DOCSLIB.ORG

Willamette Fish Operations Plan Willamette Valley Project

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Willamette Fish Operations Plan Willamette Valley Project Willamette Fish Operations Plan Willamette Valley Project November 2014 Draft Report Willamette Fish Operations Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) constructed and operates a system of 13 dams and reservoirs, associated bank protection program, and mitigation fish hatcheries known as the Willamette Project within the Willamette River Basin of northwest Oregon. In 2008, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released their Biological Opinions on the continued operation of the Willamette Project. Reasonable and prudent alternative 4.3 calls for the development of the WFOP and specifies that the elements shown below be part of the plan. • Identify optimal operating criteria for Green Peter, Foster, Detroit, Big Cliff, Cougar, Fall Creek, Dexter, Lookout Point, and Hills Creek dams to minimize adult and juvenile fish injury and mortality to the extent possible with existing facilities and operational capabilities. • Identify protocols for optimal handling, sorting, and release conditions for ESA-listed fish collected at USACE-funded fish collection facilities, including but not limited to the Minto Fish Facility, Foster Dam Fish Facility, Fall Creek Fish Facility, Dexter Dam Fish Collection Facility, and at the Cougar Fish Facility. • Identify the number, origin, and species of fish to be released into habitat upstream of USACE dams, incorporated into the hatchery broodstock, or taken to other destinations. • Describe scheduled and representative types of unscheduled maintenance of existing infrastructure (dams, transmission lines, fish facilities, etc) that could negatively impact ESA- listed fish, and describe measures to minimize these impacts. • Describe procedures for coordinating with federal and state resources agencies in the event of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. • Describe protocols for emergency events and deviations. The main report for the WFOP provides the overarching conditions, effects on ESA-listed fish species, and protocols/procedures for the WVP as a whole. These items are then developed in more detail in the specific operational plans prepared for each individual Willamette subbasin that are appended to this document. The WFOP will guide WVP personnel, including contractors and other agencies, responsible for carrying out fish hatchery and passage measures, and will help to ensure that fish facilities are operated using best practices and are consistent with the terms of the 2008 Biological Opinions for the WVP. ES-1 Willamette Fish Operations Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 1. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. PURPOSE OF THE WILLAMETTE FISH OPERATIONS PLAN ............................................................. 1 1.2.1. Elements of the Plan ............................................................................................................. 1 1.2.2. Goal and Objectives of the Plan ............................................................................................ 2 1.3. ESA LISTED FISH .......................................................................................................................... 2 2. OVERARCHING CONDITONS, EFFECTS AND PROTOCOLS/ PROCEDURES FOR THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY PROJECT .......................................................................................................... 4 2.1. CONDITIONS .................................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.1. Maintenance .......................................................................................................................... 4 2.1.2. Operations ............................................................................................................................. 4 2.1.2.1. Optimum Operational Criteria ...................................................................................... 4 2.1.2.2. Interim Risk Reduction Measures (IRRM) ................................................................... 5 2.1.3. Unscheduled Operations or Maintenance ............................................................................. 5 2.1.4. Streamflow ............................................................................................................................ 6 2.1.5. Water Temperature ............................................................................................................... 6 2.1.6. Total Dissolved Gas (TDG) .................................................................................................. 6 2.1.6.1. Water Quality Coordination .......................................................................................... 8 2.1.7. Mitigation Hatcheries ............................................................................................................ 9 2.2. PROTOCOLS/PROCEDURES .......................................................................................................... 10 2.2.1. Protocols for Fish Collection, Holding and Transportation to Spawning Habitat .............. 10 2.2.2. General Dewatering Plan .................................................................................................... 14 2.2.2.1. Coordination................................................................................................................ 14 2.2.2.2. Fish Handling .............................................................................................................. 14 2.2.2.3. Adult Fish Trap/Ladder ............................................................................................... 15 2.2.2.4. Fish Salvage Equipment .............................................................................................. 15 2.2.3. Protocols for Emergency/Atypical Operations and Flow Target Deviations ...................... 16 2.2.3.1. Coordination................................................................................................................ 16 2.2.3.2. Ramp Rates, Flow Targets, and Flood Risk Management Operations ....................... 16 2.2.3.3. Fish Facility Operations .............................................................................................. 17 2.2.3.4. Hazardous Spills ......................................................................................................... 