Habitat Expansion Agreement for Central Valley SpringRun Chinook Salmon and California Central Valle

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Habitat Expansion Agreement for Central Valley
Spring-Run Chinook Salmon and California Central
Valley Steelhead
Chris Wilkinson, Department of Water
Resources Paul Kubicek, Pacific Gas and Electric
Company
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Background

• FERC Relicensing for Feather River projects
• Federal Power Act Fish Passage Prescriptions
• HEA negotiated as
  alternative to
  prescribed fish
  passage

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Parties to the Agreement

• Licensees
• DWR and PGE
• Other Signatories
• American Rivers
• Arthur G. Baggett, Jr.
• Department of Fish and Game
• US Forest Service
• National Marine Fisheries Service
• US Fish and Wildlife Service
• State Water Contractors, Inc.

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Goal of Agreement and Habitat Expansion Threshold

• Goal
• Expand spawning, rearing and adult holding
  habitat for spring-run Chinook salmon and Central
  Valley steelhead in the Sacramento River Basin
• Threshold
• Net increase of 2,000 to 3,000 spring-run Chinook
  salmon

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Status of Historic Spring-Run Chinook Salmon
Populations in the Sacramento River Basin
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Eligible Habitat Expansion Actions

• Dam removals or re-operation
• Fishway creation or enhancement
• Water temperature or flow improvements
• Other physical habitat enhancements

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Identification of Habitat Expansion Actions

• Evaluation Criteria
• 17 non-prioritized criteria examples include
• Minimal human intervention
• Favorable local/political support
• Consistency with NMFS VSP guidance, ESA recovery
  goals and recovery plan
• Selection Criteria
• Contribution to achieving Threshold
• Most cost-effective
• Feasibility
• Timing

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NMFS Approval Criteria

• 1. Meets Habitat Expansion Threshold
• 2. Assures testing, operation and maintenance
• 3. Supports establishing a self-sustaining
  spring-run population
• 4. Segregates spring-run from fall-run Chinook
• 5. Meets the requirements for eligible habitat
  expansion actions
• 6. Reasonable time period for implementation.

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Timeline
Habitat Expansion Actions identified, evaluated,
and recommended
Final Habitat Expansion Plan approved by NMFS
Implementation of Habitat Expansion Actions
SUMMER
NOVEMBER
2008
2010
2011
2009
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Fulfillment of HEA

• DWR/PGE Coordination Agreement
• Steering Committee
• Internal Communications Plan (under development)
• Public Website (under development)

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Identification Evaluation of Potential Habitat
Expansion Actions

• Coarse screening of potential actions identified
  as part of PGE/CalTrout Salmon Recovery Project
  (underway)
• NMFS Central Valley Salmonid Recovery Plan
  (future activity)
• Outreach Program (under development)
• Parties to the HEA
• Directly affected and responsive third parties

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PGE/CalTrout Salmon Recovery Project

• Collaborative project to contribute to the
  recovery of listed salmon and steelhead in the
  Sacramento River Basin
• Overall objective develop a list of high
  priority recovery opportunities that are
  independent of and complimentary to ongoing
  recovery efforts
• Over 200 potential recovery actions were
  identified and evaluated a prioritization tool
  was developed and applied to many actions

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Next Steps

• Continue screening PGE/CalTrout Actions
• Begin screening actions in NMFS Recovery Plan, as
  available
  
• As part of Outreach Program, engage other Parties
  in discussion

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Next Steps

• Draft Habitat
• Expansion Plan
• by Nov. 20, 2009

Spring-run Chinook salmon in Butte Creek
(courtesy of Allen Harthorn)
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Evaluation Criteria

• Favorable feasibility
• Adequate scale of expansion
• Favorable sustainability
• Favorable cost-effectiveness
• Minimal human intervention
• Favorable spatial separation from other
  populations or run
• Favorable spatial separation from other spawning
  streams
• Acceptable length of time to implement
• Favorable local/political support

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Evaluation Criteria

• Consistency with NMFS VSP guidance, ESA recovery
  goals and recovery plan
• Balance of benefits to spring-run and steelhead
• Consistency with other resources uses such as
  water supply
• Favorable relative availability of appropriate
  stocks
• Low expectation for the action to be undertaken
  otherwise
• Favorable potential to benefit other fisheries
  affected by Feather River projects
• Low expectation for adverse impacts to listed
  species
• Low potential for adverse impacts to cultural
  resources