FY 2002 Innovative proposal 200207800

Section 1. General administrative information
Section 2. Past accomplishments
Section 3. Relationships to other projects
Section 4. Budgets for planning/design phase
Section 5. Budgets for construction/implementation phase
Section 6. Budgets for operations/maintenance phase
Section 7. Budgets for monitoring/evaluation phase
Section 8. Budget summary

Reviews and Recommendations

Additional documents

Title	Type
34019 Narrative	Narrative
Blue Mountain: Snake Hells Canyon Subbasin Map with BPA Fish & Wildlife Projects	Subbasin Map
Blue Mountain: Snake Hells Canyon Subbasin Map with BPA Fish & Wildlife Projects	Subbasin Map

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal title	Evaluate the Effects of Hyporheic Discharge on Egg Pocket Water Temperature in Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon Spawning Areas
Proposal ID	200207800
Organization	Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
Name	Timothy P. Hanrahan
Mailing address	P.O. Box 999, MS K6-85 Richland, WA 99352
Phone / email	5093760972 / tim.hanrahan@pnl.gov
Manager authorizing this project	Timothy P. Hanrahan
Review cycle	FY 2002 Innovative
Province / Subbasin	Blue Mountain / Snake Hells Canyon
Short description	Evaluate the relationships among river discharge, hyporheic zone characteristics, and egg pocket water temperature in Snake River fall chinook salmon spawning areas; evaluate the potential for improving Snake River fall chinook salmon smolt survival
Target species	Snake River fall chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)

Project location

Latitude	Longitude	Description
45.83	-116.73	Snake River from Hells Canyon Dam downstream to Asotin, WA

Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Sponsor-reported:

RPA

Relevant RPAs based on NMFS/BPA review:

Reviewing agency	Action #	BiOp Agency	Description
NMFS	Action 190	NMFS	The Action Agencies shall continue to fund studies that monitor survival, growth, and other early life history attributes of Snake River wild juvenile fall chinook.
BPA	Action 155	NMFS	BPA, working with BOR, the Corps, EPA, and USGS, shall develop a program to 1) identify mainstem habitat sampling reaches, survey conditions, describe cause-and- effect relationships, and identify research needs; 2) develop improvement plans for all mainstem reaches; and 3) initiate improvements in three mainstem reaches. Results shall be reported annually.

Section 2. Past accomplishments

Year	Accomplishment

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Project ID	Title	Description

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget

Objective	Task	Duration in FYs	Estimated 2002 cost	Subcontractor

Outyear objectives-based budget

Objective	Starting FY	Ending FY	Estimated cost

Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase

Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase

Task-based budget

Objective	Task	Duration in FYs	Estimated 2002 cost
Objective 1: 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.	Task 1.1. 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.	12	$44,128
Objective 2: Determine the magnitude of water temperature differences among the egg pocket depths, deep hyporheic zone, and river water, and the relationship to emergence timing.	Task 2.1. Temperature data from the hyporheic and surface waters will be summarized by site and segment.	7	$20,606
	Task 2.2. Estimate emergence timing at the study sites through the use of egg capsules.	6	$20,605
Objective 3: Quantify the vertical hydraulic gradient between hyporheic water and the river during a continuous period extending from mid-September through June.	Task 3.1 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.	12	$38,817
Objective 4: Quantify the relationship between VHG and river discharge.	Task 4.1. VHG data will be summarized by site and segment.	7	$41,212
Objective 5: Communicate key findings to the management agencies and scientific community.	Task 5.1. A final report will be prepared and submitted to BPA for electronic publishing.	4	$30,931

Outyear objectives-based budget

Objective	Starting FY	Ending FY	Estimated cost

Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget

Objective	Task	Duration in FYs	Estimated 2002 cost	Subcontractor

Outyear objectives-based budget

Objective	Starting FY	Ending FY	Estimated cost

Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget

Objective	Task	Duration in FYs	Estimated 2002 cost	Subcontractor

Outyear objectives-based budget

Objective	Starting FY	Ending FY	Estimated cost

Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget

Item	Note	FY 2002 cost
Personnel	FTE: .97	$63,304
Fringe		$16,459
Supplies		$10,338
Travel		$3,857
Indirect		$102,341
		$196,299

Total estimated budget

Total FY 2002 cost	$196,299
Total FY 2002 budget request	$196,299

Cost sharing

Organization	Item or service provided	Amount	Cash or in-kind
Idaho Power Company	2 biologists during river work; boat transportation during river work	$50,000	in-kind
	purchase of data loggers	$36,800	cash

Reviews and recommendations

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

REVIEW:
ISRP Review (ISRP 2002-8)

Recommendation:
Fund - Rank 1

Date:
May 24, 2002

Comment:

This number one ranked proposal is innovative, very well written, technically sound, and high priority. If the project was successful, it could provide very substantial gains for Snake River fall chinook and the water budget. The proposal was favorably reviewed in the Blue Mountain provincial review and is improved from that submittal. The innovative aspect of this proposal is the potential application of results to reservoir management.

