FY 2000 proposal 199404700

Additional documents

TitleType
199404700 Narrative Narrative
199404700 Sponsor Response to the ISRP Response

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal titleLake Pend Oreille Fishery Recovery Project
Proposal ID199404700
OrganizationIdaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG)
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
NameMelo A. Maiolie, Ph.D.
Mailing addressP.O. Box 806 Bayview, ID 83803
Phone / email2086833054 / mmaiolie@micron.net
Manager authorizing this project
Review cycleFY 2000
Province / SubbasinInter-Mountain / Pend Oreille
Short descriptionEnhances resident fish populations by changing the winter draw down of Lake Pend Oreille and the Pend Oreille River and researches other possible mechanisms for fish declines including predation and competition.
Target speciesKokanee, Kamloops rainbow trout, Lake trout, Bull trout, Largemouth bass, Black crappie.
Project location
LatitudeLongitudeDescription
Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Sponsor-reported:

RPA

Relevant RPAs based on NMFS/BPA review:

Reviewing agencyAction #BiOp AgencyDescription

Section 2. Past accomplishments

YearAccomplishment
1997 First year of project. US Army Corps successfully changed winter lake level.
1997 Three University projects were started.
1997 Kokanee population was successfully measured by hydroacoustics, trawling and spawner counts.
1997 Kokanee spawning activity was mapped on 100 miles of shoreline. Kokanee were documented to have moved into new shoreline areas for spawning.
1997 Depths of kokanee spawning were measured. Kokanee were found to have moved on to newly available gravel at shallower depths.
1997 Shrimp population was successfully measured by random sampling in three sections of lake.
1998 Kokanee population successfully measured by trawling and hydroacoustics. Fry abundance very low.
1998 Graduate student study successfully shows that newly emerged kokanee do not starve because of competition with Mysis shrimp.
1998 Extensive sampling of shoreline spawning gravel shows very little siltation due to changing lake levels during first two years.

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Project IDTitleDescription

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2000 costSubcontractor
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 2000 costSubcontractor
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2000 costSubcontractor
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2000 costSubcontractor
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget
ItemNoteFY 2000 cost
Personnel $101,000
Fringe $35,000
Supplies $18,000
Operating $19,000
Capital $14,000
Travel $5,000
Indirect $67,000
Subcontractor $120,000
$379,000
Total estimated budget
Total FY 2000 cost$379,000
Amount anticipated from previously committed BPA funds$0
Total FY 2000 budget request$379,000
FY 2000 forecast from 1999$0
% change from forecast0.0%
Cost sharing
OrganizationItem or service providedAmountCash or in-kind
none $0 unknown
Other budget explanation

Schedule Constraints: Project requires the cooperation of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to change lake levels each winter. Cooperation has been excellent through the first 2 years of study and is expected to be so during the last year of lake level changes in the winter of 1998-99. Severe flooding during test years could delay documenting the benefits of higher lake levels. Last year, the ISRP recommended that the lake be held higher for 10 winters. We are actively pursuing this extension. A letter was sent from the Director of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game to the Colonel of the Corps of Engineers in Seattle making this request. So far there has not been any response which would indicate a change in our current proposed schedule.


Reviews and recommendations

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

Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
Jun 15, 1999

Comment:

Recommendation: Fund. Recommend for funding for a longer duration. The project should be funded to cover at least one and preferably two kokanee generations. OK for multi-year review cycle; review in FY2002 for analysis of results. (Priority for Lake Pend Oreille fishery.)

Comments: This project proposes to elevate winter water levels in Lake Pend Oreille by four feet to investigate whether or not it will have a positive impact on kokanee salmon abundance by increasing available spawning habitat and on warm water species in the Pend Oreille River by increasing the amount of suitable over-winter habitat. In addition, the project will simultaneously investigate whether competition with Mysis shrimp for food and predation by Kamloops, bull trout, and lake trout play a significant role in regulating kokanee abundance. The project was initially reviewed by the ISAB in 1997 as an experiment to see if keeping lake elevations high in winter would aid kokanee spawning and increase the lake population. The ISAB concluded that, given natural variability and numerous confounding factors, the time frame of essentially a little more than one kokanee generation is probably too short to reach definitive conclusions. This can be rectified by extending the length of the project and including study of the other factors.

The proposal is thorough and scientifically sound, except for the point brought up by last year's reviewers that a longer time frame is needed. It includes work on other factors possibly related to kokanee abundance that were considered by the ISAB. The proposal references the FWP and one other plan. There are no other projects on Pend Oreille Lake to reference. There is an excellent list of objectives and tasks. University studies are included as well as the funded work. The schedule has been maintained despite abnormally high flows, and there is consideration of a longer time frame for the work (which the ISAB and ISRP have encouraged). The narrative sections are all excellent. The rationale appropriately links the work to CBFWA criteria. Accomplishments are listed and discussed in relation to the abnormally high flows. There has been good progress. The proposal should give more detail on the three projects that are subcontracted.


Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
Aug 20, 1999

Comment:


Recommendation:
Date:
Aug 20, 1999

Comment:

Screening Criteria: yes

Technical Criteria: yes

Programmatic Criteria: yes

Milestone Criteria: no-There are no long term milestones. There is no loss statement and no long term management plan.

General Comments: There are differing scientific opinions as to proposed limiting factors.


Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
Mar 1, 2000

Comment:

(g) Lake Pend Oreille kokanee study

The Council dead-locked on a motion to recommend that the Corps of Engineers hold the lake level at the higher elevation for an additional year beyond the three years specified in the program measure related to this proposal. For this reason, the Council did not make a formal recommendation for a specific lake level for the 1999-2000 operations. The Council did vote to approve funding project #9404700 for Fiscal Year 2000. The project sponsor verified that the study activities could continue and the work would be valuable whether the Corps of Engineers chose the higher or lower lake level in 1999-2000.


Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
Mar 1, 2000

Comment:

[Decision made in 9-22-99 Council Meeting];
REVIEW:
NW Power and Conservation Council's FY 2006 Project Funding Review
Funding category:
expense
Date:
May 2005
FY05 NPCC start of year:FY06 NPCC staff preliminary:FY06 NPCC July draft start of year:
$526,511 $526,511 $526,511

Sponsor comments: See comment at Council's website