| Proposal title | Ahtanum Creek Watershed Assessment |
| Proposal ID | 199901300 |
| Organization | Yakama Nation Fisheries Management Program (YN) |
| Proposal contact person or principal investigator |
| Name | Kale Gullett |
| Mailing address | Toppenish, WA 98948 |
| Phone / email | 5098656262 / gullett@yakama.com |
| Manager authorizing this project | Lynn Hatcher |
| Review cycle | FY 2001 Ongoing |
| Province / Subbasin | Columbia Plateau / Yakima |
| Short description | Conduct watershed assessment in the agricultural portion of the Ahtanum Creek watershed to complete assessment of the entire watershed, facilitate restoration of salmon and steelhead, and protect bull trout. |
| Target species | |
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
| 1. Map irrigation systems utilizing creek water. |
1a. Continue to incorporate GIS coverages, orthophotos, district maps into overall Project GIS. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$10,800 |
|
|
1b. Add new delivery and drainage system features as they are discovered. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$2,500 |
|
|
1c. Add cropping patterns from crop reports as they are received. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$2,500 |
|
|
1d. Ground-truth GIS data, update Project GIS. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$7,500 |
|
| 2. Model irrigation water use. |
2a. Continue to measure water withdrawals from and returns to Ahtanum Creek. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$4,500 |
|
|
2b. Assess consumptive use and irrigation efficiency, update assessment data. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$6,500 |
|
| 3. Describe streamflow and water temperature regime. |
3a. Continue measurement of temporal and spatial watercourse (creeks, canals, ditches, drains) flow and temperature regime to provide adequate data for descriptive flow model (Overlaps with 2a but focuses more on detecting seepage losses and gains). |
1 (yearly activity) |
$7,500 |
|
|
3b. Analyze Project and historic discharge data to determine magnitude and timing of alternative diversion strategies. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$3,500 |
|
|
3c. Continue development and calibration of descriptive model of flow by location and season. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$6,620 |
|
|
3d. Finalize integration of WA-DNR information and recommendations from upper watershed analysis. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$1,500 |
|
| 4. Survey creek channel and floodplain. |
4a. Conduct qualitative assessment of riparian functional status (PFC). |
1 (re-evaluated every 2 years) |
$2,600 |
|
| 5. Describe fish population response to habitat changes. |
5a. Assess potential salmon and steelhead production (pre-development conditions) as well as extent of bull trout in creek. |
1 |
$4,500 |
|
|
5b. Describe response to changes in water withdrawal, return flows and riparian management. |
1 (yearly activity) |
$12,500 |
|
|
5c. Continue development of Project Assessment document. |
1 (continued until all pertinent info and options are described) |
$22,500 |
|
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
| 1. Adaptively update Project Assessment document, begin implementation of recommendations (late in FY2001). |
1a. Integrate products of Objectives 1-5, Planning and Design Phase. |
1 |
$10,225 |
|
|
1b. Finalize Irrigation Assessment Alternative Report produced by subcontractor in FY2000. |
0.5 |
$2,500 |
|
|
1c. Approach Yakama Tribal Council for approval of Project Assessment by Tribal Council Resolution, management support and help in disseminating Project scope and objectives to affected landowners. |
0.5 |
$3,200 |
|
|
1d. Restore instream flow to dewatered Project stream reaches by system modifications and/or land purchase or lease. |
Unknown. Will continue task until all available water is returned to Project streams. |
$10,900 |
|
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
| 1. Work with YN Wildlife Program and BIA Realty to acquire leases or purchase lands. |
1a. Prepare written justification for leases or purchase, assist other YN and BIA personnel with lease/purchase agreements. |
As Required |
$3,200 |
|
|
1b. Present any required background information to appropriate Council and colleagues. |
As Required |
$2,500 |
|
|
1c. Maintain and enforce lease requirements. |
Duration of leases (10 years) |
$5,500 |
|
|
1d. On lands purchased with Project funds, decommission withdrawal structures and work with other YN programs to inaugurate any restoration measures needed to return land to native state. |
As Required |
$2,500 |
|
| 2. Restrict diversion timing, where possible, to periods when discharge is not limiting to aquatic ecosystem health. |
2a. Monitor discharge in and around project watercourses affected by Objective 2 to enforce Project goals. |
Duration of leases (10 years) |
$10,600 |
|
|
2b. Identify willing landowners to decrease or cease late spring-summer diversions to benefit fish and aquatic life (can hopefully be used in conjunction with Objective 3). |
As Required |
$3,542 |
|
| 3. Work with agricultural interests to enact voluntary diversion reductions that leave water in-stream for fish and aquatic ecosystem purposes. |
