Lower Columbia River Ecosystem Monitoring Project
Statement of Work and Budget FY2006

BPA Project Number:  2003-007-00
Contract Number:  24617
Performance/Budget Period: September 1, 2005 - August 31, 2006

Technical Contact:  Jill Leary
Monitoring Coordinator
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
811 SW Naito Parkway, Suite 120
Portland, Oregon  97204
Phone: 503.226.1565 Ext. 235
Fax:  503.226.1580
leary@lcrep.org

BPA Project Manager:  Tracey Yerxa
Bonneville Power Administration
905 NE 11th Avenue
Portland, Oregon  97208
Phone:  503.230.3679
Fax:  503.230.4564
tyerxa@bpa.gov





Date of Submission:  July 15, 2005

BACKGROUND
Our ability to understand the relationship of sensitive organisms such as salmonids to the lower Columbia River and Columbia River estuary ecosystem is greatly hindered by major data gaps and poor access to existing data.  The Estuary Partnership proposes to continue to implement elements of its Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring and Data Management Strategy to address habitat and toxics monitoring needs and data management.  This proposal addresses RPAs 161, 163, and 198.  

This statement of work describes the work elements, deliverables, and costs for year three of a three year monitoring project. The first year (September 2003 to August 2004) of this contract was placed on hold for the majority of the contract year due to Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC) requesting further review of the proposal by their Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP).  After ISRP review, and review by NPCC, three months remained to complete the work in the first year of the contract.  As a result, a number of tasks were delayed and completed in the second year.

The second year (September 2004 to August 2005) of this contract involved the creation and refinement of an ecosystem classification system for the Lower Columbia River Estuary (LCRE). This classification was derived from LANDSAT TM imagery and bathymetry data and was used to develop habitat monitoring metrics for the LCRE. These habitat monitoring metrics were utilized in the field during July 2005 in reaches D & F of the LCRE to collect biological and physical data on habitat conditions.

Additionally during the second year of this contract, a conceptual model was developed that will provide information on the sources, pathways and potential effects of contaminants on salmonids in the LCRE. This model will be incorporated into a contaminant flux model that will show transport and uptake of conventional and toxic pollutants in the LCRE. Moreover, an ecological risk model was created to link contaminant body burdens in salmonids to health risks such as, impaired immune systems, growth inhibition, and reduced survival rates. The ecological risk model will show the impacts of these health risks on the survival and productivity of specific listed salmonids. Fish sampling will occur from March 2005 through August 2005 and the sampling results will be incorporated into the models after analysis is completed during the third year (September 2005 to August 2006) of this contract. Additionally, fixed station water quality monitoring and semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) were installed to provide water chemistry data that will be incorporated into the model as well.

Part 1 of Year 3 of this contract will focus on Habitat Monitoring. Revised versions of the ecosystem classification system and habitat monitoring metrics will be created using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), bathymetric, and field sampling data and Quickbird imagery.  The work elements listed under Part 1 are directed at creating a scientifically sound hydrogeomorphically-based ecosystem classification system that characterizes the landscape variability of the Lower Columbia River and Estuary.  The University of Washington, United States Geologic Survey (USGS), and Battelle/Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL) are all participating in the creation of this classification system.

Part 2 of Year 3 of this contract will focus on Toxics monitoring. Toxics monitoring will continue to address issues such as the accumulation of toxic contaminants in sensitive habitat areas, contaminant trends over time, and impacts on salmonids.  NOAA Fisheries and USGS have been subcontracted to continue the toxics monitoring and fish sampling.  NOAA Fisheries will analyze fish stomach content and vitellogenin levels from fish samples collected during Year 2 of this contract and produce a report detailing the results on this analysis in Year 3. This information will also be used to update the contaminant transport model and the ecological risk model to produce Version 2.0 of each model.  USGS will retrieve the SPMDs and analyze the fixed station water quality data and the SPMD data to produce a report detailing their water chemistry and bioaccumulation findings.

In addition to the coordinating activities the The Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership is involved with, we will be coordinating with the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Program (PNAMP) as a means of informing other agencies of the work being conducted in this study.  We will be strategizing with PNAMP to discuss how data will be made accessible and usable for interested parties and on ways to align monitoring and sampling protocols in the LCRE.

PART 1:  HABITAT MONITORING

The Estuary Partnership will coordinate the revision of protocols and indicators for measuring habitat condition, including habitats important for juvenile salmonids. This information will be utilized to determine how and where to implement a long term habitat monitoring program for the LCRE.  The Estuary Partnership Science Work Group will review the data on a periodic basis and critique the progress of the work as well as recommend possible research studies to address key questions as they arise.  

Habitat monitoring objectives for this year include:
1. Revision of the ecosystem classification system and habitat monitoring metrics through the incorporation of LiDAR, bathymetric, and field collected data
2. Produce a report detailing the bathymetry of the Lower Columbia River and Estuary (LCRE)
3. Identify one additional reach for field sampling in the LCRE to characterize habitat variability using revised habitat monitoring metrics
4. Update the Lower Columbia River Estuary Habitat Monitoring Plan with the results obtained during Year 2

PART 2: TOXICS MONITORING

The Estuary Partnership in conjunction with USGS and NOAA Fisheries will produce a report documenting the results of monthly water quality samples, SMPDs, and fish sampling on the lower Columbia River and estuary. This report will provide baseline toxic contaminant data, track trends in toxic contaminant concentrations over time, identify specific problem sites, provide possible levels of exposure, and evaluate possible impacts of toxics contamination on selected species such as salmonids.  The toxics monitoring program continues to focus on three mediums: water column, sediments, and tissues.  

Toxics monitoring objectives for this year include:
1. Continuation of salmon sampling to provide information on the exposure effects and contaminant uptake on species from different ESUs and with different life histories
2. Incorporation of fish stomach content and vitellogenin information as well as water chemistry and SPMD bioaccumulation data into the ecological risk and contaminant flux models to determine the factors that are associated with transport of contaminants into, within, and from the study area and their impact on salmonid health.  
3. Evaluate the results to determine if current concentrations present a possible threat to sensitive species.