Estuary Actions for Salmon and Steelhead

1
Estuary Actions for Salmon and Steelhead
NOAA 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion
Estuary Recovery Plan Module
Northwest Power and Conservation Council
Fish Wildlife Program

• Columbia River Estuary Science Policy Exchange
• September 10-11, 2009

2
Progression of FCRPS BiOp
2008 BiOp
2000 BiOp

• 10-year implementation of an aggressive
  non-breach strategy
• Based on a broader ESA analysis, similar to 2000
  BiOp analysis
• Offsite habitat mitigation, hatchery, predation
  control
• Conclusion Jeopardy with RPA
• Court challenge pending in NWF v. NMFS

• 10 years for implementation of an aggressive
  non-breach strategy
• Was long-term program called for by the 1995 BiOp
  
• Offsite habitat mitigation
• Conclusion Jeopardy with RPA
• Invalidated in NWF v. NMFS in 2003

1995 BiOp

• 5 years of FCRPS interim operations
• Transportation vs. dam drawdown study
• Conclusion Jeopardy with RPA
• Upheld in American Rivers v. NMFS

1993 BiOp

• 1 year of FCRPS dam operations only
• Conclusion No Jeopardy
• Invalidated in IDFG v. NMFS

3
2000 FCRPS BiOp Estuary Actions
Program Development 158
159, 162, 194
161, 195, 196, 197
Plans and Modeling
RME
Implement Restoration 160
4
2000 FCRPS BiOp Reasonable Prudent Alternative
Actions

• Action 158 Inventory estuary habitat to
  understand the relationship of that habitat to
  the needs of ESA-listed salmon and steelhead.
• Action 159 BPA and the Corps, working with
  LCREP and NMFS, shall develop a plan addressing
  the habitat needs of salmon and steelhead in
  the estuary.

5
2000 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Actions

• Action 160 The Corps and BPA, working with
  LCREP, shall develop and implement an estuary
  restoration program with the goal of protecting
  and enhancing 10,000 acres of tidal wetlands
  and other key habitats.
• Action 161 Fund a monitoring and research
  program acceptable to NMFS and closely
  coordinated with the LCREP monitoring and
  research efforts.
• Action 162 Develop a conceptual model of the
  relationship between estuarine conditions and
  population structure and resilience.
• Action 163 Develop a compliance monitoring
  program.

6
2000 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Actions

• Action 194 Develop a physical model of the
  lower Columbia River and plume.
• Action 196 Develop appropriate level of
  funding to support funding studies to develop
  an understanding of juvenile and adult salmon
  use of the Columbia River estuary.
• Action 197 Develop appropriate level of
  funding to support funding studies to develop
  an understanding of juvenile and adult salmon
  use of the Columbia River plume.

7
2008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 36

• Estuary Habitat Implementation 2007-2009
• Action Agencies will provide funding to implement
  specific actions as part of a 10-year estuary
  habitat program to achieve the estimated ESU
  survival benefits of 9.0 and 6.0, for ocean and
  stream types, respectively.
• Projects in an early state of development such
  that quantitative physical metrics have not been
  related to estimated survival benefits will be
  selected per Action 37.
• If projects identified for implementation in
  2007-2009 prove infeasible, the action agencies
  will implement comparable replacement projects in
  2010-2013.
• Implementation plans and annual reports.

8
2008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 37

• Estuary Habitat Implementation 2010-2018
  Achieving Habitat Quality and Survival
  Improvement Targets
• Action Agencies will actively engage the LCREP
  Science Work Group to identify project benefits
  in coordination with other regional recovery
  planning products and the modified LCREP project
  selection criteria to identify projects that will
  benefit salmon considered in this RPA.
• The Action Agencies will convene an expert
  regional technical group. This group will use the
  habitat metrics to determine the estimated change
  in survival which would result from full
  implementation.
• Project proposals will clearly describe the
  completed project in terms of quantitative
  habitat metrics which can be used to
  quantitatively evaluate progress and completion
  of individual projects.

