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Study Details Salmonid Response To Columbia River Basin Habitat Restoration Projects, Shows Large Benefits For Coho, Steelhead

Floodplain restoration projects designed to improve instream habitat conditions for anadromous fish resulted in an increase in the numbers of juvenile salmon and steelhead, according to a recent study that examined segments of 17 habitat restoration projects in the Columbia River basin.

The habitat improvements benefitted all salmon and steelhead, but coho salmon and steelhead saw the largest increases in numbers, with an increase averaging 60 percent.

The study, which only included river reaches of mature habitat restoration projects alongside well-selected control reaches, also found increases in side channel metrics (area, length and the ratio of bank-full side-channel to main channel length), as well as sinuosity (more bends in the stream), pool frequency and presence of large wood, the study says.

“Our study found that floodplain restoration projects were successful at improving floodplain and instream habitat conditions and increasing numbers of juvenile salmon and steelhead,” said Phil Roni, principal scientist at the Watershed Sciences Lab of Cramer Fish Sciences in Issaquah, WA. and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington. “The most significant improvements were for numbers of juvenile steelhead and coho salmon which increase on average more than 60% following restoration.”

More precisely, the study says that coho salmon abundance rose by a whopping 4.62 times more than in the control reaches, whereas steelhead abundance rose 1.62 times and Chinook salmon abundance rose just 1.17 times more than in control reaches. Combined salmon abundance (all salmon and steelhead combined) rose by 1.65 times. The study said that “these increases were only significant for steelhead and all salmonids combined.”

“The large coho response to the floodplain restoration projects, despite the relatively low sample size, is expected given that juvenile coho strongly prefer pools, side channels, and floodplain habitats,” the study says.

Roni said that, “Yes, coho had the highest response but they were only found at less than half the sites so the results weren’t statistically significant. The results for steelhead (which were found at nearly all the sites) and all of the species combined were the only statistically significant results – this is largely due to sample size differences.”

“Coho were only recently reintroduced to the Columbia River above Bonneville Dam, and their distribution and numbers will likely continue to increase,” the study says.

The researchers expected a stronger response for juvenile Chinook salmon to the habitat improvement project.

“There were slightly higher numbers of juvenile Chinook in treatment compared to control reaches on average, but the differences were not significant and were highly variable among sites,” the study says. “The lack of significant responses may be due to a variety of project level factors including sample size (Chinook were present at only 13 sites); time since restoration at some sites; the variability in types and intensity of restoration.”

Still, “Chinook response was positively correlated with floodplain to main channel and percent of slow water habitat, which is expected given their preference for slow water habitats,” the study says.

The study said that a larger sample size (the researchers sampled 17 sites) would have been helpful to more adequately compare different types of restoration. “Given the increased emphasis on floodplain restoration, this will likely become possible in the future,” it said.

In addition to the abundance results, Roni said the study demonstrated that using a combination of remote sensing (drone-based LiDAR) and field data can be used to efficiently monitor floodplain restoration projects.

“The methods we developed are being used to evaluate larger floodplain restoration projects – which have been increasing in size and complexity in recent years and can’t be monitoring effectively with traditional field-based approaches to monitoring and evaluation,” Roni said.

The restored sites used in the study ranged from two to 14 years old, with a median of four years, Roni said. Sometimes it can take several years for a site to fully respond to restoration, he added.

“Evaluation of floodplain restoration projects in the interior Columbia River basin using a combination of remote sensing and field data” was published Dec. 6, 2024, in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2023-0337.

Researchers are Roni; Shelby Burgess, senior biologist, Watershed Sciences Lab of Cramer Fish Sciences and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, U of W; Kai Ross, senior biometrician, Watershed Sciences Lab of Cramer Fish Sciences; Chris Clark, senior biologist, Bureau of Land Management; Jake Kvistad, biometrician, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; Michelle Krall, senior biologist, King County Water & Land Resources Division; Reid Camp, senior geomorphologist, Watershed Sciences Lab of Cramer Fish Sciences; Alex Arams, biologist, Watershed Sciences Lab of Cramer Fish Sciences; Meghan J. Camp, senior scientific writer, School of the Environment, Washington State University and Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board.

Note these were the researchers’ positions when they worked on the project – some have taken new jobs and have new titles, Roni said.

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Forest Service Proposing Changes To Northwest Forest Plan Guiding Land Management Of 24.5 Million Acres, Could Boost Harvest In Some Areas

The U.S. Forest Service is proposing an amendment to the land management plans guiding parts or all of 17 national forests within the Northwest Forest Plan areas of Oregon, Washington and Northern California.

The proposed changes that impact some 38,000 square miles, or 24.5 million acres, of federal lands overseen by the Forest Service could boost harvest in some of the areas by around 33 percent, while providing improved forest stewardship, addressing wildfire resilience as climate changes and providing economic opportunities for local communities, says the agency.

“Much has changed in society and science since the Northwest Forest Plan was created nearly 30 years ago,” said Jacque Buchanan, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region. “We’re amending the plan to address today’s challenges in ways that honor the plan’s original goals, while adapting to changing conditions and enhancing wildfire resilience.”

The Northwest Forest Plan was established during the Clinton Administration in 1994. However, changes in ecological and social conditions are challenging its effectiveness, the Service says. It was established to address threats to threatened and endangered species, such as the spotted owl, while also contributing to social and economic sustainability in the region.

“After nearly 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan needs to be updated to accommodate changed ecological and social conditions,” the agency says.

The Forest Service released a draft Environmental Impact Statement for this amendment in the Federal Register Nov. 15, initiating a 120-day public comment period. “This will provide an opportunity for the public to share input on how these forests will be managed for decades to come,” the agency said in a news release.

“In recent years, large, high-severity wildfires have resulted in losses of mature and old-growth forests, eliminating gains achieved during the first 25 years of implementation,” the draft EIS says.  “Research on climate change and on the effects of past forest and fire management regimes indicates that large wildfires and other disturbances will increase in frequency and extent throughout the area covered by the NWFP. Further, Tribes were not included in the development of the 1994 NWFP, and the Forest Service seeks to uphold its trust responsibility to Tribes through honoring treaty and other protected tribal rights.”

See the Draft EIS for the amendment here: https://usfs-public.app.box.com/v/PinyonPublic/file/170045483683

The draft EIS outlined four alternatives, none of which has been deemed by the Forest Service as a preferred alternative. The No Action Alternative leaves the NWFP unchanged and with timber harvest also unchanged, which over the past decade has been about 445 million board feet of lumber, according to a recent Associated Press article.

Alternative B is designed to improve the consistency and reliability of timber harvest and forest restoration and resiliency projects that support local job opportunities, businesses, and economies, the draft EIS says. It would include objectives, standards, guidelines, and management approaches that would affect the area where forest stewardship treatments for different purposes could occur. For example, it would raise the age threshold for treatments in moist forests in Late Successional Reserves from 80 to 120 years, and would provide more opportunities to accelerate the development of late-successional and old-growth characteristics. It would also restrict harvest of older stands in moist forests and would preserve trees older than 150 years old.

Alternative C would employ more restrictive limits on the use of commercial timber logging for vegetation management and ecological restoration and would reduce active forest management relative to Alternative B, the EIS says. It would reduce the number of acres in active management, particularly in northern spotted owl habitat, and would prohibit both salvage and timber harvest in moist LSR stands older than 80 years.

Alternative D responds to public comments supporting more flexibility in active forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction activities, and increased predictability of timber outputs. This alternative also responds to comments and recommendations to provide additional opportunities for tribal co-stewardship and use, the EIS says.

Key themes outlined in the draft EIS, according to the Forest Service, are:

Wildfire Resilience: Recognizing the increasing threat of severe wildfires, the proposed amendment provides guidance on managing Northwest forests, which includes the use of hazardous fuel treatments, like mechanical thinning and prescribed fire to reduce dense vegetation to lower wildfire risk and impacts on communities, critical infrastructure and forests, while maintaining and improving overall forest health across the landscape.

Economic Opportunities: Supports rural economies by promoting what the Forest Service says is “a predictable commercial timber supply through sustainable forest restoration and timber production activities.” This can create local jobs, provide training in forest management and build economic resilience in communities that depend on forest resources, the Service says.

Improved Forest Stewardship: The agency says the proposed amendment would bolster the commercial timber supply, while at the same time support species, natural resources and community safety. It will improve on the original Northwest Forest Plan by “providing clearer, more specific guidance that distinguishes between moist and dry forest types and between young and old forests. It also provides direction to use ecological forestry practices that promote landscapes to be more resilient to fire, retain old growth conditions to support at-risk species, and restore non-forest habitats such as meadows and huckleberry patches where they naturally belong.”

Adaptation to a Changing Climate: The proposed amendment draws on the latest science to help forests and communities adapt to the effects of climate change, such as the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, including droughts and wildfire. The draft EIS recommends creating connected habitats to support species migration and refugia for vulnerable species, as well as promoting species better adapted to dry conditions in post-fire landscapes.

Tribal Responsibilities: “The proposed amendment emphasizes the Forest Service’s commitment to honoring its trust responsibilities to tribal governments and communities by involving them in land management planning and implementing forest management practices,” the Service says. “This approach integrates tribal knowledge, values and perspectives into land stewardship.”

The public is encouraged to submit comments on the draft plan during the 120-day comment period.

“We want to work together to steward our public lands for social, economic and ecological sustainability,” said Jennifer Eberlien, regional forester for the Pacific Southwest Region. “Input from tribes, the public and the Federal Advisory Committee has been invaluable in reaching this stage, and now we need to hear from as many voices as possible during the comment period.”

Comments can be submitted at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=64745. The Forest Service will review and incorporate feedback to develop a final environmental impact statement, anticipated in 2025.

Additional information about the Northwest Forest Plan is available at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r6/nwfp

For background, see:

— CBB, March 7, 2024, STUDY SAYS COOLER, WETTER PACIFIC NORTHWEST FORESTS -THE WESTSIDE – TO SEE BIGGEST INCREASES IN FIRES AS CLIMATE WARMS, HTTPS://COLUMBIABASINBULLETIN.ORG/STUDY-SAYS-COOLER-WETTER-PACIFIC-NORTHWEST-FORESTS-THE-WESTSIDE-TO-SEE-BIGGEST-INCREASES-IN-FIRES-AS-CLIMATE-WARMS/

— CBB, March 17, 2022, OREGON APPROVES ‘PRIVATE FOREST ACCORD’ AIMED AT FISH, CLEAN WATER PROTECTIONS ON 10 MILLION ACRES OF PRIVATE FORESTLAND, HTTPS://COLUMBIABASINBULLETIN.ORG/OREGON-APPROVES-PRIVATE-FOREST-ACCORD-AIMED-AT-FISH-CLEAN-WATER-PROTECTIONS-ON-10-MILLION-ACRES-OF-PRIVATE-FORESTLAND/

— CBB, February 8, 2019, RESEARCH ON NORTHWEST FOREST PLAN SHOWS BIRD SPECIES STRUGGLING 25 YEARS LATER, HTTPS://COLUMBIABASINBULLETIN.ORG/RESEARCH-ON-NORTHWEST-FOREST-PLAN-SHOWS-BIRD-SPECIES-STRUGGLING-25-YEARS-LATER/

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Corps Awards $657 Million Contract For Fish Passage Facility At Seattle Area Dam, More Spawning Habitat For ESA-Listed Chinook Salmon

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded to a contractor $657 million for the the “Howard A. Hanson Dam Additional Water Storage Fish Passage Facility Project,” intended to increase the ability of Endangered Species Act – listed Chinook salmon to access substantially more spawning and rearing area – 221 square miles of undeveloped watershed. The earthen dam is on the Green River, 35 miles southeast of Seattle.

The contract went to Flatiron-Aecon Joint Venture on October 16th. The total contract price is $657 million and, says the Corps, the “contract method is innovative and allows collaboration between designers and the contractor during project’s design phase.”

“We are excited to support salmon and Orca recovery with our tribal partners, federal and state agencies, and our non-federal sponsor Tacoma Public Utilities to ensure completion of this downstream fish passage facility and support the regional water supply,” said Corps Seattle District Commander Col. Kathryn Sanborn.

Tacoma Public Utilities has already completed an upstream fish passage facility that is ready for operation. Once the Corps’ downstream facility is operational, the two facilities will restore the biological connection of the upper watershed (45% of total area) to the lower watershed via salmon migration.

The project will provide over 100 miles of high-quality river and tributary habitat. The project will increase the ability of ESA – listed Chinook salmon to access substantially more spawning and rearing area – 221 square miles of undeveloped watershed.

Howard Hanson Dam was built to protect the people and infrastructure of the Green River Valley from historical catastrophic flooding. The dam has prevented an estimated $23 billion in flood damage since its completion in 1962. The dam includes other benefits such as providing clean drinking water to the people of Tacoma, Covington, and other areas, fish conservation and ecosystem restoration.

This will be the second Seattle District fish passage facility to be constructed in recent years in the area. The new Mud Mountain Dam upstream fish passage facility, near Buckley, Washington, on the White River experienced a record-breaking year in 2023.

“In collaboration with our tribal partners, the Corps of Engineers successfully passed 1.4 million fish in 2023 at the Mud Mountain Dam facility,” said Sanborn.

Also see:

–CBB, Feb. 22, 2019, “NOAA Fisheries Issues BiOp Addressing Passage For Protected Salmon At Green River Dam; Help Orcas” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/noaa-fisheries-issues-biop-addressing-passage-for-protected-salmon-at-green-river-dam-help-orcas/

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Corps Report Recommends Removing 550-Foot Yakima River Delta Causeway Creating Warm Water, Increased Predation On ESA-Listed Salmon

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District has released the results of its Yakima Delta ecological restoration feasibility report, recommending the removal of a causeway to improve conditions for salmon in the Yakima River Delta.

The delta’s Bateman Island — located in Richland, Washington at the confluence of the Yakima and Columbia river — is only accessible via the causeway on its south side. The causeway completely blocks water flows south of the island, leading to very warm water temperatures west of the island.

The warm water provides ideal conditions for non-native fish to prey on out-migrating young salmon in the spring and makes it difficult for adult salmon to swim upstream in the summer. Elevated water temperatures also encourage algal blooms and mosquitoes, degrading water quality.

“The Recommended Plan is Alternative 3a, full removal of causeway without additional riparian habitat restoration,” says the report. https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Portals/28/YD1135_Main%20Report_Final_2024-10-11.pdf “This plan provides the combined improved habitat net benefit of 53.6 Average Annual Habitat Units for the 50-year annualized cost of $455,000. Removal of the causeway would improve the flows around the island and allow for cooler water to improve habitat for salmonids.

“The total project first cost for the Recommended Plan (not including the feasibility study) is estimated to be $12.4 million.”

The report says: “The purpose and need for the project are to improve ecosystem structure, function, and processes of the Yakima River Delta (Delta) near Richland, Washington, which was degraded by construction of the McNary Dam and Reservoir Project and the Tri-Cities Levees on the Columbia River, including an approximately 550-foot-long and 40-foot-wide earthen causeway connecting the southside of Bateman Island to the mainland. The intended goal of any preferred action, or the Recommended Plan, is to restore riparian and aquatic habitat and ecosystem functions for the benefit of ESA-listed salmonids and other fish, birds, and wildlife in the study area at the Yakima River Delta and, where possible, provide education and recreation access.”

The feasibility report is one piece of a broader environmental review process under the Water Resources Development Act, which mandates the Corps to address degraded ecological conditions in areas under their control. At the request of local partners, the Walla Walla District studied various solutions to improve the ecological health of the Yakima River Delta for fish, wildlife, and people.

The public process began October 2019 with the draft report released for public comment in January 2023.

“USACE is excited to finalize this feasibility report and we look forward to the next phase of the project: design and construction,” said Kat Herzog, Walla Walla District Planner and Project Manager. “This project is very important for improving habitat for salmon, as well as advancing the partnership between the USACE, the State of Washington, and the Yakama Nation.”

“The Yakama Nation is extremely supportive of the Yakima River Delta enhancement project,” said Jeremy Takala of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council. “Over the years of its existence, the causeway at the river delta has caused numerous harms to tribal people through losses to the tribe’s reserved treaty natural and cultural resources. Accordingly, causeway removal is a crucial action for meaningful and effective restoration of salmon and steelhead runs of the Yakima and Columbia river basins and restoration of our tribal practices of Treaty Reserved Rights. The removal of the causeway by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would further its performance of its trust obligation to the Yakama Nation to protect Treaty Resources.”

“WDFW is excited to have reached this point in the process of removing the causeway that has negatively affected fish survival and water quality for decades,” said Mike Livingston, WDFW South Central Region Director. “Since release of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ draft of the feasibility study report last year, we have worked with USACE and our partners to answer questions from the public and agencies. I look forward to beginning the next phase of this project to improve the environment for the fish, wildlife, and people who depend on a healthy Yakima River delta.”

The report says the proposed action “is needed because the construction and ongoing O&M of McNary Lock and Dam and the Tri-Cities Levees on the Columbia River have contributed to the degradation of the ecosystem within the Yakima River Delta including poor habitat conditions for native fish and reduced biodiversity. Impoundment of the McNary Dam reservoir (Lake Wallula) inundated the lower 2 miles of the Yakima River, eliminating riparian and aquatic habitat, and changing the hydraulic conditions within the Delta, impacting juvenile and adult salmonid migration through the Yakima River’s confluence with the Columbia River. This inundation turned the southern side of the Delta into a backwater that became ideal habitat for non-native predatory fish and invasive plants. This backwater effect has reduced the ability of the Yakima River to carve and maintain shallow side channels and has promoted excess sediment deposition.

“These changes to the ecosystem have caused delays to upstream migration and contribute to increased straying (diverting from normal migration pathway), diminished health, and lower reproductive success in adult salmonids and the possible increase in predation on smolts.

“Sedimentation from inundation, in combination with blocked flows south of Bateman Island, created a large stagnant, shallow backwater environment with higher water temperatures that supports large monotypic stands of stargrass and algal mats which cause extreme daily fluctuations of dissolved oxygen (hyperoxic to anoxic). Dissolved oxygen levels are crucial for the respiration of aquatic organisms. Coldwater fish species, such as salmonids (salmon, steelhead, and trout), are especially sensitive to fluctuations in dissolved oxygen because their threshold for oxygen concentration is greater and narrower than other warm water fish species. In addition to the direct impacts on juvenile salmon and steelhead health, the backwater conditions support multiple species of predatory fish, which prey on juvenile salmon during their outmigration.”

More information, including the feasibility report, is available on the Walla Walla District website. https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/missions/projects/yakima-river-delta-ecological-restoration/

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Twenty Years Of Salmon Habitat Improvements In Columbia River Estuary Detailed, No Net Loss Since 2009

Twenty years of habitat improvements in the Columbia River estuary have yielded 80 projects and 11,100 acres of reconnected tidally influenced flood plain habitat, according to two presentations by estuary scientists at a recent Northwest Power and Conservation Council meeting.

Jason Karnezis, Estuary Lead with the Bonneville Power Administration, provided the Council with an overview of the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program.

“The estuary is an important part of the river because that is where fish (migrating salmon and steelhead, some listed under the federal Endangered Species Act) transition to salt water,” Karnezis said told the Council at its Sept. 11 meeting in Astoria.

He said “estuary” is defined as the lower 146 miles of the Columbia River where there is tidal influence. That includes the mainstem river to Bonneville Dam and the Willamette River to Willamette Falls just south of Portland, as well as all tributaries in that section of river with tidal influence.

“Twice a day the flow of the river goes in and out and with that is considerable nutrient movement,” he said. Of the habitat projects he said that “if you get it wet, we see more active and normalized flood plains.” To do that includes removing, lowering or notching levees, he added.

Additional research is looking at climate change and resiliency, monitoring fish use of transitional habitats, and investigating the restoration potential of different types of shoreline habitat, particularly shoreline that has been armored or riprapped.

The CEERP is a part of the Council’s estuary strategy of its 2014 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, which calls for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of habitat actions in the Columbia estuary. The work was developed and is funded by BPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, in order to “understand, conserve, and restore ecosystems in the lower Columbia River and estuary,” a Council Sept. 4, 2024 memorandum says (https://www.nwcouncil.org/fs/18908/2024_09_12.pdf).

“The estuary program is an example of true scientific adaptive management,” said Fish and Wildlife Division Director Patty O’Tool, as quoted in a Council blog. “It is more than just learning by doing. In true adaptive management, we test hypotheses, and document findings in peer-reviewed research. Then it is important to have strong coordinated communication so that others can learn from this work, and then move on with restoration based on that research. And this is a program that has really done that to an incredible degree.”

While program goals are focused on habitat restoration that benefits juvenile fish, the use of an ecosystem-based approach allows for the monitoring of additional benefits such as nutrient flow, the Council blog said. The Expert Regional Technical Group made up of estuary scientists, help evaluate the benefits of restoration, prioritize scientific uncertainties, and publish scientific papers as well as other regional resources. This is part of the adaptive management framework that guides CEERP’s work.

Karnezis identified CEERP’s priority uncertainties as:

  • How will climate change affect the lower river ecosystem and restoration strategy and what actions could be taken to mitigate for adverse effects?
  • How does reconnecting fragmented estuarine landscapes improve life history variation and adult survival in naturally produced populations?
  • How do transitional habitats in the designated priority areas (e.g., priority reaches, tributary junctions) compare in importance to other salmonid rearing habitats in the estuary?
  • How does patch size and travel distance between habitats influence salmon use, access, and performance?
  • What are the functions of shoreline matrix habitats for juvenile salmon along channel margins of the mainstem river and tributaries and what is the restoration potential?

Also presenting to the Council in Astoria were Catherine Corbett, Chief Scientist for the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, Ian Sinks, Stewardship Director for the Columbia Land Trust, and Jason Smith, Habitat Restoration Program Manager for the Columbia River Estuary Taskforce.

Corbett said the Columbia is one of 28 Estuaries of National Significance and that her organization is taking an ecosystem-based management approach to restoring the river.

So far, she said, they have achieved no net loss of estuary habitat since 2009 (represents 50 percent loss since 1870s), and in the plans are to recover 30 percent (10,382 acres) of priority habitats by 2030 and recover 40 percent (22,480 acres) of priority habitats by 2050. A priority habitat is one that is most severely affected by loss or conversion. That would result in a recovery of 60 percent of lost habitat. The Partnership has identified as many as 200 more projects that when completed will complete their goals.

An example of a recent project completed in the estuary is the Steigerwald Floodplain Reconnection, located upstream of Washougal, WA. In that project some 965 acres of mainstem floodplain was reconnected by removing 2.2 miles of existing levee and 0.5 miles of riprap. They removed two water control structures, elevated canal, fish ladder and moved a parking lot and constructed or relocated 3.3 mi of recreation trails.  The project cost $32 million and took over 10 years to complete.

In progress are the Multnomah Channel Marsh Natural Area, a project that will reconnect a 278-acre site by removing two water control structures, replacing a culvert under Hwy 30 and a railroad to improve wildlife and fish passage to about 5 miles of stream in Crabapple and adjoining creeks.

Also in progress are a partnership with Metro (tri-county area of Portland), at the Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge. An area that has documented use by salmonids, the project will improve hydrologic connection, water quality and habitat conditions to 695 acres.

Mirror Lake at Rooster Rock State Park in the Columbia River Gorge will install a new culvert at the upstream end of the site, remove an existing culvert (reconnecting 12.7 acres of wetland) and restore the boat basin to a combo of emergent and riparian habitats. The project will result in the reconnection of 3.14 miles of floodplain spanning 400 acres.

Sinks said the Columbia Land Trust has conserved over 65,000 acres with over 40,000 acres under its management. Projects include Baker Bay, an 80-acre restoration project, completed in 2016; Grays Bay, 203 acres, completed in 2011; Kerry Island, 109 acres, completed in 2016; and Raistakka Floodplain, 109 acres, to be completed in 2026

“With the support of our partners, CREST has successfully completed 37 projects since 2010 and currently have over 20 more in the pipeline,” Smith told the Council.

Also see Sept. 4 Council memo regarding update on projects at: https://www.nwcouncil.org/fs/18906/2024_09_13.pdf

For background, see:

— CBB, August 31, 2024, COLUMBIA RIVER INTER-TRIBAL FISH COMMISSION TO RECEIVE $794,000 FROM NOAA FOR SALMON RECOVERY IN COLUMBIA RIVER ESTUARY, HTTPS://COLUMBIABASINBULLETIN.ORG/COLUMBIA-RIVER-INTER-TRIBAL-FISH-COMMISSION-TO-RECEIVE-794000-FROM-NOAA-FOR-SALMON-RECOVERY-IN-COLUMBIA-RIVER-ESTUARY/

— CBB, November 16,  2023, DÉJÀ VU: OREGON STUDY SAYS ONCE AGAIN SALMON-EATING CORMORANTS NEED TO SOMEHOW BE RELOCATED FROM ASTORIA BRIDGE BACK TO ESTUARY ISLAND, HTTPS://COLUMBIABASINBULLETIN.ORG/DEJA-VU-OREGON-STUDY-SAYS-ONCE-AGAIN-SALMON-EATING-CORMORANTS-NEED-TO-SOMEHOW-BE-RELOCATED-FROM-ASTORIA-BRIDGE-BACK-TO-ESTUARY-ISLAND/

— CBB, January 26, 2023, COUNCIL REACHES OUT TO STATE AGENCIES TO DISCUSS ‘ALARMING CONCLUSIONS’ OF STUDY DETAILING IMPACTS TO SALMON FROM CORMORANTS ON ASTORIA BRIDGE, HTTPS://CBBULLETIN.COM/COUNCIL-REACHES-OUT-TO-STATE-AGENCIES-TO-DISCUSS-ALARMING-CONCLUSIONS-OF-STUDY-DETAILING-IMPACTS-TO-SALMON-FROM-CORMORANTS-ON-ASTORIA-BRIDGE/

— CBB, November 16, 2022, WHERE TO PUT THE BIRDS? RESEARCH SAYS CORMORANTS CHASED OFF COLUMBIA RIVER ESTUARY ISLAND EAT FAR MORE SALMON, STEELHEAD UPSTREAM, https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/where-to-put-the-birds-research-says-cormorants-chased-off-columbia-river-estuary-island-eat-far-more-salmon-steelhead-upstream/

— CBB, March 31, 2022, LARGEST HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT EVER IN LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER COMPLETED ($31 MILLION), INCREASES ESTUARY FLOODPLAIN HABITAT FOR SALMON BY 19 PERCENT, HTTPS://COLUMBIABASINBULLETIN.ORG/LARGEST-HABITAT-RESTORATION-PROJECT-EVER-IN-LOWER-COLUMBIA-RIVER-COMPLETED-31-MILLION-INCREASES-ESTUARY-FLOODPLAIN-HABITAT-FOR-SALMON-BY-19-PERCENT/

— CBB, March 10, 2022, WHACK-A-MOLE: AGENCY THAT CHASED SALMON-EATING CORMORANTS OFF ESTUARY ISLAND NOW HAZING RE-LOCATED BIRDS ON ASTORIA BRIDGE OVER COLUMBIA RIVER, https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/whack-a-mole-agency-that-chased-salmon-eating-cormorants-off-estuary-island-now-hazing-re-located-birds-on-astoria-bridge-over-columbia-river/

— CBB, May 14, 2020, CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN ON LARGEST LOWER COLUMBIA HABITAT PROJECT, CONNECTS FLOODPLAIN TO RIVER, https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/construction-to-begin-on-largest-lower-columbia-habitat-project-connects-floodplain-to-river/

— CBB, July 20, 2018, “Fewer Cormorants Nest At East Sand Island, Observers Document Bald Eagle Predation On Eggs,” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/fewer-cormorants-nest-at-east-sand-island-observers-document-bald-eagle-predation-on-eggs/

— CBB, May 4, 2018, “Cormorants Return To East Sand Island But No Lethal Removal This Year; Hazing, Egg Take,” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/cormorants-return-to-east-sand-island-but-no-lethal-removal-this-year-hazing-egg-take/

–CBB, March 16, 2018, “Corps Decides Not to Cull Estuary Cormorants In 2018, Will Continue Hazing, Egg Removal,” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/corps-decides-not-to-cull-estuary-cormorants-in-2018-will-continue-hazing-egg-removal/

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Independent Scientists Review NPCC’s Basin Fish/Wildlife Program, Recommend More Comprehensive Climate Change Strategy

In a recent review, a panel of scientists said the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program for the Columbia River basin is still changing and progressing after 40 years of implementation, but will need further updates and improvements, including a better strategy for incorporating climate change into the Program and a more comprehensive analysis of the outcome of removing the four lower Snake River dams.

The Independent Scientific Advisory Committee in its review said that after 40 years of implementation, “the Program has guided significant improvements to fish passage, habitat protection and restoration, hatchery operations, and supporting research, monitoring, and evaluation.”

However, “At the same time, the Basin is challenged by declining native fish populations, threats to biodiversity, and ongoing ecosystem degradation.”

The ISAB submitted its review of the 2014 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program and 2020 Program Addendum to the Council Sept. 16.

Among other recommendations it called on the Council to consider indigenous cultural perspectives, recognize that the historical abundance of salmon and steelhead could be lower than the Program’s range of up to 16 million returning adult fish, developing more context for its abundance goal of 5 million adults and developing Strategy Performance Indicators to be tracked for each stock and subbasin.

The scientists also pointed out that the “lack of specific direction, actions, and Strategy Performance Indicators for climate change is one of the most critical gaps in the Fish and Wildlife Program that will influence its future success.”

The last time the ISAB had reviewed the Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program was in 2018, prior to the Council’s own review that resulted in the 2020 Addendum to the Program. The ISAB said in the latest review that it is their responsibility to evaluate the Program on its scientific merits in time to inform amendments that the Council makes to the Program every five years.

The Council’s Fish and Wildlife Division and the Fish and Wildlife Committee are in the early stages of a process that could again result next year in either a new Program to replace the 2014 Program, or it could result in another addendum or amendment to the Program. The Council’s Power Committee is on a similar schedule to complete a new Northwest Power Plan.

The ISAB is a panel of scientists that review fish and wildlife projects and regional research issues for the Council, NOAA Fisheries and tribes.

In the 2020 Addendum, the Council amended the 2014 Program to 1) further define Program goals and objectives, 2) develop indicators to measure Program performance, and 3) establish implementation priorities, the ISAB said.

The 2024 ISAB review calls for more support for reintroductions of salmon and steelhead in blocked areas, new methods for climate assessment and monitoring non-native species, improvements in strategies for RM&E, and other actions to strengthen the Program.

The ISAB in its review commended the Council for several improvements that strengthen the scientific basis of the Program. Those improvements include:

  • Development of more quantitative Program Objectives;
  • Strategy Performance Indicators that will track progress continuously for selected key metrics on the Council’s online Program Tracker (see https://www.nwcouncil.org/fish-and-wildlife/program-tracker/) designed to provide public access and transparency;
  • Progress of the Upper Columbia United Tribes and support by the Council and BPA to develop plans to reintroduce anadromous fish above Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph dams.

However, the ISAB also said there is room for improvement and is suggesting further actions. One is developing a more comprehensive climate change strategy. The scientists said that the Program’s climate change strategy has no specific indicators.

“Program planning, strategy, and actions can benefit from robust forecasting of climate, ocean, and in-river conditions and from selecting mitigation alternatives that contribute to habitat and population resilience under those forecasted conditions,” the scientists said. “Many projects in the Program recognize that climate change could affect the project outcomes but have not assessed risks or adjusted restoration efforts to adapt to climate change. Anticipatory approaches to evaluate options for adaptation are essential in scientifically sound restoration and hydro system management.”

The scientists went on to list these recommendations:

  • The Program should consider how climate change might affect future water release and withdrawal strategies for the hydro system and influence salmon and steelhead survival throughout their life-cycles.
  • The Program should assess how changes in temperature and flow variability could affect natural production, habitat conditions, and likely ranges of species. The frequency of warm years and the corresponding environmental conditions are expected to increase in the future. The survival of salmon may thus decrease more than recent averages illustrate.
  • The collective ongoing poor survival of Columbia River salmon and steelhead warrants a comprehensive assessment of the long-term consequences of these trends and consideration of likely scenarios of climate change.

The review also recognized that one of the “major issues explored in the Columbia River in recent years has been the potential breaching of the four lower Snake River dams to increase survival of juvenile and adult salmon and steelhead from the Snake River basin. The ISAB recommends the Program develop a more comprehensive and representative analysis of the outcomes of removing these dams,” the review said.

Among the other ISAB Recommendations are:

  • Assess the rationale for northern pikeminnow removals in mainstem Columbia River. Control measures might be warranted at locations where the hydro system creates artificial conditions that allow predators to have greater impacts on migrating juveniles, but control of native fish throughout the entire mainstem may not be supported by a more comprehensive analysis.
  • The ISAB recommends the Program explore approaches to incorporate the influence of climate-related and density-dependent factors on the total life-cycle survival of Columbia River salmon across a broader range of possible hydrological and climate conditions.
  • Synthesis reports for long-term projects and programs. “Rigorous adaptive management of projects that span 20 years or more requires integration and cumulative evaluation as a cost-effective means to evaluate progress toward Program goals,” the review says.
  • Recognize and use different cultural perspectives and processes to inform and conduct science-based restoration and adaptive management. This is a matter of both scientific rigor and social justice, the review said. Include Indigenous cultural perspectives, adaptive management processes, and ecological knowledge alongside current scientific approaches that benefit fish and wildlife and meet the Program’s mitigation goals.
  • It may be time the Program should report the major changes in estimates of historical abundances of salmon and steelhead from the estimated range of 10 to 16 million returning adult fish that’s been a part of the Council’s Program since 1987 to about 9 million returning adults.  The ISAB said that four major assessments since the start of the Program had estimated maximum abundances at about 9 million returning fish.
  • The ISAB also noted additions that would strengthen the scientific basis of the Program, such as more quantitative program objectives and new strategy performance indicators to track progress of key metrics. For example, some of the Program’s objectives contribute to achieving abundance and distribution targets, but tracking these targets is “hampered by data availability and funding for monitoring, thus new cost-effective methods, such as eDNA, and collaborations with other sources of data and information will be important additions to the Program.”
  • One of the major concerns the ISAB expressed in the 2018 Review was the Program goal of “increasing total adult salmon and steelhead runs to an average of 5 million annually by 2025 in a manner that emphasizes the populations that originate above Bonneville Dam and supports tribal and non-tribal harvest.” The Program should develop a context for the abundance goal representing potential trajectories that are a) based on recent data and life-cycle models, and b) bounded by plausible scenarios with explicit assumptions of major limiting factors, the review said. These trajectories would identify possible near-term and long-term performance metrics to provide a context for short-term trends in Program performance and potential management responses.
  • The 2020 Addendum developed a Biological Objective to contribute to the Columbia Basin Partnership’s targets for abundance of natural-origin salmon and steelhead stocks for major subbasins. The ISAB recommends the Council develop an explicit strategy that emphasizes protection of natural-origin fish while also meeting overall abundance goals to mitigate losses related to the hydro system.
  • The 2018 ISAB Review noted that key Program strategies and measures lack monitoring and evaluation plans and adequate funding. The Program still lacks an approach or process for expanding results from specific areas to the full Columbia River Basin.
  • The Columbia River Basin Tributary Habitat Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation Strategy describes the major components of RM&E, but it does not create a comprehensive approach for monitoring and evaluation at the Basin scale as identified in the 2018 ISAB Review.
  • The Ecosystem Function strategy should focus on the entire Columbia River ecosystem, rather than focusing only on habitat in the tributaries.
  • The Council should develop strategic approaches for prioritizing protection of high-quality habitats as well as restoration of degraded habitats.
  • Ongoing sentinel monitoring is critical to quickly detect non-native species, document their spread, and identify risks to critical populations. New eDNA methods provide a more cost-effective approach for monitoring non-native organisms at the basin scale than previous survey methods did.
  • Increased restoration of the connectivity between the mainstem and its floodplain and consideration of species other than salmon and steelhead in the mainstem Columbia River would strengthen the Program.

The 1980 Northwest Power Act directs the Council to, at least every five years, prepare, adopt, and periodically review a Columbia River Basin fish and wildlife program to mitigate the impacts of hydropower dams on fish, wildlife, and related spawning grounds and habitat. The Power Act also directs the Bonneville Power Administration to pay for projects that implement the Council’s program. The 2022 cost to the region was about $249 million.

The ISAB review of the Council’s 2014 Program and 2020 Addendum is here: https://www.nwcouncil.org/media/filer_public/72/94/72945626-6976-4159-93e6-99a699e1edab/ISAB_2024-2_FWP_Review16Sept2024.pdf

The 2014 Council Fish and Wildlife Program and 2020 Addendum are here: https://www.nwcouncil.org/fish-and-wildlife/

For background, see:

— CBB, September 19, 2019, COUNCIL REDUCES SCIENCE REVIEW PANEL’S (ISAB) BUDGET, SAYS NO IMPACT TO WORK: COST SAVINGS MIGHT GO TO PIKE SUPPRESSION, HTTPS://COLUMBIABASINBULLETIN.ORG/COUNCIL-REDUCES-SCIENCE-REVIEW-PANELS-ISAB-BUDGET-SAYS-NO-IMPACT-TO-WORK-COST-SAVINGS-MIGHT-GO-TO-PIKE-SUPPRESSION/

— CBB, December 12, 2019, “Council Discusses Remaining Key Issues In Basin Fish/Wildlife Program, Extends Deadline For Goals, Objectives,” https://www.www.www.columbiabasinbulletin.org/council-discusses-remaining-key-issues-in-basin-fish-wildlife-program-extends-deadline-for-goals-objectives/

— CBB, November 14, 2019, “As NW Power/Conservation Council Prepares 2020 Basin FW Program, Agencies/Tribes Want More Discussion on Goals, Objective,”

https://www.www.www.columbiabasinbulletin.org/as-nw-power-conservation-council-prepares-2020-basin-fw-program-agencies-tribes-want-more-discussion-on-goals-objectives/

— CBB, July 22, 2019, “Council Seeks Comments On Proposed Additions To Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program,” https://www.www.www.columbiabasinbulletin.org/council-seeks-comments-on-proposed-additions-to-columbia-river-basin-fish-and-wildlife-program/

— CBB, July 18, 2019, “Council Requests Independent Science Panel Review Upper Columbia Tribes’ Report On Re-Introducing Salmon/Steelhead Above Grand Coulee Dam,” https://www.www.www.columbiabasinbulletin.org/council-requests-independent-science-panel-review-upper-columbia-tribes-report-on-re-introducing-salmon-steelhead-above-grand-coulee-dam/

— CBB, July 17, 2019, “New Columbia Basin Partnership Report Offers Regional Goals For Salmon/Steelhead Recovery,” https://www.www.www.columbiabasinbulletin.org/new-columbia-basin-partnership-report-offers-regional-goals-for-salmon-steelhead-recovery/

— CBB, March 15, 2019, “Proposed Amendments To Basin Fish/Wildlife Program Stress Reintroducing Salmon Above Blocked Areas,” https://www.www.www.columbiabasinbulletin.org/proposed-amendments-to-basin-fish-wildlife-program-stress-reintroducing-salmon-above-blocked-areas/

— CBB, February 22, 2019, “Council Staff Organizing, Summarizing Recommendations For Amending Basin Fish And Wildlife Program,” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/council-staff-organizing-summarizing-recommendations-for-amending-basin-fish-and-wildlife-program/

— CBB, January 18, 2019, “Not Clear What Government Shutdown Might Mean For Council’s F&W Program Amendment Process Schedule.” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/not-clear-what-government-shutdown-might-mean-for-councils-fw-program-amendment-process-schedule/

— CBB, December 21, 2018, “Council Receives Proposed Amendments To Basin Fish And Wildlife Program, Comments Due Feb. 4,” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/council-receives-proposed-amendments-to-basin-fish-and-wildlife-program-comments-due-feb-4/

–CBB, August 24, 2018, “Columbia Basin Partnership Develops Preliminary Abundance Goals For Salmon, Steelhead,” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/columbia-basin-partnership-develops-preliminary-abundance-goals-for-salmon-steelhead/

— CBB, August 17, 2018, “Deadline Extended For Amendments To Columbia River Basin Fish And Wildlife Program.” https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/deadline-extended-for-amendments-to-columbia-river-basin-fish-and-wildlife-program/

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Study Predicts Grizzly Bear Habitat Use In Bitterroot Ecosystem (Montana, Idaho) Under Recolonization, Reintroduction Scenarios

A new study co-authored by scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks helps to identify where in the Bitterroot Ecosystem grizzly bears could call home through reintroduction or recolonization.

In the study, “Predicting future grizzly bear habitat use in the Bitterroot Ecosystem under recolonization and reintroduction scenarios,” https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0308043

the researchers predicted that grizzly bears would favor large wilderness areas and extensive multiple-use public lands in the region, especially in the northern part of the Bitterroot Ecosystem.

The research predicts that, over time, grizzly bears will move into the ecosystem, which spans part of Montana and Idaho, but exactly where and when they will arrive remains unknown. The study is a follow-up to previous research which predicted potential connectivity pathways among the existing grizzly bear populations in Montana.

“To help both people and grizzlies, wildlife managers need to know where they can expect grizzly bears to reestablish,” said Sarah Sells, lead study author and USGS research ecologist. “By using movement models we developed for a nearby population of grizzly bears, we were able to simulate where bears might choose to go in the Bitterroot of today.”

In fact, GPS collar data from bears that have moved near or across the Bitterroot Ecosystem on their own aligned well with the study’s predicted habitat use.

Grizzly bears disappeared from the Bitterroot Ecosystem by the 1950s because of over harvesting and habitat loss. In recent years, nearby populations of grizzlies have been increasing and expanding their range toward the Bitterroot. While the heart of the ecosystem is one of the largest wilderness complexes in the contiguous U.S., there’ve been some changes in the region since grizzlies were extirpated, namely a lot more people are there today.

Predictions of where grizzly bears may move are important to inform recovery efforts and to balance the well-being of bear populations and humans alike. Models like the one used in this study can help inform where to focus conservation and management efforts like habitat protection, public outreach, human-wildlife conflict prevention and mitigation of the effects of roads.

“Because there is no remnant backcountry population to start from in the Bitterroot Ecosystem, reestablishment is expected to involve the presence of some grizzly bears in the more human-populated landscapes between ecosystems,” said Cecily Costello, study co-author and Montana FWP research wildlife biologist. “By predicting where bears might be in the future, our goal is to help agencies and communities prepare now so that both people and grizzly bears will thrive.”

The study predicted differences in habitat use depending on how the grizzles arrive to the Bitterroot Ecosystem, which could directly inform recovery efforts.

Specifically, it predicted that if grizzly bears naturally recolonize the Bitterroot Ecosystem, their habitat use would be concentrated in Montana but over time become more uniform across the northern extent of the region in Idaho. If grizzly bears were reintroduced to the region by people, their habitat use would be more concentrated in east-central Idaho. Finally, if natural recolonization continues even if grizzly bears are reintroduced, their habitat use would be widespread across the northern half of the Bitterroot Ecosystem and surrounding areas.

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Elwha River Dam Removals 10 Years Later; Long-Term Study Shows Impacts To Salmon, Steelhead, Ecosystem

Removing the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on Washington’s Elwha River presented an opportunity to study the ecological response of a river ecosystem to large-scale disturbance and subsequent restoration. Central to this effort was the development and implementation of an adaptive management framework aimed at guiding the recovery of Chinook salmon and steelhead trout populations.

Extensive monitoring showed that removing the dams positively impacted Chinook salmon and steelhead populations and improved the ecological condition of the river. These results were published in the special issue “Large-Scale Dam Removal and Ecosystem Restoration” of Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/45067/large-scale-dam-removal-and-ecosystem-restoration/magazine

The Elwha River, once renowned for its robust salmon runs, experienced significant ecological degradation following the construction of the two dams in the early 20th century. These structures impeded fish migration, altered hydrological regimes, and trapped sediment, leading to a precipitous decline in salmon populations. Decades of advocacy culminated in the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992, enabling dam removal, which occurred in phases from 2011 to 2014.

Scientists from federal and state agencies and the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe established the Elwha Monitoring and Adaptive Management guidelines. They aid in the recovery of endangered Chinook salmon and steelhead trout populations. This framework incorporated a phased approach, with distinct recovery objectives and performance indicators for each of the four recovery phases:

–Preservation

–Recolonization

–Local adaptation

–Viable natural population

They also emphasized the importance of monitoring key physical and biological parameters to inform management decisions.

The agency partners and the Tribe implemented a comprehensive monitoring program to track changes in fish populations, habitat conditions, and water quality. These data were used to assess progress toward recovery goals and identify potential management adjustments.

For the past decade, the partners and Tribe have monitored the Elwha ecosystem. Here’s some of what they’ve learned:

Salmon Response

Chinook salmon populations exhibited signs of recovery, with increases in abundance and distribution. However, adult productivity remained below target levels. Steelhead trout demonstrated more rapid recovery, with populations exceeding reintroduction phase targets.

Monitoring Effectiveness

The monitoring program successfully provided critical data for informing management decisions. However, challenges related to data collection and analysis were encountered, particularly with juvenile fish abundance estimates.

Adaptive Management Implementation

Adapting management actions based on monitoring results was complex due to multiple agencies with varying authorities and responsibilities. Additionally, the legal framework, particularly the Endangered Species Act, imposed regulatory requirements on management and monitoring activities.

Performance Indicator Challenges

Defining and measuring appropriate performance indicators proved challenging—some initial methods and metrics worked well, but others did not. The monitoring adapted by shifting resources towards the biological indicators that proved most effective for assessing the impacts of dam removal and restoration of the overall ecosystem.

Salmon Recovery and Sediment Dynamics

Early results from the monitoring program demonstrate that removing the two large Elwha River dams has positively impacted Chinook salmon and steelhead populations. Combined with hatchery management actions and harvest restrictions, researchers found that dam removal led to:

–Increased adult fish numbers

–Expanded habitat use

–A resurgence of naturally produced juvenile salmon

The removal of the Elwha dams initiated a dramatic transformation of the river’s sediment regime. Vast quantities of sediment, previously trapped behind the dams, were released, reshaping the riverbed and creating new habitats. This process was initially disruptive to salmon populations. However, once the short-term sediment disturbance was replaced with a more stable natural sediment regime, it improved the ecological condition of river reaches in the former reservoirs and downstream.

Sediment is crucial for salmon spawning and rearing. It provides the substrate for redds, the nests where salmon bury their eggs. Additionally, sediment helps to create diverse aquatic habitats that support a variety of aquatic insects, the primary food source for juvenile salmon.

Hatchery Role and Genetic Considerations

To mitigate the risks associated with dams and later dam removal, the partners implemented hatchery programs for natural salmon populations before, during, and after dam removal. While hatcheries have played a role in maintaining initial salmon numbers, the monitoring guidelines calls for long-term reductions in hatchery production.

Re-Emergence of Summer Steelhead

A particularly promising development in the Elwha River restoration is the re-emergence of summer steelhead. This life history strategy, once thought to be lost due to the dams, has rebounded. It demonstrates the remarkable adaptability of these fish and the importance of providing diverse habitats to support various fish life histories.

While the early results of the Elwha River dam removal project are encouraging, it is important to emphasize that the river’s recovery is a long-term process. It will take decades for the ecosystem, including salmon and steelhead populations, to rebound fully.

The Elwha River restoration project offers valuable insights into the complex ecological processes involved in dam removal and river recovery. While challenges remain, the project has demonstrated the potential for large-scale ecosystem restoration. It also highlighted the importance of collaborative partnerships and adaptive management in guiding such complex endeavors. Federal and state agencies involved in this effort:

  • NOAA Fisheries
  • U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife Service
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • National Park Service

NOAA Fisheries notes that “carefully monitoring the river’s response and adapting management strategies allows scientists and managers to learn from the Elwha River experience and apply these lessons to future restoration efforts. The ultimate goal is to restore salmon population abundance and diversity, ensuring the long-term health and resilience of the Elwha River ecosystem.”

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Forest Service Releases EIS For Massive Gold Mine At Headwaters Of Idaho’s Salmon River, Critical Habitat For Chinook Salmon

The Payette National Forest released a Final Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Record of Decision for a controversial gold mine located in the headwaters of Idaho’s Salmon River. The draft documents will undergo a 45-day public review for what the U.S. Forest Service is calling a “pre-decisional objection period.”

The Stibnite Gold Project is a massive gold mine proposed in the headwaters of the East Fork of the South Fork Salmon River adjacent to the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area. The South Fork Salmon River contains some of the most important remaining habitat for summer chinook salmon in the Columbia River basin. The fish were once the largest, most valuable segment of the world’s largest runs of chinook salmon.

Opposing the FEIS and draft ROD, both released by the Forest Service, Sept. 6, is a coalition of local and national conservation groups. They said the planned open-pit cyanide vat leach gold mine would jeopardize public health and clean water, harm threatened species, violate Indigenous treaty rights, and permanently scar thousands of acres of public land in the headwaters of the South Fork Salmon River.

“The Stibnite Gold Project risks irreversible harm to one of the nation’s most cherished and ecologically important river ecosystems. Given the extraordinary scale and location of the proposed development, it’s unacceptable that the FEIS only considers the mine applicant’s proposed mine plan and a no-action alternative,” said Zack Waterman, Northern Rockies Conservation Director for American Rivers.

The National Marine Fisheries Service has designated the area where the mine would be located as critical habitat for chinook salmon. Within critical habitat, an agency must avoid actions that destroy or adversely modify that critical habitat. The East Fork Salmon River provides critical habitat for three species listed under the Endangered Species Act — chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout.

The FEIS analyzes the potential environmental effects of the mining operation as proposed by Perpetua Resources. The Draft ROD outlines the Forest Service’s decision to authorize the 2021 Modified Mine Plan and to approve a special use authorization for transmission line upgrades and installation of a new power transmission line with supporting infrastructure, the Forest Service says. The decision approves project-specific plan amendments to the 2003 Payette National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and the 2010 Boise National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan as amended.

“As an agency with a multiple-use mission, we balance the demand for mineral extraction and the related social and economic benefits with our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability,” said Kevin Knesek, deputy forest supervisor for the Payette National Forest. “The Forest Service is required by regulation to consider mining plans of operations on our public lands open to locatable mineral extraction, ensure the plans comply with environmental regulations, and minimize adverse impacts to the extent feasible.

“This project is complex, and the impacts were rigorously analyzed over the past seven years,” Knesek continued. “Projects of this scale and type present unique challenges, and that is particularly true as it relates to tribal interests, whether those interests be treaty-related or connected to cultural use and identity. Only through meaningful consultation can the Forest Service seek to understand these concerns and be responsive to them, and I am grateful for the tribal input we’ve received. I would like to thank the many individuals and stakeholders who contributed to this analysis. Whether it be our cooperating agencies who met regularly with us throughout this process, or the thousands of individuals who took the time to comment on draft versions during the comment periods; in all cases that engagement contributed in a meaningful way, and our analysis is better for it. The Final Environmental Impact Statement and resulting Draft Record of Decision include numerous changes and mitigation measures that seek to minimize the environmental effects from the mining operations.”

The project will produce gold, as well as antinomy. The mine would be the only reserve of the element within the United States, according to Perpetua Resources, the mine’s owner. It would be a 20-year project with three open pits totaling 510 acres. The project footprint would disturb or impact 3,423 acres.

“We believe that the Stibnite Gold Project is a win-win-win,” said Jon Cherry, President and CEO of Perpetua Resources. “It’s a win for Idaho, it’s a win for the environment, and it’s a win for America’s national security. Our independence from Chinese control over antimony is right here in our backyard, and Perpetua Resources is honored to provide a critical part of the solution to the United States’ strategic need for antimony, while also delivering an economically robust gold mine that will create new jobs in Idaho. It’s time for the Stibnite Gold Project to help secure our future.”

Perpetua expects to mine an estimated 4.8 million ounces of gold reserves (over 450,000 ounces of gold annually over the first four years). As a by-product of gold production, the Project has a reserve of 148 million pounds of antimony, which the company says is “essential for national defense, clean energy and technology applications, yet no domestically mined supply currently exists.”

Antimony is a semi-metal used in the electronics industry to make some semiconductor devices, such as infrared detectors and diodes. It is alloyed with lead or other metals to improve their hardness and strength.

Perpetua says its gold mine has undergone a rigorous multi-year, science-based review process that balances environmental outcomes, community and national interest and project economics. The company says the process includes:

— 14 years of scientific study, community engagement, and engineering (2010-2024);

— 8 years in the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”) permitting process (2016-2024); and

— 150 days of formal public comment in which 28,000 letters were received, with approximately 85% expressing support for the Project.

The conservation groups say the Modified Mine Plan doubles the size of the existing disturbance and would excavate three open-pit mines. The proposed Yellow Pine pit would extend more than 700 feet beneath the riverbed of the East Fork South Fork Salmon River, requiring the river to be rerouted through a concrete tunnel during mining activities until the pit is eventually backfilled with mine waste. The project also requires constructing an industrial ore-processing facility, burying pristine bull trout habitat beneath 100 million tons of toxic mine tailings, building miles of new access roads and electrical transmission lines through inventoried roadless areas, and providing on-site housing and services for hundreds of workers, the conservation groups say.

“This decision is a grave disservice to the hundreds of people who voiced concerns about the cyanide vat leach mine, and it appears that the Forest Service has not made any substantive changes to the project,” said John Robison of the Idaho Conservation League. “The plan still involves excavating three massive open pits, punching in a road through three roadless areas and along the boundary of the Frank Church River of Return Wilderness, and filling Meadow Creek with toxic mine waste.”

Nick Kunath, Conservation Director at Idaho Rivers United, said the groups are worried about the rising temperatures in the watersheds that are home to federal ESA-listed salmon, steelhead, and bull trout.

“We know that stream flows in the EFSF watershed will be reduced by up to 30 percent, and the removal of riparian shading will increase predicted stream temperatures by up to 6.6° C for up to 100 years. None of which accounts for the additional impacts of climate change,” Kunath said.

In 2022, the Nez Perce Tribe along with the Idaho Conservation League and Save the South Fork Salmon, filed a petition with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality which had just issued a favorable air quality permit.  The petition says IDEQ’s air permit violated the federal Clean Air Act and state laws aimed at safeguarding human health, safety and the environment. The air permit, they said, authorizes the company to emit large quantities of dust—including particulate matter and arsenic—generated by mining, hauling and processing ore, while failing to include basic monitoring and other safeguards to ensure air pollution levels remain safe.

The mine would be within the Tribe’s aboriginal homeland where the Tribe has treaty-reserved rights and natural resources, cultural resources and sacred sites. In 2018, the Tribe issued a resolution opposing the proposed mining project based on its affirmative threats to the Tribe’s rights and interests in the mine area and to the livelihood, health and socio-economic well-being of Tribal members, surrounding communities and future generations.

“Perpetua is presently involved in three legal challenges to its air quality permit, water rights application, and 401 water quality certification. All three of these challenges are contesting and highlighting the callousness and indifference with which Perpetua plans to treat the river, the fish, human health, and the land, all under the banner of profits. All of the concerns raised in these challenges are unresolved in the FEIS,” said Mary Faurot Petterson, Save The South Fork Salmon Board member.

By the State of Idaho’s calculations, operations at the proposed mine will also emit millions of pounds of arsenic-laden dust per year posing additional environmental and human health risks for anyone recreating near, or traveling through the mine site, the conservation groups said in a news release.

Perpetua says it will:

— Restore native fish passage, opening miles of pristine spawning habitat that has been inaccessible for 80 years;

— Improve water quality by reprocessing and safely storing legacy tailings, reducing arsenic in rivers on site up to 90%; and

— Restore 450 acres of wetlands for a 63% net increase in wetland acres over existing conditions.

The objection process provides an opportunity for those who have participated in a prior formal public comment period for this project to have their unresolved concerns reviewed before the Forest Supervisor issues a final decision, the Forest Service said. Individuals must have submitted substantive formal comments related to the project during previous comment periods to object unless the issue is based on new information that arose after the opportunities for comment (36 CFR 218.8(c)). Objections will be accepted for 45 days following publication of the legal notice in the Idaho Statesman. Those wishing to submit an objection should not rely upon dates or timeframes provided by any other source.

The FEIS and ROD and information on filing an objection is posted at the project website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/payette/?project=50516

Following the 45-day objection period, the Forest Service will evaluate submitted objections and begin a formal 45-day resolution process between objectors and the Reviewing Officer. Following this process, the Forest Service will release a Final ROD for the project, including any modifications made based on objection resolutions. The ROD is expected by the end of this year.

For background, see:

CBB, August 4, 2022, Proposed Open Pit Gold Mining Project In Salmon River Basin Gets First Significant Permit; Nez Perce Tribe, Groups File Challenge, https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/proposed-open-pit-gold-mining-project-in-salmon-river-basin-gets-first-significant-permit-nez-perce-tribe-groups-file-challenge/

CBB, June 13, 2019, Nez Perce Tribe Files Intent-To-Sue Notice Over Gold Mining Site In Area Of Salmon Restoration; Company Says Did Not Cause Current Pollution Issues, https://columbiabasinbulletin.org/nez-perce-tribe-files-intent-to-sue-notice-over-gold-mining-site-in-area-of-salmon-restoration-company-says-did-not-cause-current-pollution-issues/

CBB, Oct. 29, 2010, PROJECT AIMS AT RESTORING FISH HABITAT, ‘CONNECTIVITY’ IN SOUTH FORK SALMON RIVER WATERSHED https://www.columbiabasinbulletin.org/project-aims-at-restoring-fish-habitat-connectivity-in-south-fork-salmon-river-watershed/

 

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Tribes Using $9.5 Million From NOAA For Salmon Habitat Restoration –Engineered Log Jams – On Washington’s South Fork Nooksack River

Above Photo: Engineered log jam along the river bank. Credit: Nooksack Tribe Natural Resources Department/Lummi Natural Resources

NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation is investing $9.5 million through the Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act to restore salmon habitat for South Fork Nooksack River Spring Chinook. Projects led by the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe will install engineered log jams in the river.

These structures mimic the natural log jams in rivers flowing through old forests. They provide hiding places for young fish and resting places for adult fish returning to spawn.

NOAA says the careful placement of log jams can also reduce the risk of flooding to homes and other structures. This is becoming more important as climate change increases the likelihood of extreme weather events such as storms and floods.

The Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe are coordinating  with NOAA, local floodplain authorities, and many state and federal funders. Their leadership of this project is part of their effort to sustain the economic, social, and cultural well-being of their tribal communities and restore fisheries. Over the next 3 years, the projects will add more than 80 log jams to the watershed and conduct other actions to restore floodplain habitat.

In the past two decades, the Tribes have completed more than 30 log jam projects along the South and North Forks of the Nooksack River. Many were conducted with NOAA assistance. Each restoration project may include dozens of these structures.

Deploying log jams in the South Fork Nooksack River will help recover the Nooksack Spring Chinook, an essential part of the threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon population, says NOAA. “Without action, this sub-population may go extinct, further unraveling the genetic diversity of the Puget Sound Chinook population protected under federal law. Restoration in the South Fork bolsters Pacific salmon recovery and honors tribal treaties.”

As a keystone species, Spring Chinook are essential for the river’s productivity and biodiversity. When adults die after spawning, they provide vital oceanic nutrients to the river and its floodplain. Their young are a crucial part of the food web.

NOAA says the decline of salmon in this watershed is due to:

  • Historical overfishing
  • Floodplain degradation
  • Removal of large wood from the river
  • Constriction of the channel
  • Increased sedimentation from forest roads and eroding banks

Log jams are a critical part of floodplain river corridors. They redirect water flows, causing the river to split into multiple slower-moving channels that meander among forested islands. They create the habitat salmon need for spawning and the development of juveniles. River flows scour deep pools in front of log jams. These pools stay cool, providing respite for adult salmon during their upstream migration.

Log jams can also help reduce the impact of floods on fish and local communities . They spread the water across a floodplain, giving fish safe places to rest, and recharging groundwater in floodplain wetlands. Log jam projects are carefully engineered and designed in collaboration with local flood authorities.

NOAA says the Nooksack effort is leading the way in developing efficient methods for evaluating flood effects of restoration projects, engaging both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and local flood authorities. Creating this integrated floodplain management is key to the federal response to climate change.

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