1. Purpose: Significance to Regional Programs, Technical Background, and Objectives

Although this project does not engage in habitat restoration per se, it serves as part of a suite of projects that aim to improve habitat and fish access to the Umatilla River and its tributaries. As the project title implies, the objectives are to maintain fish passage facilities, primarily in the lower river (irrigation diversions), but the project also maintains hatchery salmon acclimation ponds in the Umatilla River subbasin. The maintenance of fish passage facilities is carried out by the Westland Irrigation District, while project oversight is provided by the Umatilla Fish Passage Operations project. The technical background and significance to regional programs were adequately explained. River conditions, for example discharge, debris load, and bedload transport, can affect fish passage and screening efficiencies. Maintaining and operating passage facilities according to established criteria are important regional functions.

2. History: Accomplishments, Results, and Adaptive Management (Evaluation of Results)

Inadequate up- and downstream passage was identified as the primary cause for the extirpation of Chinook and coho salmon and decline of summer steelhead in the Umatilla subbasin. In the 1980s, ODFW and CTUIR began implementing the Umatilla Fisheries Restoration Plan. An important part of this plan was to construct fish passage facilities on BOR and irrigation dams. Once built, these structures needed to be maintained. Project personnel remove rocks and debris from fish ladders, screens, by-pass outlets, and forebays. They ensure that gates and screens meet passage criteria, repair screens, and maintain trash racks. Additionally, the project assists the Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facilities O&M project maintain juvenile acclimation sites. Project personnel do not initiate changes to maintenance activities; all such changes originate from the biological staff of the Fish Passage Operations project.

The history and accomplishments of the project were adequately explained. Results were described in general terms as maintenance and repairs on fishways and pipes. Although the proposal states that improvements in Chinook and steelhead passage and survival have occurred as a result of these maintenance actions, no biological data were presented. Likewise, the proposal states that adjustments to maintenance activities have occurred following feedback from the biological staff of the Fish Passage Operation project, but no specific examples were given. An example or two would have helped illustrate project results and adaptive management.

Because this is an operation and maintenance project that performs no RM&E, there was no evaluation of results. However, the ISRP believes that O&M projects such as this one can assist RM&E projects by providing infrastructure for tag detection and other monitoring activities.

3. Project Relationships, Emerging Limiting Factors, and Tailored Questions

The project is closely linked to the Umatilla Fish Passage Operations, Umatilla Basin Power Repay, Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facilities O&M, Umatilla Basin Natural Production M&E, and Juvenile Salmonid Outmigration and Survival in the Lower Umatilla River Basin projects. Project personnel work closely with CTUIR and ODFW. Biological oversight is provided by staff from the Umatilla/Walla Walla Fish Operations project. No emerging limiting factors where listed.

The relationship of the fish passage O&M work to other habitat-related projects in the Umatilla subbasin was adequately described. No emerging limiting factors were identified, and the project does not involve tagging fish to estimate passage survival at the irrigation diversions, although this function could be added at some point in the future.

4. Deliverables, Work Elements, Metrics, and Methods

Deliverables and work elements were clearly explained. However, the proposal gave somewhat more detail about the fish passage O&M methods than the acclimation pond maintenance methods, for example, how are the ponds cleaned when not in use?

Two deliverables were identified. One was to preserve passage at Umatilla water diversion sites by maintaining fencing, removing debris, cleaning trash racks, adjusting flow gates, and performing annual repairs as needed. The other deliverable was to help maintain hatchery acclimation sites by performing repairs as needed to intake structures, screens, spawning areas, and other hatchery infrastructure. No scientific data are collected, although there are anecdotal records of fishes recovered during the cleaning operations.

General Comment

The project sponsors are providing support for other projects in an effective manner. Collaboration with sponsors of other projects appears to be excellent.

===========QUALIFICATIONS FOLLOW================

This is a straightforward project to maintain and repair fish passage facilities at five irrigation diversions and to maintain five acclimation ponds. As part of a larger suite of habitat restoration projects in the Umatilla subbasin it meets scientific criteria. The qualification is that project staff should work with other Umatilla habitat projects to develop ways of monitoring migrant mortality at the passage facilities to verify that the maintenance actions are meeting objectives. In addition, opportunities to use the screening facilities for monitoring downstream migrants (through tag recoveries) should be considered if the ability to detect marked individuals is in place.

