The WDFW has been actively involved with Yakima River Basin Phase II screen O&M for the last twenty years (1993), the start of the Phase II Screening Program.  Yakima Fish Screen Phase II O&M, project # 199200900, was originally started with Intergovernmental Agreement # DE- BI79-93BP71031 effective April 1, 1993.  In 1994, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between BPA, BOR, and WDFW was drafted and agreed upon (BPA # 95AI37444, BOR # 1425-4-MA-10-00840, WDFW# 241-950010).  This MOA, through the use of an Annual Work Plan (AWP), assigns specific duties to WDFW for O&M of Phase II facilities and is funded by BPA through master contract #00000195-00001, formerly #93B971031.  The WDFW expanded these fish protection activities into the Walla Walla Basin with the construction of the new Huntsville Mill fish protection facility, which is also included in this O&M program.  This BPA O&M project is a joint project with the BOR (1995-033-00) and is tied to WDFW's ongoing Fish Screen Inspection Program that visits all gravity irrigation diversions once a week throughout the irrigation season.     The Washington State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife fish screen inspection O&M program enables WDFW to perform the BPA O&M activities at a reduced cost in that only a portion of drive and inspection time is charged to BPA.  Measurable benefits of proper operation and maintenance of fish screening facilities was documented by Battelle, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) (Abernethy 1996) which showed "Yakima Phase II fish screen facilities, constructed to current criteria and properly operated and maintained, protected fry from injury/mortality and achieved bypass guidance rates in the 90 to 99 percent range".  The following 29 sites were assigned to WDFW during the annual work plan meeting; Anderson, Emerick, Fruitvale, Gleed, Kelly-Lowry, Mason-Hay, Naches-Cowiche, Naches-Selah, New Cascade, Holmes, Snipes & Allen, Stevens, Taylor, Bull Wilson, Ellensburg Mill, Clark, Lindsey, Union Gap, Congdon, Old Union, Younger, Chapman Nelson, Powell-LaFortune, Selah Moxee, Lewis, Packwood, Fogarty and Scott.

The Phase II fish screens are an integral and important part of a larger effort to increase ESA anadromous and resident fish populations throughout the entire Yakima River basin. Substantial investments have been made in the Yakima basin towards this end by BPA. This proposal contributes to this effort by assuring that these fish screens work as intended in preventing fish injury or mortality. Fish losses at these sites through an inadequate O&M program defeats recovery effort and our ability to sustain basin fish populations and thus reduces the value of BPA's basin-wide investments. Good results in other BPA funded Yakima Basin restoration programs are compromised if fish are not first protected at these sites.  The Phase II O&M is divided into three phases, spring startup, routine seasonal maintenance, and fall shut downs followed by an annual inspection. As part of the O & M, all sites are routinely visited on a weekly schedule by field maintenance personnel who ensure the facility is operating properly and within criteria. Fish screen are mechanical devises and as such have many parts that are subject to wear and tear. This wear is compounded by the fact they are used in water. Critical to proper operation and fish safety is water submergence levels and bypass flows. Staff performs inspections of all mechanical components, make adjustments as needed, lubricate, and exercising backup equipment. Maintenance check-sheet and log books are used to document site-visit activities by both O&M staff and the irrigators. These logs entries by the irrigators are the documentation for their contractor reimbursement, which pays them for expenses that are over and above their historical operating costs. At the end of the irrigation season letters are sent to sites where fish entrainment between the head gate and the screen site may occur. These letters remind the irrigators to use a ramped shut down procedure to allow fish to safely return the stream or river volitionally. Dates and times of the shut downs are coordinated with field staff so that any residual fish can be salvaged. All fish salvage are performed by trained staff and reported to NMFS. Once sites are dewatered for the winter, crews perform a site inspection documenting all deficiencies and then prioritized them for future corrections. During spring, the spring site deficiencies not completed during the fall/winter are completed and sites are readied for season start. Startup is coordinated with the irrigators so field staff can be present to help with initial adjustments and settings to ensure optimal facility operation and fish protection.