2009-016-00

Washington Estuary Accord Planning & Development

WDFW Estuary MOA Umbrella Project 2009-016-00

This Project Description is the Umbrella Project Statement of Work (BPA Project 2009-016-00 SOW) that describes the work to be conducted by WDFW – via BPA Funding – to scope and develop the estuary habitat Restoration Projects called for in the Estuary MOA. An Inter-Governmental Contract will be developed by BPA to procure the services of WDFW and subcontractor(s) to perform the work described in this SOW.

BPA will execute an umbrella contract with Washington’s designated implementing agency -- WDFW -- providing up to $250,000 each year for transaction costs. Upon completion of planning, development and execution of partnering agreements for estuary projects for implementation under this Agreement, any additional transaction costs (if any) would be transitioned from the umbrella contract to the Corps projects addressed in this Agreement. The Estuary MOA between Washington and Federal Action Agencies

The Estuary Habitat MOA

The federal Action Agencies that operate the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) have asked the state of Washington to join in a partnership to expedite habitat restoration efforts for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River Estuary below Bonneville Dam . On September 16, 2009 the Washington Governor and Director of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) signed the Estuary Habitat Memorandum of Agreement (Estuary MOA) with the Action Agencies.

The Estuary MOA establishes a nine-year funding arrangement for habitat restoration in the lower Columbia River. Under the Estuary MOA, the three federal Action Agencies would provide an additional $40.5 million for estuary habitat improvements over the next nine years ($4.5 million each year). This is over and above the $49.5 million the federal agencies have already dedicated to habitat restoration in the estuary over the 10-year course of the 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion (BiOp). Total federal commitments to habitat restoration in the estuary would increase to $90 million over the next nine years under the Estuary MOA.

Authority to Conduct Habitat Restoration under the Corps Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) Authority

Under Section 536 (WRDA 2000), the Corps can construct ecosystem restoration projects for the lower Columbia River estuary to protect, monitor and restore fish habitat. This authority requires a non-Federal cost share sponsorship, in which the sponsor pays 35% and the Corps is responsible for 65% of the total costs to plan and construct the projects. The non-Federal sponsor (or local sponsor) is responsible for all lands, easement and rights-of-ways, of which value will be credited toward the local (non-Federal) cost- share. In addition, the local sponsor is responsible for all future operation and maintenance costs.
A feasibility study to formulate an estuary habitat project under the Corps' 536 Program is cost shared equally (50 percent/50 percent) between the Corps of Engineers and the non-Federal sponsor. One hundred percent of the non-Federal share may be contributed as in-kind products or services. The feasibility study results in recommendations for the design and construction of the habitat actions, and identifies the responsibilities of the Federal and non-Federal sponsor during design and construction.

Under Section 204 (WRDA 1992), the Corps can cost share with willing local sponsors the incremental costs above the least cost Federal standard to create estuarine habitat (beneficial use) from material dredged for a federal navigation project. Incremental costs could result from increased distances to disposal site, requiring different equipment or special handling/rehandling techniques or additional features to help stabilize dredged material at a placement site. The Corps will pay 75% of the incremental costs and the sponsor is required to pay the remaining 25%.

The Corps will consult with Washington to ensure that Corps projects and related RM&E implemented under these authorities will contribute to the objectives of the Estuary MOA, including projects (or types of projects) identified for funding.

For projects where the State of Washington is a sponsor, before project approval, the Parties will meet to discuss and address projected operation and maintenance (O&M) requirements and any potential liability exposure arising from project implementation. Operation and maintenance costs may be paid for as agreed by the Parties, on a project- by-project basis, from the BPA portion of the funding in this MOA. Risk management issues will also be discussed and addressed by the Parties as needed, prior to project selection.

Christine Read

2009

2013

Marchelle Foster

Closed - Project Status Report

Province	Subbasin	%
Columbia River Estuary	Columbia Estuary	100.00%

Programmatic

Local Coordination

Chinook - All Populations
Chinook - Lower Columbia River ESU
Chum - Columbia River ESU
Coho - Lower Columbia River ESU
Sockeye - All Populations
Sockeye - Snake River ESU
Steelhead - All Populations
Steelhead - Lower Columbia River DPS

Anadromous: 100.0%   Resident: 0.0%   Wildlife: 0.0%

Estuary (Public Tags)
Washington Estuary MOA (Public Tags)
WA - by WE Location Expenditure (Public Tags)

None

Estuary Habitat Implementation 2010 to 2018