NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries ServiceService

Biological OpinionBiological Opinionforfor

Water Supply, Flood Control Water Supply, Flood Control Operations & Channel Maintenance by Operations & Channel Maintenance by the Army Corps, SCWA, and MCRRFCD the Army Corps, SCWA, and MCRRFCD

in the Russian Riverin the Russian River

September 24, 2008September 24, 2008

Purpose:Purpose:Provide the Corps, SCWA, and Provide the Corps, SCWA, and

MCRRFCD with ESA “take exemption” MCRRFCD with ESA “take exemption” for the project, for the project,

and ensure that the Corps’ actions and ensure that the Corps’ actions and interdependent & interrelated and interdependent & interrelated

actionsactions do notdo not

jeopardize Federally listed species or jeopardize Federally listed species or adversely modify designated critical adversely modify designated critical

habitathabitat

Project Elements Addressed:Project Elements Addressed:• Operations at Warm Springs Dam Operations at Warm Springs Dam

(WSD) and Coyote Valley Dam (CVD)(WSD) and Coyote Valley Dam (CVD)– Flood Control OperationsFlood Control Operations– Hydroelectric project operationsHydroelectric project operations– Water supply releases from damsWater supply releases from dams

• Channel Maintenance by SCWA and Channel Maintenance by SCWA and MCRRFCDMCRRFCD– Russian River mainstemRussian River mainstem– Dry Creek below WSDDry Creek below WSD– Zone 1AZone 1A

Project Elements (continued)Project Elements (continued)

• Water level management of estuary Water level management of estuary at Jennerat Jenner

• Fish Hatchery OperationsFish Hatchery Operations– Don Clausen Fish Hatchery at WSDDon Clausen Fish Hatchery at WSD– Coyote Valley Fish Facility at CVDCoyote Valley Fish Facility at CVD

• Water Diversion operations by SCWAWater Diversion operations by SCWA

Southern Resident OrcaEndangered

Chinook SalmonThreatened

Photo credit: Josh Fuller

SteelheadThreatened

Photo credit: Josh Fuller

Coho SalmonEndangered

Species Geographic RangesSpecies Geographic RangesCentral California

Coast SteelheadCalifornia Central

Coast Coho Salmon

0 25

Miles

0 30

Miles

0 30

Miles

California CoastalChinook Salmon

Structure of the Jeopardy Structure of the Jeopardy AnalysisAnalysis• Status of the SpeciesStatus of the Species• Environmental BaselineEnvironmental Baseline• Effects of the ProjectEffects of the Project

• Integration & Synthesis-ConclusionsIntegration & Synthesis-Conclusions

• Reasonable & Prudent AlternativeReasonable & Prudent Alternative• Additional Terms & Conditions to minimize Additional Terms & Conditions to minimize

take of speciestake of species

LakeSonoma

Aus tin Creek

Santa Rosa Creek

Mill Creek

Pena Creek

Copeland CreekCrane Creek

War

d C

reek

Five Creek

Hul

b ert

Cre

ek

Maacama Creek

Kellogg C

reek

Hinebaugh Creek

Bidwell Creek

Kidd Creek

Was

hoe

Cre

e k

Gre en Va l le y C

re ek

Kelley Creek

Palmer Creek

Foot

e C

reek

Smith Creek

Van Buren Creek

Fall Creek

Blue Jay Cre e k

Wright Creek

Sulphur Creek

Hoot Owl Creek

Bear Canyon

Red S lide Cree k

Scot

ts C

reek

Willow Springs Creek

Osb

orn e

Cre

e k

Crawford Gulch

Santa Rosa

Healdsburg

Guerneville

0 5

Miles

City

Coho Summer Rearing Habitat

Coho Summer Rearing Habitat, No current Coho Presence

Russian River

Streams

County Boundary

Russian River Watershed

Areaof

Detail

Project Effects Highlights:Project Effects Highlights:• High summer flow from CVD releases impact High summer flow from CVD releases impact

steelhead rearing habitat in steelhead rearing habitat in upper mainstemupper mainstem• High summer flow releases from WSD adversely High summer flow releases from WSD adversely

affect salmonid rearing in affect salmonid rearing in Dry CreekDry Creek• High summer flow releases adversely affect High summer flow releases adversely affect

salmonid rearing in salmonid rearing in estuaryestuary• Management of water levelsManagement of water levels in the estuary in the estuary

adversely affects salmonid rearing in adversely affects salmonid rearing in estuaryestuary• Annual dam inspections stop flow in East BranchAnnual dam inspections stop flow in East Branch• Releases of turbid water from CVD are a concernReleases of turbid water from CVD are a concern