17 2.2.3.5. Adverse Water Quality Conditions ............................................................................. 18 2.2.3.6. Emergency Operations ................................................................................................ 18 2.2.3.7. Requests for Changes in Power Generation ................................................................ 18 2.2.3.8. Notification Protocol ................................................................................................... 18 2.2.4. Fish Operations Coordination ............................................................................................. 20 3. OPERATIONAL PLAN ..................................................................................................................... 22 4. LITERATURE CITED ....................................................................................................................... 24 5. GLOSSARY ....................................................................................................................................... 28 i Willamette Fish Operations Plan APPENDICES Appendix A – North Santiam Subbasin Fish Operations Plan Appendix B – South Santiam Subbasin Fish Operations Plan Appendix C – McKenzie Subbasin Fish Operations Plan Appendix D – Middle Fork Willamette Subbasin Fish Operations Plan Appendix E – Fish Operations Appendix F – Rule Curves Appendix G – Outplant Forms Appendix H – Coordination/Change Forms ii Willamette Fish Operations Plan ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS °C degrees Celsius °F degrees Fahrenheit BiOp Biological Opinion BPA Bonneville Power Administration cfs cubic feet per second CO2 carbon dioxide COP Configuration/Operation Plan CPUE catch per unit effort CWA Clean Water Act ESA Endangered Species Act EWEB Eugene Water and Electric Board FMWQ Flow Management and Water Quality (Team) FPHM Fish Passage and Hatchery Management (Team) GBT gas bubble trauma gpm gallon(s) per minute HGMP Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan IHOT Integrated Hatchery Operations Team IRRM interim risk reduction measure(s) mg/L milligram(s) per liter MOU Memorandum of Understanding MW megawatt(s) NMFS National Marine Fisheries Service NWS-RFC National Weather Service Northwest River Forecast Center ODEQ Oregon Department of Environmental Quality ODFW Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife OERS Oregon Emergency Response System O&M operations and maintenance OMET Operational Measures Evaluation Team RM river mile(s) RM&E research, monitoring, and evaluation RO regulating outlet(s) RPA reasonable and prudent alternative SCAB Steelhead and Chinook above Barriers (Committee) SCADA Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition TDG total dissolved gas USACE U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USFS U.S. Forest Service USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USGS U.S. Geological Survey UWR Upper Willamette River WATER Willamette Action Team for Ecosystem
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Analyzing Dam Feasibility in the Willamette River Watershed
    Portland State University PDXScholar Dissertations and Theses Dissertations and Theses Spring 6-8-2017 Analyzing Dam Feasibility in the Willamette River Watershed Alexander Cameron Nagel Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds Part of the Geography Commons, Hydrology Commons, and the Water Resource Management Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Nagel, Alexander Cameron, "Analyzing Dam Feasibility in the Willamette River Watershed" (2017). Dissertations and Theses. Paper 4012. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.5896 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. Analyzing Dam Feasibility in the Willamette River Watershed by Alexander Cameron Nagel A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geography Thesis Committee: Heejun Chang, Chair Geoffrey Duh Paul Loikith Portland State University 2017 i Abstract This study conducts a dam-scale cost versus benefit analysis in order to explore the feasibility of each the 13 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) commissioned dams in Oregon’s Willamette River network. Constructed between 1941 and 1969, these structures function in collaboration to comprise the Willamette River Basin Reservoir System (WRBRS). The motivation for this project derives from a growing awareness of the biophysical impacts that dam structures can have on riparian habitats. This project compares each of the 13 dams being assessed, to prioritize their level of utility within the system.
    [Show full text]
  • Response to Watershed Analysis Amendment Request
    Upper Middle Fork Watershed Analysis Update Response to the Watershed Analysis Amendment Request Listed below are analysis and responses provided by the Middle Fork District to issues/concerns listed in the U.S.D.I. Fish and Wildlife Service November, 1996. In this portion of the analysis amendment, the original issue is listed, as stated by the Fish and Wildlife Service. Following this, the key question and issue from the 1996 Watershed Analysis is stated. Below each key question is the scientific, analytical, and professional response to these issues. In some cases the issue presented by the Fish and Wildlife Service do not related to the key issues presented in the original watershed analysis. In these situations a new key question is developed. For the most part, the original key questions are still valid with minor changes. Listed below are the eleven aquatic habitat condition concerns. Eleven Listed Aquatic Concerns 1. Identify and map important bull trout rearing and spawning habitat, as well as current and future re-introduction sites, and potential future distribution down to Hills Creek Reservoir – if this information is known or available. Functional Relationship – Bull Trout Habitat Historical references indicate that bull trout Salvelinus confluentus in Oregon were once distributed throughout 12 basins in the Klamath River and Columbia River systems. Bull trout were probably found throughout the Willamette Basin, however available documentation is limited (Buchanan et al. 1997). Bull trout in the upper Middle Fork Willamette Watershed likely ranged throughout the mainstem Middle Fork Willamette and associated larger tributaries (Figure 1-1, Historic Bull Trout Distribution Map).
