Consensus Statement of the WRIA 1 Watershed Management Project Instream
Flow and Fish Habitat Technical Teams
March 15, 2006
The Instream Flow and Fish Habitat technical team’s technical work products include substantial
field data and analyses and reflect the results of a large number of consensus decisions that have
been made over the 1999 through 2006 period. These consensus decisions include the following:
1) The most appropriate methods to be used to quantify the relationship between flow and the
quality and quantity of fish habitat for various species and life stages throughout WRIA 1.
2) The science team that will apply the selected methods.
3) The locations in WRIA 1 where the selected methods will be applied by the science team.
4) The habitat suitability criteria that will be used.
5) WRIA 1 fish periodicity and distribution.
6) The habitat models that will be used.
7) How the hydraulic and habitat model results will be presented.
8) The appropriate dissolved oxygen and temperature thresholds.
9) Stratification and extrapolation approaches.
10) Peer review panel composition.
11) The fish species and life stage prioritization throughout WRIA 1.
12) How the model results should be summarized for decision makers.
The technical work products that we are seeking consensus on during the March 15, 2006
meeting of the Instream Flow and Fish Habitat technical teams combine the estimated
relationship between stream flows and fish habitat at the locations where field data were collected
(i.e., intensive and rapid assessment sites), the fish species and life stage prioritization that was
previously agreed to, and the estimated hydrology at these locations. The flows derived from this
process at each site or extrapolated site are preliminary scientific inputs to the approved WRIA 1
Instream Flow Selection and Adoption Action Plan. The technical teams have identified flows
that are optimal for priority WRIA 1 fish species and life stages subject to current hydrologic
model constraints and fish habitat model limitations (see www.wria1project.wsu.edu). These
technical recommendations, along with other technical, policy, and legal considerations,
including beneficial out-of-stream water needs and existing and future hydrologic constraints,
will be used to negotiate a flow regime that is acceptable to the parties and is then adopted. The
recommended initial flows from the technical teams are not to be confused with the instream
flows that are to result from the implementation of the Instream Flow Selection and Adoption
Action Plan.
Instream Flow/ Fish Habitat Technical team members and observers present:
Jeremy Freimund
Bob Vadas
John Thompson
Ned Currence
Treva Coe
Llyn Doremus
Tom Anderson
Rebecca Schlotterback
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Technical Team Members
Lummi Nation
Clare Fogelsong
WDFW
Paul Schlenger
Whatcom County
Doug Allen
Nooksack Tribe
Steve Seymour
Nooksack Tribe
Chris Fairbanks
Nooksack Tribe
Thom Hardy
Observers
Whatcom PUD
Bruce Roll
Whatcom PUD
Stacy Fawell
City of Bellingham
City of Bellingham
WDOE
WDFW
Whatcom PUD
USU
Whatcom County
Lummi Nation