ODFW Plan Implementation - UWR 2021-23

The purpose of this project was to implement the Upper Willamette River Conservation and Recovery Plan for Chinook Salmon and Steelhead by providing a half-time Implementation Coordinator position. A significant amount of time was spent ensuring the implementation of the Upper Willamette Biological Opinion that NOAA developed as part of evaluating the effects of the USACOEs Willamette Hydropower project. In the Upper Willamette River (UWR), the federal flood control/hydropower system is the major factor limiting recovery in the Upper Willamette ESU/DPS. Implementation efforts during the reporting period were primarily dedicated to coordination with the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Willamette Valley System Environmental Impact Statement (WVS EIS) Cooperating Agency process, coordination with the Willamette Action Team for Ecosystem Restoration (WATER) process associated with the 2008 Willamette Project Biological Opinion (BiOp), and tracking USACE implementation of court-ordered injunction measures related to the 2008 BiOp. WATER coordination included review and organization of internal comments for a range of research projects. The IC coordinated ODFW comments about potential bull trout impacts stemming from USACE reservoir and flow management actions and coordinated with ODFW and NMFS staff to provide input to improve USACE designs. The IC participated in discussions to improve PIT tag detection and monitoring capabilities at Willamette Falls as part of a Willamette basin-wide monitoring strategy. In coordination with ODFW and USACE staff, the IC completed a three-year report on the implementation of the basin Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans as required by the 2019 Willamette Hatchery BiOp. The IC continued participation in the Willamette River Conservation and Recovery Partnership to address broader aquatic recovery goals in the Willamette basin beyond BiOp implementation.

As an additional part of plan implementation, ODFW funded a Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program (WOSRP) biologist who worked in the Upper Willamette. The WOSRP biologist provided local watershed councils and landowners with initial assessments of limiting factors for potential project sites, information about how potential projects fit within basin priorities for restoration, and designs for habitat restoration projects.

PCSRF FFY2018 and FFY2021 funds were expended on project costs incurred during the corresponding PCSRF FFY contract award periods.

The goal of this project is to successfully implement the Upper Willamette Conservation and Recovery Plan. In order to do this, a coordinator with sole responsibility for plan implementation is required, given the scope of the plan and the likelihood that the level of attention needed for successful implementation of it would not be able to be provided by adding responsibilities to existing staff with full workloads. The goal of the plan is to provide a roadmap of actions for delisting the species addressed from the federal ESA list, and improve and maintain healthy populations of these native fish for the social, economic, and natural benefit of current and future Oregonians.