Biological Opinion 01EIFW00-2016-F-0393 Bayha Island Research Project Table of Contents 1. BACKGROUND AND INFORMAL CONSULTATION ........................................................ 1 1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Consultation History .............................................................................................................. 1 2. BIOLOGICAL OPINION .......................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Description of the Proposed Action ...................................................................................... 6 2.1.1 Action Area ...................................................................................................................... 7 2.1.2 Proposed Action ............................................................................................................. 10 2.1.2.1 General Project Design ........................................................................................ 11 2.1.2.2 Proposed Conservation Measures ........................................................................ 16 2.1.2.3 Restoration of Temporary Construction Impacts ................................................. 20 2.2 Analytical Framework for the Jeopardy and Adverse Modification Determinations ......... 21 2.2.1 Jeopardy Determination ................................................................................................. 21 2.3 Status of the Species ............................................................................................................ 22 2.3.1 Listing Status .................................................................................................................. 22 2.3.2 Species Description ........................................................................................................ 22 2.3.3 Life History .................................................................................................................... 23 2.3.4 Status and Distribution ................................................................................................... 26 2.3.5 Conservation Needs ....................................................................................................... 30 2.4 Environmental Baseline of the Action Area ........................................................................ 30 2.4.1 Status of the Species in the Action Area ........................................................................ 30 2.4.2 Factors Affecting the Species in the Action Area .......................................................... 35 2.5 Effects of the Proposed Action ............................................................................................ 40 2.5.1 Direct and Indirect Effects of the Proposed Action ....................................................... 41 2.5.2 Effects of Interrelated or Interdependent Actions .......................................................... 47 2.6 Cumulative Effects .............................................................................................................. 47 2.7 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 47 2.8 Incidental Take Statement ................................................................................................... 48 2.8.1 Form and Amount or Extent of Take Anticipated ......................................................... 48 2.8.2 Effect of the Take ........................................................................................................... 49 2.8.3 Reasonable and Prudent Measures ................................................................................. 49 i Biological Opinion 01EIFW00-2016-F-0393 Bayha Island Research Project 2.8.4 Terms and Conditions .................................................................................................... 50 2.8.5 Reporting and Monitoring Requirement ........................................................................ 50 2.9 Conservation Recommendations ......................................................................................... 51 2.10 Reinitiation Notice ............................................................................................................. 52 3. LITERATURE CITED ............................................................................................................ 53 3.1 Published Literature ............................................................................................................. 53 3.2 In Litteris References .......................................................................................................... 57 3.3 Personal Communications ................................................................................................... 58 APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................... 59 List of Tables Table 1. Heavy equipment expected to be used to construct the Bayha Island Research Project. ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Table 2. Temperature ranges for onset of egg-laying of some Physa species in the United States and Europe (McMahon 1975). ...................................................................................................... 24 Table 3. Snake River physa collected by Idaho Power Company between 1998 and 2002. (Bean and Stephenson 2011). .................................................................................................................. 29 List of Figures Figure 1. Bayha Island Research Project vicinity map: action area and project site. .................... 8 Figure 2. Staging areas and roads. ................................................................................................. 9 Figure 3. In-water work isolation areas. ...................................................................................... 12 Figure 4. Excavation and fill areas. ............................................................................................. 13 Figure 5. Sampling locations and results of Idaho Power Company sampling for Snake River physa and substrates in the project area. ....................................................................................... 32 Figure 6. Estimated acres of Snake River physa habitat at four flows: ....................................... 34 Figure 7. Final sediment sampling locations and dredged material management units (DMMU). ....................................................................................................................................................... 36 Figure 8. Snake River physa habitat at 3,900 cfs, existing and proposed conditions. ................. 43 Figure 9. Snake River physa habitat at 7,942 cfs under existing and proposed conditions. ........ 44 Figure 10. Snake River physa habitat at 10,300 cfs under existing and proposed conditions. .... 45 Figure 11. Snake River physa habitat at 11,700 cfs under existing and proposed conditions. .... 46 ii Biological Opinion 01EIFW00-2016-F-0393 Bayha Island Research Project 1. BACKGROUND AND INFORMAL CONSULTATION 1.1 Introduction The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has prepared this Biological Opinion (Opinion) of the effects of Idaho Power Company’s proposed Bayha Island Research Project (project) on the Snake River physa (Haitia (Physa) natricina). In a letter dated January 19, 2016, and received by the Service on January 19, 2016, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) requested formal consultation with the Service under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, as amended, for its proposal to authorize and administer the action. This action will require section 404 Clean Water Act and section 10 Rivers and Harbors permit authorization from the Corps for the placement of fill in Jurisdictional Waters and Navigable Waters of the U.S. This Opinion is based on the Biological Assessment (Meridian Environmental, Inc. et al. 2015, entire) submitted by the Corps, together with its request for formal consultation; a sediment suitability memorandum provided by the Joint Sedimentation Evaluation Team; visits to the project area by the Service, the Idaho Power Company (Company, or IPC), and its partners and contractors (The Freshwater Trust, River Design Group, Inc., Meridian Environmental, Inc.); data collected by the Company, River Design Group, Inc. and its contractors and Service biologists; meetings, bi-weekly telephone calls, and other communication between Service biologists, the Corps, the Company, The Freshwater Trust and its contractors; and other available scientific and pertinent information. The Corps determined that the proposed action is likely to adversely affect Snake River physa. As described in this Opinion, and based on the Biological Assessment (Assessment) submitted by the Corps and other pertinent information, the Service has concluded that the action, as proposed, is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of Snake River physa. 1.2 Consultation History The Service has maintained open communication with the Corps and the Company and its partners and contractors regarding the project since March 12, 2014. During that time,