    [Show full text]
  • Hills Creek-Lookout Point Final EA
    In cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service Hills Creek-Lookout Point Transmission Line Rebuild Project Final Environmental Assessment DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Bonneville Power Administration DOE/EA-1967 June 2017 __________________________________________________________________________________ This document is the final environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed Hills Creek-Lookout Point Transmission Line Rebuild Project (Project). Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) prepared this document as an abbreviated final EA because there have been no substantial changes to the Proposed Action, alternatives, or environmental analysis presented in the draft EA. This abbreviated final EA provides changes made to the text of the draft EA, as well as comments received on the draft EA and BPA’s responses to those comments. This final EA should be used as a companion document to the draft EA (DOE/EA-1967, dated August 2016), which contains the full text describing the project, its potential environmental impacts, and mitigation measures to reduce impacts. The draft EA is available on the project webpage at http://www.bpa.gov/goto/HillsCreekLookoutPoint. Summary BPA proposes to rebuild its Hills Creek-Lookout Point transmission line, which runs from Oakridge to Lowell in Lane County, Oregon. The existing 26-mile-long 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line is aging, and BPA proposes to replace its wood-pole structures and other line components and improve its road system that provides access to the line. BPA released the draft EA for public comment on August 10, 2016; the comment period ran until September 19, 2016. The draft EA describes the Project, its potential environmental impacts, and mitigation measures to reduce those impacts.
    [Show full text]
  • Willamette Basin Review Feasibility Study
    US Army Corps of Engineers Portland District Willamette Basin Review Feasibility Study DRAFT Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment November 2017 Willamette Basin Review Feasibility Study Executive Summary The Willamette River basin is located entirely within the state of Oregon, beginning south of Cottage Grove, and extending approximately 187 miles to the north where the Willamette River flows into the Columbia River. The basin is more than 11,200 square miles, averages 75 miles in width, and encompasses approximately 12 percent of the total area of the state (Figure ES-1). Within the watershed are most of the state’s population (nearly 70 percent), larger cities, and major industries. The basin also contains some of Oregon’s most productive agricultural lands and supports nationally and regionally important fish and wildlife species. Thirteen of Oregon’s thirty-six counties intersect or lie within the boundary of the Willamette River basin. Through a series of Flood Control Acts the U.S. Congress authorized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to construct, operate, and maintain thirteen major dams1 in the Willamette River basin. Collectively, these dams, reservoirs and associated infrastructure are known as the Willamette Valley Project (WVP). With a combined conservation storage capacity of approximately 1,590,000 acre-feet, the WVP is capable of providing important benefits for flood damage reduction, navigation, hydropower, irrigation, municipal and industrial water supply, flow augmentation for pollution abatement and improved conditions for fish and wildlife, and recreation. Feasibility Study History The Willamette Basin Review Feasibility Study began in 1996 to investigate future Willamette River basin water demand.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 5 State(S): Oregon Recovery Unit Name: Willamette River
    Chapter 5 State(s): Oregon Recovery Unit Name: Willamette River Recovery Unit Region 1 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Portland, Oregon DISCLAIMER Recovery plans delineate reasonable actions that are believed necessary to recover and protect listed species. Plans are prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and, in this case, with the assistance of recovery unit teams, contractors, State and Tribal agencies, and others. Objectives will be attained and any necessary funds made available subject to budgetary and other constraints affecting the parties involved, as well as the need to address other priorities. Recovery plans do not necessarily represent the views or the official positions or indicate the approval of any individuals or agencies involved in the plan formulation, other than the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Recovery plans represent the official position of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service only after they have been signed by the Director or Regional Director as approved. Approved recovery plans are subject to modification as dictated by new findings, changes in species status, and the completion of recovery tasks. Literature Cited: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2002. Chapter 5, Willamette River Recovery Unit, Oregon. 96 p. In: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) Draft Recovery Plan. Portland, Oregon. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Two working groups are active in the Willamette River Recovery Unit: the Upper Willamette (since 1989) and Clackamas Bull Trout Working Groups. In 1999, these groups were combined, and, along with representation from the Santiam subbasin, comprise the Willamette River Recovery Unit Team.
