BPA Project Number:  2003-011-00
CR-119929
Performance/Budget Period: July 6, 2009 – November 15, 2009

Technical Contact:  Jennifer Morace
Technical Projects Coordinator
USGS
10615 SE Cherry Blossom Drive
Portland, OR 97216
Phone: 503-251-3229
jlmorace@usgs.gov

Contracting Contact: Kenny Weiner
Financial Officer
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership
811 SW Naito Parkway, Suite 120
Portland, Oregon  97204
Phone: 503.226.1565 Ext. 223
weiner@lcrep.org
Fax:  503.226.1580

BPA Project Manager:  Tracey Yerxa
Bonneville Power Administration
905 NE 11th Avenue
Portland, Oregon  97208
Phone:  503.230.4738
Fax:  503.230.4564
tyerxa@bpa.gov

Project work completed under this contract which covers the 2008-2009 funding year, will be summarized and submitted to BPA during funding year 2009-2010.  Because the Pile Structure program represents a new contract with BPA, there is no annual report from the previous funding year of 2007-2008.

A portion of the work under the above project is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey under the present contract.


BACKGROUND
To date most salmonid habitat restoration activities, such as dike breaches, tide gate retrofits and riparian restoration in the lower Columbia River estuary have occurred in the tidally influenced reaches of estuarine tributaries and embayments rather than in the mainstem channel. Such restoration projects are important to the survival of juvenile salmonids; however, there is considerable interest in identifying restoration tools that could be applied in the mainstem channel of the estuary for potential benefits directly to millions of juveniles from upstream populations that are using the estuary for forage and refuge during their estuarine residency.

The 2008 Biological Opinion for the Federal Columbia River Power System (2008 BiOp) identifies piling and piling dike modification as a new mainstem restoration activity and directs the Action Agencies (AAs) to develop and implement a pile modification program.  In 2008 the AAs will work with the Estuary Partnership to develop a plan for strategic pile modification in the Columbia River estuary.  The AAs will coordinate with the Estuary Partnership and local experts and resources to prioritize and select projects.  Projects will be identified based on research (adaptive management based on ongoing and emerging science), regional coordination, and be consistent with Estuary Recovery Plan Module. The AAs, in coordination with the Estuary Partnership, regional technical experts and others, will begin implementation in 2008.  

Pile structure (structures referring to both pile fields and pile dikes) modification projects could enhance localized water quality and geomorphic and ecological processes that influence habitat conditions in the estuary for juvenile salmonids. In some cases, pile structures may limit access or redirect salmon from important habitat, and modification of such structures could improve juvenile salmon survival. In other cases, removing creosote or copper-treated pile structures using methods that do not release contaminants into the water column will reduce localized toxic contaminant levels. In specific instances, it may be beneficial to create complex, woody debris habitat, important as salmon refugia, by modifying existing pile structures.

Yet pile structure removal for the benefit of juvenile salmon remains an untested restoration technique. Some pile structures may have created or enhanced habitat conditions for juvenile salmon. Others may be well positioned to be modified to create complex woody debris important for salmon refugia. Because pile structure modification is experimental, developing and testing various hypotheses and performing extensive monitoring in the early stages of the program will be critical.  

To account for these uncertainties, during year one (September 2008 – September 2009) the AAs, in coordination with Estuary Partnership and local experts and resources, will develop a scientifically defensible Pile Structure Modification Program (Pile Program) that includes pre and post monitoring, pilot projects and scientific evaluation. This statement of work describes the elements that will initiate the Program– this includes the specific work elements, deliverables, and costs for year one. Tasks include developing a list of testable hypotheses to assess ecological benefits to salmonids. Hypotheses will be incorporated into initial project prioritization criteria and will drive the creation of a monitoring plan designed to document environmental results from pile structure removal. Results from the implementation of this monitoring plan and modeling of set environmental conditions for selected pilot pile structure removal projects will further refine the Program’s hypotheses and prioritization criteria.  Finally, a regional permitting approach will be researched to determine if permitting requirements can be expedited.

To aid development and implementation, project selection and final decision making, and 2008 BiOp requirements for the Pile Program the AAs and the Estuary Partnership will work collaboratively to determine how many, where, and who will participate in all field visits conducted under this contract.  Participants could include AA staff, management and contractors, regional technical experts, scientists, elected officials, members or staff of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (Council), and/or  others. The AAs and the Estuary Partnership will meet periodically to collaboratively make decisions and plan field visits.

The AAs will coordinate with the Estuary Partnership, regional technical experts and others to achieve Pile Program objectives and 2008 BiOp requirements for year one (September 15,2008 – September 14,2009) which include the following:

1. Finalize draft Pile Modification Plan for Science Review Panel and Address Review Comments
2. Develop Pile Structure Modificationl Monitoring Plan
3. Identify Priority Pile Structure Modification Projects
4. Develop and Implement Priority Pile Structure Removal Projects
5. Implement Monitoring Plan at Pile Structure Modification Project Sites
6. Assess Regional Permitting Opportunities and Approaches
7. Field Visit Pile Structure Sites for Education, Building Stakeholder Support, Project Selection and RME Decision Making
8. Refine Pile Structure Modification Program Strategy