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

This project conducts trap and haul and fish passage facility maintenance and operations in the Umatilla and Walla Walla Rivers. It provides the personnel and equipment for capturing hatchery broodstock for propagating Chinook, steelhead, and coho at hatcheries in the two subbasins. As the proposal states, it is not itself a habitat restoration project but is a member of a suite of projects that are attempting to restore natural production to both river systems.

The significance to regional programs, technical background, and objectives of the project are described in a straightforward way. The project's actions have evolved over the years and now include various fish passage O&M activities as well as trap and haul. In addition, some activities have been transferred to other projects.

Project personnel monitor flow and passage conditions, provide oversight for the operation and maintenance of fish passage and trapping facilities, maintain fish hauling equipment, offer technical input and coordinate passage improvement efforts and produce annual operating plans. The project also provides the broodstock for the Umatilla Hatchery programs. The two objectives are to increase the survival of migrating adult and juvenile salmonids and to collect and disseminate adult return information for the Umatilla River.

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

Agricultural activities in the Umatilla and Walla Walla subbasins have created significant fish passage issues for adult and juvenile salmonids. In the lower Umatilla, modern fish screens were installed at the five major irrigation canals, juvenile bypasses and adult ladders were constructed, and adult and juvenile trapping facilities were built so that fish could be transported around river reaches during low flow periods. In the Walla Walla, irrigation diversions have been removed, fish passage facilities have been constructed, trap and haul efforts have been initiated, and minimum instream flow requirements have been established. This project is responsible for trapping fall Chinook, spring Chinook, coho, and summer steelhead broodstock for the artificial propagation programs in the Umatilla River.

Currently, principal activities include river flow regulation and enhancement, facility maintenance, broodstock collection, and overall coordination of the fish passage programs in the Walla Walla and Umatilla basins. Some adaptive management has occurred, as initially there was an emphasis on trap and haul. Now natural volitional up- and down-stream migration is preferred over transportation where natural migration results in higher overall survival rates.

Accomplishments of the project were described in qualitative terms; data on returning numbers of adults trapped and hauled or smolts counted at Threemile Dam were not presented. The proposal mentions observations made during fish migration seasons, but does not give any examples of what kind of observations are recorded or how the observations are used to guide management. The proposal also did not describe if any changes had been made to the trapping and hauling procedures, adult release points, or other techniques as a result of learning from past actions.

Because this project has been in place for about 25 years, it would have been helpful to identify efficiency improvements in O&M that have been implemented since the project's inception.

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

The project is closely linked to the Umatilla Basin Project Power Repay and the Umatilla Fish Passage Facilities O&M projects. Coordination with BOR’s Umatilla Basin Project, the Oregon Department of Water Resources, and local irrigation districts occurs in the Umatilla subbasin. In the Walla Walla subbasin, the project is closely associated with the Walla Walla River Juvenile and Adult Passage Improvements project. In the Walla Walla, the project interacts with ODFW, WDFW, USACE, Oregon Department of Water Resources, the Washington Department of Ecology, and local irrigation districts. Relationships with other projects in the two subbasins are adequately described.

The proposal does not address emerging limiting factors, but it would be helpful to know if trap and haul mortality has changed over the years, or if they have noticed any unusual sources of anadromous salmonid mortality at any of the new fish passage facilities. When low flows occur, poor water quality leads to poor survival and an increase in trapping and hauling fish. Such years may be a consequence of climate change.

4. Deliverables, Work Elements, Metrics, and Methods

Nine deliverables were described. They included: inspection of river conditions and facility operations, coordinating the Umatilla passage program, transportation of adult and juvenile fish, maintaining and operating fish hauling equipment, collecting and disseminating adult fish counts, providing broodstock for the Umatilla Hatchery programs, out-planting adults for natural production, and performing technical reviews of fish passage improvement efforts. Some of the methods used for data collection are fairly well described while others, for example determining adult fish condition, needed more detail.

One aspect of the work that needs additional description is how a random sample of returning adults is selected for broodstock (see p. 4 of the proposal). Are fish for broodstock selected over the entire run time? Are fish selected randomly with respect to sex, size and age, for example are jacks included in broodstock? If the run is small, are hatchery needs satisfied before surplus fish are allowed to spawn naturally, or does the hatchery simply get a fixed proportion of the escapement? It would have been helpful to address these questions in the proposal.

Specific comments on protocols and methods described in MonitoringMethods.org

One Protocol entitled Umatilla 3 Mile Falls Fish Passage Operation was listed. It has six monitoring methods. The video enumeration of adults, salmonid processing at migrant traps, fork length and mid-orbital to hypural length methods are fairly well described. The hypural plate method, however, should be refined. As it currently exists, no clear instruction is provided for identifying the posterior edge of the hypural plate. This can be consistently found by laying a fish on its side and bending the caudal fin up toward the head. A visible crease occurs at the trailing edge of the hypural plate. The methods used to determine fish abundance and condition could use some additional explanation.

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

This is a straightforward project that is needed for the operation and maintenance of fish passage facilities. Two qualifications should be addressed in contracting and in future reviews:

 

There should be a clear procedure describing how observations on fish passage mentioned in the proposal will be incorporated into management actions. The project sponsors should look for opportunities to use trap/haul and fish passage facilities to monitor juvenile migration. In addition, progress reports should explain how O&M procedures have changed as a result of learning from past operations.

