HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/21/2021 12.D. Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan August 2021 Quarterly Project Activity Update 1
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BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
YAKIMA, WASHINGTON
AGENDA STATEMENT
Item No. 12.D.
For Meeting of: September 21, 2021
ITEM TITLE: Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan
August 2021 Quarterly Project Activity Update
SUBMITTED BY: Scott Schafer, Director of Public Works
David Brown,Assistant Director of Public Works, 509-575-6204
SUMMARY EXPLANATION:
The August 2021 Quarterly Project Activity Update provides information on technical aspects of
ongoing planning studies for the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management
Plan (Integrated Plan).
ITEM BUDGETED: NA
STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Partnership Development
APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER
RECOMMENDATION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Upload Date Type
9/2/2021 Backup Material
Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan
YBIP Project Activity Update
August 2021
Purpose: Update on ongoing technical planning studies and project implementation
activities for the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan
(Integrated Plan)
Fish Passage Element
Cle Elum Darn Fish Passage Facilities and Reintroduction Project
The juvenile fish passage facility will use an innovative helix design to transport juvenile fish
downstream. It will allow fish to leave the reservoir as the water surface fluctuates over the top 63 feet
in elevation. This will provide downstream passage from April 1 through the beginning of June in most
years. The upstream adult fish passage facility will be a trap-and-haul facility where fish are trapped at
the base of the spillway, loaded into a truck, and then hauled for release into Cle Elum Reservoir or to
upstream tributaries.
Construction Update: The access road and spillway bridge construction contract is complete. The secant
vault construction is complete. Construction for the tunnel contract was completed in March 2021.
Reclamation anticipates close-out of the contract by the end of the year. The last downstream section of
the tunnel will be constructed as part of the Adult Collection Facility. This will be the last construction
contract needed to complete the Cle Elum Dam Fish Passage project.
The Intake, Gate, and Helix(IGH) contractor mobilized in late April 2019. Construction of Intake #6,
the lowest elevation intake within the reservoir, was completed in December 2019 and Intake #5, was
partially completed in December 2020. Trenching and shoring work, needed for the placement of precast
concrete boxes that will run between the intake gates (reservoir)and the secant vault, were installed in
2019. The contractor re-mobilized on-site in July 2020 and prepared the trench for precast concrete box
placement. The first box, one of 194 boxes,was placed in September 2020. These boxes form the
conduit or tunnel that will connect the reservoir intakes to the secant vault. Conduit levels 6, 5, 4, 3 and
2, the bottom 5 levels, have been placed and sealed in concrete except for the last few conduit boxes for
each level. These final boxes will be placed following the penetration of the secant vault later in 2021.
The contractor remobilized and resumed work on the intakes and conduits on August 2, 2021 as the
reservoir receded below 2,200 feet. The IGH contractor also continues to work on the helix/gate
chamber separation wall and the access structure walls which will contain the structures, elevators, and
stairs. Subcontractors continue fabricating and constructing steelwork, gates, and helical flume sections.
Some of these components will be delivered and installed this fall.
Videos: https://vimeo.com/508632343 (winter 2021) & https://vimeo.com/579619438 (summer 2021)
Sockeye Study Update: In 2018, Reclamation and the Yakama Nation worked with the U.S. Geological
Survey to conduct an adult sockeye tracking test to understand their migration between Roza and Cle
Elum dams. The study found that 20 of the 20 tagged fish migrated successfully to the base of Cle Elum
Dam. In 2019,these same partners, along with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW),
began a sockeye tracking study in the lower Yakima River. The study reach runs from the mouth of the
Yakima River up to the Roza Dam and is evaluating potential passage issues at diversion dams, possible
false attraction,microclimate use, and Columbia River Stranding. We expect to conduct this study over
three years depending on the study findings.
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Results from the first year of the study(2019)found very low migration success rates for tagged
Sockeye primarily due to high river temperatures. The 2020 Summer sockeye study began at the end of
June by tagging fish captured at Prosser Dam and in the Columbia River near Bateman Island. USGS
completed gathering tracking data in September 2020. Preliminary findings continue to show that high
river temperatures limit access upstream for much of the summer, Sockeye migration can be slowed
down at diversion darns, and false attraction and predation may also be impacting upstream migration.
The final report for 2020's study is complete: Evaluation of factors affecting migration success of adult
sockeye salmon(Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Yakima River, Washington, 2020 (usgs.gov). The study
for 2021 was postponed due to extreme air and river temperatures in the lower Yakima River.
Reclamation, Ecology, Yakama Nation, and our partners plan to resume this study next year.
Box Canyon Creek Fish Passage
WDFW, with input from Reclamation, Ecology, and other passage restoration experts, has completed a
conceptual design for the Box Canyon Creek Fish Passage Enhancement Project. Reclamation has
contracted with HDR to prepare a 60%design. The project partners have met to establish performance
goals for 60% design. A site-visit with project partners and stakeholders was held October 1, 2020.
Additional survey work was needed for the 60% design. Reclamation completed this survey May 1,
2021 with the assistance of USFWS. Reclamation anticipates that the 60% design will be completed by
the end of August with the design review to occur in September.
Clear Creek Dam Fish Passage
Reclamation and Ecology completed an appraisal level design for fish passage in September 2018. The
design consists of a traditional pool-and-weir-style fishway with a steel bulkhead at the upstream end
that will draw cool water from deeper in the reservoir. Situated along the left abutment of the dam,fish
would enter the fishway in the stilling basin and exit in the reservoir pool. The bulkhead will be deep
enough to maintain suitable water temperature in the fishway for Bull Trout.
Reclamation is coordinating with Ecology,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Yakama Nation,
WDFW, USFS and others to complete the final ladder design. The partners met with basin biologists to
define the range of species targeted for passage and provide input for designers regarding ladder
geometry. Reclamation conducted geotechnical investigations in October 2020 and completed 30%
designs on November 2, 2020. Comments from the Yakima Storage Dams Fish Passage Core Team
were reviewed on January 21, 2021 and have been sent to the technical workgroup for review and
comment. A Value Engineering Study was completed the week of February 8, 2021. The 60%design
was completed in June 2021. Ninety percent design is anticipated in October 2021. Final design is
anticipated in April 2022.
Until passage improvements are accomplished, USFWS, Reclamation, and WDFW will continue
capturing Bull Trout from below Clear Creek Dam and transporting genetically identified North Fork
Tieton River fish around the dam so they can reach spawning habitat in the North Fork Tieton
River. Fish capture and transport has been conducted 2016 through 2021. To date, 75 adult Bull Trout
have been transported above the dam.
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Structural and Operational Changes Element
Cle Elum Pool Raise
The purpose of the Cle Elum Pool Raise Project is to increase the Cle Elum reservoir's capacity for
improved aquatic resources for fish habitat, rearing, and migration in the Cle Elum and upper Yakima
River,thereby fulfilling the intent of the congressional authorization, Title XII of Public Law 103-434.
Completed: Radial Gate construction was completed in April 2017. Reclamation completed
modifications to three saddle dikes as of 2018. The USFS Cle Elum River Campground recreation area
was completed in November 2017. The USFS Speelyi Day Use Area recreation area was completed in
May 2019.
Construction Update: Reclamation and Ecology are currently implementing shoreline protection actions
for private and public lands and facilities. Construction of shoreline protection at Wish Poosh
Campground& Boat Launch began in April 2021 and will be completed by the end of May 2022. The
Sandelin Lane shoreline protection area contract was awarded in July 2021. Salmon La Sac shoreline
protection is currently being implemented by Reclamation crews. Remaining shoreline protection will be
implemented as funding becomes available. Landowners and the public will be updated periodically on
the project via mail and website postings during project implementation. Reclamation and Ecology
continue working with landowners along the shoreline to acquire easements as appropriate for the
project and recently released a video to inform our partners and public on the project. Video:
https://youtu.be/9G3-CqBMOsE.
