STEHEKIN RIVER INVESTIGATION STUDY PLAN

Final

LAKE CHELAN HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT FERC Project No. 637

January 15, 2000

Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County Wenatchee, Washington

Stehekin River Investigation

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION...... 5 1.1 General Description of the Region and Lake Chelan Project ...... 5 1.2 General Description of the Relicensing Process...... 6 1.3 Need Statement ...... 7

SECTION 2: STUDY GOAL...... 7

SECTION 3: STUDY AREA...... 7

SECTION 4: METHODOLOGY...... 7 4.1 Spawning Ground Surveys ...... 7 4.2 Habitat Assessment ...... 8 4.3 Distribution, Abundance, and Genetic Composition ...... 8 4.4 Creel Survey...... 8

SECTION 5: TASK LIST...... 9

SECTION 6: ANALYSIS AND REPORTING ...... 9

SECTION 7: STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS ...... 10

SECTION 8: SCHEDULE ...... 10

SECTION 9: BUDGET...... 10

SECTION 10: NEXT STEPS ...... 10

Stehekin River Investigation

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 General Description of the Region and Lake Chelan Project Lake Chelan is located in Chelan County in north central Washington. Lake Chelan is bordered to the south by the Entiat and Chelan Mountains and Glacier Peak complex. To the north it is bordered by the Sawtooth Mountain Range. From Twentyfive Mile Creek uplake, the terrain is mountainous and rugged. In many cases, the steep slopes run directly into the lake with no flat beaches or shoreline. The terrain of the lower end of the lake is much less severe, mainly arid or semi-arid. Except where irrigation has taken place, the hills of the lower end of the lake are barren with brown grasses and a few scattered pines.

Lake Chelan is deep and narrow, extending northwesterly approximately 50 miles from the City of Chelan at its lower end to Stehekin at the head of the lake. Lake Chelan is a natural lake that developed within a broad glacial trough. The lake averages 1 mile in width, and has depths of over 1,480 feet. Lake Chelan is bordered by more than 2 million acres of National Forest Lands, more than half of which are designated as wilderness. Surrounding peaks reach elevations as high as 7,000 feet. The lake serves as a waterway approach to the Forest Service’s Wenatchee National Forest above Twentyfive Mile Creek, and to the National Park Service’s Lake Chelan National Recreation Area at Stehekin. The lower 15 miles of the lake are mostly privately owned, the next 35 are within the Wenatchee National Forest, and the upper 5 miles are within the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

The average surface area of the lake is 32,000 acres. The drainage area of the project at the dam is 924 square miles. The confluence of the Chelan River and Columbia River is approximately 1.5 miles southeast of the City of Chelan. The lake level and flow through the Chelan River drainage were altered through the construction of a hydroelectric project in the river channel near the City of Chelan in 1928.

The Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project is located approximately 32 miles north of the City of Wenatchee on the Chelan River. The 4.1-mile long Chelan River, the shortest river in Washington State, flows from the lower end of Lake Chelan to the Columbia River. The Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project consists of a 40-foot high concrete gravity dam located at the City of Chelan, a 2.2-mile long steel and concrete tunnel (penstock) that is 14 feet in diameter, and a powerhouse located at the confluence of the Chelan and Columbia rivers near the City of Chelan Falls. The vertical elevation drop between the dam and powerhouse is 401 ft. The powerhouse contains two Francis turbine units, each rated at 34,000 hp at 1,100 cfs and 377 feet net head, that produce approximately 50 MW of electricity.

The project reservoir, Lake Chelan, is operated between a maximum water surface elevation of 1,100 feet (MSL) and 1,079 feet to ensure optimum utilization of the reservoir for power generation, fish and wildlife conservation, recreation, water supply, and flood control purposes. The average drawdown of the lake for the past 30 years has been to 1083.5 feet. The reservoir has 676,000 acre-feet of usable storage above 1,079 feet.

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The annual drawdown of the lake begins in early October. The lowest lake elevation normally occurs in April. From May through June the lake refills from spring runoff. The reservoir is maintained at or above elevation 1,098 feet from June 30 through September 30 each year. Since the project was originally licensed in 1926, the lake has never been drawn down to the minimum allowable elevation (1,079 feet). The lowest drawdown on record was 1,079.7 feet in 1970. That occurrence coincides with the lowest annual precipitation on record. The Chelan PUD has never failed to refill the reservoir to elevation 1,098 feet by June 30.

1.2 General Description of the Relicensing Process The Public Utility District No.1 of Chelan County (Chelan PUD) owns and operates the Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project (Project) located on the Chelan River in Chelan, Washington. Chelan PUD is permitted to operate the project according to the terms and conditions contained in the existing license No. 637, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on May 12, 1981. The current license expires on March 31, 2004.