1. Purpose: Significance to Regional Programs, Technical Background, and Objectives

Although this project does not engage in habitat restoration per se, it serves as part of a suite of projects that aim to improve habitat and fish access to the Umatilla River and its tributaries. As the project title implies, the objectives are to maintain fish passage facilities, primarily in the lower river (irrigation diversions), but the project also maintains hatchery salmon acclimation ponds in the Umatilla River subbasin. The maintenance of fish passage facilities is carried out by the Westland Irrigation District, while project oversight is provided by the Umatilla Fish Passage Operations project. The technical background and significance to regional programs were adequately explained. River conditions, for example discharge, debris load, and bedload transport, can affect fish passage and screening efficiencies. Maintaining and operating passage facilities according to established criteria are important regional functions.

2. History: Accomplishments, Results, and Adaptive Management (Evaluation of Results)

Inadequate up- and downstream passage was identified as the primary cause for the extirpation of Chinook and coho salmon and decline of summer steelhead in the Umatilla subbasin. In the 1980s, ODFW and CTUIR began implementing the Umatilla Fisheries Restoration Plan. An important part of this plan was to construct fish passage facilities on BOR and irrigation dams. Once built, these structures needed to be maintained. Project personnel remove rocks and debris from fish ladders, screens, by-pass outlets, and forebays. They ensure that gates and screens meet passage criteria, repair screens, and maintain trash racks. Additionally, the project assists the Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facilities O&M project maintain juvenile acclimation sites. Project personnel do not initiate changes to maintenance activities; all such changes originate from the biological staff of the Fish Passage Operations project.

The history and accomplishments of the project were adequately explained. Results were described in general terms as maintenance and repairs on fishways and pipes. Although the proposal states that improvements in Chinook and steelhead passage and survival have occurred as a result of these maintenance actions, no biological data were presented. Likewise, the proposal states that adjustments to maintenance activities have occurred following feedback from the biological staff of the Fish Passage Operation project, but no specific examples were given. An example or two would have helped illustrate project results and adaptive management.

Because this is an operation and maintenance project that performs no RM&E, there was no evaluation of results. However, the ISRP believes that O&M projects such as this one can assist RM&E projects by providing infrastructure for tag detection and other monitoring activities.

3. Project Relationships, Emerging Limiting Factors, and Tailored Questions

The project is closely linked to the Umatilla Fish Passage Operations, Umatilla Basin Power Repay, Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facilities O&M, Umatilla Basin Natural Production M&E, and Juvenile Salmonid Outmigration and Survival in the Lower Umatilla River Basin projects. Project personnel work closely with CTUIR and ODFW. Biological oversight is provided by staff from the Umatilla/Walla Walla Fish Operations project. No emerging limiting factors where listed.

The relationship of the fish passage O&M work to other habitat-related projects in the Umatilla subbasin was adequately described. No emerging limiting factors were identified, and the project does not involve tagging fish to estimate passage survival at the irrigation diversions, although this function could be added at some point in the future.

4. Deliverables, Work Elements, Metrics, and Methods

Deliverables and work elements were clearly explained. However, the proposal gave somewhat more detail about the fish passage O&M methods than the acclimation pond maintenance methods, for example, how are the ponds cleaned when not in use?

Two deliverables were identified. One was to preserve passage at Umatilla water diversion sites by maintaining fencing, removing debris, cleaning trash racks, adjusting flow gates, and performing annual repairs as needed. The other deliverable was to help maintain hatchery acclimation sites by performing repairs as needed to intake structures, screens, spawning areas, and other hatchery infrastructure. No scientific data are collected, although there are anecdotal records of fishes recovered during the cleaning operations.

General Comment

The project sponsors are providing support for other projects in an effective manner. Collaboration with sponsors of other projects appears to be excellent.

===========QUALIFICATIONS FOLLOW================

Modified by Dal Marsters on 6/11/2013 1:17:09 PM.