FY 2003 Columbia Cascade proposal 29010

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal titleRestore Passage on Private Lands in Beaver Creek Drainage to Benefit Spring Chinook, Steelhead and Bulltrout
Proposal ID29010
OrganizationWashington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW)
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
NameMark Cookson
Mailing addressWDFW, PO Box 753 Omak, WA 98841
Phone / email5098260079 / cooksmac@dfw.wa.gov
Manager authorizing this projectDennis Beich
Review cycleColumbia Cascade
Province / SubbasinColumbia Cascade / Methow
Short descriptionThis project will further long-term, ongoing efforts to fully restore anadromous fish passage on private lands within the Beaver Creek drainage.
Target speciessteelhead, spring chinook, and bull trout
Project location
LatitudeLongitudeDescription
48.3573 -120.0401 Beaver Creek RM 2.96 to RM 8.99 (Lat/Lon for all is first river mile)
48.3584 -120.0403 Frazer Creek RM.03 to RM 3.97
48.3937 -120.0472 Storer Creek RM.06 to RM .83
Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Sponsor-reported:

RPA
Action 149

Relevant RPAs based on NMFS/BPA review:

Reviewing agencyAction #BiOp AgencyDescription
NMFS Action 149 NMFS BOR shall initiate programs in three priority subbasins (identified in the Basinwide Recovery Strategy) per year over 5 years, in coordination with NMFS, FWS, the states and others, to address all flow, passage, and screening problems in each subbasin over 10 years. The Corps shall implement demonstration projects to improve habitat in subbasins where water-diversion-related problems could cause take of listed species. Under the NWPPC program, BPA addresses passage, screening, and flow problems, where they are not the responsibility of others. BPA expects to expand on these measures in coordination with the NWPPC process to complement BOR actions described in the action above.
BPA Action 149 NMFS BOR shall initiate programs in three priority subbasins (identified in the Basinwide Recovery Strategy) per year over 5 years, in coordination with NMFS, FWS, the states and others, to address all flow, passage, and screening problems in each subbasin over 10 years. The Corps shall implement demonstration projects to improve habitat in subbasins where water-diversion-related problems could cause take of listed species. Under the NWPPC program, BPA addresses passage, screening, and flow problems, where they are not the responsibility of others. BPA expects to expand on these measures in coordination with the NWPPC process to complement BOR actions described in the action above.

Section 2. Past accomplishments

YearAccomplishment
1998 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) Salmonid Screening, Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Division's (SSHEAR) Beaver Creek Fish Passage and Screening Inventory, provides information on all barriers to fish migration.
1998 Methow River Barkley screen replacement
1999 Beaver Creek fish screen replaced RM 6.2
1999 Eightmile Creek screen replacement
2000 IAC Biodiversity Project
2000 Wolf Creek Stream Restoration and Conservation Project
2000 Replace screens on Skyline Ditch on the Chewuch River
2001 McKinney Mtn. Methow River rescreening
2001 Early Winters Creek point of diversion changes negotiated and completed.

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Project IDTitleDescription
199802500 Early Winters Creek Habitat Restoration Restore access to and quality of important stream habitat
23024 Hancock Springs Passage and Habitat Restoration Restore access to and quality of important stream habitat
26015 Methow Basin Screening. This project provides fish screen facilities upgrades, and new fish screen construction, on Methow River Basin irrigation diversions Restore access to and quality of important stream habitat
199802900 Goat Creek Instream Habitat Restoration Restore access to and quality of important stream habitat
200106300 Methow Basin Screening Restore access to and quality of important stream habitat

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2003 costSubcontractor
1. Develop restoration plan on Beaver, Shorer, and Frazer creeks a. Complete engineering and design work for 12 culverts and 9 dams 1 $180,000 Yes
b. Acquire all necessary permits including NEPA 1 $6,000
c. WDFW review of engineering and design work 1 $8,500 Yes
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase

Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2003 costSubcontractor
1. Restore fish passage on Beaver, Shorer and Frazer creeks a.Replace or realign 7 culverts on and remove 5 diversion dams on Frazer Creek 2 $0 Yes
b. Replace or realign 1 culverts on and remove 3 diversion dams on Beaver Creek 2 $0 Yes
c. Replace or realign 4 culverts on and remove 1 diversion dams on Shorer Creek 2 $0 Yes
d. Restore native riparian vegtation in areas disturbed by corrective actions 2 $0
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
1. Restore fish passage on Beaver, Shorer and Frazer creeks (task a. Replace or realign 7 culverts and remove 5 diversion dams on Frazer) Creek 2004 2005 $480,000
1. (task b. Replace or realign 1 culvert and remove 3 diversion dams on Beaver Creek) 2004 2005 $160,000
1. (task c. Replace or realign 4 culverts and remove 1 diversion dam on Storer Creek) 2004 2005 $200,000
1. (task d. Restore native riparian vegetation in areas disturbed by corrective actions) 2004 2005 $20,000
Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase
FY 2004FY 2005
$430,000$430,000

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2003 costSubcontractor
1. Maintain fish passage in Beaver, Shorer and Frazer creeks a. Restore failed revegetation where necessary 2 $0
b. Correct any problems associated with installation of culverts or rock weirs 2 $0
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
1. Maintain fish passage in Beaver, Shorer and Frazer creeks (a. Restore failed revegetation where necessary) 2004 2005 $5,000
1. (b. Correct any problems associated with installation of culverts or rock weirs) 2004 2005 $5,000
Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase
FY 2004FY 2005
$5,000$5,000

