1. Draft Agency Aquatic Workgroup Considerations Energy Northwest’s Proposed PME’s & Lake Creek Flows for Packwood Hydroelectric Facility Present: October 25, 2007

2. Agency Aquatic Work Group
The Following Provides early and preliminary technical input into Energy Northwest’s Aquatic Resource PME’s
The Following Govt’s Participated in the development (to varying degrees): NOAA USFWS USFS WDFW Yakama Tribe WA Dept. Ecology
Participation Does Not Imply Consent; However early Coordination Helped to Develop This Product

3. PME’s
We Provide Initial Considerations for Changes or Additions to Existing PME’s
Still Reviewing Study Reports & Resource Needs for Adding to PME’s
Still Working on Flow Considerations PME’s

4. PME’s Provide a Spill Event 285 cfs for 24 Hrs
If a Spill Event of This Magnitude & Duration Has Not Occurred Within the Previous Water Year
Provide Safe, Efficient & Timely Transport for Rainbow Trout Downstream & Possibly Upstream of Dam (Will Need to Review Entrainment Report Prior to Determining Need for Upstream Transportation)
RBT Transport: Existing movement (& entrainment study results?) indicate historic migration upstream & downstream through the dam Entrainment study; entrainment? If problem, recommend fish ladder to divert

5. PME’s (Continued)
Snyder Creek Fish Passage Re-route Snyder Creek From the Existing Tailrace Crossing to the South Side Channel Behind Tailrace Within Five Years of License Issuance (2015)

6. PME’s (Continued) Trash Screens Develop O&M Plan
Traveling Screens Question: Is Mesh Size in Compliance for Protecting Steelhead & Rainbow Trout?
Tailrace Fish Barrier Maintain & Monitor Effectiveness
Develop & Implement Integrated Weed Management Plan
Develop O&M plan, including monitoring

7. PME’s (Continued)
Transmission Line Work With Agencies on Developing Avian Powerline Protections & Right of Way Buffers
Develop & Implement a Threatened, Endangered & Sensitive Species Management Plan

8. Additional PME’s Create Habitat For:
Loss of Aquatic Vegetation From Reservoir Fluctuations
Losses to Wetland Function & Form
Enhancements
Create Composting Toilet Facilities to Handle Existing & Future Recreation Impacts & Provide for Operations & Maintenance of Those Facilities
Provide Maintenance of Recreation Sites

9. PME’S (Continued)
Develop all Measures and Actions in Consultation & Pursuant to Agency & Tribal Approval Write Plans Describing Process, Monitoring, O&M, Contingencies, Timelines, Review & Approval Process (Unless Agencies Agree It Is Not Needed for Specific PME’s)

10. Unresolved PME’S
Issues Tied to Lake Creek Flow Which Still Need to Be Resolved
Timing of Outage
Lake Elevations
Tailrace Flows
Ramping and Fluctuation Rates
Others
Outage in August depends upon flow Considerations & ability of project to meet flows
Lake elevation prescriptions depend upon Lake Creek PME’s
Tailrace flows are tied to Lake Creek & outage PME’s

11. Flow Considerations Present Approach & Initial Considerations
We Were Unable to Accommodate Restoration Proposal Without Additional Critical Information
Consideration; NOT Recommendations
Present Logic for Our Considerations in Summary & by Month

12. Flow Considerations Methods & Consideration
Ecosystem Approach:
Consider & Manage for the Suite of Resources Present; To the Detriment of None
Flows then are constrained by the most sensitive endpoint
Guided by Tribal & Agencies’ Laws, Policies, & Regulations
Flows That Provide No Net Loss of Weighted Usable Area (WUA) From Natural Flow Conditions
Preference For All - Exclusion Of None
Flows are then constrained by the most sensitive endpoint
Consider Needs Of The Resources Present

13. References & Source Information
Recovery Objectives
Agencies & Tribal Guidance
Regional, Historic Perspectives
Lake Creek Parameters
Lake Creek’s Relative Contribution to Cowlitz River System
Study Results
Riverine & Geomorphic Processes

14. Anadromous Reach: Fish & Habitat Present
Lower Lake Creek Seems Most Typical of Steelhead Habitat
However Multiple Fish Depend Upon Lake Creek
Licensing Studies & Tailrace Fish Rescue Information Indicate; Coho, Cutthroat, Steelhead, Rainbow, & Chinook
While Lake Creek’s existing habitat seems to primarily provide optimal benefits to steelhead, multiple fish depend upon this Creek for holding, spawning, rearing, & incubation
Licensing studies along with tailrace fish rescue, indicate the other species also utilize the creek
So prescriptions must provide for protection of all species
Where possible, Considerations focus on steelhead, if doing so is not at the expense other species needs