9
2008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 37

• Estuary Habitat Implementation 2010-2018
  Achieving Habitat Quality and Survival
  Improvement Targets
• The expert regional technical group will use the
  existing approach applied in the FCRPS BA and
  all subsequent information on the relationship
  between actions, habitat, and salmon productivity
  models developed though the FCRPA RME to
  estimate the change in overall estuary habitat
  and resultant change in population survival.
• Replacement projects as needed will be developed
  to achieve equivalent survival benefits, based on
  input from expert panels, regional recovery
  planning groups, the Northwest Power and
  Conversation Council, and NOAA Fisheries.
• New information can and should be used to review
  projects and their estimated survival benefits.
  If benefits are determined to be overstated,
  replacement projects will be implemented.
• Implementation plans and annual reports.

10
2008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 38

• Piling and Piling Dike Removal Program
• Increase productive habitat and reduce avian
  predation.
• In 2008, the Action Agencies will work with LCREP
  to develop a plan for strategic removal of
  structures that have lower value to navigation
  channel maintenance, present low risk to adjacent
  land use, support increased ecosystem function,
  and are cost-effective.
• Implementation plans and annual reports.

11
2008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 58

• Monitor and Evaluate Fish Performance in the
  Estuary and Plume
• Smolt survival and/or fitness in select reaches
  from Bonneville Dam through the estuary.
• Develop and index and monitor and evaluate life
  history diversity of salmonid populations at
  representative locations in the estuary.
• Salmon and growth rates and prey resources at
  representative locations in the estuary and
  plume.
• Implementation plans and annual reports.

12
2008 FCRPS BiOpReasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 59

• Monitor and Evaluate Migration Characteristics
  and Estuary/Ocean Conditions
• Map bathymetry and topography of the estuary as
  needed for RME.
• Establish a hierarchical habitat classification
  system.
• Develop and index of habitat connectivity and
  apply it to the eight reaches of the study area.
• Evaluate migration through and use of a subset of
  various shallow-water habits from Bonneville Dan
  to the mouth.
• Monitor habitat conditions periodically.
• Implementation plans and annual reports.

13
2008 FCRPS BiOp Reasonable Prudent Alternative
Action 60

• Monitor and Evaluate Habitat Actions in the
  Estuary
• Reference site development.
• Evaluate the effects on individual restoration
  sites.
• Develop a methodology to estimate the cumulative
  effects of habitat conservation and restoration
  projects.
• Implementation plans and annual reports.

14
Salmon and Steelhead Estuary Recovery Plan Module

• For NMFS by the Lower Columbia River Estuary
  Partnership
• Part of a larger ESA domain plan for the lower
  Columbia
• Consistent estuary application for upstream
  recovery plans
• Consistent with NPCC subbasin plans

15
Extensive Review Process

• First draft in October 2005
• Presentations and feedback from other recovery
  planning efforts
• Presentation to Northwest Power and Conservation
  Council
• Formal public review process (Federal Register)
• Review by ISAB (Fall 2007)

16
Module Elements

• Limiting factors
• Threats
• Management actions
• Cost
• Schedule
• Monitoring

17
Management Actions

• 23 comprehensive actions
• Actions supported by projects
• Project metrics defined ( of acres, etc.)
• Cost
• Schedule
• Potential implementers

18
Estuary Module Status

• Proposed draft submitted to NMFS
• Final draft October 2009

19
Northwest Power and Conservation Council2009
Lower Columbia River and Estuary Program

• Implementation of habitat actions in estuary, and
  associated ME, will occur through the CR estuary
  and Lower Columbia subbasin plans.
• Columbia River Estuary ESA Recovery Plan Module
  for Salmon and Steelhead will be used to guide
  actions in lower river and estuary.

20
Northwest Power and Conservation Council 2009
Lower Columbia River and Estuary Program

• Council supports strategies to protect, enhance
  and restore critical habitat, spawning and
  rearing grounds, including
• Habitat restoration to reconnect ecosystem
  functions, e.g., removing dikes/levees,
  installing tide gates, removing pile dikes
• Long-term effectiveness monitoring
• Continued evaluation of salmon/steelhead
  migration and survival rates in lower Columbia
  River, estuary, and marine environment
• Evaluation of impact of flow regulation,
  dredging, and water quality on habitat
• Continued partnerships in planning, ME, and
  implementation of actions