A long-sought, and the first ever, "biological opinion" for federal multi-purpose dams in Oregon's Willamette River basin was released today, outlining actions NOAA Fisheries Service says will avoid jeopardy to imperiled fish stocks and spur their recovery.

The document culminates a federal Endangered Species Act consultation process that began following the 1999 listing of Upper Willamette spring chinook salmon and steelhead stocks and Lower Columbia chinook and steelhead stocks as threatened.

The process was spurred by a lawsuit filed last year that claimed the involved federal agencies had failed to complete the Biop in a timely manner. An agreement reached in February called for the strategy to be completed by July 11.

The Pacific Environmental Advocacy Center in September filed the lawsuit against NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. The Corps operates the dams; the Bureau markets water stored in the project reservoirs to irrigators. The Bonneville Power Administration, which markets power generated at eight of the dams, was also involved in the consultation.

A 2000 biological assessment, and a 2007 supplemental BA, determined that the "Willamette Project" adversely affects Upper Willamette River chinook and Upper Willamette River steelhead by blocking access to a large amount of their historical habitat upstream of the dams and by contributing to degradation of their remaining downstream habitat.

Also adversely affected are bull trout and Oregon chub, species that are the responsibility of the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Willamette Project was judged not to adversely affect the Lower Columbia salmon and steelhead.

It was also determined that five associated mitigation hatcheries that accompanied the dam construction had an effect on the genetic diversity of fish stocks in the Willamette basin. Other factors in the decline of Willamette fish include habitat degradation by others, hatchery effects, and harvest.

The NOAA Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service produce BiOps to determine whether federal actions, such as the operation of the dams, jeopardize the survival of fish and wildlife listed under the ESA.

The 2007 BA proposed numerous actions for improving flow management; constructing, operating, and maintaining fish collection and passage facilities at priority sites above and below dams; improving management of mitigation hatcheries and carrying out a series of research, monitoring, and evaluation measures to develop appropriate actions and evaluate their effectiveness.

In the BiOp released today, NOAA Fisheries concludes that the Willamette chinook and steelhead would be jeopardized by the proposed action. But it adds measures beyond those proposed by the action agencies that it felt would avoid jeopardizing the survival of the listed fish.

In the document's "reasonable and prudent alternative," the agency lists additional measures to reduce the projects' effects and timelines for implementation of each action.

They include providing fish passage at three dams, temperature improvements downstream of another dam, improvements in downstream flows, screening of irrigation diversions, improving hatchery practices and facilities and habitat improvement projects.

The following are "major" actions NOAA believes will "significantly" help recover listed salmon and steelhead in the Willamette Basin:

-- Reduce the impacts of altered water temperatures in the North Santiam by actively managing releases from Detroit Dam and reservoir to benefit listed fish survival in 2009 and beyond;

-- Achieve long-term temperature improvements at Detroit Dam through operational changes or structural modifications by 2018.

-- Construction and operation of downstream passage facilities to safely pass emigrating listed fish at Cougar Dam by 2014, at Lookout Point Dam by 2021 and at Detroit Dam by 2023.

-- Reconstruction and operation of the collection facilities at various Willamette Project dams to facilitate safe collection and transport of listed fish for outplanting above the dams and for hatchery broodstock purposes.

-- Construction of a sorter/separator at Leaburg Dam on the McKenzie River by 2014 to create a natural fish sanctuary.

The actions will be subject to testing and modification based on biological and technical feasibility.

"Some of the actions were already proceeding," according to the Corps' Amy Echols.

Final design and specifications are nearly complete for the Cougar project and the Corps expects to advertise in September for construction bids. The work is expected to take 18 months and be completed by May 2010.

"That's going to take the adult fish up and over Cougar" toward previously inaccessible habit, Echols said. The project is part of the $57.6 million Cougar Temperature Control project previously authorized by Congress.

"We have enough money in hand to proceed with construction but we don't have all the money we need" to complete construction of the trap and transport facility, Echols. The needed balance is being sought in the Corps' fiscal 2010 budget request.

Much of the planned BiOp work will likely be funded through the Columbia River Fish Mitigation program, which was originally approved by Congress to fund fish passage improvements at eight lower Columbia and Snake river dams. Its budget is established annually. The Willamette projects were added to the list as part of the budget process for fiscal year 2008.

The CRFM funding is reimbursed over time by BPA to the U.S. Treasury. Budgets appropriated by Congress at been in the $80 million-$85 million range.

RM&E work is channeled through the CRFM to better evaluate what the fish need and set priorities.

The opinion covers actions through 2023.

NOAA's Fisheries Service worked with the three agencies to strengthen their proposal with additional actions, including a schedule for completion of improvements to some of the dams so that juvenile fish can pass them safely, and improving water temperatures downstream from the dams to a more natural seasonal pattern.

NOAA says the biological opinion meets the legal standard of assuring an "adequate potential for the species' recovery."

While the BiOp is not a salmon recovery plan, efforts to make the dams more fish-friendly, to improve river water temperatures, and to improve hatchery practices will measurably aid recovery efforts, according to NOAA.

The state of Oregon is leading efforts to complete a formal salmon-recovery plan for the Willamette Basin.

A new USFWS BiOP, also released today, concluded that the proposed action, as modified by the NOAA RPA, is not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of bull trout or Oregon chub, and will not adversely modify designated critical habitat for bull trout.

The Willamette River is one of the Columbia River's largest tributaries and is its most densely populated river basin. It empties into the Columbia about 100 miles upstream from the Pacific Ocean.

The Corps of Engineers owns and operates the dams, primarily to reduce the risk of floods. The reservoirs behind many of the dams are used for recreation and fishing. In addition, the Corps is authorized to release water from the dams to serve water quality and fish-and-wildlife purposes downstream in the tributaries and the Willamette River.

Documents associated with this action are on the Web at:

http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-Hydropower/Willamette-Basin/Willamette-BO.cfm