2009 Rocky Reach and Rocky Island Fish Passage Plan, Article 402, 03
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March 30, 2009 To: Bryan Nordlund National Marine Fisheries Service 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 103 Lacey, WA 98503 Dear Mr. Nordlund, Public Utility District No.1 of Chelan County (Chelan) respectfully submits this final 2009 Fish Passage Plan (FPP). The section pertaining to the Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Project, FERC No. 2145, is submitted in accordance with License Article No. 408 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order, issued April 12, 2002, amending the license for the Rocky Reach project authorizing the installation of a permanent juvenile fish bypass system. On February 19, 2009, FERC issued a new 43-year operating license for the Rocky Reach Project. Article 402 of the new license requires that …. “Within six months of the issuance date of license and by February 15 each year thereafter, the licensee shall file for Commission approval an operations plan.” The purpose of the new annual Rocky Reach operations plan, we believe, will be to supplant the former FPP, requiring all of the current reporting contents of that plan, but may also require additional information on fisheries and water-quality-related criteria and protocols. Please contact me with any questions or concerns that you might have. Respectfully yours, Barry G. Keesee Fisheries Studies Coordinator (509) 661-4763 Rocky Reach and Rock Island Fish Passage Plan 2009 Final Prepared by Thaddeus R. Mosey Steve L. Hemstrom Barry G. Keesee Fish and Wildlife Department Public Utility District No. 1 of Chelan County Wenatchee, WA 98801 March 31, 2009 Table of Contents Introduction………………………………………………………………………. 1 Overview…………………………………………………………………… 1 Emergency Deviations from the Fish Passage Plan (FPP)………………… 1 Spill…………………………………………………………………………. 1 Total Dissolved Gas (TDG) Monitoring…………………………………… 2 System Load Shaping………………………………………………………. 2 Project Fish Passage Facilities Inspection and Reporting Criteria………….. 2 Implementation of the FPP…………………………………………………. 2 Rocky Reach Dam, FERC No. 2145………………………………………… 3 1. Fish Passage Information……………………………………………... 3 1.1 Juvenile Fish Passage…………………………………………… 3 1.1.1 Facilities Description……………………………………… 3 1.1.2 Juvenile Fish Migration Timing…………………………… 6 1.2 Adult Fish Passage………………………………………………… 6 1.2.1 Facilities Description……………………………………… 6 1.2.2 Adult Fish Migration Timing……………………………… 7 2. Project Operations……………………………………………………. 7 2.1 Juvenile Fish Passage……………………………………….…… 7 2.1.1 Juvenile Fish Bypass System……………………………… 7 2.1.2 Powerhouse Flow Distribution……………………………. 8 2.1.3 Spill Management…………………………………………. 8 2.1.4 Predator Control Measures………………………………... 9 2.2 Adult Fish Passage………………………………………………. 11 2.2.1 Adult Fish Passage Facilities……………………………… 11 2.2.2 Powerhouse Flow Distribution……………………………. 12 2.2.3 Spill Management…………………………………………. 13 2.2.4 Inspection and Reporting………………………………….. 13 2.2.5 Fish Counting……………………………………………… 13 2.3 Total Dissolved Gas Monitoring and Control…………………… 13 3. Facilities Maintenance………………………………………………… 13 3.1 Juvenile Fish Passage Facilities…………………………………. 13 3.1.1 Scheduled Maintenance……………………………………. 13 3.1.2 Unscheduled Maintenance…………………………………. 13 3.2 Adult Fish Passage Facilities…………………………………….. 14 3.2.1 Scheduled Maintenance……………………………………. 14 3.2.2 Unscheduled Maintenance…………………………………. 15 i 4. Turbine Unit Operation and Maintenance…………………………….. 15 5. Dewatering……………………………………………………………. 16 5.1 Juvenile Fish Facilities…………………………………………... 16 5.2 Adult Fish Facilities……………………………………………... 16 Rock Island Dam, FERC No. 943……………………………………………. 17 1. Fish Passage Information……………………………………………….. 17 1.1 Juvenile Fish Passage…………………………………………… 17 1.1.1 Facilities Description……………………………………… 17 1.1.2 Juvenile Fish Migration Timing…………………………… 20 1.2 Adult Fish Passage………………………………………………. 20 1.2.1 Facilities Description……………………………………… 20 1.2.2 Adult Fish Migration Timing……………………………… 21 2. Project Operations……………………………………………………. 21 2.1 Juvenile Fish Passage……………………………………….…… 21 2.1.1 Spill Management………….……………………………… 21 2.1.2 Second Powerhouse Bypass System………………………. 22 2.1.3 Smolt Sampling Facility...…………………………………. 22 2.1.4 Powerhouse Flow Distribution...…………………………... 23 2.1.5 Predator Control Measures………………………………... 23 2.2 Adult Fish Passage………………………………………………. 23 2.2.1 Adult Fish Passage Facilities……………………………… 23 2.2.2 Spill Management…………………………………………. 27 2.2.3 Inspection and Reporting………………………………….. 27 2.2.4 Fish Counting……………………………………………… 27 2.3 Total Dissolved Gas Monitoring and Control…………………… 29 2.3.1 Physical Monitoring………………………………………... 29 2.3.2 Biological Monitoring……………………………………… 29 3. Facilities Maintenance………………………………………………… 29 3.1 Juvenile Fish Facilities…………………………………………… 29 3.1.1 Scheduled Maintenance……………………………………. 