Anadromous Fish Screen and Passageway Facilities

Anadromous Fish Screen and Passageway Facilities

Operation and Maintenance, Salmon and Clearwater River Basins

Quarterly Report

FY-2002 Columbia River Fisheries

Development Program

Reporting period: October 1, 2002 to December 31, 2002

Cooperative Agreement: NA17FH2310

Recipient: Idaho Department of Fish & Game

600 South Walnut, P.O. Box 25

Boise, Idaho 83707-0025

Submitted By: Lynn Stratton,

Screen Program Coordinator

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this program is to provide anadromous fish protection from entrainment, injury and loss in gravity and pump diversions; ensure safe fish passage at all diversions and fishways in the Salmon and Clearwater River basins. All protection is in accordance with NOAA Fisheries Juvenile Fish Screen and Pump Intake Criteria. The listing of steelhead, sockeye and Chinook salmon as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act has generated a need to accelerate replacement and installation of fish screens along anadromous waters where these species are present.

PROJECT LOCATION:

Salmon and Clearwater River basins lying wholly within the State Of Idaho. Major emphasis is placed within the Salmon River watershed of Lemhi, Custer, and Blaine counties. Primary pump screen installation work occurs in Clearwater and Custer counties.

BACKGROUND:

The project operates and maintains existing anadromous fish screens, pump intake screens, and fishways operable in accordance with established criteria and in good physical repair. Additionally, major maintenance on a limited number of existing screen units not meeting established criteria are in progress. Unscreened diversions, both gravity and pump, will be constructed following an intensive ditch consolidation and elimination program funded by other agencies. New screens are designed by Department engineers and reviewed by NOAA Fisheries in order to have projects ready during the two available construction windows that occur prior to and immediately following the irrigation season. Survey, design, and construction of facilities has been increased by contracting when necessary to accomplish goals using non Mitchell Act funding. Prioritization has been placed on facilities based on the need to provide safe passage for anadromous fish on unscreened diversions and existing main stem screen structures. New screen installations funded and constructed using non Mitchell Act funding within anadromous waters are operated and maintained into the future with Mitchell Act funding. Screens are constructed and maintained on streams that are migration routes and rearing areas for the majority of the anadromous fish, both hatchery and wild/natural salmon produced in the upper Salmon River drainage Efforts are focused along the main Salmon River and tributaries with current salmon and steelhead production with special emphasis on areas where a high potential to injure or entrain ESA listed species exist.

All work is performed in phases. The Operation and Maintenance phase work is the only portion of annually funded work that can be accomplished entirely within the grant period. Surveys, Designs, Permitting, and Easements phase work is an ongoing process that sometimes requires work to be spread between two or more contract periods. Construction/Implementation phase work may or may not be completed within the annual contract period based on construction windows, seasonal conditions, ESA in-stream work windows, and contracting concerns. The Monitoring and Evaluation phase is a long term project concern covering several contract periods. Some sites listed in prior NOAA grant applications may be listed here again due to the phase process.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Operation and Maintenance

a. Screens

The most current data reveals the number of fish screens operated and maintained for gravity diversions in the Salmon River basin has declined to 216 active units as a result of aggressive program implementation to consolidate and eliminate ditches. The number of pump intake screens in operation is over 200 units. Data system management is being enhanced with new software. Once this software is in place and all data transferred from other files, the exact number of pump screens in operation will become available.

In October, many irrigation ditches were turned off for the season. This provided opportunity to begin cleaning accumulations of silt from the screen fore bays. Crews were able to clean sixteen structures prior to freezing conditions. Irrigators were contacted by radio and newspaper to encourage them to ramp the ditches down prior to full head gate closure for the winter. This ramping procedure has been proven effective as a means to stimulate fish movement out of the ditch between the head gate structure and the screen/bypass facility thereby returning the fish to the parent stream. Following ditch shut down in November, all fish screens were winterized. Winterization includes raising the drum screens to prevent winter ice damage, a complete inspection, and maintenance needs are noted for the winter repair schedule. Repair and maintenance of minor squawks were accomplished at 43 screen sites. Side seal replacement, gearbox oil seal repairs, paddle wheel blade riveting, drive shaft universal joint replacement, and jaw coupler insert replacement constituted the work. Seventy drum screen paddle wheel right angle drive gearboxes were retrofitted with splash covers atop the Lovejoy jaw couplers. Submergence control gates at L-6 were repaired and lubricated.

b. Roads and Bridges

Fifty seven miles of access roads and forty five bridges to fish screens were inspected. The bridge accessing the L-22A/23 screen site will need new decking. Landowner cost share negotiations are in progress. Decking materials will be acquired following consummating the cost share agreement. Eighteen loads of pit run gravel were hauled from the BLM Stroud Gulch public pit to the Screen Program yard for future use repairing access roads in the lower Lemhi and Salmon areas.

c. Infrastructure

Major maintenance was initiated on the shop/office complex. The shear room was transformed into a new tool/supply room. This action was undertaken to allow storage of heavy gearboxes, bolts, and other parts in the same location as tools. Now service trucks can load all work related items from one location. Old shelving was salvaged and additional new shelving was built. Storage of heavy gear cases had created stress cracks in the office walls below the mezzanine storage area. The shop 3 phase 10 horsepower air compressor was also moved to the new tool/storage room to reduce noise in the office area. The old tool room is being converted to office space for technicians and an area for computer terminals for the utility craftsman. Five computer workstations for the two new offices were ordered. Additional office work included repairs to one heater and the painting of two offices. The remainder of the offices will be painted next quarter. Supplies were moved from two covered storage bays on the east side of the shop in order to pour concrete floors. The two bays will have walls added in the future to provide full weather enclosure. Quarterly water samples were collected and submitted for coliform and arsenic testing. A surplus computer was assembled and setup for utility crew use as more Department forms are submitted electronically.

d. Personnel

This quarter saw major changes in personnel in the Screen Program. Lynn Stratton was promoted to Screen Program Coordinator replacing retiring Pat Marcuson. Mike Larkin, a former Department Regional Fisheries Manager was hired to supervise all fisheries activities in the Screen Program. He will hold a combined position splitting his time with the USFWS administered FRIMA program. Jim Jones was promoted to the Construction Supervisor position vacated by Lynn Stratton. The Construction Foreman position has been advertised and a hiring roster has been established. Position interviews will be conducted with a selection made next quarter. Most of the Screen Program personnel participated in Department roundtable discussions in December concerning workforce and Department infrastructure.

All fish screen tenders were given seasonal layoffs following screen winterization work. Performance evaluations were completed on all seasonal employees. Six permanent employees received performance evaluation during this quarter.

e. Meetings

Numerous meetings were attended by staff. The Pahsimeroi area became a hot topic this quarter due to BPA eliminating funding above Sulfur Creek near P-13. Prior to that decision, work in progress meetings with many irrigators and stakeholders were held including meetings with Billy Gydesen, NMFS, Brit Moen, and IDWR concerning the P-11 elimination project. The project is complex involving water rights transfers, eliminating hot spring water from entering the Pahsimeroi River, and changes to water irrigation practices. Brit Moen was also interested in a possible sale of his primary ranch for a Wildlife Management Area. Preliminary discussions were held, but funding could not be found thus far for a land purchase.

Staff toured Morgan Creek above the falls to inspect an experimental screen designed by NRCS engineers. Jerry Hawkins representing the Salmon River Coalition conducted another tour later for IDFG and BoR biologists along with landowners of unscreened diversions above the falls on Morgan Creek.

Marvin Hutchings, a landowner, and NRCS employees Dale Goobie and Mark Olsen as well as Larry Weeks met onsite at Twelvemile Creek to evaluate a project to conserve irrigation water and screen an unscreened diversion. NRSC are now designing a pipeline to eliminate conveyance losses in the ditch and a small sprinkler system to reduce irrigation water demands. The Department will design and install a screen at the point of diversion. This project if implemented will keep in-stream flow in Twelvemile Creek at all times.

In late November, the Bureau Of Reclamation generously made their airplane available to the Screen Program for a tour of a flat plate screen being developed by the Farmers irrigation District in Hood River, Oregon. Five Screen Program employees and three BoR employees made the one day round trip to Hood River.

Lynn Stratton met with landowners adjacent to the proposed L-13 screen installation site on several occasions to resolve a dispute between landowners and investigate circumstances. Inquiries were made to the Office of Attorney General, Planning and Zoning Office, BoR, and others in the pursuit of a solution. The determination was to continue the project as planned.