Collection of adult salmon and steelhead selected for use as broodstock should continue to follow HSRG guidelines for the Umatilla and Walla Walla subbasins.

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

This project conducts trap and haul and fish passage facility maintenance and operations in the Umatilla and Walla Walla Rivers. It provides the personnel and equipment for capturing hatchery broodstock for propagating Chinook, steelhead, and coho at hatcheries in the two subbasins. As the proposal states, it is not itself a habitat restoration project but is a member of a suite of projects that are attempting to restore natural production to both river systems.

The significance to regional programs, technical background, and objectives of the project are described in a straightforward way. The project's actions have evolved over the years and now include various fish passage O&M activities as well as trap and haul. In addition, some activities have been transferred to other projects.

Project personnel monitor flow and passage conditions, provide oversight for the operation and maintenance of fish passage and trapping facilities, maintain fish hauling equipment, offer technical input and coordinate passage improvement efforts and produce annual operating plans. The project also provides the broodstock for the Umatilla Hatchery programs. The two objectives are to increase the survival of migrating adult and juvenile salmonids and to collect and disseminate adult return information for the Umatilla River.

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

Agricultural activities in the Umatilla and Walla Walla subbasins have created significant fish passage issues for adult and juvenile salmonids. In the lower Umatilla, modern fish screens were installed at the five major irrigation canals, juvenile bypasses and adult ladders were constructed, and adult and juvenile trapping facilities were built so that fish could be transported around river reaches during low flow periods. In the Walla Walla, irrigation diversions have been removed, fish passage facilities have been constructed, trap and haul efforts have been initiated, and minimum instream flow requirements have been established. This project is responsible for trapping fall Chinook, spring Chinook, coho, and summer steelhead broodstock for the artificial propagation programs in the Umatilla River.

Currently, principal activities include river flow regulation and enhancement, facility maintenance, broodstock collection, and overall coordination of the fish passage programs in the Walla Walla and Umatilla basins. Some adaptive management has occurred, as initially there was an emphasis on trap and haul. Now natural volitional up- and down-stream migration is preferred over transportation where natural migration results in higher overall survival rates.

Accomplishments of the project were described in qualitative terms; data on returning numbers of adults trapped and hauled or smolts counted at Threemile Dam were not presented. The proposal mentions observations made during fish migration seasons, but does not give any examples of what kind of observations are recorded or how the observations are used to guide management. The proposal also did not describe if any changes had been made to the trapping and hauling procedures, adult release points, or other techniques as a result of learning from past actions.

Because this project has been in place for about 25 years, it would have been helpful to identify efficiency improvements in O&M that have been implemented since the project's inception.

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

The project is closely linked to the Umatilla Basin Project Power Repay and the Umatilla Fish Passage Facilities O&M projects. Coordination with BOR’s Umatilla Basin Project, the Oregon Department of Water Resources, and local irrigation districts occurs in the Umatilla subbasin. In the Walla Walla subbasin, the project is closely associated with the Walla Walla River Juvenile and Adult Passage Improvements project. In the Walla Walla, the project interacts with ODFW, WDFW, USACE, Oregon Department of Water Resources, the Washington Department of Ecology, and local irrigation districts. Relationships with other projects in the two subbasins are adequately described.

The proposal does not address emerging limiting factors, but it would be helpful to know if trap and haul mortality has changed over the years, or if they have noticed any unusual sources of anadromous salmonid mortality at any of the new fish passage facilities. When low flows occur, poor water quality leads to poor survival and an increase in trapping and hauling fish. Such years may be a consequence of climate change.

4. Deliverables, Work Elements, Metrics, and Methods

Nine deliverables were described. They included: inspection of river conditions and facility operations, coordinating the Umatilla passage program, transportation of adult and juvenile fish, maintaining and operating fish hauling equipment, collecting and disseminating adult fish counts, providing broodstock for the Umatilla Hatchery programs, out-planting adults for natural production, and performing technical reviews of fish passage improvement efforts. Some of the methods used for data collection are fairly well described while others, for example determining adult fish condition, needed more detail.

One aspect of the work that needs additional description is how a random sample of returning adults is selected for broodstock (see p. 4 of the proposal). Are fish for broodstock selected over the entire run time? Are fish selected randomly with respect to sex, size and age, for example are jacks included in broodstock? If the run is small, are hatchery needs satisfied before surplus fish are allowed to spawn naturally, or does the hatchery simply get a fixed proportion of the escapement? It would have been helpful to address these questions in the proposal.

Specific comments on protocols and methods described in MonitoringMethods.org

One Protocol entitled Umatilla 3 Mile Falls Fish Passage Operation was listed. It has six monitoring methods. The video enumeration of adults, salmonid processing at migrant traps, fork length and mid-orbital to hypural length methods are fairly well described. The hypural plate method, however, should be refined. As it currently exists, no clear instruction is provided for identifying the posterior edge of the hypural plate. This can be consistently found by laying a fish on its side and bending the caudal fin up toward the head. A visible crease occurs at the trailing edge of the hypural plate. The methods used to determine fish abundance and condition could use some additional explanation.

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

This is a straightforward project that is needed for the operation and maintenance of fish passage facilities. Two qualifications should be addressed in contracting and in future reviews:

 

Modified by Dal Marsters on 6/12/2013 9:27:26 AM.