    [Show full text]
  • Lookout Point Watershed Analysis Update
    Lookout Point Watershed Analysis Update August, 2012 Introduction The Lookout Point Watershed Analysis was prepared by personnel of the old Lowell Ranger District in 1997, so this analysis is now about 15 years old. In that time considerable new information has come to light and some conditions have changed. Additionally, the original WA contained some misinformation, or the watershed conditions are better understood now. There is also a new land management project proposed in this watershed (the Outlook Landscape Diversity Project) the analysis of which would be facilitated by this watershed update. In addition to updating current conditions, this reanalysis updates the list of recommendations. Specific conditions or occurrences creating the need for this update include: • vegetation growth which has changed the conditions of the 28% of the watershed consisting of young stands created by past regeneration harvest, • a better understanding of the fire history of the area, • the presence of a new invasive plant species, false brome, • reintroduction of Chinook salmon and bull trout into upstream watersheds, • construction of additional infrastructure elements such as cell phone towers and fiber optic lines, and • continuing deterioration of road conditions. The 1997 “Lookout Pont Watershed Analysis Area” document covered only the 49,638 acres of federally owned lands within the 100,000+ acre Lookout Point Reservoir Fifth Field watershed, which is one of nine within the Fourth-Field Middle Fork of the Willamette River watershed. This update will also address only the National Forest portion of this watershed. Some 60,000 acres of BLM and privately owned lands occur in the lower portions of the full 5th Field watershed, which include the Lookout Point dam and the lower half of the associated reservoir, the Dexter dam and reservoir, the Lost Creek drainage, and the communities of Dexter and Lowell.
    [Show full text]
  • Angling Guide Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
    Angling Guide Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Alton Baker Park canoe canal: In Eugene by Autzen Stadium. Stocked in the spring with rainbow trout. A good place to take kids. Big Cliff Reservoir: 150 acres on the North Santiam River. The dam is located several miles below Detroit Dam off of Highway 22. Stocked with trout. Blue River Reservoir and Upper Blue River: 42 miles east of Eugene off Highway 126. Native cutthroat and rainbow. Stocked in spring and early summer with rainbow trout. USFS campground. Bond Butte Pond: 3 miles north of the Harrisburg exit on the east side of I-5 at MP 212 (the Bond Butte overpass). Channel catfish, largemouth bass, white crappie, bluegill. Carmen Reservoir: 65-acre reservoir located on Highway 126 appproximately 70 miles east of Springfield. Rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brook trout. Clear Lake: 70 miles east of Eugene off Highway 126. Naturally reproducing brook trout and stocked with rainbow trout. Resort with restaurant, boat and cabin rentals. USFS campground. Cottage Grove Ponds: A group of 6 ponds totaling 15 acres. Located 1.5 miles east of Cottage Grove on Row River Road behind the truck scales. Largemouth bass, bluegill, bullhead. Rainbow trout are stocked into one pond in the spring. Cottage Grove Reservoir: Six miles south of Cottage Grove on London Road. Largemouth bass, brown bullhead, bluegill, cutthroat trout. Hatchery rainbow are stocked in the spring. USACE provides campgrounds. There is a health advisory for mercury contamination. Pregnant women, nursing women and children up to six years old should not eat fish other than stocked rainbow trout; children older than 6 and healthy adults should not eat more than 1/2 pound per week.
    [Show full text]
  • Willamette Valley Projects Configuration/Operation Plan (COP)
    Phase II Report Willamette Valley Projects Configuration/Operation Plan (COP) October 2015 Final Report Willamette Valley Projects Configuration/Operation Plan, Phase II Report EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Configuration/Operation Plan (COP), Phase II Report, for the Willamette Valley system provides recommendations to address the Reasonable and Prudent Alternative (RPA) contained in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries or NMFS) 2008 Biological Opinion (BiOp) for the Willamette System (WS) operated and maintained by the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE or Corps). The RPA listed actions to be implemented to avoid jeopardy to Upper Willamette River (UWR) spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and UWR winter steelhead (O. mykiss) from continued operations and maintenance of the WS. This COP Phase II report was guided by the development of alternatives documented in the 2009 COP Phase I Report. Although this document does not meet the EC 11-2-208 (dated 31 Mar 2015) definition as a “Decision Document”, it is being used to document the long-term plan for implementing the 2008 Willamette Biological Opinion. BACKGROUND The WS system consists of 13 multipurpose dams and reservoirs, and approximately 92 miles of riverbank protection projects in the Willamette River Basin in Oregon. Each project contributes to the overall water resources management in the basin which is designed to provide flood risk management, hydropower generation, irrigation, navigation, recreation, fish and wildlife, and improved water quality on the Willamette River and many of its tributaries. The fish species listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) affected by operation of the WS1 include UWR spring Chinook salmon, UWR winter steelhead, and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus, threatened).