High summer flow releases adversely High summer flow releases adversely affect habitat quality:affect habitat quality:• SCWA, NMFS, DFG, & Corps conducted SCWA, NMFS, DFG, & Corps conducted

assessment in 2001.assessment in 2001.• Current velocities too swift, insufficient cover.Current velocities too swift, insufficient cover.• High summer releases from Lake Mendocino High summer releases from Lake Mendocino

adversely affect about adversely affect about 34 miles of steelhead 34 miles of steelhead rearing habitat in upper mainstemrearing habitat in upper mainstem..

• Dry Creek has Dry Creek has 14 miles of unusual, abundant 14 miles of unusual, abundant coldwater habitatcoldwater habitat that is too swift. that is too swift.

• High summer releases from both reservoirs High summer releases from both reservoirs creates unnatural high inflow to estuary. This creates unnatural high inflow to estuary. This interferes with seasonal closure of the estuary.interferes with seasonal closure of the estuary.

Estuary breaching adversely affects Estuary breaching adversely affects salmonid rearing habitatsalmonid rearing habitat • Reduces lagoon depthsReduces lagoon depths• Increases salinityIncreases salinity

• Reduces dissolved oxygen levels near the Reduces dissolved oxygen levels near the bottombottom

• Freshwater lagoon formation is common & Freshwater lagoon formation is common & normal in central Californianormal in central California

• They are highly productive salmonid habitatsThey are highly productive salmonid habitats

Conclusions:Conclusions:• Status quo operations significantly Status quo operations significantly

impact: impact: – Coho salmon and steelhead Coho salmon and steelhead abundanceabundance– Coho and steelhead Coho and steelhead population growth ratespopulation growth rates– Ecological diversityEcological diversity of coho and steelhead of coho and steelhead

• Status quo operations jeopardize coho Status quo operations jeopardize coho salmon and steelhead and adversely salmon and steelhead and adversely modify their designated critical habitatmodify their designated critical habitat

• Status quo operations do not jeopardize Status quo operations do not jeopardize Chinook salmon or adversely modify Chinook salmon or adversely modify their critical habitat their critical habitat

Reasonable & Prudent Alternative Reasonable & Prudent Alternative (RPA)(RPA)• Reduce flows in mainstem Russian Reduce flows in mainstem Russian

River May through October 15River May through October 15– Benefits salmonid production in estuary Benefits salmonid production in estuary

and 34 miles of upper Russian Riverand 34 miles of upper Russian River• Minimize high flow impacts in Dry CreekMinimize high flow impacts in Dry Creek

– Significant pool-riffle enhancements along Significant pool-riffle enhancements along 6 miles, plus 20 large boulder clusters6 miles, plus 20 large boulder clusters

• Adaptive management of estuary Adaptive management of estuary breachingbreaching

• Strengthen coho captive broodstock Strengthen coho captive broodstock programprogram

RPA (continued)RPA (continued)

• Conduct feasibility study of Dry Conduct feasibility study of Dry Creek bypass pipelineCreek bypass pipeline•Install back-up water supply pipeline Install back-up water supply pipeline to the Warm Springs Dam fish hatcheryto the Warm Springs Dam fish hatchery•Monitoring of Fisheries, water quality, Monitoring of Fisheries, water quality, and aquatic invertebratesand aquatic invertebrates

–Mainstem RussianMainstem Russian–EstuaryEstuary–Dry CreekDry Creek

Additional Terms and Conditions:Additional Terms and Conditions:

• Design and install minimum bypass flow Design and install minimum bypass flow pipeline at Coyote Valley Dampipeline at Coyote Valley Dam

• Study and implement dam release ramping Study and implement dam release ramping rates that minimize impacts to fisheries rates that minimize impacts to fisheries while insuring flood protectionwhile insuring flood protection

• Study turbidity issues at dams/develop & Study turbidity issues at dams/develop & implement plan to minimize turbidity implement plan to minimize turbidity impacts to salmonids.impacts to salmonids.

• Design and install new fish screens at Design and install new fish screens at Mirabel water intakeMirabel water intake

• Improve genetics mgmt of hatchery Improve genetics mgmt of hatchery steelheadsteelhead