BPA Project Number:  2002-011-00
Contract title: Kootenai River Floodplain Operational loss Assessment, Mitigation and Restoration Project
Performance/Budget Period: 6/1/06 - 3/31/07

Damming of rivers represents a cataclysmic event for large river-floodplain ecosystems. By altering water, sediment, and nutrient flow dynamics, dams interrupt and alter a river's important ecological processes in aquatic, riparian, and surrounding terrestrial environments. These environments, their life-supporting ecological functions, and the persistence of their floral and faunal communities are inexorably linked. Alteration of any component of such highly integrated natural systems generally results in cascading trophic effects throughout the ecosystem. Thus, major system perturbations, such as impounding large rivers, create a myriad of ecological dysfunction, reflected at all trophic levels on an ecosystem scale. The importance of nutrient and energy dynamics during natural pulses of water discharge in rivers has been extensively described in terms of river ecology (e.g. flood pulse, river continuum, nutrient spiraling, and serial discontinuity concepts). Incorporating this knowledge, we apply a structured series of ecological evaluations to a post-impoundment large river-floodplain ecosystem, the Kootenai River system, as part of a multidisciplinary, adaptive management approach to determine and quantify floodplain ecosystem function losses due to operation of Libby Dam.  

Goal:
Create an operational loss assessment tool to assess ecological losses due to operations of Libby Dam. Protect, restore and/or enhance floodplain ecosystem, which has been altered and degraded by the operations of Libby Dam in the Kootenai Watershed (e.g. riparian, wetland, and related uplands and tributary areas) in order to promote healthy self-sustaining fish and wildlife populations, and functional restored or normative ecological functions within and among biotic communities with an emphasis on restoring sustainable hunting/gathering populations of flora and fauna for tribal sustenance.  Provide a template/tool that can be used across other regions.

Goal A: Create methodologies that will best assess operational losses in the Kootenai River Watershed and are regionally applicable.

Goal B: Initiate the development of a framework for a regionally applicable operational loss assessment for the Columbia River Basin.

Goal C: Assist in the coordination and development of Citizen Committees and Technical Committees to create a geographically-specific and comprehensive process.

Goal D: Mitigate, restore and rehabilitate the Kootenai River floodplain system in such a way that it will provide sustainable populations of flora and fauna for tribal sustenance.

Purpose:
Produce an Operational Loss Assessment Tool that can estimate hydrologic, aquatic, riparian and associated terrestrial ecological losses due to Libby Dam operations in the Kootenai River floodplain and will be applicable in other post-development large river-floodplain ecosystems.


The KTOI Wildlife Program, with project # 2002-011-00, has begun the estimation process for operational loss assessments in the Kootenai River Subbasin, and follows the 2000 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (NWPPC 2000) "An assessment should be conducted of direct operational impacts on wildlife habitat."  During the efforts to assess the functional losses associated with the operations of Libby Dam, KTOI will develop an operational loss process that can be used regionally. In addition, the NWPCC has committed itself to protecting, mitigating and enhancing "all fish and wildlife affected by the operation of the hydrosystem" and understands that "operational and secondary losses have not been estimated or addressed" (NWPPC 2000). Wildlife benefits derived from this project (#2002-011-00) will help address habitat losses attributed to the operations of Libby Dam, as well as regional systemwide impacts.      

The KTOI project proposal and process follows the newly adopted program (NWPPC 2000) and the 1995 Fish and Wildlife Program by directing its efforts to mitigate for fish and wildlife losses attributable to the development, operation and management of the Columbia River Basin hydroelectric facilities. Also, the KTOI project proposal keys in on several sections of the 1995 NWPPC Fish and Wildlife Program: 1) section 10.1 of the NWPPC resident fish program that necessitates the restoration of native fish and associated native habitats, 2) section 2.1A that fish and wildlife managers should explore methods that assess trends in ecosystem health, 3) section 2.2G.1 calls for the development, funding and implementation of international cooperative efforts, and 4) section 11.2D.1 mentions the need to provide riparian or other habitats that benefit both fish and wildlife. Additionally, the USFWS has written a letter of support for projects that have shown a direct link to Biological Opinions (BiOps) and recovery efforts.

* Note: Referrals to past Northwest Power Planning Council documents and decisions will remain as NWPPC; however reciting recent decisions and occurrences will address the Council as the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC).