FY 2000 proposal 198740700

Section 1. Administrative

Project location

Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Section 2. Past accomplishments

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase

Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget

Total estimated budget

Cost sharing

Other budget explanation

Schedule Constraints: Effort required to calibrate rule curve model, unforeseen influences on reservoir dynamics, effort required to integrate kokanee entrainment relationships and Lower Clearwater IFIM relationships, time required to gain NPPC approval of the rule curve.

Reviews and recommendations

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

Comment:

Comments: This is a continuing proposal to develop alternative rule curves for operation of Dworshak Reservoir, that will capture relationships between physical factors affecting the biology of the reservoir system (e.g., fish entrainment, reservoir and discharge temperature) as well as downstream reservoir operating objectives such as flood protection and fish flows in the lower Snake River system. There is no doubt that this kind of work is needed; it is only through use of simulation models that the implications of alternative reservoir operation strategies can be understood. However, while the qualifications of the project staff appear adequate for the biological aspects, background in hydrology and water resources operations is conspicuously absent. Perhaps it is for this reason that almost no details are given as to how the alternative operating rules will be evaluated. Reviewers had unanswered questions such as: What retrospective period of analysis will be used? How will the modeling activities be coordinated with operations studies being conducted by other agencies, such as COE and BPA? There is now the potential to use simplified simulation languages, such as Stella, to allow interactive evaluation of reservoir operating strategies. Such approaches provide an ideal mechanism for evaluation of tradeoffs between competing system demands. The panel was concerned that this work will result in a set of rules the feasibility of which will not be adequately demonstrated in the context of historical reservoir inflows, or in the context of the larger system within which Dworshak must be operated. This project has been ongoing for over 10 years, with cumulative funding now in excess of $1M; it concerns reviewers that a set of operating rules is still not developed. The project publications, and interactions with the professional water resources community are inadequate. The reviewers would have expected, after ten years of funding, to have seen several papers in journals that deal specifically with reservoir (and more generally water resources operations) issues, such as the ASCE Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, or the journal of the American Water Resources Association.

The proposers acknowledge that success of the project depends entirely on acceptance of the rule curves by NPPC and by the operating agencies. All of these participants must be brought into the process. Before the project proceeds, all participants need to be convinced that the project is important to them so that there is a positive, constructive view of its development. Otherwise, the final product has little or no chance to be incorporated into the system, and the project will be only wasted effort. This is unlikely to occur unless and until technical expertise in interactive water management modeling and evaluation, including the human dimensions aspects thereof, is added to the project team. Even so, the approach will be a tough sell because of conflicts between demand for water to support a productive fishery in Dworshak and water for downstream uses.

Comment:

Comment:

Technical Criteria: yes

Programmatic Criteria: yes

Milestone Criteria: no-There are no measurable biological objectives listed.

Comment:

Comment:

Comment:

Description/Background: Obtain and assess thermal, physical, chemical, primary production, zooplankton and benthic data for formulating biological/integrated rule curves for Dworshak Dam and Reservoir and for enhancing baseline data for monitoring and evaluation.

ISRP Reviews: Initial review -- delay funding. Response review -- do not fund.

Sponsor Policy Response: The project proponents identified Council program measures that the ISRP were critical of, indicating that the project was in line with the program measure, that project proponents were following program direction. Additional comments indicate that "not funding this project in Fiscal Year 2000 would result in the loss of a unique funding efficiency associated with a time sensitive inter-agency planning opportunity. The project sponsor's scheduling of integrated rule curve development, and associated modeling, coincides with updating of the Corps of Engineers Dworshak Master Plan and Supplemental EIS, and Idaho Water Resources Board's Dworshak Operating Plan." The project sponsors state a desire by the coordinating entities to share information that would be mutually beneficial. Further, the project should proceed to develop a draft integrated rule curve by the end of Fiscal Year 2000.

Council Recommendation: A final report, including integrated rule curves, be prepared and delivered to the Council, in Fiscal Year 2000. In preparing the rule curves, the sponsor should coordinate with the IDWR and IDEQ to ensure that the IRC's being developed in this project are consistent with those being developed by state agencies for Dworshak operations. To obtain these deliverables transition funding should be provided on a quarterly basis upon receipt of work product. The Council recommend funding Objective 2, "[d]evelop rule curve model" at project sponsor's budget request of 46 percent of the budget for a total of $93,000.

The Council's recommendation to provide limited funding for this project to complete the work and receive the deliverable is consistent with the ISRP's recommendation. The Council believes that that the limited funding it is recommending will provide an orderly conclusion to this project and produce the final report it has approved for funding in prior years.

Comment: