US Army Corps of Engineers

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Willamette Project Biological Opinions:Improvements for fish in a dynamic environment

NWHA- Panel Discussion

“Spawning Better Ideas for Fish Passage”

February 23, 2011

Mindy SimmonsProgram Manager, Willamette Biological Opinion Implementation

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Multiple Authorized Purposes

Flood damage reduction

Hydropower Navigation Irrigation Fish & wildlife Recreation Water quality Municipal & industrial

water supply

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Detroit

Blue RiverCougar

Hills Creek

Lookout Point

Foster

Fall Creek

Dexter

Big Cliff

Green Peter

Willamette Project13 multi-purpose

dams

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Upper Willamette River Spring Chinook salmon

Upper Willamette River winter steelhead

ESA- listed anadromous fish in the Willamette Basin

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) jurisdiction

• Adults spawn in tributaries of Willamette River• Juveniles migrate to ocean for part of their life• Return to same stream where they were born

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ESA- Listed resident fish in the Willamette Basin

Oregon chub

Bull trout

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) jurisdiction

Resident fish spend their entire lifecycle in fresh water

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Major populations of ESA-listed species

affected by the Willamette Project

North Santiam

South Santiam

Middle Fork

McKenzie

Chinook

Steelhead

Chinook

Steelhead

Chinook

Chinook

Bull trout

Bull trout

Oregon Chub: all basins have populations,

many on Corps property

Project Effects:

Dams blocked access to upstream spawning habitat

Dam operation affects rearing and migration habitat downstream of dams

==> Willamette Project dams affect many life stages of fish

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Willamette Project Biological Opinions

No FERC licensing required for federal dams (no Sec 18) Two Biological Opinions (NMFS and USFWS) issued in 2008 include:

► Operation of 13 dams and reservoirs (and downstream effects)► Hatchery Mitigation Program► 42 miles of Bank Protection Projects

90 Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs) in NMFS BiOp, T&Cs from USFWS

15-year timeframe; opportunity for great survival increases Action agencies: USACE, Bonneville Power Administration, BOR Regional Collaboration through Willamette Action Team for Ecosystem

Restoration (WATER)

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Historicalspawning habitat

Downstream Habitat Improvements•Flow management•Temperature•Hatchery improvements•Habitat Restoration Projects

Upstream fish passage for adults via “trap-and-haul”•Minto- 2012•Foster- 2013•Dexter- 2014•Fall Creek- 2015

Types of Willamette BiOp ActionsEvaluate Feasibility of Downstream Fish Passage Facilities•Cougar- 2014•Lookout Point- 2023 •Detroit- 2021 (or 2018)

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation

Willamette BiOp Actions: A life cycle approach

Configurations and Operational Planning

Study

Adaptive Management

Adult Collection

DEXTER DAM (Re-regulating dam located downstream of Lookout Point Dam)

Adult Sorting; load on to truck for transport

Concept: Upgrade hatchery fish facilities to use as “trap-and-haul” fish passage for adult fish

Use hatchery spring Chinook to evaluate potential for reintroduction in upstream habitat

Hatchery/Adult Collection Facility to take fish to hatchery

Fish Passage Improvements: upstream passage

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Upgrade Minto Hatchery Fish Facility: Adult Trap-and-Haul

NORTH SANTIAM

BIG CLIFF DAM

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Issue: Downstream fish passage is challenging

Regulating Outlets (“spill”)

Power Turbines

Spill gates (rarely used)

• Long reservoirs

• Predators??

• Multiple passage routes

• Deep intakes (very little surface spill)

• High mortality

• Very little information on fish movement in reservoirs

Lookout Point Dam

Willamette Downstream Passage: Design Requirements Report

For 18 downstream passage projects, summarized: Relevance Design criteria Target species Geometry Operation Performance Design studies Design &

construction schedule

Cost

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Willamette BiOp Challenges

Balance between RM&E and moving forward with designs- how much information do we need?

Performance standards- how do we avoid jeopardy and support recovery?

Understanding causes and implications of pre-spawning mortality of adult spring Chinook

Adjusting priorities based on research Funding challenges- reliant upon Congressional

appropriations and BPA ratecase

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Willamette BiOp Implementation Concept and Timeline

Willamette Reservoir System MM Major Milestone / Decision Point Detailed Design Report (DDR) Configuration / Operation Planning (COP)

Conceptual ESA Implementation Strategy AM Annual Milestone / Decision Point Construction Plans & Specification (P&S)IM Interim Mileston / Decision Point Monitoring & Evaluation Site / Concept Study

Flow Actions Authorization & Appropriation

Phase / Activity

Flow Management

Meet Tributary Flows, Mainstem Flows & Ramp Rates

Annual Opearting Plan Updates and Revisions AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1 AM1

Near-term Operational changes

Action a (Fall Creek Drawdown?)

Action b (Detroit Temperature?) IM2

Annual Fish Passage Management Plan AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2 AM2

Flow-Related M&E AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3 AM3

Cougar Adult Trap

Upgrade Existing Fish Collection & Handling Facilities

Minto Adult Fish Collection IM3

Dexter Adult Fish Collection IM7

Foster Adult Fish Collection IM10

Fall Creek Adult Fish Collection IM12

Construct new Fish Release sites IM1

Leaburg Dam Sorting Facility IM4 IM8

Configuration / Operation Planning

COP Research, Monitoring & Evaluation

Reconnaissance Phase Study MM1Comprehensive Study / environmental compliance MM3

Longer Term Operational Changes

Prototype Juvenile Head-of-Reservoir Collector IM5 MM2

COP Focal Study: Cougar Downstream Passage IM9 IM11

COP Focal Study: Detroit Temperature Control MM4Authorization (WRDA 2013?) & Appropriation MM5Preauthorization Engineering & Design IM13

Implementation

COP Focal Study: Lookout Point Downstream Passage MM6Authorization (WRDA 2015?) & Appropriation MM7Preauthorization Engineering & Design IM14

Implementation

COP Focal Study: Detroit Fish Passage MM8Authorization (WRDA 2015?) & Appropriation MM9Preauthorization Engineering & Design IM15

Implementation

2008 20162013 2014 20152009 2010 2011 2012 2021 2022 20232017 2018 2019 2020

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Short term (2008-2015) Long term (2016-2023)

Short-term Implementation Actions/ Construction

Adaptive Management with Regional Collaboration

Evaluate Presumed RPA Actions

Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation

Configuration and Operations Planning (COP)

Long-term Implementation Actions/Construction

Pink boxes in timeline = Construction Actions