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2003 costSubcontractor
1. Develop and implement a monitoring plan a. Assess fish passage annually using fixed point photo analysis 3 $17,675
b. Conduct snorkeling and/or spawner surveys to confirm fish presence above and below site of barriers 3 $27,599
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
1. Develop and implement a monitoring plan (task a. Assess fish passage bi-annually using fixed point photo analysis) 2004 2005 $14,000
1. (task b. Conduct snorkeling and/or spawner surveys to confirm fish presence above and below site of barriers) 2004 2005 $80,300
Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase
FY 2004FY 2005
$49,300$45,000

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget
ItemNoteFY 2003 cost
Personnel FTE: .5 review engineering and design work $25,400
Fringe @ 30% $7,620
Supplies GPS units, snorkling gear, photopoint, software $7,800
Travel Travel to and from sites $3,700
Indirect @25.2% $9,254
NEPA $6,000
Subcontractor Correct culverts and dams in drainage $180,000
$239,774
Total estimated budget
Total FY 2003 cost$239,774
Amount anticipated from previously committed BPA funds$0
Total FY 2003 budget request$239,774
FY 2003 forecast from 2002$0
% change from forecast0.0%
Cost sharing
OrganizationItem or service providedAmountCash or in-kind
Okanogan Conservation District Equipment and labor $30,000 in-kind
Upper Columbia Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group Labor $20,000 in-kind

Reviews and recommendations

This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.

Recommendation:
Fundable only if response is adequate
Date:
Mar 1, 2002

Comment:

A response is needed. This project appears to offer potential benefits to steelhead and spring chinook, if other planned activities in the drainage are completed. Steelhead spawn and rear in the drainage at the present time. The proponents should provide one response that also addresses proposal #29046. In particular, the proponents should explain why this project should be funded before the CRMP proposed in #29046 is completed.

This proposal appears to have higher priority than some of the other similar projects in this Province, e.g., there is a similar proposal for work on Chumstick Creek, a much smaller stream with correspondingly less potential benefit to anadromous fish.

The proponents should provide better estimates of the expected increased production of steelhead and potential production of spring chinook if this and other projects in the Beaver drainage are completed.

A detailed M&E plan is needed in the "Proposal objectives, tasks, and methods" section, particularly for the baseline, pre-project monitoring but also post-project monitoring. The specific sample areas, methods, and sampling frequency and intensity (i.e., how many samples of what type where and when) need to be specified. Baseline data should be given if monitoring is already in place.

Most of the money goes to actual construction work at dams and culverts. There is good in-kind cost sharing, but some of this appears to be from other current proposals. There are appropriate supporting quotes from the FWP, BiOp, and Salmon Recovery Plan, but the proponents should indicate how Beaver Creek stacks up against other watersheds for potential production of anadromous fish. The lack of water in late summer seems to suggest a real problem with restoration and potential to obtain late season flows should be more completely addressed in the response.


Recommendation:
High Priority
Date:
May 17, 2002

Comment:

Due to funding for a Coordinated Resource Management Plan from the WA SRFB, the costs for this project can be reduced by 20% across the board and implementation of this project can be deferred for one year. NMFS has identified this project as a BiOp project.
Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
Jun 7, 2002

Comment:

Fundable. The response seemed to adequately show that this project is an initial one to remove instream barriers, while 29046, companion proposal, is for longer-range planning among private landowners. The sponsor's response to most ISRP concerns is adequate; however, the lack of an Implementation Monitoring plan and a Tier I monitoring plan for documentation and evaluation of benefits to anadromous fish is a serious deficiency that needs to be rectified prior to funding. Detailed plans for M&E should be developed and reviewed by the ISRP before funding of the project. The ISRP believes that it is not appropriate to recommend unconditional funding for projects when one of the four primary ISRP evaluation criteria is not met (that we recommend only projects that "have provisions for monitoring and evaluation of results.").

The proponents propose to follow the guidelines of The Draft Strategy Framework of the Washington Comprehensive Monitoring Strategy currently in development by the Washington Governor's Salmon Recovery Team. This strategy has the proper goals with intentions of implementing the probabilistic sampling plan developed by the USEPA in their EMAP program. Unfortunately, details are not available for reviewed by the ISRP and some of the references provide only general guidelines. Proposal #29046 in the same subbasin is also lacking an adequate Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. Perhaps these projects should cooperate in development a Tier I monitoring plan in addition to providing individual plans for implementation monitoring.


Recommendation:
Date:
Jul 19, 2002

Comment:

Statement of Potential Biological Benefit to ESU
Project would reconnect suitable habitats in a significant Methow River tributary, potentially increasing survival.

Comments
Project is aimed at resolving culvert and irrigation diversion problems in Beaver Creek. It appears that the inventory is fairly rigorous. Compliments other projects implemented with SRFB and DOT funds. Suggest that DFW focus on fixing culvert passage problems and leave irrigation diversion problems to the BOR as required under Action item 149. BOR feels it currently lacks authority for construction - should rely on them to at least perform engineering.

Already ESA Req? No

Biop? Yes


Recommendation:
A
Date:
Jul 26, 2002

Comment:

Recommend to implement RPA 149. High priority area for this type of work.
Recommendation:
Do Not Fund
Date:
Oct 30, 2002

Comment: