The proposed work is part of a larger effort to restore flows to the Touchet River. This larger effort is supported by significant funds from multiple sources. The fisheries benefits accrued from the proposed project are uncertain. Apparently no EDT or any other type of analysis was done to estimate amount of flow increases needed to significantly increase fish production. The scientific credibility of this project depends on development of a hypothesis regarding the magnitude of fisheries and habitat benefits expected and strategies to obtain data to test it. The results of the larger effort to provide flows could provide important benefits to fish over the longer term, but again specific estimates of these benefits were not provided by the sponsors. The response of the sponsors of project #200733000 is an example of how fisheries and habitat benefits from increased flow could be estimated.

The sponsors did not provide additional background on the project area as requested by the ISRP. This proposal should be linked to the Columbia Basin Water Transaction Program (# 200201301) and address that program's criteria for water transactions that are relevant to the proposed actions.