29 3.1.2 Unscheduled Maintenance…………………………………. 29 3.2 Adult Fish Facilities……………………………………………... 30 3.2.1 Scheduled Maintenance……………………………………. 30 3.2.2 Unscheduled Maintenance…………………………………. 31 4. Turbine Unit Operation and Maintenance…………………………….. 31 5. Dewatering……………………………………………………………. 31 5.1 Juvenile Fish Facilities…………………………………………... 31 5.2 Adult Fish Facilities……………………………………………... 31 ii References…………………………………………………………………………… 32 List of Tables Table RR-1. Dates of Project Operations for Fisheries Purposes at Rocky Reach Dam………………………………………………………………….. 5 Table RR-2. Mean Historical Juvenile Fish Run-Timing at Rocky Reach Dam…… 6 Table RR-3. Primary Adult Salmonid Passage Periods by Species at Rocky Reach Dam………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Table RR-4. Rocky Reach Spill Levels in 2009…………………………………….. 9 Table RR-5. Spilling Schedule for Rocky Reach Dam…………………………….... 10 Table RI-1. Dates of Project Operations for Fisheries Purposes at Rock Island Dam. 19 Table RI-2. Mean Historical Juvenile Fish Run-timing at Rock Island Dam……….. 20 Table RI-3. Primary Adult Salmonid Passage Periods by Species at Rock Island Dam………………………………………………………………………….. 21 Table RI-4. Proposed Rock Island Spill Pattern in 2009…………………………….. 21 Table RI-5. Rock Island Adult Spill Criteria for Spill of 40 kcfs or Less…….……... 28 List of Figures Figure RR-1. Site Plan of Rocky Reach Dam………………………………………... 4 Figure RI-1. Site Plan of Rock Island Dam…………………………………………... 18 iii List of Appendices Appendix I. Operation and Maintenance Instructions for the Rocky Reach Juvenile Fish Bypass System (In Prep.). Appendix II. Chelan PUD Monitoring Plan for Total Dissolved Gas at Rocky Reach and Rock Island Dams in 2009 (In Prep.). Appendix III. 2009 Fish Spill Plan for Rocky Reach and Rock Island Dams (In Prep.). Appendix IV. Annual Maintenance Lists for Rocky Reach and Rock Island Fishways. iv Introduction Overview: Public Utility District No.1 of Chelan County (Chelan) owns and operates the Rocky Reach and Rock Island hydroelectric projects. The operations of both projects with regards to fish passage are guided by the terms and conditions of the Anadromous Fish Agreements and Habitat Conservation Plans (HCP) specific to each dam. These agreements have been entered into by Chelan with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), the Yakama Indian Nation (YN), and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (Colville). The HCP describes the year round project operations necessary to protect Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed Upper Columbia River steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and Upper Columbia spring chinook (O. tshawytscha) as well as non-listed late-run (summer/fall) chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), sockeye salmon (O. nerka), and coho salmon (O. kisutch). An HCP Coordinating Committee, consisting of one member from each of the signed parties, oversees the implementation of the HCP. The Coordinating Committee will be used as the primary means of consultation between Chelan and the other parties in connection with the conduct of studies and the implementation of measures set forth in the HCP. The Rocky Reach portion of this Fish Passage Plan (FPP) is submitted in accordance with License Article No. 408 of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) order which amends the license for the Rocky Reach project (April 12, 2002) and authorizes the installation of the permanent juvenile fish bypass system. This FPP provides details of operations and procedures necessary to safely pass fish through the Rocky Reach and Rock Island hydroelectric facilities to meet the standards agreed upon in the HCP. Information on Rock Island is not required, but we add it for informational purposes. The FPP will be revised as necessary by Chelan to incorporate changes to project operations and maintenance as a result of new facilities, changes in operational procedures, or information gained from evaluations. Revisions will incorporate changes adopted through coordination with FERC and NMFS through the Biological Opinion as part of the ESA’s Section 7 consultation, or Section 10 permit processes. Additional changes may also be made through agreement of the HCP Coordinating Committee. Emergency Deviations from the Fish Passage Plan (FPP): Operational emergencies may occur which could require projects to deviate temporarily from the FPP. To the extent possible, these deviations will be conducted to minimize impacts to fish and will be coordinated with the HCP Coordinating Committee. Normally, coordination occurs prior to an action. However, if an emergency situation requires immediate attention, coordination will occur as soon as possible after the action. Spill: Both Rock Island and Rocky Reach dams