Assessment of the Effects of the Yakima Basin Storage Study On
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Assessment of the Effects of the Yakima Basin Storage Study on Columbia River Fish Proximate to Proposed Intake Locations A component of Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study, Washington Technical Series No. TS-YSS-13 Columbia River, potential pump site U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Technical Service Center Denver, Colorado January 2008 The mission of the U.S. Department of the Interior is to protect and provide access to our Nation’s natural and cultural heritage and honor our trust responsibilities to Indian Tribes and our commitments to island communities. The mission of the Bureau of Reclamation is to manage, develop, and protect water and related resources in an environmentally and economically sound manner in the interest of the American public. Assessment of the Effects of the Yakima Basin Storage Study on Columbia River Fish Proximate to The Proposed Intake Locations A component of Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study, Washington Technical Series No. TS-YSS-13 Fisheries and Wildlife Resources Raymond Bark Steve Hiebert Vince Riedman Juddson Sechrist Water Research Resources Laboratory Jim Higgs NOAA-Fisheries, Seattle WA Andrew H. Dittman School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle WA Thomas P. Quinn U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation Technical Service Center Denver, Colorado January 2008 PREFACE The Congress directed the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation, to conduct a feasibility study of options for additional water storage in the Yakima River basin. Section 214 of the Act of February 20, 2003 (Public Law 108-7), contains this authorization and includes the provision “… with emphasis on the feasibility of storage of Columbia River water in the potential Black Rock Reservoir and the benefit of additional storage to endangered and threatened fish, irrigated agriculture, and municipal water supply.” Reclamation initiated the Yakima River Basin Water Storage Feasibility Study (Storage Study) in May 2003. As guided by the authorization, the purpose of the Storage Study is to identify and examine the viability and acceptability of alternate projects by: (1) diversion of Columbia River water to a potential Black Rock reservoir for further water transfer to irrigation entities in the lower Yakima River basin as an exchange supply, thereby reducing irrigation demand on Yakima River water and improving Yakima Project stored water supplies; and (2) creation of additional water storage within the Yakima River basin. In considering the benefits to be achieved, study objectives are to modify Yakima Project flow management operations to improve the flow regime of the Yakima River system for fisheries, provide a more reliable supply for existing proratable water users, and provide water supply for future municipal demands. State support for the Storage Study was provided in the 2003 Legislative session. The 2003 budget included appropriations for the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) with the provision that the funds “. are provided solely for expenditure under a contract between the department of ecology and the United States bureau of reclamation for the development of plans, engineering, and financing reports and other preconstruction activities associated with the development of water storage projects in the Yakima river basin, consistent with the Yakima river basin water enhancement project, P.L. 103-434. The initial water storage feasibility study shall be for the Black Rock reservoir project.” Since that initial legislation, the State of Washington has appropriated additional matching funds. Storage Study alternatives were identified from previous studies by other entities and Reclamation, appraisal assessments by Reclamation in 2003 through 2006, and public input. Reclamation filed a Notice of Intent and Ecology filed a Determination of Significance to prepare a combined Draft Planning Report and Environmental Impact Statement (Draft PR/EIS) on December 29, 2006. A scoping process, including public scoping meetings, in January 2007 identified several i concepts to be considered in the Draft PR/EIS. Those concepts have been developed into “Joint” and “State” Alternatives. The Joint Alternatives fall under the congressional authorization and the analyses are being cost-shared by Reclamation and Ecology. The State Alternatives are outside the congressional authorization, but within the authority of the State legislation, and will be analyzed by Ecology only. Analysis of all alternatives will be included in the Draft PR/EIS. This technical document and others explain the analyses performed to determine how well the alternatives meet the goals of the Storage Study and the impacts of the alternatives on the environment. These documents will address such issues as hydrologic modeling, sediment modeling, temperature modeling, fish habitat modeling and designs and costs. All technical documents will be referenced in the Draft PR/EIS and available for review ii CONTENTS Preface ...................................................................................................................... i Summary ..................................................................................................................S-1 Chapter 1 Introduction................................................................................................1 1.1 Background ..................................................................................................1 1.2 Purpose of this Report..................................................................................1 Chapter 2 Existing Facilities and Operations............................................................3 2.1 Current Operations.......................................................................................3 2.2 Intake Area—Priest Rapids Lake.................................................................6 2.3 Intake Area in Wanapum Pool ...................................................................14 Chapter 3 Methodology .............................................................................................15 3.1 Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)......................................................15 3.1.1 CFD Program Description .............................................................15 3.1.2 Model Description.........................................................................16 3.1.3 Results............................................................................................19 3.2 Hydroacoustic Survey................................................................................20 3.2.1 Methods .........................................................................................20 3.2.2 Results............................................................................................21 Chapter 4 Potential Project Effects on Anadromous Fish Spawning, Juvenile Rearing Habitat, Fry Stranding, Passage and Migration.............................................................................25 4.1 Introduction................................................................................................25 4.2 Description of Salmonid Species ...............................................................25 4.2.1 Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) ........................................25 4.2.2 Rainbow trout/Steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ...........................................................................................26 4.2.3 Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)..............................26 4.2.4 Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch)...........................................27 4.3 Juvenile Salmon Monitoring Programs......................................................28 Chapter 5 Resident Fish Species and Potential Project Effects .............................41 5.1 Description of Individual Species ..............................................................41 5.1.1 Acipenseridae.................................................................................42 5.1.2 Clupeidae .......................................................................................43 5.1.3 Cyprinidae......................................................................................44 iii 5.1.4 Catostomidae .................................................................................49 5.1.5 Ictaluridae ......................................................................................51 5.1.6 Salmonidae.....................................................................................53 5.2 Percopsidae ................................................................................................57 5.3 Gadidae ......................................................................................................57 5.4 Gasterosteidae ............................................................................................58 5.5 Cottidae ......................................................................................................59 5.6 Centrarchidae .............................................................................................62 5.7 Percidae......................................................................................................65 Chapter 6 Factors and Estimate of Fish Mortality at the Intake of Priest Rapids Lake...............................................................................67 6.1 Smolt Passage Survival in the