In addition, Reclamation sends out a quarterly update post card to landowners to continue outreach
among the landowners around Cle Elum Reservoir.
Chandler Pumping Plant Electrification
Kennewick Irrigation District(KID) continues to evaluate an electrical pumping plant at Chandler. As of
May 2021, Reclamation continues to work with KID. KID is preparing updated design drawings and
operational diversion plans for review of Chandler Electrical Pumping Plant by Reclamation.
Reclamation has extended an existing Memorandum of Agreement through 2022 with KID for this
work. Reclamation and KID have regular meetings to address KID water supply issues. Reclamation is
part of the Lower River Leadership team along with Ecology, Yakama Nation, and KID to discuss a
multitude of options to meet lower river flow needs for KID. An electrical pumping plant may still be
considered by KID, however, recently KID has been reviewing other options which may include an
onsite storage reservoir.
Lower Yakima River Smolt Survival Study
The survival of juvenile salmon(smolts) migrating to the ocean can influence the abundance of
returning adults and the availability of fish for harvest years later. Smolt survival is affected by passage
at darns, predators, and environmental conditions such as river flow and water quality. Factors affecting
smolt survival are being identified by the Lower Yakima River Smolt Survival Study with the goal of
developing recommendations for improvement projects. The study area includes the mainstem Yakima
River from the City of Yakima to the Columbia River confluence. Project funding comes from Yakama
Nation (YN), Reclamation, irrigation districts, Ecology, and the US Geological Survey (USGS), with
YN and USGS leading the field work and data analysis. During each year of the study(2018-2022)
about 1,000 juvenile salmon and steelhead are collected,tagged, and released in the Yakima River to
monitor their behavior and survival as they migrated downstream. Monitoring stations are set up at
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major diversion darns and key river reaches. Data on predator populations such as pelicans and bass,
river flows, and water temperatures are also being collected so they can be related to fish survival.
Preliminary results over three years indicated smolt survival was highest in early spring and lowest in
June when the Yakima River warmed, flows declined, and predator abundance was high. In 2020 the
study focused on evaluating survival at Wapato, Sunnyside, and Prosser darns. Survival was lower than
expected for fish that were inadvertently diverted into canals. Significantly, no smolts were found
downstream of the fish screens, indicating survival was affected by other factors in the canals which are
still being evaluated.
In response to the study findings, the Sunnyside Division Board of Control(SBDOC)initiated a project
to install a(1)fish and debris guidance boom and(2) sluice gate modification at Sunnyside Dam. The
project is intended to reduce the numbers of fish diverted into Sunnyside canal without affecting
irrigation. The guidance boom was manufactured by Pacific Netting Products and installed by SVID in
March 2021. The floating guidance boom was made from HDPE pipe and marine-grade hardware which
suspends a 4-foot deep stainless-steel fish screen below the water surface. The guidance boom is being
monitored in 2021 for effectiveness at higher river flows. The sluice gate modification will be installed
in the summer of 2021. It is intended to give fish a low-flow passage route at the dam and will be
monitored in 2022. The results from the Lower River Smolt Survival Study will help determine future
actions to improve fish survival at diversion dams while continuing to meet irrigation needs.
Surface Water Storage Element
Kachess Drought Relief Pumping Plant(KDRPP)
The KDRPP is proposed to access 200,000 (out of 585,000) acre-feet of inactive storage in the Kachess
Reservoir that is below the current outlet works for use in severe drought.
On April 26, 2019, Reclamation signed the Record ofDecision (ROD), which does not approve
implementation of any alternatives but carries forward Alternative 4 - KDRPP Floating Pumping Plant
(FPP) for further analysis. Consistent with this decision, the remaining alternatives in the FEIS,
including the Kachess to Keechelus Conveyance, are unlikely to be carried forward. Reclamation and
Ecology will use a phased approach for further site-specific analysis in a Tier 2 NEPA process to narrow
the range of feasible alternatives for KDRPP.
The Project Proponent,the Roza Irrigation District, in coordination with Reclamation and Ecology, is
currently developing a new Proposed Action and clarifying the FPP alternative for the KDRPP Tier 2
NEPA process. This final and complete Proposed Action and Reclamation's subsequent Notice of Intent
(NOI)for the Tier 2 EIS are currently projected for 2021. Roza and possibly other pro-ratable waters
users (KRD, Wapato Irrigation Project(WIP) and KID)would fund, design, construct, and operate the
KDRPP.
Wymer Reservoir
Consideration of site requirements is ongoing.
Bumping Reservoir Enlargement Project
Consideration of site requirements is ongoing.
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Groundwater Storage Element
Groundwater Storage—Basin-wide Analysis
The Groundwater Storage Subcommittee continues progress on 2019-2021 biennium projects. These
projects are:
• Field Assessment of High-Priority Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Sites in the Upper Yakima Basin,
Kittitas Reclamation District,
• Strategies for Groundwater Storage in Diverse Settings of the Yakima Basin: Headwater Tributaries and
Lower Basin Irrigation Districts, Central Washington University,
• Low Head Check Structures,Yakama Nation,and
• City of Ellensburg Pre-Feasibility Aquifer Storage and Recovery(ASR) Study
The Groundwater Storage Subcommittee formed a knowledge gap subgroup to discuss technical aspects
of Shallow Aquifer Recharge, ASR, and floodplain storage, and to help identify future efforts in the
Yakima River basin. Key findings include the following:
• Key basin-wide knowledge gaps exist that currently inhibit ability to integrate groundwater storage into
Integrated Plan water management
• Site-specific investigations suggest that conditions vary significantly across the basin.
• Advancing both basin-wide analyses and continuing site-specific assessments is the best approach to
advancing groundwater element of the Integrated Plan.
The Groundwater Subcommittee requested participants to develop proposals for groundwater storage in
the basin for funding consideration in the 2021-2023 biennium. Proposals will be discussed in the
August 2021 Groundwater Storage Subcommittee meeting.
Aquifer Storage and Recovery(ASR)
The City of Yakima is planning full build-out for its permitted ASR program and intends to drill two
ASR devoted wells: the first well is estimated for 2022-2023, and the second is estimated for 2025-2026.
Habitat Protection and Enhancement Element
Targeted Watershed Protection and Enhancement
The Watershed Lands Conservation Subcommittee is finalizing a new 10-year lands plan (the Phase 2
Plan). The plan describes the Subcommittee's focus elements —acquisitions, designations, and forest
health and management - for continued implementation of the Targeted Watershed Protection and
Enhancement component of the Habitat Element of the Integrated Plan. The Subcommittee plans to
discuss the plan with the Workgroup at its September Quarterly Meeting.
Subgroups of the Lands Subcommittee have convened and begun discussions on how to advance the
acquisitions and designations elements of the Phase 2 Plan.
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Mainstem Floodplain and Tributaries Fish Habitat Enhancement Program
The Habitat Subcommittee has developed its 2021-2023 biennial budget proposal for Ecology under the
Habitat Element. Additionally, the Subcommittee has allocated the remainder of its contingency funds
from the 2019-2021 biennium to projects in that same biennium that experienced cost overruns.
The Subcommittee has focused the next biennial budget formulation on lower river priority actions
related to high juvenile salmon and steelhead mortality as well as lower river temperature barriers to
adult salmon migration. The Subcommittee recognizes the criticality of resolving lower river passage
issues if upper-watershed habitat protection and enhancement projects are to be successful in the long-
term.
The Habitat Subcommittee is closely monitoring the SBDOC fish boom and sluice gate project. The
project is a key milestone for lower river habitat enhancements, and the Habitat Subcommittee is
interested in how implementation of the project will affect smolt outmigration season in 2021. The
Habitat Subcommittee will use the data gathered from the study in 2021 to further refine its lower river
strategy.