Summer flow augmentation to benefit downstream migrating fall chinook has been a contentious issue within the basin. The investigators hypothesize that extending the period of stable flows below the Hell's Canyon complex (now 10 to 20 days in December) well into the egg incubation period could provide more favorable conditions for incubation and decrease the time required for the eggs to hatch. Earlier emergence would make it possible for juvenile fall chinook to migrate downstream sooner than they currently do and thus enter the Snake River reservoirs earlier in the summer, when water temperatures and stream flows are more beneficial for survival. This change in migration timing could reduce the need for summer flow augmentation. A clear and reasonable line of logic backs the proposal.

However, it is uncertain if the two weeks earlier emergence would necessarily equate to two weeks earlier initiation of migration. If research documents this chain of events and timings, what is Idaho Power's commitment to managing Hells Canyon Dam/Complex to achieve this end?

The proposal describes a good relationship to regional planning documents. The proposal includes good involvement and cost share from Idaho Power Company and USFWS, which is an improvement from the Blue Mountain submittal. The proposal also notes cooperation from Idaho Power in manipulating discharge levels in concert with study objectives during Phase I (this proposal) and the planned Phase II follow-up (next proposal). Regarding the two phases, the authors have complied with the time frame and cost limits suggested for the Innovative Solicitation. Phase I is described as a pilot study but it does have follow-up plans (Phase II) that are very logical extensions of the pilot.

The objectives are clear and sufficient detail is presented in the Methods section to assess technical competency. The investigators are exceptionally well qualified to conduct this work. Both PI's have extensive experience in this area of research as well as familiarity with the study site and study organism. Both have an excellent publication record to support that work.

REVIEW:
CBFWA Funding Recommendation

Recommendation:
High Priority

Date:
Jun 28, 2002

Comment:

REVIEW:
NMFS Review

Recommendation:

Date:
Jul 12, 2002

Comment:

Statement of Potential Biological Benefit
Examines the effect of fine sediments on stream temperatures, through their effect on hyporheic exchange flows. Results could be used to evaluate hyporheic restoration as a tool for addressing problems of stream temperature, and thus helping to restore and maintain habitat quality for salmonids.

Comments
Well written proposal. The importance of hyporheic interactions in streams has received minimal attention. This research proposal seeks to examine a mechanism other than loss of riparian habitat that might result in higher stream temperatures. The proposal outlines the research needed to identify whether this mechanism is important with respect to temperature regulation. If fine sediments do alter thermal regimes in streams, then this work will emphasize the importance of addressing sediment issues in streams in general. This is a strong scientific proposal that has the potential to influence management and recovery programs.

Already ESA Required?
No

Biop?
Yes

REVIEW:
NMFS Review

Recommendation:

Date:
Jul 12, 2002

Comment:

Statement of Potential Biological Benefit to ESU
Examines the effect of fine sediments on stream temperatures, through their effect on hyporheic exchange flows. Results could be used to evaluate hyporheic restoration as a tool for addressing problems of stream temperature, and thus helping to restore and maintain habitat quality for salmonids.

Already ESA Req? No

Biop? Yes

REVIEW:
BPA Funding Recommendation

Recommendation:
A

Date:
Aug 2, 2002

Comment:

Recommend. The proposal addresses source of problems for Snake River fall chinook and focuses on a life history solution, thus it may provide the means to achieve more progress toward performance standards than current efforts. An agreement from Idaho Power to provide necessary hydro operations is pivotal if study is continue beyond the start up innovative stage.

REVIEW:
NWPPC Funding Recommendation

Recommendation:
Do Not Fund

Date:
Sep 20, 2003

Comment:

REVIEW:
Project Sponsor Request for FY04-05

Recommendation:

Date:
Sep 20, 2003

Comment: