This contract ensures the optimal operation of the rotary screw trap at peak outmigration periods in spring and fall for target species (the trap operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week at these times) so that this long-term dataset is maintained and there is no loss of data during critical periods.  This work supports RPA 57.1 primarily, as well as RPAs 50.4, 52.4 and 56.1.  The contract provides personnel to help USFWS operate the RST that is being This Scope of Work (SOW) will enable the Bonneville Power Administration (Bonneville) to implement the Project in the Entiat River Subbasin under an Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW) framework with the objectives of (1) determining the effectiveness of restoration efforts in the Entiat River, (2) estimating spring Chinook salmon and steelhead smolt production, and (3) estimating life history parameters of spring Chinook and steelhead.  Specifically, within this SOW, Terraqua will provide technicians to help support the operation of the Entiat River IMW screw trap which is operated by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Mid-Columbia Fishery Resource Office (USFWS MCFRO) under an ISEMP contract with BPA for the Entiat IMW effectiveness monitoring (FY15 contract number 67971, performance period 2/1/2015 – 1/31/2016).  Due to recent staff turnover (within the last few months) and hiring restrictions from the Service’s regional office USFWS has found itself in the position of not being able to staff enough field technicians for the 2015 field season for the screw trap.  This contract (performance period of April 15, 2015 through January 31, 2016) allows Terraqua Inc. to supply personnel to support the operation of the rotary screw trap at critical time periods of high flow and peak outmigration of target listed species under the Entiat IMW.


Amendment 11/10/2015: this contract has been extended from its original end date of 12/31/2015 to 6/30/2016 in order to align the end date of its performance period with the main Terraqua coordination and field work contract to be renewed and currently identified as CR-293052. This will enable the merging of the two contracts to one contract when both contracts are renewed 7/1/2016, thereby increasing efficiencies.  Extending the performance period to 6/30/2016 will cover the spring period during which Terraqua helps support the operation of the rotary screw trap.

Contract Description: The Integrated Status and Effectiveness Monitoring Program (ISEMP, 2003-017-00) is an ongoing collaborative effort to design, test, implement and evaluate Status and Trends Monitoring for salmon and steelhead populations and their habitat, and watershed-scale Effectiveness Monitoring for management actions impacting salmon and steelhead populations and habitat in the Interior Columbia River Basin.

ISEMP explicitly addresses work requirements of many 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion RPAs (56.1, 56.2, 56.3, 57.1, 57.2, 57.3, 57.4, 57.5) and is directly related to additional 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion implementation strategy requirements and recommendations. ISEMP takes a pilot-project approach to the research and development of monitoring by implementing experimental programs in several major subbasins of the Interior Columbia: the Wenatchee, Entiat, Methow, John Day, South Fork Salmon and Lemhi River basins. The overall goal of the project is to provide regional salmon management agencies with the data, information and tools necessary to design efficient and effective monitoring programs.

Specifically, ISEMP generates quantitative guidance on and examples of: the robustness and limitations of population and habitat monitoring protocols, indicators and metrics; sampling design approaches for the distribution of monitoring effort in time and space; analytical approaches to the evaluation of monitoring data, information and programs; effective data management and communication designs that support the use, standardization and compilation of implementation, compliance, status, trends and effectiveness monitoring data by regional data generators and decision makers; and finally the design and implementation of watershed-scale restoration actions to maximize both the biological impact and associated learning opportunities resulting from the design and implementation strategy.

Through its work to date, ISEMP has developed expertise in the coordination and implementation of large-scale monitoring data collection programs. Applying this experience, ISEMP coordinates the installation, maintenance and calibration of in-stream PIT tag arrays across the Snake River basin and is designing and coordinating the implementation of a Columbia River basin-wide stream habitat status and trends monitoring. These programmatic implementation facets of ISEMP leverage previous experience with logistics and social factors to effectively implement comprehensive, standardized monitoring research and development at an unprecedented scale.  

This contract is one of several contracts that will implement this project.  Additionally, a project level "synthesis report" will also be produced under this project and data and analysis from this contract will be utilized in the production of that project level report.  The synthesis report is a deliverable under the Terraqua contract (not this contract) under this project.