Bull Trout

Section 4. Past accomplishments

YearAccomplishments

Section 5. Relationships to other projects

Funding sourceRelated IDRelated titleRelationship
BPA 199900301 Salmon Spawning Below Lower Co Monitor main stem chum movements and habitat preferences above Bonneville Dam. Genetic comparative analysis.
BPA 200105300 Reintro of Chum In Duncan Cr Comparative genetic analysis of below and above Bonneville dam stocks for identification of potential donor stocks for reintroduction efforts.
BPA 200001200 Eval Factors Limiting Col R Ch Expand upon radio telemetry movement patterns and habitat preferences. Genetic comparative analysis.

Section 6. Biological objectives

Biological objectivesFull descriptionAssociated subbasin planStrategy
Evaluate chum passage Monitor passage above Bonneville Dam and habitat prefernces within the reservoir. Columbia Gorge Provide suitable reservoir conditions for passage, adult holding, and juvenile production that allows adjoining tributaries to maintain or reestablish chum salmon production
Halt declining chum population trends Halt declining trends in salmon . . . upstream of Bonneville Dam. Restore anadromous fish to historical abundance. Columbia Gorge Describe status and trends in aquatic habitats, water quality, and stream flow. ID and monitor habitat quality and changes where chum are found.
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam Supplementation programs would be developed in concert with habitat enhancement programs in the watersheds and SNAPP. Reestablish chum populations to "medium" level of viability providing for a 75-94% probability of persistence over 100 yrs. Lower Columbia Develop additional chum supplementation programs.

Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)

Work element nameWork element titleDescriptionStart dateEnd dateEst budget
Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation ESA Permits Secure ESA 4(d) permitting to handle listed species 11/1/2006 1/1/2007 $12,223
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Coordination Multi-Agency Cooperation WDFW, USACE, PSMFC and USGS will coordinate passage and spawning monitoring within Columbia Gorge subbasin through the use of radio tagged adults from those caught below bonneville Dam in BPA Projects 199900301, 200105300, and 200001200. Operations of these projects below Bonneville Dam will be marking with Floy and Radio tags subsets of this population which may ascend the Dam. Visual, Video, and telemetry monitoring will be employed to confirm passage and track movements above Bonneville. 10/1/2007 12/31/2007 $12,223
Biological objectives
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Manage and Administer Projects Project Implementation Includes oversight of personnel acquisitions and management of field operations. Oversees internal administrative tasks for project/contract implementation. Develop project SOW, budget, and accrual estimates as needed for BPA compliance and budget monitoring. 10/1/2007 9/30/2008 $91,670
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Produce Inventory or Assessment Monitor Passage Use trapping and visual passage facilities at Bonneville Dam to evaluate passage rates above the Dam. Use video monitoring, radio tagging, and PIT tagging of adults for passage and fall-back evaluations. Work in concert with chum operations below Bonneville Dam (BPA Projects 199900301, 200001200, and 200105300. 10/1/2007 1/31/2008 $61,113
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Metrics
Produce/Submit Scientific Findings Report Annual report Produce draft and annual reports for BPA projec manager. 10/1/2007 9/30/2008 $61,113
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Analyze/Interpret Data Data analysis A review of existing EDT, limiting factors, and watershed assessments will be completed as a precursor to habitat survey implementations. Timber Fish and Wildlife methodolgies will be employed to ascertain habitat parameters for suitability of potential natural sites and artificail production measures. A Comparative genetic analysis of upper and lower gorge populations will be used to differentiate populations and identify genetic divergance. 10/1/2007 9/30/2008 $61,114
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Focal Area: Genetic Analysis for Upper Gorge Divergance
Focal Area: Thermal, sediment, substrate and oxygen profiles
Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data Bio and Environmental Data Collection Collect genetic, morphometric, and biological data on adults passing Bonneville Dam. Implant radio/acoustic tags to monitor movement patterns. Review existing EDT, limiting factors, and watershed assessments for habitat, hydraulic, and sedimentation data. Methodologies will be adopted from the Timber, Fish and Wildlife Monitoring Methods Manuals for habitat unit surveys, spawning gravel composition, spawning habitat availability, stream segment identification, and stream temperature survey. Collect McNeil core samples from a minimum of 4 reference sites per stream; analyze samples according to TFW spawning gravel composition guidelines. Mini-piezometers will be placed in the spawning areas to measure vertical hydraulic gradients (VHG) and intra-gravel dissolved oxygen (DO) levels. Temperature dataloggers will be used to develop running data-set of thermal regimes within each stream. 10/1/2007 9/30/2008 $244,454
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Primary R, M, and E Type: Collect a minimum of 50 genetic samples
Focal Area: Priority Area water quality and substrate analysis
Primary R, M, and E Type: Gender analysis and condition factor evaluations
Primary R, M, and E Type: Morphometric data and scale sample collections
Create/Manage/Maintain Database Movement and Environmental database development Create Excell spreadsheets and Access Database storage for movement and environmental analysis assessments. 10/1/2007 9/30/2008 $30,557
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Develop RM&E Methods and Designs Sample and Monitoring Schedules USACE Research Proposal will be completed for access to Bonneville Dam trapping facility. Passage, habitat, and spawning ground monitoring will occur concurrently from October through December. Bonneville Dam trapping will be coordinated with other projects using the facility to accomodate all projects needs. Video monitoring will be coordinated with the visual fish passage enumeration personnel. All streams within the Gorge, Upper Gorge Tributary and Wind River subbasin's with the exception of the Little and Big White Salmon rivers will be idenitified for habitat and spawning ground monitoring. Stream reaches will be from the mouths upstream a maximum of 1 mile and will be evaluated using the Timber, Fish, and Wildlife Ambient Monitoring Manuals for the respective parameters. 10/1/2007 10/31/2007 $12,223
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Disseminate Raw/Summary Data and Results Environmental and Genetic Analysis Compare water quality, substrate parameters to preferred habitat guidelines for chum salmon spawning potential. Comparative analysis of Upper Gorge chum to Lower Gorge/Columbia Populations. Using newly developed genetic baseline for Gorge and Lower Columbia chum populations, compare upstream passing adults for stock origin and genetic divergance from known stocks. 10/1/2007 9/30/2008 $6,111
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Mark/Tag Animals Radio Tag Radio tag all captured chum at Bonneville Dam trapping facility for movement tracking in Bonneville Reservoir. Follow-up with weekly Reservoir surveys for movement tracking using mobile (auto and vessel) tracking hardware. Coordinate with USGS and Univ. of Idaho to use existing radio telemetry monitoring sites within Bonneville Reservoir. 10/1/2007 12/31/2007 $12,223
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Halt declining chum population trends
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics
Primary R, M, and E Type: Radio tag a minimum of 50 chum passing Bonneville
Submit/Acquire Data Disseminate Data Coordinate with on-going BPA projects to share acquired passage rates, fall-back rates, Reservoir movement patterns, and habitat preference data (BPA Projects 198810804, 199900301, 200001200, and 200105300). Coordinate sample design and data collection with PNAMP and CSMEP for extended and future data application to management actions. Upload raw data into StreamNet's Independant Data Warehouse for public access. Provide database to any requesting Federal, State, and local municipality. 10/1/2007 9/30/2008 $6,111
Biological objectives
Evaluate chum passage
Recover chum above Bonneville Dam
Metrics

Section 8. Budgets

Itemized estimated budget
ItemNoteFY07FY08FY09
Personnel [blank] $84,210 $86,736 $89,338
Fringe Benefits [blank] $26,290 $27,079 $27,891
Supplies [blank] $41,572 $42,819 $44,104
Travel [blank] $1,200 $1,236 $1,273
Overhead [blank] $44,449 $45,782 $47,156
Totals $197,721 $203,652 $209,762
Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets
Total itemized budget: $611,135
Total work element budget: $611,135
Cost sharing
Funding source/orgItem or service providedFY 07 est value ($)FY 08 est value ($)FY 09 est value ($)Cash or in-kind?Status
BPA/WDFW Vessel Purchase $50,000 $0 $0 In-Kind Confirmed
Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission tagging/trapping $14,560 $15,288 $16,052 In-Kind Under Development
USACE/Univ of Idaho Radio Telemetry Receivers $103,638 $9,555 $10,032 In-Kind Confirmed
Totals $168,198 $24,843 $26,084

Section 9. Project future

FY 2010 estimated budget: $0
FY 2011 estimated budget: $0
Comments: Beyond FY09, Council 3-step process will be completed for artificial production activities in Gorge subbasin using appropriate donor stocks. Scope and budgets will be developed during FY07-09.

Future O&M costs:

Termination date:
Comments: Termination upon the successfull development of a self-sustaining and genetically viable spawning population of chum salmon within the Columbia Gorge Province

Final deliverables: At least one spawning population of chum salmon above Bonneville Dam.

Section 10. Narrative and other documents

Revised Narrative Jul 2006
ISRP Reveiw Response Jul 2006

Reviews and recommendations

FY07 budget FY08 budget FY09 budget Total budget Type Category Recommendation
NPCC FINAL FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Oct 23, 2006) [full Council recs]
$0 $0 $0 $0 Expense ProvinceExpense Do Not Fund
NPCC DRAFT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Sep 15, 2006) [full Council recs]
$0 $0 $0 $0 ProvinceExpense

ISRP PRELIMINARY REVIEW (Jun 2, 2006)

Recommendation: Not fundable

NPCC comments: The technical and scientific background establishes that a problem exists - a decrease in chum salmon abundance during the past century. But the technical and scientific background does not establish that this project is needed to guide management in solving the problem. There is no indication that this work is identified in a Fish and Wildlife Program subbasin plan or a federal recovery plan. Therefore, the ISRP cannot recommend the project for funding at this time. Any future proposal should develop the topic with much more detailed justification and evidence that much of the work has not been completed by prior projects. For example, habitat evaluation is going to be completed to identify sites for Duncan Creek like supplementation. Wouldn't information already exist in databases or the EDT analysis that was part of the subbasin planning process? The proposal could have been made more complete by describing the methodology and proposed outcomes of this study.


ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)

Recommendation: Not fundable

NPCC comments: The new draft of the proposal has almost no changes to it, and the response, which was supposed to explain all of the shortfalls of why the original was not justified continues to fall short. Why funding for this activity should commence is still not justified. The ISRP's preliminary comments (June 1, 2006): The technical and scientific background establishes that a problem exists - a decrease in chum salmon abundance during the past century. But the technical and scientific background does not establish that this project is needed to guide management in solving the problem. There is no indication that this work is identified in a Fish and Wildlife Program subbasin plan or a federal recovery plan. Therefore, the ISRP cannot recommend the project for funding at this time. Any future proposal should develop the topic with much more detailed justification and evidence that much of the work has not been completed by prior projects. For example, habitat evaluation is going to be completed to identify sites for Duncan Creek like supplementation. Wouldn't information already exist in databases or the EDT analysis that was part of the subbasin planning process? The proposal could have been made more complete by describing the methodology and proposed outcomes of this study.