The original Project license was issued by the Federal Power Commission, now FERC, in May 1926. The FERC granted the new 30-year license to Chelan PUD on May 12, 1981, retroactive to 1974 when the original 50-year license expired.

Chelan PUD intends to seek a new license to operate the Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project and has begun the preparation for the process referred to as “relicensing.” The FERC relicensing process is based on laws and regulations that require years of extensive planning, including environmental studies, agency consensus, and public involvement. The process to obtain a new license has changed considerably since the existing license was issued in 1981, primarily due to changes made to the Federal Power Act (FPA) as amended by the Electric Consumers Power Act (ECPA) in 1986. ECPA mandates that the FERC give equal consideration to the enhancement of existing environmental, recreation, fish, and wildlife resources, and to balance what are often competing uses of the water resources. ECPA also empowers the FERC to consider whether or not a project is consistent with federal and state comprehensive plans.

Chelan PUD has requested and received approval from the FERC to employ an alternative relicensing process for the Lake Chelan Project, as allowed under FERC’s Final Rule issued on October 29, 1997 (Docket No. RM95-16-000; Order No. 596). The Alternative Relicensing Process (ARP) proposed by Chelan PUD is intended to expedite the licensing process by combining the pre-filing consultation and environmental review processes into a single process, and by improving and facilitating communications among the participants in the licensing process.

The first step taken by Chelan PUD in the Lake Chelan ARP was to solicit identification of issues from the participating stakeholders regarding all aspects of the Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project that would need to be addressed during the relicensing process. Issues identified were then grouped according to similar topics. From the sub-groups of topics, study plans outlines were developed to address the pertinent issues. The detailed study plans are a further refinement of the study plan outlines.

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1.3 Need Statement · Determine the influence of hatchery-stocked rainbow and cutthroat trout, landlocked chinook salmon, Lake trout, and kokanee on native cutthroat and bull trout in the Stehekin River · Assess genetics of trout captured in lower Stehekin River · Assess extent of landlocked chinook and kokanee spawning in lower Stehekin River · Assess available habitat for various species

SECTION 2: STUDY GOAL

The study goals of the Stehekin River Investigation are to conduct: 1) fall spawning ground surveys in the Stehekin River for kokanee, landlocked chinook salmon, and bull trout; 2) spring spawning ground surveys from the High Bridge to the mouth of the Stehekin River for cutthroat and rainbow trout; 3) habitat assessment from the High Bridge to the mouth of the Stehekin River based on aerial photographs and snorkeling; 4) distribution of native and non-native species from the High Bridge to the mouth of the Stehekin River; and 5) a creel survey from the High Bridge to the mouth of the Stehekin River.

SECTION 3: STUDY AREA

The study area encompasses the mainstem Stehekin River from the mouth, where it enters Lake Chelan, upstream to the High Bridge, approximately 12 miles upstream. Investigations to address several study goals, such as goals 4 and 5, will also be conducted at the head of the lake, from Stehekin Landing to the river mouth.

SECTION 4: METHODOLOGY

The following sections described the methodologies proposed to address the study goals stated in Section 2.0.

4.1 Spawning Ground Surveys Fall spawning ground surveys for landlocked chinook salmon and kokanee will be conducted between September 1 and October 15, 2000. A minimum of three surveys will be conducted during this time period. Timing of these surveys will be coordinated with ongoing Chelan PUD fall spawning ground surveys. Fall spawning ground surveys will be conducted primarily on foot, but also by snorkeling where appropriate. NPS and Chelan PUD staff will use aerial photographs and existing data to identify river reaches to survey that are representative of Stehekin River spawning areas. Fall surveys will be used to establish baseline data regarding the distribution and abundance of kokanee and landlocked chinook salmon spawning in the Stehekin River, and, potentially, identification of index reaches that can be surveyed regularly for future comparison. Comparison of baseline spawning data with future spawning data will illustrate any change in area used by these species in the Stehekin River.

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Spring spawning ground surveys for cutthroat and rainbow trout will be conducted in April and May 2000. A minimum of three surveys will be conducted during this time period. Spring spawning ground surveys will be conducted primarily by snorkeling, due to potentially turbid river conditions. NPS and Chelan PUD staff will use aerial photographs and existing data to identify river reaches to survey that contain likely cutthroat and rainbow trout spawning habitat. Spring spawning ground surveys are intended to determine the extent, if any, of adfluvial cutthroat trout spawning in the mainstem Stehekin River.

Fish collection via electrofishing, angling, or other approved method will be included in spring spawning surveys. Information collected from trout captured during spring surveys may include: 1) tissue sample for DNA analysis (cutthroat, rainbow, or hybrid identification); 2) length/weight/condition factor; 3) scales for aging; 4) spawning maturity; 5) species composition; and 6) relative abundance.

