Willamette Project Biological Opinions:
Improvements for fish in a dynamic
environment
NWHA- Panel Discussion
“Spawning Better Ideas for Fish Passage”
February 23, 2011
Mindy Simmons
Program Manager, Willamette Biological
Opinion Implementation
US Army Corps of Engineers
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Multiple Authorized
Purposes
 Flood damage
reduction
 Hydropower
 Navigation
 Irrigation
 Fish & wildlife
 Recreation
 Water quality
 Municipal & industrial
water supply
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Detroit
Big Cliff
Green Peter
Foster
Willamette Project
13 multi-purpose
dams
Cougar
Blue River
Dexter
Fall Creek
Lookout Point
Hills Creek
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ESA- listed anadromous fish in the Willamette Basin
National Marine Fisheries Service
(NMFS) jurisdiction
Upper Willamette River winter
steelhead
Upper Willamette River Spring
Chinook salmon
• Adults spawn in tributaries of Willamette River
• Juveniles migrate to ocean for part of their life
• Return to same stream where they were born
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ESA- Listed resident fish in the Willamette Basin
Oregon chub
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
jurisdiction
Bull trout
Resident fish spend their entire
lifecycle in fresh water
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Project Effects:
Dams blocked access to
upstream spawning habitat
Dam operation affects rearing
and migration habitat
downstream of dams
==> Willamette Project dams
affect many life stages of
fish
Major populations of
ESA-listed species
affected by the
Willamette Project
Chinook
North Santiam
Steelhead
Chinook
South Santiam
Steelhead
Chinook
Oregon Chub: all
basins have
populations, many
on Corps property
McKenzie
Middle Fork
Bull trout
Chinook
Bull trout
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Willamette Project Biological Opinions
 No FERC licensing required for federal dams (no Sec 18)
 Two Biological Opinions (NMFS and USFWS) issued in 2008 include:
►
Operation of 13 dams and reservoirs (and downstream effects)
►
Hatchery Mitigation Program
►
42 miles of Bank Protection Projects
 90 Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs) in NMFS BiOp, T&Cs from
USFWS
 15-year timeframe; opportunity for great survival increases
 Action agencies: USACE, Bonneville Power Administration, BOR
 Regional Collaboration through Willamette Action Team for Ecosystem
Restoration (WATER)
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Willamette
BiOp Actions
: AActions
life cycle approach
Types of Willamette
BiOp
Evaluate Feasibility of
Downstream Fish Passage
Facilities
•Cougar- 2014
•Lookout Point- 2023
•Detroit- 2021 (or 2018)
Historical
spawning
habitat
Upstream fish passage for
adults via “trap-and-haul”
•Minto- 2012
•Foster- 2013
•Dexter- 2014
•Fall Creek- 2015
Downstream Habitat
Improvements
•Flow management
•Temperature
•Hatchery
improvements
•Habitat Restoration
Projects
Configurations and
Operational Planning
Study
Research, Monitoring, and
Evaluation
Adaptive Management
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Fish Passage Improvements: upstream passage
DEXTER DAM (Re-regulating dam
located downstream of Lookout
Point Dam)
Hatchery/Adult
Collection Facility
to take fish to
hatchery
Adult Collection
Adult Sorting; load
on to truck for
transport
Concept: Upgrade hatchery fish facilities to use as “trap-and-haul” fish
passage for adult fish
Use hatchery spring Chinook to evaluate potential for reintroduction in
upstream habitat
Upgrade Minto Hatchery Fish Facility: Adult Trap-and-Haul
BIG
CLIFF
DAM
NORTH SANTIAM
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Issue: Downstream fish passage is challenging
• Long reservoirs
• Predators??
• Multiple passage
routes
Spill gates
(rarely used)
Power Turbines
• Deep intakes (very
little surface spill)
Regulating
Outlets (“spill”)
• High mortality
• Very little
information on fish
movement in
reservoirs
Lookout Point Dam
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Willamette Downstream Passage:
Design Requirements Report
For 18 downstream
passage projects,
summarized:
 Relevance
 Design criteria
 Target species
 Geometry
 Operation
 Performance
 Design studies
 Design &
construction
schedule
 Cost
Willamette BiOp Challenges
 Balance between RM&E and moving forward with
designs- how much information do we need?
 Performance standards- how do we avoid jeopardy
and support recovery?
 Understanding causes and implications of prespawning mortality of adult spring Chinook
 Adjusting priorities based on research
 Funding challenges- reliant upon Congressional
appropriations and BPA ratecase
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Willamette BiOp Implementation
Concept and Timeline
Short term (2008-2015)
Long term (2016-2023)
Willamette Reservoir System
MM
Major Milestone / Decision Point
Detailed Design Report (DDR)
Configuration / Operation Planning (COP)
Conceptual ESA Implementation Strategy
AM
Annual Milestone / Decision Point
Construction
Plans & Specification (P&S)
IM
Interim Mileston / Decision Point
Monitoring & Evaluation
Flow Actions
6
7
2014
2015
0
2008
Phase / Activity
1
2009
2
2010
3
2011
4
2012
5
2013
8
2016
9
2017
Site / Concept Study
Authorization & Appropriation
11
12
13
2019
2020
2021
10
2018
14
2022
15
2023
Flow Management
Meet Tributary Flows, Mainstem Flows & Ramp Rates
Annual Opearting Plan Updates and Revisions
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM1
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
AM2
AM3
Near-term Operational changes
Action a (Fall Creek Drawdown?)
Action b (Detroit Temperature?)
Annual Fish Passage Management Plan
Flow-Related M&E
Cougar Adult Trap
IM2
AM2
AM2
AM3
Short-term Implementation
Actions/ Construction
AM3
Upgrade Existing Fish Collection & Handling Facilities
IM3
Minto Adult Fish Collection
IM7
Dexter Adult Fish Collection
IM10
Foster Adult Fish Collection
IM12
Fall Creek Adult Fish Collection
Construct new Fish Release sites
Leaburg Dam Sorting Facility
IM1
IM4
IM8
Configuration / Operation Planning
COP Research, Monitoring & Evaluation
Reconnaissance Phase Study
MM1
Long-term Implementation
Actions/Construction
MM3
Comprehensive Study / environmental compliance
Longer Term Operational Changes
Evaluate Presumed RPA Actions
Prototype Juvenile Head-of-Reservoir Collector
IM5
COP Focal Study: Cougar Downstream Passage
COP Focal Study: Detroit Temperature Control
Research, Monitoring, and
Evaluation
Authorization (WRDA 2013?) & Appropriation
Preauthorization Engineering & Design
Implementation
COP Focal Study: Lookout Point Downstream Passage
Authorization (WRDA 2015?) & Appropriation
Preauthorization Engineering & Design
Configuration and Operations
Planning (COP)
Implementation
COP Focal Study: Detroit Fish Passage
Authorization (WRDA 2015?) & Appropriation
MM2
IM9
IM11
Adaptive
Management
with Regional
Collaboration
MM4
MM5
IM13
MM6
MM7
IM14
Preauthorization Engineering & Design
MM8
MM9
IM15
Implementation
Pink boxes in timeline = Construction Actions
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