Staff held several meetings with consultants regarding projects on Challis Creek and Bohannan Creek as well as the new GIS data management work. All consulting work was halted due to funding availability from BPA. Two meetings were held with Montgomery Watson Harza finalize the Challis Creek report and consolidate information for the report. Quadrant consulting finished the preliminary report on Bohannan Creek and finished the GIS data management system work. One modification to the GIS system will be installed next quarter.

Screen Program biologists and fisheries technicians attended several meeting around the State as well as within the Salmon River basin. Paddy Murphy traveled to Lewiston, Idaho to attend a meeting of Regional Fishery and Research Biologists. Lynn Stratton, Paddy Murphy, and Mike Larkin attended a FRIMA planning and review team meeting held at the screen shop in Salmon. Mike and Paddy later attended other FRIMA implementation meetings in Boise to discuss new projects, project overlap, and agency responsibilities for all ESA recovery efforts in the Salmon River basin. The Screen Program biologists also attended Upper Salmon River Basin Watershed Project tech team meetings to discuss the draft of the prioritization plan for screening watersheds in the Upper Salmon River Sub basins.

Two meeting were held this quarter with Gerald McClintock, Fish & Wildlife Program Contract Specialist for Bonneville Power Authority to discuss fund levels, contracting procedures, and project implementation. A contract extension was obtained for the BPA contract to continue ongoing projects until March 31, 2003. New reporting procedures will be required for all BPA contracts in the future.

A Department meeting was held with the new Assistant Director Terry Mansfield to discuss Department policy, strategy, and pressing issues. Assistant Director Mansfield toured the Screen Shop complex and met with staff individually to become acquainted with Screen Program operations.

f. Technical Assistance

This quarter, requests for technical assistance held at about normal level. The Northwest Power Planning Council requested before and after pictures of projects for their anniversary publication. Matt Hightree responded to all the requests this quarter on behalf of the Screen Program. Matt provided National Resource Conservation Service with electronic copies of the S-28 and S-32 design files for a project they are contemplating in southern Idaho. The University of Idaho requested electronic and hard copies of daily ditch flow readings for selected Lemhi River diversions. For Land & Water Consulting Matt responded to a question about sweeping velocities for lake-intake diversion/screens.

g. Materials & Supplies

This quarter Jim Jones and Lynn Stratton were busy soliciting bids and procuring supplies in anticipation of winter fabrication needs. Bids were solicited for structural steel, stainless steel perforated plate, power transmission components, electric motors, screen seal material, bypass pipe, and other essentials. Other purchases were made for minor components not requiring utilization of the State bid process.

Surveys, Designs, Permitting, and Easements

a. Surveys

Six diversions and screen sites were surveyed for winter screen designs on Challis Creek, a tributary to the Salmon River, near the town site of Challis, Idaho. Above these sites is the Mosquito Flat Reservoir used for irrigation water storage. Matt Hightree, Screen Program Engineer assisted with the critical elevation vertical control setting for spillway reconstruction work. The Department owns a portion of the storage in the reservoir. Negotiations are underway to provide water in stream for fish passage through the length of the Challis Creek sub-basin. Staff also surveyed down the PBSC-08 ditch to find an alternative location for a new ramp flume that will service the PBSC-07/8 consolidation project. Other engineering design and drafting work will continue throughout the winter.

b. Designs

Design drawings were completed for PBSC-06 point of diversion screen, PBSC-07/08 consolidation with a head gate and ramp flume, SEFBBC-01 screen, SEFBBC-02 screen, SChC-02/05 consolidation with head gate and piping, and SChC-03 with head gate and piping. Blueprints were obtained for those screens within the advertised Public Works package. Drawings for preliminary screen designs were delivered for L-13 and L-35A from the Bureau of Reclamation. Bureau staff coordinated a meeting with irrigators and the landowner for L-13 on 11/26. Bureau staff designed a ramp flume for the PBSC-07/08 site, and assisted with additional survey work to relocate the flume farther down the ditch. Bradley Engineering, an architectural, mechanical and electrical design firm was hired to help with design of the screen shop major maintenance. The work involved providing drawings for electrical and mechanical modifications to the shop in order to add heaters, relocate the 3 phase 10 hp compressor, and add lights to the new offices. All design work outsourced to Bradley Engineering was completed in this quarter.