FY07-09 proposal 200727300
Jump to Reviews and Recommendations
Section 1. Administrative
| Proposal title | Evaluate the effects of hyporheic exchange on egg pocket water temperature in Snake River fall Chinook salmon spawning areas |
| Proposal ID | 200727300 |
| Organization | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory |
| Short description | The research to be conducted under this proposal will evaluate relationships among river discharge, hyporheic zone characteristics, egg pocket water temperature, and emergence timing of Snake River fall chinook salmon. |
| Information transfer | agency collaborations, workshops, presentation, reports, publication in peer-reviewed literature, public-access electronic databases |
| Proposal contact person or principal investigator | |
Contacts
| Contact | Organization | |
|---|---|---|
| Form submitter | ||
| Timothy Hanrahan | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | tim.hanrahan@pnl.gov |
| All assigned contacts | ||
| Timothy Hanrahan | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | tim.hanrahan@pnl.gov |
| Timothy Hanrahan | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | tim.hanrahan@pnl.gov |
| Timothy Hanrahan | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory | tim.hanrahan@pnl.gov |
Section 2. Locations
Province / subbasin: Blue Mountain / Snake Hells Canyon
| Latitude | Longitude | Waterbody | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 45 15 00 | -117 00 00 | Snake River | Snake River from Hells Canyon Dam downstream to Asotin, WA |
Section 3. Focal species
primary: Chinook Snake River Fall ESUSection 4. Past accomplishments
| Year | Accomplishments |
|---|
Section 5. Relationships to other projects
| Funding source | Related ID | Related title | Relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPA | 199102900 | Post-Release Survival of Fall | Our projects will collaborate by sharing expertise, data, and key findings. Our project will complement theirs by providing them with empirical data relating to fry emergence timing. |
Section 6. Biological objectives
| Biological objectives | Full description | Associated subbasin plan | Strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Improve Snake River FCH egg incubation environment | The overall objective of this project is to evaluate the potential for improving juvenile Snake River fall Chinook salmon survival by modifying the discharge operations of Hells Canyon Dam. The potential for improved survival would be gained by increasing the rate at which early life history events proceed (i.e., incubation and emergence), thereby allowing smolts to migrate through downstream reservoirs during early- to mid-summer when river conditions are more favorable for survival. The research to be conducted under this proposal will evaluate the relationships among river discharge, hyporheic zone characteristics, and egg pocket water temperature in Snake River fall Chinook salmon spawning areas. | Snake Hells Canyon | 1A1, 1A2, 2A3, 3A1, 3A3, 8A2, 8A3, 8A5d, 8B7 |
Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)
| Work element name | Work element title | Description | Start date | End date | Est budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manage and Administer Projects | F: Project Management | Provide oversight on the project throughout the performance period. Respond to BPA as requested, providing financial, contractual, and administrative documents. | 1/1/2007 | 12/31/2009 | $14,387 |
|
Biological objectives Improve Snake River FCH egg incubation environment |
Metrics |
||||
| Produce/Submit Scientific Findings Report | E: Produce final report | Communicate key findings to the management agencies and scientific community. A final report will be prepared and submitted to BPA for electronic publishing. Key findings will be summarized and reported through formal presentations and informal communications with management agencies and researchers working on similar studies within the Snake River subbasin. Results germane to the management and scientific communities will be communicated through the preparation of manuscripts to be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. We will develop recommendations for the management agencies regarding adjusting operations of Hells Canyon Dam for improving fall Chinook salmon smolt survival potential by increasing the rate at which early life history events proceed (i.e., incubation and emergence). | 1/1/2007 | 12/31/2009 | $110,313 |
|
Biological objectives Improve Snake River FCH egg incubation environment |
Metrics |
||||
| Analyze/Interpret Data | B: Temperature and emergence timing analyses | Determine the magnitude of water temperature differences among the egg pocket depths, deep hyporheic zone, and river water, and the relationship to emergence timing.Temperature data from the hyporheic and surface waters will be summarized by site and segment. Differences in temperature from the hyporheic and surface waters between and among study sites and segments will be tested statistically with analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression, and comparable methods. Fry emergence timing will be estimated by calculating cumulative daily temperature units based on egg pocket temperatures and deep hyporheic zone temperatures.We will complete an analysis of predicted time of fry emergence to actual time of fry emergence. The predicted emergence timing will be based on the range of temperatures observed from egg pocket to river water. Emergence timing estimated from our egg capsules will be compared with emergence timing estimates made by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (BPA project 199102900). | 7/1/2007 | 7/1/2009 | $39,125 |
|
Biological objectives Improve Snake River FCH egg incubation environment |
Metrics Focal Area: Hells Canyon Primary R, M, and E Type: Uncertainties research Secondary R, M, and E Type: Action effectiveness research |
||||
