Biological Opinions - Bureau of Reclamation

at most fish relocation sites, based upon the suspected low number of relocated fish inhabiting
the small project areas.
Effects associated with fish relocation activities will be significantly minimized due to the
multiple minimization measures that will be utilized, as described in the section entitled,
Measures to Minimize Injury and Mortality of Fish and Amphibian Species during Dewatering
within Part IX of the Restoration Manual (Flosi et al. 2010). NMFS expects that fish relocation
activities associated with implementation of individual restoration projects will not significantly
reduce the number of returning listed salmonid adults.
12.4.2.2.3 Risk
Based on the CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP) annual monitoring reports
(CDFG 2006-2012, CDFW 2013), NMFS is able to estimate the maximum number of coho
salmon expected to be captured, injured, and killed each year from the dewatering and relocation
activities. The CDFW monitoring reports show that the FRGP program dewaters approximately
12 percent of their funded projects (NMFS 2012d). When estimating the maximum number of
coho salmon that may be captured each year, NMFS used the FRGP monitoring reports to assess
the actual number of coho salmon captured, injured, and killed in the Klamath River basin (Table
12.7). NMFS used the highest percentage recorded under the FRGP program to estimate the
percent of coho salmon that would be injured or killed each year. As a result, NMFS expects
that up to 17 juvenile SONCC coho salmon will be captured annually, of which up to 1 may be
injured or killed annually.
Table 12.7. Dewatering and fish relocation associated with CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program.
Year
Number of Klamath projects that
dewatered and relocated fish
Number of dewatering
occurrences
360
Number of
coho
captured
Number
Injured
Number
Killed
2004 2 2 0 0 0
2005 2 2 5 0 0
2006 4 4 0 0 0
2007 1 1 17 0 0
2008 3 6 10 0 0
2009 0 0 0 0 0
2010 0 0 0 0 0
2011 0 0 0 0 0
2012 0 0 0 0 0
Estimated annual maximum number for coho salmon 17 1*
*Factoring limited data and the possibility of injuring or killing coho salmon, NMFS
estimates a maximum of one coho salmon may be injured or killed per year.
12.4.2.3 Structural Placement
Most of the proposed restoration project types include the potential for placement of structures in
the stream channel. These structural placements can vary in their size and extent, depending on
their restoration objective. Most structural placements are discrete where only a localized area
will be affected. The salmonids exposed to such structural placements are the same juvenile