Response for project 199405000: Salmon River Habitat Enhance
Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget
The budget, while consistent with Bonneville’s approved budget, has decreased since 2003. Although the SOW has remained similar, an increase in workload corresponding with monitoring of new mining activity occurred. The budget has not increased accordingly to accommodate increasing fuel prices, increasing cost of living, increasing indirect and fringe line item costs, and increases in step levels for employee’s wages. Based on these increases in budget line items/work load and the insufficient budget increases in previous years we request an appropriate but conservative increase in the future.
Accomplishments since the last review
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | Assemble, gather, acquire, or prepare documents in support of obtaining environmental compliance from BPA | |
| Identify and Select Projects | Worked with Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project Technical Team to identify, prioritize, asses, and ultimately select projects. | |
| Coordination | Landowner and regional coordination with other parties involved in fish and wildlife work. | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | Managed on the ground efforts and administrative work in support of on the ground efforts and in support of BPA's programmatic requirements such as metric reporting, financial reporting, and development of an SOW package | |
| Produce Annual Report | Produced technical report with summary and analysis of data gathered | |
| Produce Status Report | Produced quarterly status reports | |
| Produce/Submit Scientific Findings Report | Winter 2005 - produced manuscript submitted for publication in a scientific journal | |
| # of acres of vegetation planted (0.1 ac.) | .2 | |
| # of riparian miles treated (0.01 mi.; count each bank separately) | .3 | |
| Develop RM&E Methods and Designs | Developed and tested conceptual, quantitative, and technological tools for application in research, monitoring, and/or evaluation. | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | Worked to collect, create, generate, or capture field data. Collected samples for later analysis. Entered data into a computer spreadsheet/database. | |
| Submit/Acquire Data | Transferred data to shared databases where they will be maintained and accessible. | |
| Disseminate Raw & Summary Data | Distributed data for users. | |
| Analyze/Interpret Data | Statistically analyzed data and made resource recommendations based on the results. |
These metrics are accomplished though coordination with USDA Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, State of Idaho Departments – Fish and Game, Transportation, Water Resources, and Environmental Quality, Lemhi and Custer County, USDA Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and local officials, private consultants, and landowners. Much of the work on irrigation improvements and tributary reconnection is accomplished through participation in the Upper Salmon River Basin Watershed Project and Technical Team. Metrics are also accomplished though the ongoing monitoring and evaluation and habitat enhancement projects located in Bear Valley Creek, Yankee Fork Salmon River, Herd Creek, Big Boulder Creek, and Panther Creek. Physical and biological data is collected to evaluate habitat enhancement and impacts from disturbance for the focal fish species’ on the floodplain function, channel complexity, habitat complexity (physical and biological), hydrology (discharge, flow patterns), temperature, water quality, barriers, sediment, shade/cover complexity, streambed stability, and monitoring of macroinvertebrate and fish densities. Livestock exclusion fencing and willow planting is accomplished in Herd Creek on private property.
FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | Assemble, gather, acquire, or prepare documents in support of obtaining environmental compliance from BPA | |
| Identify and Select Projects | Work with Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project Technical Team to identify, prioritize, asses, and ultimately select projects. | |
| Coordination | Landowner and regional coordination with other parties involved in fish and wildlife work. | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | Manage on the ground efforts and administrative work in support of on the ground efforts and in support of BPA's programmatic requirements such as metric reporting, financial reporting, and development of an SOW package | |
| Produce Annual Report | Produce technical report with summary and analysis of data gathered | |
| Produce Status Report | Produce quarterly status reports | |
| Produce/Submit Scientific Findings Report | Produce manuscript to be submitted for publication in a scientific journal | |
| # of acres of vegetation planted (0.1 ac.) | .2 | |
| # of riparian miles treated (0.01 mi.; count each bank separately) | .3 | |
| Develop RM&E Methods and Designs | Develop and test new conceptual, quantitative, and technological tools for application in research, monitoring, and/or evaluation. | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | Collect, create, generate, or capture field data. Collect samples for later analysis. Enter data into a computer spreadsheet/database. | |
| Submit/Acquire Data | Transfer data to shared databases where they will be maintained and accessible. | |
| Disseminate Raw & Summary Data | Distribute data for users. | |
| Analyze/Interpret Data | Statistically analyze data and make resource recommendations based on the results. |
These metrics will be accomplished though coordination with USDA Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Protection Agency, State of Idaho Departments – Fish and Game, Transportation, Water Resources, and Environmental Quality, Lemhi and Custer County, USDA Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, and local officials, private consultants, and landowners. Much of the work on irrigation improvements and tributary reconnection is and will continue to be accomplished through participation in the Upper Salmon River Basin Watershed Project and Technical Team. Metrics will also be accomplished though the ongoing monitoring and evaluation and habitat enhancement projects located in Bear Valley Creek, Yankee Fork Salmon River, Herd Creek, Big Boulder Creek, and Panther Creek. Physical and biological data is collected to evaluate habitat enhancement and impacts from disturbance for the focal fish species’ on the floodplain function, channel complexity, habitat complexity (physical and biological), hydrology (discharge, flow patterns), temperature, water quality, barriers, sediment, shade/cover complexity, streambed stability, and monitoring of macroinvertebrate and fish densities. Livestock exclusion fencing and willow planting will continue to be accomplished in Herd Creek on private property and other areas as need/availablility arises.
Subbasin planning
How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?
This plan is consistent with and implements much of the Salmon Subbasin Management Plan including data gaps and research needs. Specifically this project implements the following performance measures (Table 15, pages 125-131); Aquatic Objectives (AO) 1A - strategies to determine population specific smolt-to-adult rates for anadromous salmonids on a set of index streams; (AO) 2A- strategies to continue ongoing programs and collect steelhead data; (AO) 8A - strategies to protect existing riparian habitat the is currently classified as properly functioning and enhance and rehabilitate riparian habitat that is currently classified as at risk or not functioning; (AO) 8C - strategies to stabilize known problem areas though riparian plantings and protect from herbivory; (AO) 8D; through strategies to rehabilitate riparian vegetation to PFC and promote riparian development thought exclusion and riparian pastures; (AO) 9A - strategies to improve the irrigation efficiency, develop irrigation management plans with irrigators to create the most efficient program, and provide adequate flows to support spawning and rearing life history stages of focal salmonid species; (AO) 10A - strategies for riparian management and to treat legacy effects from mining-related sedimentation; (AO) 11A - strategies to implement mitigation approaches such as slope recontouring, or export of waste material; (AO) 12A - strategies to reconnect waterways; (AO) 12B - through strategies to improve irrigation projects; (AO) 13A - strategies to modify diversion operations; (AO) 14A - strategies to permanently secure water transactions; (AO) 17C - strategies to control livestock access to encourage establishment of mature riparian vegetation; (AO) 18B - strategies to promote projects to reconstruct the floodplain and channel to historic conditions; (AO) 28A - strategies to install fish friendly diversions; (AO) 45A - strategies to protect existing functional riparian areas and rehabilitate non-functioning riparian areas where feasible; and (AO) 46B - strategies to investigate seasonal habitat use and availability by focal species relative to sediment impacts.
How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?
This project accomplishes the highest priority work because, through Section 3 of the subbasin assessment, the subbasin plan identified work within this projects areas and with this projects focal species (Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and bull trout) as highest priority. Channel structure (floodplain, rool/riffle ratio, and large woody debris) and chemicals ranked as highest priority in the Yankee Fork Salmon River (Table 3-2, page 3-13). Sediment (increased fines), water quality (temperature), riparian (shade and streambank stability), and barriers were identified in Herd Creek as highest priority (Table 3-4, page 3-16). Chemicals in Panther Creek were identified as highest priority (Table 3-15, page 3-31). In addition the subbasin assessment identified upper middle for Salmon River (Bear Valley Creek) as property functioning and in need of protection (Section 3, Table 3-10, page 3-26). Work is also accomplished in the Lemhi and Pahsimeroi watersheds though participation with the Upper Salmon River Basin Watershed Project Technical Team.