Condit Dam Removal Condit Dam Removal - Access Washington

Condit Dam Hydroelectric Project
Final Supplemental EIS
with limits on upstream juvenile migration, have combined to limit the population density of bull
trout below a threshold of detectability by any practicable level of surveying.
Nonsalmonid fish
Three species of nonsalmonid fish that are likely to occur in the Bonneville Pool, and potentially
in the lower White Salmon River below Condit Dam, were not documented in the 1996 FEIS
(FERC 1996) or 2002 FSFEIS (FERC 2002) for the Condit Hydroelectric Project. These are the
leopard dace (Rhinichthys falcatus), mountain sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus), and river
lamprey (Lampetra ayresi). All three of these species are Washington state Candidate species.
If these species occur in the White Salmon River, they most likely are found in the large pool at
the in-lieu site.
Three species of nonsalmonid fish, longnose dace, western brook lamprey, and shorthead sculpin
have been documented to occur in the White Salmon River above Condit Dam (Allen et al.
2003).
Section 3 Freshwater Mussels
California Floater (Anodonta californiensis)
The California floater is a Washington state Candidate Species. In the Draft White Salmon River
Subbasin Summary prepared for the Northwest Power Planning Council by the WDFW, Dan
Rawding (2000) states, “Freshwater mussels are known to inhabit certain portions of the basin;
however, the current species assemblages, distribution, and status are unknown.” A large
population of freshwater mussels is known to exist in Rattlesnake and Indian creeks (Parker
2005). The priority species status review by the WDFW documents their presence in the
Columbia River about 20 miles upstream from the mouth of the White Salmon River. This is the
closest known survey for benthic invertebrates to the project area. Molly Hallock, a WDFW
biologist, stated in a phone conversation that she was unaware of any mollusk surveys that have
been conducted by WDFW or USFWS in the White Salmon River Basin (Hallock 2005).
Terrence Frest, one of the malacologists most familiar with Columbia Basin mollusks, stated that
he wasn’t aware of any surveys conducted in this portion of the Bonneville Pool. He also
acknowledged that suitable habitat was likely present, that the project site was within the historic
range of the species, and that a survey would be required to document its absence from the site
(Frest 2003, 2004).
The lower reaches of the White Salmon River and Columbia River in the vicinity of the project
contains suitable historic habitat for California floaters. Management Recommendations for
Washington State priority invertebrate species (Larsen et al. 1995) state that baseline surveys are
required to adequately monitor, manage, and mitigate for losses of the California floater and/or
its habitat and that this species should be considered when projects are planned which might
cause erosion, siltation, or bedload movements in streams. Pending survey/inventory data from
the project area documenting the absence of California floaters, documentation from WDFW or
USFWS to the effect that baseline inventories of freshwater mussels in the project area have
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