4.2 Habitat Assessment Stehekin River habitat assessment, from the High Bridge to the mouth, will be conducted by NPS staff during spring 2000. Aerial photographs and snorkeling will be used to quantify the amount of habitat available for fish contained in the mainstem Stehekin River and side channels. Habitat assessment is designed to produce estimates of the potential carrying capacity of the Stehekin River for various fish species present.

4.3 Distribution and Abundance Creel survey and spawning ground survey data will be used to develop distribution patterns of native and non-native species in the Stehekin River. Snorkel surveys will also be conducted off the mouth of the Stehekin River out to the edge of the alluvial fan, as visibility permits, to provide additional fish distribution, abundance, and species composition data. Snorkel surveys will be conducted at the same time spring and fall spawning ground surveys are conducted i.e., a minimum of 3 times during each spawning period (Section 4.1).

4.4 Creel Survey Creel surveys of the Stehekin River and head of the lake will be conducted using methods similar to those used during the Lake Chelan 1999 creel survey effort (DE&S, in press). Surveys will be conducted from July 1 through September 4, Labor Day weekend. Surveys will be stratified to capture fishing effort on significant holidays e.g., July 4 and Labor Day, weekends, and weekdays. Anglers will be interviewed during survey days from the mouth of the Stehekin River upstream to the High Bridge, and off the river mouth at the head of the lake. Surveys at the head of the lake are designed to capture angling effort for salmonid species and set-lining for burbot off the alluvial fan of the Stehekin River. Surveys will be conducted approximately two days per week, but NPS and Chelan PUD staff will determine the number of survey days to be conducted on a weekly basis based on effort.

Information collected from fish examined during creel surveys may include: 1) number fish caught/released; 2) fish length/weight/condition factor; 3) scales for aging; 4) amount of time

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SECTION 5: TASK LIST

Task 1 - Literature Review 1.1 Review existing data from Chelan PUD kokanee/landlocked chinook surveys (fall) 1.2 Review aerial photographs for habitat assessment 1.3 Review NPS 1999 upper Stehekin River cutthroat trout genetics survey 1.4 Review fishing effort data on Stehekin River

Task 2 - Field Investigation 2.1 Spawning ground surveys 2.2 Habitat assessment – coordination with NPS 2000 Level II habitat survey 2.3 Genetic composition 2.4 Creel survey

Task 3 – Analysis 3.1 Spawning ground surveys 3.2 Habitat assessment 3.3 Genetic composition 3.4 Creel survey

Task 4 – Interpretation of Results

Task 5 – Report

SECTION 6: ANALYSIS AND REPORTING

Spawning adults observed during fall and spring spawning ground surveys will be enumerated, identified by species, and location recorded by river section. Mainstem Stehekin River habitat will be assessed for likely high fish-bearing sections through review of aerial photographs and data input from the planned NPS Level II habitat survey to be conducted in 2000. Distribution, abundance, and genetic composition data will be analyzed to determine the level of hybridization between rainbow and cutthroat trout, presence/absence of adfluvial cutthroat trout spawning in the mainstem Stehekin River, and river sections inhabited by rainbow, cutthroat, and hybrid trout. Creel survey data will be used to determine level of fishing effort, species retained in the creel, number of fish caught, angling techniques, angling preferences, etc.

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SECTION 7: STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS

Chelan PUD will hire a consultant(s) to assist in conducting 2000 field investigations. Chelan PUD staff will oversee contracting and deliverable schedule for the selected consultant(s). Consultant(s) conducting field investigation in 2000 will be required to provide equipment and staff to conduct the contracted field investigations with minimal field support from the PUD. PUD involvement will be primarily in the form of study plan development and implementation, project oversight, and providing input to the consultant(s) regarding decisions made by parties involved in the relicensing process. Chelan PUD will notify the appropriate agencies as to the schedule for conducting field investigations.

SECTION 8: SCHEDULE

Initiation of this study will begin during spring 2000, most likely in April, depending upon water and weather conditions. The estimated number of days to complete tasks outlined in Section 5 are as follows:

Task 1 - Literature Review Jan. – March 2000 Task 2 – Field Investigation April – May and Sep. – Nov. 2000 Task 3 - Analysis November 2000 Task 4 - Interpretation of Results November 2000 Task 5 – Report December 1, 2000

SECTION 9: BUDGET

To be determined based on contractor selection.

SECTION 10: NEXT STEPS

· Review final detailed study plan with NPS for completeness. · Send final study plan to the Fishery Workgroup for review and comment. · Incorporate Fishery Workgroup comments into detailed study plan. · Select consultant to conduct 2000 field investigations. · Finalize contract with selected consultant, and have them prepare for 2000 field season. · Initiate literature reviews. · Conduct 2000 field studies.

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