15. Process for Determining Flows
Cross-walked Flows, Lake Inflow, Accretion Flows, Hydrographs, Season, & Temperatures With Species, & Lifestages
“Natural” Flow is Mean Monthly Flow at Top Pre-Project
Also Considered: Holding Depths Attraction Flows Migration Icing Incubation Needs Across Months Within Creek Fish Movements

16. General Considerations
Kept Flows for All Species Such That WUA  90% for All Species & Lifestages
Within This Parameter, We Matched Steelhead flows to 100% Natural Whenever Possible
Upper Flow Limits Were Capped at Natural Flow
WDFW policies & practices prescribe for the amount of habitat similar to that at natural flows
So without habitat restoration, WUAnatural flows  WUA 80% median exceedance of historic flows
Used 80% exceedance flow instead of mean (average) to estimate natural WUA
Did not sacrifice the flow needs of one species over the other,
just kept flows for all species such that WUA remained over 90% for all species & lifestages Flow Considerations were capped at natural flow e we would not recommend flows over the median natural flow

17. General Considerations Across Months
Used Median Accretion Flows to Estimate Spawning Flow
Used 80% Exceedance of Accretion Flow Instead of Mean (Average) to Estimate Incubation Flow in the Anadromous Reach
To Protect Redds: We Calculated Incubation Flow Across Months As 66.67% of Spawning Flows

18. Flow Considerations
Flows are then constrained by the most sensitive endpoint
(Tried to keep steelhead at 100% natural)
Flow releases from the drop structure provide for the needed WUA in the appropriate reach
Lowest flow determinator
Reduced Flows Are Provided to Indicate What Might Be Considered If Aquatic Habitat Mitigation Is Sufficient

19. August Considerations
Emergence of All Salmonids Is Complete
Chinook Begin Spawning
High Temperatures = High Metabolic Needs & Aggressive Feeding by Rearing Fish
Below 76 cfs Top/85 cfs Bottom Steelhead Rearing Habitat Declines Below 90% WUA
>100% Natural WUA for Chinook Spawning is Provided by cfs
76 Cfs Provides for Protection for Both Chinook Spawning and Steelhead Rearing
all emergence is complete & Chinook are arriving & begin to spawn
Temperature is near maximum for the year & metabolic needs are high
With high temperature, high metabolic needs, & associated aggressive feeding by rearing juvenile fish (steelhead, rainbow, cutthroat, coho, & perhaps Chinook),
rearing habitat is the limiting habitat factor in August
“Natural” flow in August is 76 cfs at the top
Median accretion is 9 cfs & 80% exceedence accretion is 7 cfs
With steelhead rearing declining with reduction of flow below 76+9 cfs,

20. August Needs Sets Across-Month Considerations
To Protect Incubation Throughout the Year: Lower Reach Flows Should Not Drop Below 2/3 of Spawning Flows in Previous Months
As New Spawning / Incubation by Other Species Occurs in Subsequent Months Incubation Flows will change
The Amount of Release Flow Needed to Attain Those Flows Will Also Change As Monthly Accretion Flows Change
Set incubation needs in august & carried this forward
New spawning & incubation each month, so on & so on throughout the year

21. September Considerations
Environmental Conditions & Resource Needs Are Similar to August
For Chinook Incubation: Need  57 cfs in Lower Reach: Mid-august to March
Below 56 cfs Rearing WUA of all species declines
Will check on incubation
September – September is similar to August, but “natural” flow declines to 56 cfs at the top & cfs (with 80% exceedence-median accretion) in the anadromous reach An accretion flow of 6 cfs (80% exceedence) leads to a need for no less than 50 cfs at the top for Chinook incubation, which is satisfied by the 56 cfs recommendation

22. October Considerations
Temperature Drops, Rearing Fish Feed Vigorously
Considerable Growth Occurs in Preparation for Winter
Continuing to Put a Premium on Rearing Habitat
Natural Flow of 63 cfs Reflects Unpredictable & Variable October Flows
Rearing Habitat primary consideration and falls below 90% at below 100 cfs but is capped by Natural Flows
Use of the 80% exceedence accretion flow (6 cfs) is reasonable as a limiting condition With the same accretion as September, the lower limit for Chinook incubation flow for August spawners is 50 cfs, which is satisfied by the 63 cfs recommendation

