Title: Estuary Actions for Salmon and Steelhead
1Estuary Actions for Salmon and Steelhead
NOAA 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion
Estuary Recovery Plan Module
Northwest Power and Conservation Council
Fish Wildlife Program
- Columbia River Estuary Science Policy Exchange
- September 10-11, 2009
2Progression of FCRPS BiOp
2008 BiOp
2000 BiOp
- 10-year implementation of an aggressive
non-breach strategy - Based on a broader ESA analysis, similar to 2000
BiOp analysis - Offsite habitat mitigation, hatchery, predation
control - Conclusion Jeopardy with RPA
- Court challenge pending in NWF v. NMFS
- 10 years for implementation of an aggressive
non-breach strategy - Was long-term program called for by the 1995 BiOp
- Offsite habitat mitigation
- Conclusion Jeopardy with RPA
- Invalidated in NWF v. NMFS in 2003
1995 BiOp
- 5 years of FCRPS interim operations
- Transportation vs. dam drawdown study
- Conclusion Jeopardy with RPA
- Upheld in American Rivers v. NMFS
1993 BiOp
- 1 year of FCRPS dam operations only
- Conclusion No Jeopardy
- Invalidated in IDFG v. NMFS
32000 FCRPS BiOp Estuary Actions
Program Development 158
159, 162, 194
161, 195, 196, 197
Plans and Modeling
RME
Implement Restoration 160
42000 FCRPS BiOp Reasonable Prudent Alternative
Actions
- Action 158 Inventory estuary habitat to
understand the relationship of that habitat to
the needs of ESA-listed salmon and steelhead. - Action 159 BPA and the Corps, working with
LCREP and NMFS, shall develop a plan addressing
the habitat needs of salmon and steelhead in
the estuary.
52000 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Actions
- Action 160 The Corps and BPA, working with
LCREP, shall develop and implement an estuary
restoration program with the goal of protecting
and enhancing 10,000 acres of tidal wetlands
and other key habitats. - Action 161 Fund a monitoring and research
program acceptable to NMFS and closely
coordinated with the LCREP monitoring and
research efforts. - Action 162 Develop a conceptual model of the
relationship between estuarine conditions and
population structure and resilience. - Action 163 Develop a compliance monitoring
program.
62000 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Actions
- Action 194 Develop a physical model of the
lower Columbia River and plume. - Action 196 Develop appropriate level of
funding to support funding studies to develop
an understanding of juvenile and adult salmon
use of the Columbia River estuary. - Action 197 Develop appropriate level of
funding to support funding studies to develop
an understanding of juvenile and adult salmon
use of the Columbia River plume.
72008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 36
- Estuary Habitat Implementation 2007-2009
- Action Agencies will provide funding to implement
specific actions as part of a 10-year estuary
habitat program to achieve the estimated ESU
survival benefits of 9.0 and 6.0, for ocean and
stream types, respectively. - Projects in an early state of development such
that quantitative physical metrics have not been
related to estimated survival benefits will be
selected per Action 37. - If projects identified for implementation in
2007-2009 prove infeasible, the action agencies
will implement comparable replacement projects in
2010-2013. - Implementation plans and annual reports.
82008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 37
- Estuary Habitat Implementation 2010-2018
Achieving Habitat Quality and Survival
Improvement Targets - Action Agencies will actively engage the LCREP
Science Work Group to identify project benefits
in coordination with other regional recovery
planning products and the modified LCREP project
selection criteria to identify projects that will
benefit salmon considered in this RPA. - The Action Agencies will convene an expert
regional technical group. This group will use the
habitat metrics to determine the estimated change
in survival which would result from full
implementation. - Project proposals will clearly describe the
completed project in terms of quantitative
habitat metrics which can be used to
quantitatively evaluate progress and completion
of individual projects.
