BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1998 Proposal

Section 1. Summary
Section 2. Goals
Section 3. Background
Section 4. Purpose and methods
Section 5. Planned activities
Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation
Section 7. Relationships
Section 8. Costs and FTE

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Summary

Title of project
Oregon Fish Screens Project

BPA project number   9306600

Short description
Fabricate and install fish screens in John Day, Umatilla, & Walla Walla Basins to protect downstream juvenile passage for Fall and Spring Chinook and Summer Steelhead. Build and install DeNiel fish passage structures in the Trout Creek (Deschutes Basin) to ensure access for Deschutes Summer Steelhead to habitat improved by BPA funded restoration efforts.

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

Section 2. Goals

General
Supports a healthy Columbia basin; maintains biological diversity; increases run sizes or populations; provides needed habitat protection

Section 3. Background

Stream area affected

Stream name   mainstem John Day, Walla Walla, Umatilla, Trout Creek
Stream miles affected   numerous locations
Subbasin   John Day, Walla Walla, Umatilla, Deschutes

History
Fish Screening: Through the State fish screening program and other federal moneys (BPA \ Mitchell Act) numerous fish screens and passage facilities have been installed in the Upper Columbia River sub-basins of eastern Oregon. This Project will provide substantial protection and enhancement of anadromous and resident stocks in the John Day, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Basins.
Fish Passage: In the period between 1986 and 1994, BPA funded habitat improvement work in the Trout Creek Watershed. During that time, 132 miles of riparian fence. 4,764 habitat structures, 11 spring developments, 20,923 feet of bank stabilization, 35 fish screens, and 750 cubic yards of spawning gravel was installed to improve summer steelhead habitat in an effort to increase natural production.
This project will supplement this previous habitat work on Trout Creek by improving passage at 13 gravity diversion structures. Currently local landowners push up gravel berms annually to impound water to supply gravity diversions. These berms typically are installed with heavy machinery in April and are only removed by high water, usually in January. These berms delay or prevent upstream migration of adult steelhead, downstream migration of steelhead smolts, and the upstream migration of juvenile steelhead attempting to move upstream to cooler head waters as water temperatures increase in the summer.

Biological results achieved
It is well documented that fish screening of pump and gravity water diversions provide substantial protection for juvenile fish stocks of both anadromous and resident fish. The enhancement of the Trout Creek Basin by the installation of DeNiel passage structures will greatly improve passage of wild summer steelhead at the thirteen gravity diversion sites throughout the mainstem of Trout Creek and allow these fish stocks to take full advantage of the improved habitat.

Project reports and papers
Quarterly and annual reports regarding fish screening activities have been submitted to NMFS. Fish passage Progress reports and billings are due monthly.

Adaptive management implications
Properly constructed and maintained fish screens have been shown to be effective in protecting juvenile Chinook and steelhead stocks. The Fish Passage work on Trout Creek will improve access for salmonid stocks to critical habitat. The level of detail provided in this section should reflect a pre-proposal stage of planning, and should be sufficient to allow reviewers to ascertain the main tasks and products produced by the project. Additional detail on each project's design and tasks will be collected at the contracting stage. For reviews of ongoing projects, information from past statements of work will be made available. This section is generally broken down into questions about why the project is needed, how you will do it, what it will deliver, and how it will be monitored and evaluated. The questions are generalized to apply to many types of projects, answer in terms of the needs, methods,

Section 4. Purpose and methods

Specific measureable objectives
Complete the installation of modern fish screens on 30 - 40 gravity diversions and pump intakes in the listed Basins (see Short Description). The Trout Creek fish passage project will provide unobstructed passage for migrations of adults and juveniles to achieve full seeding and utilization of suitable rearing habitat.

Critical uncertainties
None for either fish screening or passage.

Biological need
Fish Screening: Past monitoring in similar situations has documented that individual unscreened water diversions can result in the loss of large numbers of juvenile salmon and steelhead. Fish Passage: The Trout Creek Basin supports a remnant population of natural producing wild summer steelhead. Summer steelhead produced in the Basin contribute to sport fisheries in the Deschutes and Columbia River. Trout Creek and its tributaries also support a locally important recreational resident trout fishery. Steelhead production capacity of Trout Creek is estimated at 1,984 adults and 45,708 smolts (US v. Oregon - Trout Creek steelhead production report). Current spawner escapement, however, is estimated at >250 adults. Adult steelhead are being blocked or detrimentally delayed on their upstream migration by the annual creation of the push-up irrigation water diversion barriers, resulting in the failure to seed suitable spawning and rearing habitat. Juvenile steelhead are likewise being blocked from suitable rearing habitat by these push-up irrigation diversion barriers.

Methods
Fish Screening: The design and installation of effective fish screen devices is well understood for pump and gravity diversions.
Fish Passage:
1. Easements. ODFW will negotiate easements to allow construction of these passage structures on private lands.
2. Design. ODFW will perform design work and planning of these structures.
3. Construction. ODFW will contract the construction of the diversions and fish ladders.
4. Operation and Maintenance. ODFW will operate and maintain these diversions and fish ladders.

Section 5. Planned activities

Constraints or factors that may cause schedule or budget changes
None really for either the fish screening devices or DeNiel structures. Adverse weather may limit construction activities at times. Landowners also may have reasons for construction delays.

Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation

SUMMARY OF EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Expected performance of target population or quality change in land area affected
Fish screening efforts will increase the survival odds of juvenile salmonids in the John Day, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Basins. Fish passage structures in the Trout Creek system will increase successful steelhead spawning efforts and increase survival odds for juvenile steelhead and other salmonids by allowing them to migrate to suitable spawning rearing habitat.

Physical products
A minimum of 150 gravity and/or pump fish screening devices will be fabricated and installed. Thirteen DeNiel fish passage structures will be built and installed.

Information products
There will be some monitoring at selected fish screening sites, and also possibly at some DeNiel structure sites.

MONITORING APPROACH
Fish Screening: The design and installation of effective fish screen devices is well understood. Some fish screening devices will be installed with trap boxes to monitor the number of juveniles going through the bypass system.
Fish Passage:
1. Easements. ODFW will negotiate easements to allow construction of these passage structures on private lands.
2. Design. ODFW will perform design work and planning of these structures.
3. Construction. ODFW will contract the construction of the diversions and fish ladders.
4. Operation and Maintenance. ODFW will operate and maintain these diversions and fish ladders.

Data analysis and evaluation
Juvenile numbers can be evaluated using trap box data.

Information feed back to management decisions
Quarterly reports / meetings

Increasing public awareness of F&W activities
The installation of fish screening devices in the John Day and other Basins, and of the DeNeil ladder structures in Trout Creek will increase public awareness of fish and wildlife efforts primarily through landowner and community contacts.

Section 7. Relationships

Opportunities for cooperation
None for fish screening. The cooperation of the private landowners along Trout Creek is mandatory for a successful fish passage project. Preliminary discussions with affected landowners have been positive and supportive of the project so far.

Section 8. Costs and FTE

1997 Planned  $369,000

Other non-financial supporters
Participating landowners are an essential part of both projects.

How does percentage apply to direct costs
Only to a portion. Personal Services and Supplies but not Capital Outlay or Contractual Services.