23. November & December Considerations
Rearing Is Less Sensitive As Temps Drop & Fish Become Less Active
Primary Flow-sensitive Activity Is Coho Spawning
Coho Spawning WUA Declines Below the natural 86 cfs in November & 70 cfs in December
Flows Are Capped at Natural
The “natural” flow in November is 86 cfs at the top with median & 80% exceedence accretions of 16 & 10 cfs, & reduction in flow below the “normal” November flow leads to a reduction in coho spawning WUA For this reason the November flow recommendation is 86 cfs Salmonid rearing is somewhat less sensitive to rearing habitat as temperature drops & fish become less active & less territorial Because of increased accretion, only 46 cfs is needed at the top to incubate August-spawned Chinook eggs, which is satisfied by the 86 cfs recommendation

24. January Considerations
Coho Spawning WUA Declines Below 88 cfs
Coastal Cutthroat Spawning Occurs
With 90+% WUA for Cutthroat Is Provided for at 88 & Also at cfs
January “natural” flow is 88 cfs at the top with median & 80% exceedence accretions of 41 & 26 cfs In addition to coho salmon spawning, which declines in January as flow declines below 88 cfs, coastal cutthroat trout spawning occurs in January Cutthroat spawning WUA declines below 88 cfs before rising again to the same level at cfs My recommendation (88 cfs) is based on coho rather than cutthroat because coho are listed under ESA & cutthroat are not Because of increased accretion, only 30 cfs is needed at the top to incubate August-spawned Chinook eggs, which is satisfied by the 88 cfs recommendation Coho would spawn at a higher flow in January than in December & would require at least 87 cfs in the anadromous reach through May to provide an incubation flow of 2/3 of the spawning flow

25. February Considerations
Coho Spawned at a Higher Flows in January Than in December & at Least 87 cfs is now needed in the Anadromous Reach Through May to Provide Incubation Flow of 2/3 of the Spawning Flow; in February this is 65 cfs
Coho Incubation Now Becomes Most Sensitive Constraint Upon Flow
February “natural” flow is 73 cfs at the top with median & 80% exceedence accretions of 36 & 22 cfs Cutthroat trout spawning continues in February & is the most active & most flow-dependent salmonid activity in February; “natural” WUA for cutthroat spawning can be met with 35 cfs & cfs Coho need at least 87 cfs in the anadromous reach through May to provide an incubation flow of 2/3 of the spawning flow; a flow of 65 cfs at the top will provide coho incubation My recommendation is 65 cfs, the lowest flow to fulfill all criteria

26. March Considerations
Typically Lower Flow Month As Precipitation Declines Before Melting Commences
Cutthroat Spawning Tapers off
Cutthroat & Coho Incubation Continue
Rearing May Begin If There Is Some Warming
63 cfs Provides 100% of Rearing “Natural” WUA
“Normal” Flow of 63 cfs Is Slightly Less Than the 66 cfs Needed for Incubation but Flow Is Capped at This Natural Level

27. April & May Considerations
Steelhead Spawning Peaks
Rearing Becomes More Active
April: Rearing WUAs for Steelhead, Rainbow, & Cutthroat All Decline Below 83 cfs
May: Steelhead Rearing WUA Declines Below 153

28. June Considerations
Rainbow Spawning Begins; Incubation Continues, but Rearing Flow Needs Are Higher
May Spawning Flows Were at 178 cfs in the Anadromous Reach; So the “2/3 Incubation Flow” is 119 cfs (or 105 at the Top in June)
For Steelhead Rearing We Used Natural WUA Versus 90% Criteria to Protect Natural Conditions for Steelhead Rearing
120 cfs Equals or Exceeds 90% “Natural” WUA for All Rearing Species; Which Also Meets Incubation Needs

29. July Considerations
Rearing Remains the Most Flow-sensitive Activity in July
All Species’ Rearing WUA Equals or Exceeds “Natural” WUA Above 120 cfs (Except Rainbow)
This Also Meets the Incubation Needs of 109 cfs
July “Natural” Flow Is 153 cfs

31. Conclusion So You Can See We Lack Critical Information to Proceed
Must Be Reasoned, Supportive, Protective
Need More concrete proposal to evaluate in relation to the flow proposal

32. Process Forward Review Updated Lake Creek PME Proposals
Comment on Study Reports
Reviewing PLP
Would Like to Formally Document Agreements for collaborative movement forward in truncated FERC Regulatory Process
Incorporating Needs into License and/or Project Description Upfront
What’s process for reaching agreement for documenting & formalizing our agreements for inclusion into license