This contract covers a seven month period from 6/24/2009 to 1/31/2010.  This is a shorter period than the previous contract, which ran from 6/24/2008 through 6/24/09.  This shorter time period was at the request of the Yakama Nation (YN) and was agreed to by ISEMP, to make YN's hiring schedules and similar work conducted under other contracts more efficient.  Subsequent contracts will be for a 12-month period.

Project #2003-017-00 (Project) seeks to develop two novel monitoring and evaluation programs: (i) subbasin-scale pilot status and trend monitoring efforts for anadromous salmonids and their habitat in the Wenatchee, John Day and South Fork Salmon River subbasins, and (ii) effectiveness monitoring for suites of habitat restoration projects in selected watersheds within the three target subbasins.  This work – critical for implementing the 2000 NMFS FCRPS Biological Opinion (RPA Actions 180, 181, and 183) (BiOp) – builds on current status and trend monitoring programs within each of these subbasins.  Several regional and local organizations are funding and implementing these programs.  In short, this project will integrate existing and new monitoring and evaluation activities in three pilot subbasins to help ensure that provisions of the BiOp are satisfied.

This contract - Yakama Nation Smolt Trap/Surveying Wenatchee and Entiat Rivers - is one of several contracts that will implement this project.  The final report for this contract will contain data that will 1) be submitted to NOAA FISHERIES (also a contractor under this project) for use in a  project level integrated Annual Report and 2) be submitted to BPA as a contract final report according to the terms of this contract.
This Scope of Work (SOW) will enable the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to implement the Project in the Wenatchee and Entiat Subbasins.  Specifically, within this SOW, the Yakama Nation (YN) will 1) collect smolt trap data for spring Chinook salmon and steelhead for the Nason Creek watershed within the Wenatchee Subbasin in 2009, 2) conduct snorkeling surveys at 25 randomly selected trend locations in the Entiat subbasin, assist the U.S. Forest Service to conduct snorkeling surveys at 20 sites within the Wenatchee subbasin, and assist the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) with snorkel surveys at effectiveness monitoring sites in the Entiat subbasin, and 3) coordinate the ISEMP snorkel survey efforts within the Wenatchee and Entiat subbasins.

These work elements expand upon existing monitoring work being conducted by the YN and will help insure that future YN monitoring work will be compatible with Project needs. These work elements are interrelated with other Project components including: 1) smolt data collection of other species at other locations conducted by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the USFWS, and 2) snorkel and habitat surveys in the Wenatchee and Entiat subbasins conducted by the USFWS, Washington Department of Ecology, U. S. Forest Service, and Terraqua, Inc.  While the completion of work elements within this SOW is not dependent on the implementation of interrelated Project components, the completion of this SOW will provide the context for, and facilitate the interpretation of, data collected in other Project components.

Technical methodologies for all work conducted under this SOW will follow protocols specified in the following document unless changes to these methodologies are mutually agreed to by Terraqua, Inc. and YN: Hillman, T.W. 2006. Monitoring strategy for the Upper Columbia Basin: Draft report August 1, 2006.  Prepared for Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team, Wenatchee, Washington.

In order to coordinate among Project elements, the need for any changes in scope that may arise during the implementation of this SOW will be communicated to NOAA Fisheries and Terraqua, Inc. (by contacting Chris Jordan (1 541 754 4629) and Mike Ward (509-486-2426)).   Actual changes to this SOW must be approved by BPA.