The Habitat Subcommittee will be updating it's 10-year strategic plan throughout the fall and winter of
2021.
Enhanced Water Conservation Element
Upon passage of the Dingell Act in March 2019, the Reclamation, Ecology, Yakama Nation and
YRBWEP Workgroup Partners have a goal to conserve 85,000 acre-feet of water by 2029. The overall
conservation savings goal upon full Integrated Plan implementation is 170,000 acre-feet. Reclamation
and Ecology are conducting an inventory of water conservation accomplishments associated with the
Integrated Plan. Projects that count towards this goal must adhere to three parameters:
• Begin in 2013 or later
• Be an agricultural or municipal improvement project resulting in conserved water, and
• Not be part of the Title XII, Section 1203 Basin Conservation Plan
To date, there have been 104 conservation projects implemented. Approximately $89 million invested
has resulted in approximately 50,000 acre-feet conserved ($1,800 per acre-foot). A technical
memorandum explaining the history, accounting, and future framework planning for the Enhanced
Water Conservation element projects was released to the Water Use Subcommittee in April 2020.
Within this memorandum, Reclamation and Ecology have developed a project prioritization proposal for
achieving the remaining portion of the initial development phase goal.
Among the work within the basin in 2020, the Yakama Nation and WIP made notable steps forward on
their water conservation projects. This progress includes continuing to develop specifications and
contract documents for the construction of 10 long crested weir check/grade control structure on the
Satus 3 Pump Canal, canal lining within Satus Unit 2, replacement of leaking concrete pipeline, and the
piping of laterals. The work completed in 2020 was estimated to conserve approximately 6,808 ac-ft.
Additionally, the Yakama Nation and WIP requested $1.76M to acquire the right-of-way and to
construct a 120 ac-ft regulating reservoir in the Unit 2 West Branch Canal. This reservoir will stabilize
and provide operational flexibility to the overall delivery system. It will allow WIP to enclose the
remaining laterals on the Unit 2 West and East canals. The reservoir is projected to save 7,700 ac-ft.
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Market Reallocation Element
The Kittitas Reclamation District(KRD)and Trout Unlimited (TU) continued advancement on a water
market project as part of the Market Reallocation element of YBIP. The ongoing research has focused
on identifying market limitations and accessibility. In the last quarter,the project team have advanced
data analysis to characterize past market transfers that will help guide market simulations. Work
advanced on data preprocessing—crop and consumptive use information to advance the market
simulation work. Additionally, the project team developed a scope of work to evaluate the
implications—for example equitable access to water—of additional Yakima Basin storage. Outreach
continued with COVID-19 restrictions in place. The team delivered two presentations, one in late May
and one in early June,to funders and to a broader stakeholder group at the quarterly YRBWEP meeting.
More information about the project can be found at https://www.yakimabasinwatermarketing.org/
Proposed Projects for Consideration
During implementation of the Integrated Plan, an adaptive approach is being used periodically to assess
progress towards meeting the identified instream flow objectives,the 70 percent proratable supply goal
for irrigation, and goals for other out-of-stream needs. The need for additional water supply
enhancements would depend on the effectiveness of projects that are implemented as part of the
Integrated Plan, how the Yakima basin economy develops over time, and the timing of and manner in
which climate changes affect water supply availability. From time-to-time, new projects may be
identified(and proposed)for consideration under the Integrated Plan. Reclamation, Ecology, Yakama
Nation, and the Executive Committee have developed a formalized process to consider new projects.
Projects proposed for evaluation and those currently being evaluated are listed here:
• Tieton River Restoration, including proposed North Fork Cowiche Creek Reservoir, and
• Upper Yakima System Storage
Contacts for Information on the Integrated Plan:
Wendy Christensen, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area
Office, (509) 573-8050
Thomas Tebb, Washington State Department of Ecology, Office of Columbia River, (509) 574-3989
Project website: http://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/yrbwep/index.html
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