| Analyze/Interpret Data | D: Hydrologic exchange analyses | Quantify the relationship between vertical hydraulic gradient, pore water velocity, and river discharge. VHG data will be summarized by site and segment. Differences in VHG between and among study sites and segments will be tested statistically with analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression, and/or comparable methods. Regression and similar techniques will be used to compare the effect of fluctuating river stage (i.e., a surrogate for river discharge) on VHG between hyporheic and surface water, the water temperature of the hyporheic zone, and the water temperature of the river. River stage will based on the river depth data from the continuous data loggers. Snake River discharge data from the USGS gage at Hells Canyon Dam (Rkm 395; gage number 13290450) will be reviewed and used to compare discharge patterns (i.e., magnitude and duration) over the time period the loggers were operational. Summaries of results will focus on describing the relationships between VHG and river discharge during the fall chinook salmon egg incubation period. Pore water velocity will be estimated through the use of a numerical model that uses water temperature as a tracer. Pore water velocity data will be summarized by site and segment. Regression and similar techniques will be used to compare the effect of fluctuating river stage (i.e., a surrogate for river discharge) on pore water velocity. Summaries of results will focus on describing the relationships between pore water velocity and river discharge during the fall Chinook salmon egg incubation period. | 1/1/2007 | 6/1/2009 | $43,113 |
|
Biological objectives Improve Snake River FCH egg incubation environment |
Metrics Focal Area: Hells Canyon Primary R, M, and E Type: Uncertainties research Secondary R, M, and E Type: Action effectiveness research |
||||
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | A: Riverbed temperature | Quantify the water temperature at egg pocket depth (20 – 50 cm), from the hyporheic zone (100+ cm) and from the adjacent water column during a continuous period extending from mid-September through June.At each study site, ground water – surface water interactions will be quantified through the use of a combined pressure/temperature logger suspended inside piezometers placed in the riverbed. Each site will contain three piezometers: one to monitor egg pocket depths (20 – 50 cm), one to monitor the deeper hyporheic zone (100+ cm), and one to monitor the river water. Monitoring the deeper hyporheic zone is necessary because it is expected that as river discharge increases during early-December the water at egg pocket depths will be extensively mixed with cooler river water. By monitoring the deeper hyporheic zone that is less influenced by downwelling river water we will be able to identify any differences between hyporheic and river water temperatures during the egg incubation period, despite the increased discharge from Hells Canyon Dam and the corresponding expected decrease in vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG). The piezometers and data loggers will be installed during a low flow period in late-September to early-October. Data from the loggers will be retrieved at least once during the spawning period (prior to the onset of increased discharge during the egg incubation period) and once following the period of fry emergence. We will estimate emergence timing at the study sites through the use of egg baskets. Snake River fall chinook salmon eggs will be collected, fertilized and water hardened at the Lyons Ferry Hatchery, and then randomly placed in baskets containing typical substrate mixtures from the Hells Canyon Reach. A small subsample of the eggs (~2 – 5%) will be retained, preserved and transported to the laboratory at PNNL for examination of fertilization success. During the early spawning period, baskets containing 50 recently fertilized eggs (within 48 h) each will be placed at egg pocket depth (20 – 40 cm) within 3 artificial egg pockets created at each site. Each artificial egg pocket will contain 1 Onset WaterTempPro temperature logger (or comparable logger). Each artificial egg pocket will contain 8 incubation baskets. The baskets will be cylinders constructed from PVC pipe and nylon meshing, and will measure approximately 10 cm x 25 cm. The baskets will be filled with riverbed gravels from the study sites so that eggs incubate in an ambient environment. Artificial egg pockets will be created through the use of hand tools, and will be structured to approximate natural egg pocket architecture. Beginning at the estimated onset of egg hatching, one basket from each artificial redd will be retrieved. At approximately 2-week intervals during the egg incubation period, one basket from each artificial redd will be retrieved until all the baskets have been removed from the redd. Immediately after each egg basket retrieval the fry and dead eggs will be enumerated. The fork length of individual fry will be measured, and emergence timing will be estimated through calculations of accumulated temperature units, typical growth rates, and typical fork length at emergence. | 1/1/2007 | 6/1/2009 | $180,126 |
|
Biological objectives Improve Snake River FCH egg incubation environment |
Metrics Focal Area: Hells Canyon Primary R, M, and E Type: Uncertainties research Secondary R, M, and E Type: Action effectiveness research |
||||