3a. Work with BIA, YN and private landowners to develop plans for diversion reduction agreements. |
As Required |
$3,700 |
|
|
3b. Identify funding sources when monies are needed to develop agreements. |
As Required |
$1,500 |
|
|
3c. Enforce diversion reduction scenarios and monitor compliance |
Duration of diversion reduction agreements |
$2,500 |
|
| Objective | Task | Duration in FYs | Estimated 2001 cost | Subcontractor |
|---|
| 1. Monitor Project Area Water budget. |
1a. Measure watercourse discharge and temperature over time and space at key locations specified by O&M Objectives 1-3. |
10 (as long as funding continues) |
$12,000 |
|
| 2. Maintain database of channel and riparian condition. |
2a. Assess channel morphology and condition as necessary pursuant to streamflow restoration efforts. PFC index sites will be re-evaluated every 2 years to establish trends over time. |
10 (as long as funding continues) |
$2,200 |
|
| 3. Monitor aquatic ecosystem health and aquatic species assemblages. |
3a. Continue operation of 5-foot screwtrap to describe steelhead smolt outmigration timing, age structure and relative number of outmigrants per year. |
10 (as long as funding continues) |
$7,505 |
|
|
3b. Continue yearly electrofishing and snorkel surveys to index relative abundance of salmonid juveniles in Project Area. |
10 (as long as funding continues) |
$8,400 |
|
|
3c. Monitor numbers of returning steelhead adults by yearly spawning ground surveys and adult counts at Prosser and Roza monitoring windows. |
10 (as long as funding continues) |
$12,200 |
|
| Item | Note | FY 2001 cost |
|---|
| Personnel |
FTE: 1.66 |
$49,110 |
| Fringe |
17.6% for exempt FTE's, 20% for non-exempt |
$9,289 |
| Supplies |
Office supplies, field supplies, repairs, field and office equipment |
$2,350 |
| Travel |
Travel, per diem, and tuition for presentations, workshops and meetings (lumped for all personnel) |
$625 |
| Indirect |
23.5% on all items in budget |
$18,176 |
| NEPA |
BPA Supplemental Analysis Complete |
$0 |
| Other |
Insurance, utilities, building depreciation, vehicle rental and mileage. |
$15,970 |
| Personnel |
FTE: 0.47 |
$16,682 |
| Fringe |
17.6% for exempt FTE's, 20% for non-exempt |
$3,214 |
| Supplies |
Office supplies, office equipment |
$450 |
| Travel |
Travel, per diem, and tuition for presentations, workshops and meetings (lumped for all personnel) |
$625 |
| Indirect |
23.5% on all items in budget |
$5,104 |
| NEPA |
BPA Supplemental Analysis Complete |
$0 |
| Other |
Utilities and building depreciation |
$750 |
| Personnel |
FTE: 0.76 |
$20,897 |
| Fringe |
17.6% for exempt FTE's, 20% for non-exempt |
$3,807 |
| Supplies |
Office supplies, field supplies, repairs, field and office equipment |
$2,700 |
| Travel |
Travel, per diem, and tuition for presentations, workshops and meetings (lumped for all personnel) |
$625 |
| Indirect |
23.5% on all items in budget |
$6,763 |
| NEPA |
BPA Supplemental Analysis Complete |
$0 |
| Other |
Utilities and building depreciation |
$750 |
| Personnel |
FTE: 0.875 |
$25,460 |
| Fringe |
17.6% for exempt FTE's, 20% for non-exempt |
$4,720 |
| Supplies |
Office supplies, field supplies, repairs, field and office equipment |
$2,700 |
| Travel |
Travel, per diem, and tuition for presentations, workshops and meetings (lumped for all personnel) |
$625 |
| Indirect |
23.5% on all items in budget |
$8,050 |
| NEPA |
BPA Supplemental Analysis Complete |
$0 |
| Other |
Utilities and building depreciation |
$750 |
| $200,192 |
Late receipt of funds and staffing problems have delayed the progression of the Project from what was forecasted in the FY2000 request. Tasks left undone as of the writing of this proposal must be accomplished to get the Project timeline back on track. The FY1999 budget has been extended to 31 July, 2000. As such, we expect some carryover from the FY2000 award to extend into FY2001. We hope to be back on track at the end of FY2001.
Funding for this Project was not received until May, 1999. In addition, we lost the Project GIS Specialist, and the primary field biologist returned to school to pursue a M.S degree. Late receipt of funding and personnel losses stymied the forward movement of the Project into CY2000. In addition, lessons learned from the Toppenish-Simcoe Project (BPA #199705300) indicated that a minimum 2 years of surface hydrography data was necessary to develop a competent water budget and description of aquatic species assemblages in the Project Area. Therefore, with the manpower available, we focused on collecting hydrography data as soon as funding was received in FY99. Losing the GIS Specialist meant that season-specific (irrigation) GIS data would have be collected in CY2000. The objectives and tasks of this Project have not changed from the original request document. However, the projected completion dates of those objectives and tasks has been advanced by approximately 1 year.
This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.
The objectives and tasks of this Project have not changed from the original request document; however, the projected completion dates of those objectives and tasks has been advanced by approximately one year.