The goal and objectives of this contract are as follows:  

1. What are the current habitat conditions and abundance, distribution, life-stage survival, and age-composition of fish  in the Upper Columbia Basin (status monitoring)?
2. How do these factors change over time (trend monitoring)?
3. What effects do tributary habitat actions have on fish populations and habitat conditions (effectiveness monitoring)?

The plan is designed to address these questions and at the same time eliminate duplication of work, reduce costs, and increase monitoring efficiency.  The implementation of valid statistical designs, probabilistic sampling designs, standardized data collection protocols, consistent data reporting methods, and selection of sensitive indicators will increase monitoring efficiency (Currens et al. 2000; Bayley 2002).  

DOE will measure these physical habitat indicators.    In sum, these  indicators address  "outcome" variables (e.g.,  sediment, woody debris, pools, riparian habitat, etc.), as outlined in Hillman and Giorgi (2002) and the Action Agencies/NOAA Fisheries RME Plan.    
(The above is from Hillman 2004 Monitoring Plan for the Upper Columbia)

Completion of this SOW by the Washington State Department of Ecology (WDOE) will be dependent on the implementation of interrelated Project components, including:

1) Initial site selection will be performed by the Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team (RTT).
2) Reconnaissance of sampling sites will be performed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) on federal properties: Prior to the field seaseon, USFS will provide WDOE with directions for physical access and authorization for access to sites on federal lands.
3) Reconnaissance of sampling sites will be performed by Chelan County Conservation District (CCCD) on non-federal properties: Prior to the field season, CCCD will provide WDOE with directions for physical access and authorization from property owners for access to privately-owned sites.
4) Prior to the field season, RTT/NOAA-Fisheries will provide a field sampling protocol (manual) and field forms, each based on Hillman (2004)*, in order that WDOE may properly train its field staff.
5) The WDOE budget is dependent upon their ability to lease a USFS bunkhouse for 5 staff.

*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


Coordination will be necessary with other Project participants. Specifically, USFS will be conducting snorkel surveys at the same sites that WDOE will be conducting habitat surveys and will need WDOE-collected habitat data for their work. Therefore coordination with USFS will inlude the following

1) To the extent possible, snorkel surveys will be conducted prior to habitat surveys to minimize disturbance of fish.
2) The first crew at the site (typically the snorkel crew) will determine site length and monument site midpoint and endpoints.
"The X-site and the upstream and downstream ends of the reach will be measured with.  GPS and recorded as latitude and longitude (decimal degrees). For purposes of re-measurements, these points will also be photographed, marked with permanent markers, and identified with notes/diagrams. Permanent location of sites on private lands and within Wilderness will be agreed upon with landowners. Minor modifications to the marking procedure may be necessitated by landowner requirements. For example Wilderness rules rules forbid placement or orange stakes. These situations would call for ground-level markers accompanied by aluminum flashing nailed into nearby
trees.
3) Snorkel and habitat surveys will need to occur within a short period of time to minimize changes in habitat that occur over time. (e.g. seasonal flow changes, storm events, etc.).
4) WDOE and USFS field crew leaders, or designated alternates, will confer weekly during the field season to discuss reconnaissance, site-layout, the previous week's progress, and to determine subsequent week's sampling plans.
5) In the event that significant changes in sampling plans occur, WDOE and USFS field crew leaders, or designated alternates, will discuss, in-person or by phone and prior to performing additional sampling, how to best proceed to insure adequate coordination of snorkel and habitat surveys.
6) WDOE will provide photocopies of raw field data forms to USFS as practicable.
7) WDOE will provide USFS with complete, error-proofed habitat data by November 30, 2006.