    [Show full text]
  • Final Report
    Willamette Basin Annual Water Quality Report for 2015 Detroit Reservoir at Low Elevation (1202 feet) on November 6, due to 2015 Drought, North Santiam River, Oregon Final Report Page intentionally left blank Final Report, July 2016 i Table Of Contents 1.0 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 10 2.0 Introduction and Purpose ........................................................................................................ 12 3.0 Water Quality related Achievements ...................................................................................... 14 3.1 Corps Achievements in Meeting CWA-TMDL and EPA-BiOp Recommendations: ............. 14 4.0 Willamette Project Background .............................................................................................. 15 5.0 Description of the 2015 Water Year ....................................................................................... 19 5.1 Willamette Basin Hydrology .................................................................................................. 19 5.2 Willamette Mainstem Conditions ........................................................................................... 21 6.0 North Santiam Subbasin.......................................................................................................... 25 6.1 Water Quality Improvement Measures Conducted in 2015 .................................................... 25 6.2 Water Quality Monitoring and Results
    [Show full text]
  • Inventory of State and Federal Fish and Wildlife Plans and Programs
    APPENDIX L Inventory of State and Federal Fish and Wildlife Plans and Programs This inventory was conducted in the spring of 2003 by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife under contract to WRI. The following pages are printed from the spreadsheet used in the inventory and contain varying amounts of information per page. The inventory is loosely organized by all state agencies, then individual federal agencies, with additional entries from consulting firms, watershed organizations, and others. Within each agency or organization, information is sorted by topic, including fish, wildlife, habitat, water quality, hydrological effort, and species. PDX\APP L_STATE FED INVENTORY.DOC 1 Consulting Companies - ESA Title Source Format Special Contact State of Completion Description Status of Willamette River Spring Chinook Salmon in regards to the Federal Endangered Species Act, SP Cramer & Willis, C.F. Part 2 Associates, Inc. Hardcopy SP Cramer & Associates, Inc. Published 1996 (Funded by PGE, Eugene Water and Electric Board) 1 Consulting Companies - Fish Title Source Format Special Contact State of Completion Description This report includes an exploratory synthesis of the PIT tag data Electronic Ray Beamesderfer available for the Clackamas River Basin from a variety of studies Analysis of Pit Tag Detections for SP Cramer & (SP Cramer SP Cramer & Associates and examines the suitability of that data for resolving outstanding the Clackamas River Associates, Inc. website) (503) 826-9858 Published 2001 questions related to operation of PGE facilities.
    [Show full text]
  • Middle Fork Willamette Subbasin Fish Operations Plan MFW-I 2017
    Middle Fork Willamette Subbasin Fish Operations Plan 2017 Chapter 5 – Middle Fork Willamette Subbasin Table of Contents 1. MIDDLE FORK WILLAMETTE SUB-BASIN OVERVIEW ...................................................................... 1 2. FACILITIES ........................................................................................................................................ 8 2.1. Hills Creek Dam .............................................................................................................................. 8 2.2. Lookout Point Dam .......................................................................................................................... 9 2.3. Dexter Dam ...................................................................................................................................... 9 2.4. Fall Creek Dam .............................................................................................................................. 10 2.5. Dexter Fish Facility ........................................................................................................................ 10 2.6. Fall Creek Fish Facility .................................................................................................................. 10 3. DAM OPERATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 11 3.1. Flow Management ........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2004 Annual Report of Operations and Interim Findings
    ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT FISH RESEARCH PROJECT OREGON PROJECT TITLE: Middle Fork Willamette Basin Bull Trout Rehabilitation and Monitoring Project PROJECT PERIOD: October 2004 through September 2005 Prepared by: J. Vincent Tranquilli Chad K. Helms Mark G. Wade Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 3150 Main Street, Springfield, Oregon This project was funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................... 1 OBJECTIVES Objective 1. Determine distribution and life history traits of bull trout in the Middle Fork Willamette River............................................................. 2 Objective 2. Monitor the abundance of bull trout in the Middle Fork Willamette basin (recipient population).............................................. 9 Objective 3. Monitor the abundance of bull trout in the mainstem McKenzie population (donor population)............................................................ 13 Objective 4. Implement the Rehabilitation Plan for the bull trout population in the Middle Fork Willamette River (ODFW and USDA1998)............... 16 Objective 5. Determine the effectiveness of the adipose fin-clipped only harvest regulation for trout in Hills Creek Reservoir and the Middle Fork Willamette River for protecting bull trout. ....................... 17 Objective 6. Provide information acquired about bull trout to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other regional entities
    [Show full text]