The project improves survival of native fish species through the implementation of fish screen, passage, and habitat projects (irrigation diversions, dams, culverts, habitat structures, etc.) on both public and private land. Thousands of water diversions exist in the Columbia Basin in waters home to anadromous fish, including many listed on the Endangered Species Act.  ODFW works with water users to install fish screens to prevent fish injury and mortality associated with the diversion of water.  Fish screens operate in challenging environments that include extreme cold temperatures to extreme heat.  Fish screens are also exposed to floating debris ranging from sediment to large trees that damage screens resulting in fish loss.  Proper fish screen installation is required for fish screens to prevent fish injury and mortality associated with water diversions. Along with funds from BPA, the program uses cost share from PCSRF, OWEB, Oregon General Fund, and ODFW Surcharge funds for implementation.  The project also partners with local and regional cooperators (USFS, SWCD's, etc.) and may receive some funding from those partnerships to implement mutual, high priority projects.  

The project is housed at the John Day Screen Shop in John Day, Oregon, but supports projects in most of Eastern Oregon.  Prioritization of projects is primarily focused by the Mid-Columbia Steelhead Plan, but Oregon Sub-basin plans and other regional plans help determine best use of money on the ground, while maximizing partnership projects throughout the entire area.    

The prioritization of projects (screening, habitat, and passage) is tracked on a spreadsheet that we place all potential projects on once the location is determined to be a priority in the Conservation and Recovery Plan for Oregon Steelhead Populations in the Middle Columbia River Steelhead Distinct Population Segment (MCR, February 2010). We meet with our district fish biologists to ensure that anadromous species are present, were there historically, or are found by the district biologists through a presence survey. The district fish biologist also determines if high quality habitat is contained at these locations to determine if the project is a high priority for implementation.

The district fish biologist utilizes Altas as a starting point for projects based on it's sub-basin priority system.  An actual Basin level assessment/inventory of potential projects has not been performed.  The Program will provide an over-arching potential project list and perform some level of assessment as time allows.  

Once the district fish biologist approves the project (based on available data), the project location is entered into the Fish Screening and Passage database for approval to complete engineering and design by the statewide screening or passage coordinators in Salem. (Link to Database: https://www.cbfish.org/Document.mvc/Viewer/P213353)

Other conservation and recovery plans are utilized in addition to the MCR, February 2010 steelhead plan such as the bull trout plan for project prioritization depending on geographic location.
  
Summary of Fish Screen implementation activities includes a variety of project types, 8 of which are carried over from previous contract (#84041 REL 31). The shared goal of these activities is to prevent fish stranding to irrigation ditch network an area of elevated risk to stranding and degraded habitat conditions posing risk to rearing needs of local fish populations. Headgate installations provide immediate protection to gravity screens, reducing or eliminating damage during high flow events and the associated entrainment improving on the limiting factor “Impaired Fish Passage”. The Project has worked with the state water resources department and water users to install water measuring devices to improve compliance with water right withdrawals associated with the limiting factor, “Water Quantity“ to combat climate change.

To that end, this contract can be summarized by the following activities:

-9 headgates
-7 water measuring devices
-7 gravity fish screens
-1 fish exclusion/diversion
-Pump Screens:
The level of effort and location for these devices historically ranges from 0-20 by sub-basin and requires no ground disturbance for cost-efficient fabrication and installation.
-Maintenance Actions:
Maintenance Activities with existing infrastructure are important to ensure function of aging of existing fish screen infrastructure. This includes supportive screen components, headgates, as well as water measuring devices. For a given site, several activities may be needed and is based on real time observations from landowner and Screens implementation staff.

Screens program is an important component of the overall restoration vision for the John Day for improving local fish population. Ongoing restoration efforts of the John Day Partnership have demonstrated success throughout the basin for improving floodplain connectivity and complexity. Ongoing monitoring will help track overall ecological trajectory of the program through efforts of Intensely Monitoring Watersheds and  BPA funded ODFW research project (Escapement and Productivity project (199801600) to evaluate the population characteristics and statistics in the John Day Basin as a whole.

The project will solicit a subcontractor to complete cultural resource surveys on ground disturbance projects (through the supplemental Cultural Expense Contract) if BPA cultural staff are not available to do the work.  Once the subcontractor has completed all surveys for the contract year, the report will be reviewed by ODFW and then submitted to BPA for final compliance review and approval.  Work on ground disturbance projects will not begin until BPA has provided approval.  

Line item budget includes capital investments necessary to the implementation mission including a mini-excavator that facilitates construction logistics in terms of utilizing with available dump trucks and diversity of site conditions. Milling machine will also be part of the budget that is important for the fabrication of parts related to in-house fabrication of fish screens.

Travel listed in the Line Item Budget:
- Travel for employees to attend conferences, safety trainings, other trainings as required;
- Travel for employees to construct and install projects away from the shop.