FY07-09 proposal 200731500

Jump to Reviews and Recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal titleCamas Slough/Lower Washougal River Realignment
Proposal ID200731500
OrganizationLower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group
Short descriptionThis proposal is to conduct a feasibility study on the potential to block off the upper end of Camas Slough and reroute the Lower Washougal directly to the Columbia. This will reduce salmon mortality due to high temperatures and high predation levels.
Information transferThe product of this study will be feasibility report documenting all associated analyses (hydrologic, hydraulic, water quality, habitat, engineering feasibility). This project will be widely available to the public on the LCFEG's website and lead directly to design and implementation of a feasible project.
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
Contacts
ContactOrganizationEmail
Form submitter
Merri Martz Tetra Tech, Inc. merri.martz@tetratech.com
All assigned contacts
Merri Martz Tetra Tech, Inc. merri.martz@tetratech.com
Tony Meyer Lower Columbia Regional Fish Enhancement Group cwfish@comcast.net

Section 2. Locations

Province / subbasin: Lower Columbia / Washougal

LatitudeLongitudeWaterbodyDescription
[none] Mouth of Washougal River / Head of Camas Slough

Section 3. Focal species

primary: Chinook Lower Columbia River ESU
secondary: All Anadromous Salmonids
secondary: Chum Columbia River ESU
secondary: Coho Lower Columbia River ESU
secondary: Coastal Cutthroat Southwest Washington/Columbia River ESU
secondary: Steelhead Lower Columbia River ESU

Section 4. Past accomplishments

YearAccomplishments

Section 5. Relationships to other projects

Funding sourceRelated IDRelated titleRelationship
PCSRF - WSRFB 04-1573 Lower Washougal Restoration-Ph This project will further increase survival of salmonids, particularly chum, from the Lower Washougal River by reducing predation

Section 6. Biological objectives

Biological objectivesFull descriptionAssociated subbasin planStrategy
Reduce predation Reduce predation on salmonids by removing or modifying habitats suitable for predatory species. Lower Columbia Modify habitats utilized by predatory species, restore natural processes to promote salmonid habitats.
Restore floodplain function and channel migration Restore processes that allow the river to naturally migrate and form quality habitats Lower Columbia Remove, setback, or breach artificial confinement structures

Section 7. Work elements (coming back to this)

Work element nameWork element titleDescriptionStart dateEnd dateEst budget
Coordination Coordination with Agencies and Stakeholders Provide coordination with regulatory agencies and stakeholders during feasibility study to provide additional input into feasibility of alternatives, landowner issues, permitting needs, etc. 10/1/2006 9/30/2007 $20,000
Biological objectives
Reduce predation
Restore floodplain function and channel migration
Metrics
Manage and Administer Projects Manage Engineering Contract for Feasibility Study Manage contractor, provide coordination and public outreach assistance, report to BPA and other funding sources 10/1/2006 9/30/2007 $20,000
Biological objectives
Reduce predation
Restore floodplain function and channel migration
Metrics
Produce Inventory or Assessment Feasibility Study on Realignment of Lower Washougal Mouth Conduct feasibility study to determine potential to block off upper end of Camas Slough and reroute mouth of Washougal to head of Lady's Island. Conduct hydrologic, hydraulic, habitat, geomorphic, and engineering analyses. 10/1/2006 9/30/2007 $120,000
Biological objectives
Reduce predation
Restore floodplain function and channel migration
Metrics

Section 8. Budgets

Itemized estimated budget
ItemNoteFY07FY08FY09
Personnel [blank] $25,000 $0 $0
Fringe Benefits [blank] $6,000 $0 $0
Overhead [blank] $4,000 $0 $0
Other Engineering Contract $120,000 $0 $0
Supplies Displays, etc. for coordination with agencies and landowners $5,000 $0 $0
Totals $160,000 $0 $0
Total estimated FY 2007-2009 budgets
Total itemized budget: $160,000
Total work element budget: $160,000
Cost sharing
Funding source/orgItem or service providedFY 07 est value ($)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: 12/30/07
Comments: The feasibility study will be complete end of 2007. At that time, if there is a feasible alternative and a 35% cost estimate, the budget for design and implementation will be revisited and funds requested as a new project.

Final deliverables:

Section 10. Narrative and other documents

Responses to 200731500 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: Key Washougal River habitats have been eliminated through dredging, channel modification, diking, filling and draining. Associated biological problems are described. Altered hydrology, sediment supply and other associated conditions are identified as limiting factors in the subbasin plan. This project would build on previous work to restore floodplain and aquatic habitats in the Washougal River and Camas Slough. It proposes to change the mouth of the Washougal river to bypass the Slough and provide a safer passage route. However, the Washougal Subbasin Plan has only some very general statements that altered habitats may increase temperature and predation, and these were not at all related to the Washougal. The temperature problem reference in the subbasin plan on pg I-93 was related to the lack of riparian shading in Lacamas Creek not the slough. The predation problem cited on pg. I-3 of the subbasin plan was just a general statement that "altered habitat conditions have increased predation..." These issues are the basis for this proposed project, but there is "no documentation" for these problems. The rationale is presented as the need for improved passage and the relation of this project (if feasible) to providing that improvement. No specific reference is made to regional programs, except for previously identified limiting factors from the subbasin plan. There is no specific reference to other projects. The objectives in this proposal are not related to subbasin plan objectives and are not justified based on documented problems. Three work elements are: project management, feasibility study, and coordination. Details of the feasibility study are in Section b. However, these are only generally described in the form of work elements. Methods are lacking, except for a brief mention of an analysis of sediment deposition and transport capability will be conducted to reduce the long-term O&M and allow the natural formation of a delta outside of the Highway14 bridge. No M&E is proposed. This proposal does not provide the basis to indicate any benefit would be provided to the focal species. If the proposed project takes place, it is likely that temperature problems will occur and introduced species will thrive in the backwater created north of Lady Island by sealing off the Camas slough. Reviewers would predict mostly adverse effects from this project.


ISRP FINAL REVIEW (Aug 31, 2006)

Recommendation: Not fundable

NPCC comments: The response was minimal and the proposal is still incomplete. It provides very little additional information to address reviewer comments. Details of work elements are still to be developed in the course of the feasibility analysis. ISRP review comments have not been adequately addressed, so the reviewers see no reason to change the recommendation of "Not fundable." ISRP comments (June 2006): Not fundable. Key Washougal River habitats have been eliminated through dredging, channel modification, diking, filling and draining. Associated biological problems are described. Altered hydrology, sediment supply and other associated conditions are identified as limiting factors in the subbasin plan. This project would build on previous work to restore floodplain and aquatic habitats in the Washougal River and Camas Slough. It proposes to change the mouth of the Washougal River to bypass the Slough and provide a safer passage route. However, the Washougal Subbasin Plan has only some very general statements that altered habitats may increase temperature and predation, and these were not at all related to the Washougal. The temperature problem reference in the subbasin plan on page I-93 was related to the lack of riparian shading in Lacamas Creek not the slough. The predation problem cited on page I-3 of the subbasin plan was just a general statement that, "altered habitat conditions have increased predation..." These issues are the basis for this proposed project, but there is "no documentation" for these problems. The rationale is presented as the need for improved passage and the relation of this project (if feasible) to providing that improvement. No specific reference is made to regional programs, except for previously identified limiting factors from the subbasin plan. There is no specific reference to other projects. The objectives in this proposal are not related to subbasin plan objectives and are not justified based on documented problems. Three work elements are: project management, feasibility study, and coordination. Details of the feasibility study are in Section b. However, these are only generally described in the form of work elements. Methods are lacking, except for a brief mention of an analysis of sediment deposition and transport capability will be conducted to reduce the long-term O&M and allow the natural formation of a delta outside of the Highway14 bridge. No M&E is proposed. This proposal does not provide the basis to indicate any benefit would be provided to the focal species. If the proposed project takes place, it is likely that temperature problems will occur and introduced species will thrive in the backwater created north of Lady Island by sealing off the Camas slough. Reviewers would predict mostly adverse effects from this project.