Project #2003-017-00 (Project) seeks to develop two novel monitoring and evaluation programs: (i) subbasin-scale pilot status and trend monitoring efforts for anadromous salmonids and their habitat in the Wenatchee, John Day and South Fork Salmon River basins, and (ii) effectiveness monitoring for suites of habitat restoration projects in selected watersheds within the three target subbasins.  This work - critical for implementing the 2000 NMFS FCRPS Biological Opinion (RPA Actions 180, 181, and 183) (BiOp) - builds on current status and trend monitoring programs within each of these basins.  Several regional and local organizations are funding and implementing these programs.  In short, this project will integrate existing and new monitoring and evaluation activities in three pilot subbasins to help ensure that provisions of the BiOp are satisfied.
This Scope of Work (SOW) will enable the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to implement the Project in the Wenatchee Subbasin.  Specifically, within this SOW, United States Department of Agriculture - Forest Service (USFS) will estimate the total number of steelhead redds in 25 randomly selected streams reaches within the Wenatchee Subbasin.
The work elements within this SOW expand upon previous and current monitoring work being conducted by USFS and are key components of the two monitoring and evaluation programs developed by the Project. Past and current USFS monitoring work includes steelhead spawning surveys in the Methow, Entiat and Naches subbasins; fine sediment, stream temperature, fish distribution surveys, habitat surveys, and bull trout spawning surveys in the Methow, Entiat, Wenatchee, Upper Yakima and Naches subbasins.  All the monitoring programs are coordinated with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Yakama Nation, Chelan County and Douglas County Public Utility Districts.   These work elements are interrelated with other Project components including: 1) steelhead spawning surveys in index reaches and 2) habitat characterization work at the same 50 randomly selected locations as the snorkeling work.  While the completion of most work elements within this SOW is not dependent on the implementation of interrelated Project components, the completion of this SOW will provide the context for, and facilitate the interpretation of, data collected in other Project components.  One work element within this SOW will be dependent on the implementation of interrelated Project components, including:
• Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) will be conducting steelhead spawning ground surveys at index reaches.  Counts of steelhead in these index reaches will be required, in conjunction with USFS surveys at randomly-selected sites, to generate total Subbasin escapement values.
Technical methodologies for all work conducted under this SOW will follow protocols specified in the following document unless changes to these methodologies are mutually agreed to by RTT and USFS:
Hillman, T.W.  2004.  Monitoring strategy for the Upper Columbia Basin: Draft report February 1, 2004.  Prepared for Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team, Wenatchee, Washington.
An appendix to this Hillman (2004) document is being created by NOAA-Fisheries and the RTT which describes the specific inter-relationships between several monitoring elements to be contracted and implemented in 2004.  While this appendix is not finalized, a draft version that covers all Project components, described above, which are interrelated to this SOW.  This draft document, and eventually the final appendix, provide additional context for this SOW (but does not constitute a contractual element of this SOW). BPA support for this monitoring beyond 2004 is conditioned, in part, upon BPA receiving an acceptable plan that clearly identifies the monitoring and analytical framework, timeframes (i.e. expected schedule across years), and collaborative contributions for data collection and analysis by partner entities.