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | C: Hydrologic exchange | Quantify the hydrologic exchange (vertical hydraulic gradient and pore water velocity) between hyporheic water and the river during a continuous period extending from mid-October through June. The study sites, piezometers, and data loggers used for this task are the same as those described in Task A.1. The level loggers will be programmed to record the absolute pressure (i.e., hydrostatic plus barometric pressure) and water temperature (hyporheic piezometers only) every 20 minutes. Barometric pressure will be recorded using a pressure transducer connected to a data logger located near each study site. The logger will be placed within a vented case and placed along the bank of the river. It will be set to record barometric pressure at exactly the same time as the level loggers record total pressure. Hydraulic head of the hyporheic and surface water will be determined by subtracting the barometric pressure from the absolute pressure readings. The VHG will be calculated from these readings. Pore water velocity between the riverbed surface and hyporheic zone will be quantified through the use of vertical temperature profilers placed within the riverbed. The temperature profilers will consist of small diameter (~ 12.5 mm) temperature sensors with self-contained data loggers placed at discrete intervals (15, 30, 45, and 60 cm) within protective plastic tubing. The tubing will be perforated near each sensor to ensure contact with riverbed materials, but will be sealed between sensors to avoid preferential flow paths within the tubing. The temperature profilers will initially be deployed at depth inside of small diameter (~ 2.7 cm OD) well casing, which will then be removed to allow the surrounding riverbed material to collapse around the profiler. At each study site, 1 temperature profiler will be placed inside an artificial egg pocket and 1 will be placed nearby in the ambient riverbed. One of the profilers at each site will also contain a logger to record surface water temperature at the same level of accuracy and resolution as the sensors within the profilers. | 1/1/2007 | 6/1/2009 | $180,126 |
|
Biological objectives Improve Snake River FCH egg incubation environment |
Metrics Focal Area: Hells Canyon Primary R, M, and E Type: Uncertainties research Secondary R, M, and E Type: Action effectiveness research |
||||
Section 8. Budgets
Itemized estimated budget
| Item | Note | FY07 | FY08 | FY09 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personnel | Sci/Eng 0.4 FTE; Tech. 0.15 FTE | $35,387 | $56,654 | $55,778 |
| Fringe Benefits | [blank] | $12,244 | $19,149 | $18,128 |
| Supplies | pressure transducers, data loggers, piezometers | $42,201 | $25,296 | $20,507 |
| Travel | work in Hells Canyon; meetings | $5,372 | $8,255 | $5,632 |
| Overhead | [blank] | $66,655 | $99,722 | $92,692 |
| Other | [blank] | $1,688 | $1,010 | $820 |
| Totals | $163,547 | $210,086 | $193,557 | |
Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets
| Total itemized budget: | $567,190 |
| Total work element budget: | $567,190 |
Cost sharing
| Funding source/org | Item or service provided | FY 07 est value ($) | FY 08 est value ($) | FY 09 est value ($) | Cash or in-kind? | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Totals | $0 | $0 | $0 | |||
Section 9. Project future
|
FY 2010 estimated budget: $0 FY 2011 estimated budget: $0 |
Comments: |
Future O&M costs:
Termination date: 12/31/2009
Comments:
Final deliverables: agency collaborations, workshops, presentations, reports, publication in peer-reviewed literature, public-access electronic databases
Section 10. Narrative and other documents
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 | ||
|
Comments: Also reviewed by the MSRT. |
||||||
| NPCC DRAFT FUNDING RECOMMENDATIONS (Sep 15, 2006) [full Council recs] | ||||||
| $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | Basinwide | ||
ISRP PRELIMINARY REVIEW (Jun 2, 2006)
Recommendation: Fundable (Qualified)
NPCC comments: The proposal lays out a case for developing a better understanding of the effects of surface-hyporheic water exchange on the developmental rate and survival of fall Chinook eggs and alevins below the Hells Canyon dam complex, and whether operation of the dams can generate flow conditions that improve survival and accelerate embryonic development. The working hypothesis is that water releases from upstream storage reservoirs and the timing of spill can be adjusted to increase egg survival and cause fry to emerge earlier. In general, the objectives are clearly stated and specific timelines are given. Our main concern had to do with sample size. Fourteen sites, 25% of the total number of "most used" spawning areas, have been selected (a map would have been helpful). While this seems like a plausible number of sites for a general survey of Chinook reproductive success, the proposal did not really address the question of how many sites would be needed to achieve the overall objective of developing a better understanding between egg survival, hyporheic flow dynamics, and modified reservoir operations. At $10-15K per sample site per year, it is important to sample enough sites to answer the central questions, but at some point adding sites may not yield much additional information. Nevertheless, as long as sample size is reasonably justified, this should be a worthwhile effort.
ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)
Recommendation: Fundable (Qualified)
NPCC comments: The proposal lays out a case for developing a better understanding of the effects of surface-hyporheic water exchange on the developmental rate and survival of fall Chinook eggs and alevins below the Hells Canyon dam complex, and whether operation of the dams can generate flow conditions that improve survival and accelerate embryonic development. The working hypothesis is that water releases from upstream storage reservoirs and the timing of spill can be adjusted to increase egg survival and cause fry to emerge earlier. In general, the objectives are clearly stated and specific timelines are given. Our main concern had to do with sample size. Fourteen sites, 25% of the total number of "most used" spawning areas, have been selected (a map would have been helpful). While this seems like a plausible number of sites for a general survey of Chinook reproductive success, the proposal did not really address the question of how many sites would be needed to achieve the overall objective of developing a better understanding between egg survival, hyporheic flow dynamics, and modified reservoir operations. At $10-15K per sample site per year, it is important to sample enough sites to answer the central questions, but at some point adding sites may not yield much additional information. Nevertheless, as long as sample size is reasonably justified, this should be a worthwhile effort.