92008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 37
- Estuary Habitat Implementation 2010-2018
Achieving Habitat Quality and Survival
Improvement Targets - The expert regional technical group will use the
existing approach applied in the FCRPS BA and
all subsequent information on the relationship
between actions, habitat, and salmon productivity
models developed though the FCRPA RME to
estimate the change in overall estuary habitat
and resultant change in population survival. - Replacement projects as needed will be developed
to achieve equivalent survival benefits, based on
input from expert panels, regional recovery
planning groups, the Northwest Power and
Conversation Council, and NOAA Fisheries. - New information can and should be used to review
projects and their estimated survival benefits.
If benefits are determined to be overstated,
replacement projects will be implemented. - Implementation plans and annual reports.
102008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 38
- Piling and Piling Dike Removal Program
- Increase productive habitat and reduce avian
predation. - In 2008, the Action Agencies will work with LCREP
to develop a plan for strategic removal of
structures that have lower value to navigation
channel maintenance, present low risk to adjacent
land use, support increased ecosystem function,
and are cost-effective. - Implementation plans and annual reports.
112008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 58
- Monitor and Evaluate Fish Performance in the
Estuary and Plume - Smolt survival and/or fitness in select reaches
from Bonneville Dam through the estuary. - Develop and index and monitor and evaluate life
history diversity of salmonid populations at
representative locations in the estuary. - Salmon and growth rates and prey resources at
representative locations in the estuary and
plume. - Implementation plans and annual reports.
122008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 59
- Monitor and Evaluate Migration Characteristics
and Estuary/Ocean Conditions - Map bathymetry and topography of the estuary as
needed for RME. - Establish a hierarchical habitat classification
system. - Develop and index of habitat connectivity and
apply it to the eight reaches of the study area. - Evaluate migration through and use of a subset of
various shallow-water habits from Bonneville Dan
to the mouth. - Monitor habitat conditions periodically.
- Implementation plans and annual reports.
132008 FCRPS BiOp Reasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 60
- Monitor and Evaluate Habitat Actions in the
Estuary - Reference site development.
- Evaluate the effects on individual restoration
sites. - Develop a methodology to estimate the cumulative
effects of habitat conservation and restoration
projects. - Implementation plans and annual reports.
14Salmon and Steelhead Estuary Recovery Plan Module
- For NMFS by the Lower Columbia River Estuary
Partnership - Part of a larger ESA domain plan for the lower
Columbia - Consistent estuary application for upstream
recovery plans - Consistent with NPCC subbasin plans
15Extensive Review Process
- First draft in October 2005
- Presentations and feedback from other recovery
planning efforts - Presentation to Northwest Power and Conservation
Council - Formal public review process (Federal Register)
- Review by ISAB (Fall 2007)
16Module Elements
- Limiting factors
- Threats
- Management actions
- Cost
- Schedule
- Monitoring
17Management Actions
- 23 comprehensive actions
- Actions supported by projects
- Project metrics defined ( of acres, etc.)
- Cost
- Schedule
- Potential implementers
18Estuary Module Status
- Proposed draft submitted to NMFS
- Final draft October 2009
19Northwest Power and Conservation Council2009
Lower Columbia River and Estuary Program
- Implementation of habitat actions in estuary, and
associated ME, will occur through the CR estuary
and Lower Columbia subbasin plans. - Columbia River Estuary ESA Recovery Plan Module
for Salmon and Steelhead will be used to guide
actions in lower river and estuary.
20Northwest Power and Conservation Council 2009
Lower Columbia River and Estuary Program
- Council supports strategies to protect, enhance
and restore critical habitat, spawning and
rearing grounds, including - Habitat restoration to reconnect ecosystem
functions, e.g., removing dikes/levees,
installing tide gates, removing pile dikes - Long-term effectiveness monitoring
- Continued evaluation of salmon/steelhead
migration and survival rates in lower Columbia
River, estuary, and marine environment - Evaluation of impact of flow regulation,
dredging, and water quality on habitat - Continued partnerships in planning, ME, and
implementation of actions