FY07-09 proposal 200728800

Jump to Reviews and Recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Contacts

Section 2. Locations

Province / subbasin: Columbia Plateau / Walla Walla

Section 3. Focal species

Section 4. Past accomplishments

Section 5. Relationships to other projects

Section 6. Biological objectives

Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)

Section 8. Budgets

Itemized estimated budget

Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets

Cost sharing

Section 9. Project future

Future O&M costs:

Termination date:
Comments:

Final deliverables:

Section 10. Narrative and other documents

Reviews and recommendations

ISRP PRELIMINARY REVIEW (Jun 2, 2006)

Recommendation: Response requested

NPCC comments: This is an essentially good proposal. The central question about the proposed work is whether the amount of water returned to the stream is sufficient to positively affect fish and habitat. The sponsors need to provide some sort of estimate of the potential benefit to habitat and focal species. Is the proposed project part of a larger plan or project to restore flow in the Touchet? Technical and scientific background: The problem is clearly defined. Instream flow in the Touchet River is considered to be limiting adult migration and juvenile rearing habitat. The Touchet is completely dewatered in the summer months over part of its length. The sponsors propose to install a pipe to carry irrigation water away from the stream. Installation of about three miles of pressure pipe will replace a seeping ditch used for irrigation withdrawal. Transport by pipe will reduce evaporative loss and so make additional water available to increase flow. This effort is estimated to return 1.5cfs of flow in trust for salmon. The total piping job will lead to a 4.5cfs increase in instream flow. It would useful for the sponsors to make a realistic estimate of the fishery benefits expected from the project including the basis for that estimate. For example, if the river is dewatered, will the flow increase from the pipe installation be sufficient to create high quality habitat and improve passage? Rationale and significance to subbasin plans and regional programs: The project addresses the problem of dewatering the Touchet, which is identified in several plans including the Walla Walla subbasin plan. Relationships to other projects: The project is a component of a large partnership including tribal, private, and state entities seeking to improve salmon runs in the Touchet River. The project is related to other projects associated with pump and passage construction at Hofer Dam. Objectives: The objectives are straightforward and involve installation of 2.5 miles of pipe that will convey irrigation water and dedicate conserved water to instream flow. Conserved flows will remain in trust to state. This proposal should be linked to the Columbia Basin Water Transaction Program (proposal 200201301) and address the criteria for water transactions under that program that are relevant to the proposed actions. Tasks (work elements) and methods: The project entirely involves construction. The sponsors have already engaged consultants to plan the project and a timeline is set forth. Monitoring and evaluation: There are no provisions for monitoring. The proposal needs a description of how flows will be monitored and how the water "savings" will benefit steelhead and salmon populations. The proposal would benefit from a quantitative estimate of expected fishery benefit. Facilities, equipment, and personnel: Facilities seem adequate to manage the project. Construction equipment and personnel will be secured through contract. Information transfer: No mention was made of how any water savings or population response data will be conveyed. Benefits to focal and non-focal species: It is unclear how much benefit will be accrued from this project. The uncertainty derives from the lack of a clear explanation of how much habitat conditions for migration and rearing will be improved and how much those improvements might benefit fish. The flow increment increase seems small. The sponsors indicate that instream flow of the fully retrofitted (9+ miles) system will fall short of the 6 cfs minimum flow needed for salmon. There is no mention of where the other 1.5cfs needed to meet the 6 cfs flow minimum will come from or how the remaining six miles of pipe will be secured. If the project was successful it could benefit non-focal species by improving habitat conditions.

ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)

Recommendation: Not fundable

NPCC comments: The proposed work is part of a larger effort to restore flows to the Touchet River. This larger effort is supported by significant funds from multiple sources. The fisheries benefits accrued from the proposed project are uncertain. Apparently no EDT or any other type of analysis was done to estimate amount of flow increases needed to significantly increase fish production. The scientific credibility of this project depends on development of a hypothesis regarding the magnitude of fisheries and habitat benefits expected and strategies to obtain data to test it. The results of the larger effort to provide flows could provide important benefits to fish over the longer term, but again specific estimates of these benefits were not provided by the sponsors. The response of the sponsors of project #200733000 is an example of how fisheries and habitat benefits from increased flow could be estimated. The sponsors did not provide additional background on the project area as requested by the ISRP. This proposal should be linked to the Columbia Basin Water Transaction Program (# 200201301) and address that program’s criteria for water transactions that are relevant to the proposed actions.