FY 1999 proposal 198346500

Additional documents

TitleType
198346500 Narrative Narrative

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal titleLibby and Hungry Horse Modeling Technical Analysis
Proposal ID198346500
OrganizationMontana Fish, Wildlife and Parks - Subcontract with Dr. Craig Althen (MFWP)
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
NameBrian Marotz / Craig Althen (Contractor)
Mailing address490 N. Meridian Rd. Kalispell, MT 59901
Phone / email4067514546 / [email protected]
Manager authorizing this project
Review cycleFY 1999
Province / SubbasinUpper Columbia / Kootenai, Flathead
Short descriptionFunds subcontract with one computer programmer / modelor to perform data analyses and develop source code for new utilities, improving the reservoir / river models of Montana’s Flathead and Kootenai river systems. Project costs less than $30k annually.
Target speciesbull trout (proposed ESA listing) mountain whitefish rainbow trout Naturally spawning fish without targeted artificial enhancement, contributes to rebuilding weak but recoverable native population. Kootenai River white sturgeon ESA listed as endangered, natural production assisted by artificial outplanting. westslope cutthroat trout Naturally spawning native fish without targeted artificial enhancement, restoration of wild runs through imprint planting of natural re-colonization, contributes to rebuilding weak but recoverable native population. interior redband trout Naturally spawning native populations, initiation of spawning runs in historic range using experimental imprint planting. kokanee Naturally spawning fish without targeted artificial enhancement. Kootenai River burbot Natural production possibly assisted by artificial outplanting, contributes to rebuilding weak but recoverable native population.
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

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Project IDTitleDescription
9401000 Excessive awdown Mitigation - Hungry Horse Reservoir Compiles microhabitat and fisheries data to complement IFIM project. These data are linked to results of project 9502500 and 9101903.
9101903 Hungry Horse Mitigation - Habitat Improvements Runs array of thermal sensors in Flathead River, provides biological and physical data from Hungry Horse Reservoir and Flathead River.
8346700 Libby Reservoir Mitigation Provides biological and physical data from Libby Reservoir and Kootenai River, Endangered Kootenai white stugeon, and experience from completed Kootenai River IFIM project to aid Flathead IFIM project 9502500.
9502500 Flathead River Instream Flow Project This three year project calibrates the IFIM Model that this project will link with an existing thermodynamics model from project 9101903 and biological attributes compiled by project 9401000.

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 1999 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 1999 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 1999 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 1999 costSubcontractor
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget
ItemNoteFY 1999 cost
Supplies $1,000
Travel $1,500
Subcontractor Althen Enterprises $19,000
Other $3,676
$25,176
Total estimated budget
Total FY 1999 cost$25,176
Amount anticipated from previously committed BPA funds$0
Total FY 1999 budget request$25,176
FY 1999 forecast from 1998$0
% change from forecast0.0%
Cost sharing
OrganizationItem or service providedAmountCash or in-kind
Other budget explanation

Schedule Constraints: Dr. Althen is planning a sabbatical in 1998-99 that will restrict the amount of time he can work on this project. Much depends on his ability to communicate with department liaisons and access computers with internet capability.


Reviews and recommendations

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

Recommendation:
Fundable
Date:
May 13, 1998

Comment:

Presentation: This is listed as a separate project to make a point, but the objectives and $20,000 budget could be included in the Libby or Hungry Horse mitigation projects (8346700 and 9101903). Under this project, the sponsor has created modular Windows versions of the models (for dam operators or anyone else) and in the future will develop optimization models which link to the Libby IFIM model (9502500). The models are used in the decision making process and help resolve conflicts when they arise. The project is based on kokanee and cutthroat trout and has also developed a tiered flow approach for white sturgeon. Although cutthroat trout can not be linked to bull trout we can look at lower trophic levels and infer relationships. It is difficult to do population modeling for bull trout and other species in large reservoirs. Some FY 98 carryover is expected.

Questions/Answers: How are models open-ended enough to link to other models? Answer: The models are not physically linked but will be linked via the optimization model for the river and reservoir models.

Screening Criteria: Yes

Technical Criteria: Yes. The objectives of this project will be moved into Projects 8346700 and 9101903 in FY99

Programmatic Criteria: Yes


Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
May 13, 1998

Comment:

Includes carry forward dollars
Recommendation:
Adequate
Date:
Jun 18, 1998

Comment:

This proposal rated near the middle of the set, it would seem more reasonable for this proposal to be submitted as a subproject under an overall project umbrella. More specific linkage with project 9502500 would help. The proposal did not provide sufficient details on methods. Specifically, the methods to link with instream flow incremental method (IFIM) models are unclear. The proposal is well tied to regional work in the Fish and Wildlife Program and other programs (Corps, ESA), and it is well linked to past ISG/ISAB review and recommendations. The project has been productive in the past and needs updating through additional work. User-friendliness of models is a good goal. The schedule is uncertain because of a sabbatical by the principal investigator.