BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1997 Proposal

Section 1. Administrative
Section 2. Narrative
Section 3. Budget

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Title of project
Yakima River Basin Side Channel Survey and Rehabilitation

BPA project number   5510200

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
Yakama Indian Nation

Sponsor type   WA-Tribe

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   , EWN

Biological opinion ID   

NWPPC Program number   3.1D.1

Short description
Survey the basin by remote sensing, with ground-truthing where necessary, to locate abandoned and seasonally dewatered areas. Develop prescriptions for rehabilitation to prevent juvenile stranding. Where feasible, write restoration prescriptions to reconnect abandoned channels, to increase rearing habitat.

Project start year   1997    End year   1998

Start of operation and/or maintenance   

Project development phase   Implementation

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects

Project history
Provide any background relevant to prioritization (e.g. historic costs if the activity was previously funded under other project numbers, cost shares received from other agencies, major non-biological products or conclusions.) There are separate spaces below for biological products, reports, and need for the project.

Biological results achieved

Annual reports and technical papers

Management implications

Specific measureable objectives
Post-project juvenile densities will be quantified in treated side channels

Testable hypothesis
Developing more permanent access and preventing stranding will improve egg to smolt survival.

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints

Methods
Post-project fish density will be determined by mark and recapture methods. Three reaches will be sampled at three different times during the year. Equipment will include normal fish sampling tools.

Brief schedule of activities
Survey the basin by remote-sensing. Ground-truth conclusions, develop a data base of problem (stranding) areas, and areas that are isolated throughout the year. Develop a suite of restorative measures. Implement the restoration plan, giving higher priority to the side-channels that tend to strand fish.

Biological need
Managers believe rearing habitat for juvenile fish is severely limited in the Yakima Basin. Further, it is likely that stranding of juvenile fish after flip flop occurs in many areas, and may be a major source of mortality in the basin. This project would quantify the problem, and would redress most if not all of the problem.

Critical uncertainties
Rearing habitat for juvenile fish is severely limited in the Yakima Basin, so much so that fish managers believe rearing habitat restoration is one of most important actions to restore stock health

Summary of expected outcome
Safe use of side channels and alcoves would be achieved. A data base would be developed that demonstrates where potential problem areas will lie as future channel shifts occur. Egg to smolt survival will increase.

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation
The restoration project will be developed in consultation with the BOR, WDOE and WDFW. Hydraulics Permit Applications (HPA�s) will be required for all in-channel work requiring heavy equipment. These will be processed two months prior to anticipated work.

Risks
Flooding may erase some efforts

Monitoring activity
Monitoring of restored sites would occur concomitant with spawning surveys

Section 3. Budget

* For most projects, Authorized is the amount recommended by CBFWA and the Council. Planned is amount currently allocated. Contracted is the amount obligated to date of printout.

Funding recommendations

CBFWA funding review group   Bonneville Dam - Priest Rapids Dam

Recommendation    Tier 1 - fund

Recommended funding level   $474,880

BPA 1997 authorized budget (approved start-of-year budget)   $291,880