Middle Fork Project Entrainment Direct Sampling Approach (Contingency Study)

1. Middle Fork ProjectEntrainment Direct Sampling Approach(Contingency Study) September 8, 2008

2. Study Objectives • Sample Reservoir Fish Distribution and Abundance • French Meadows and Hell Hole Reservoir Tunnel Deep Water Intakes • Directly Sample Entrainment • Ralston Afterbay, Middle Fork Interbay, and Duncan Diversion • Sample Young-of-the-year Fish Abundance and Timing • Duncan Creek

3. Study Area Small Stream DiversionDuncan Creek Deep Water IntakesFrench Meadows Reservoir Hell Hole ReservoirShallow Water IntakesMiddle Fork Interbay Ralston Afterbay

4. Study Approach • Fish Distribution and Abundance near Deep Water Intake Structures (French Meadows and Hell Hole Reservoirs) • French Meadows-Hell Hole Tunnel & Hell Hole-Middle Fork Tunnel Intakes • Sample during four representative time periods • spring, early summer, late summer, and fall • Use single beam sonar to sample • Number, elevation (depth), and relative size of fish throughout water column • Sample a minimum of four 200 meter transects • Day and Night samples, at least one hour total effort each

5. Hell Hole and French Meadows Reservoirs French Meadows-Hell Hole Tunnel Intake 102 feet (43-149) Avg Depth Dam Instream Flow Outlet 151 feet (92-198) Avg Depth Dam Low Level Outlet 169 Feet (110-216) Avg Depth Hell Hole-Middle Fork Tunnel Outlet Depth 229 feet (93-313) Avg Depth Dam Outlet Works Depth 263 feet (127-347) Avg Depth All Numbers Are Preliminary and Subject to Change -- Do Not Cite

6. Study Approach Continued… • Direct Sampling for Entrainment at Middle Fork Interbay and Ralston Afterbay Middle Fork Interbay Dam – Down Stream Side Ralston Afterbay Intake Structure

7. Middle Fork Interbay and Ralston Afterbay cont… • Use split-beam sonar array (3 sonars) to identify number and relative size of fish potentially entrained • Fix sonar array to the inside of the trash racks of the tunnel intakes • Install and maintain equipment from ~Feb - Nov 2009 (process ~ 120 days of data) • Sonar array will ensonify approximately 50% of the tunnel intake openings

8. Acoustic Beams Inside Intake Structure Transducers Inside Trash Rack Trash Rack Example of a Transducer Middle Fork Interbay and Ralston Afterbay Sampling cont… • Picture Illustrating the Hydroacoustic Sampling Design at Ralston - Oxbow Tunnel Inlet Structure.

9. Normal Upper Pool Level Intake Transducer Normal Lower Pool Level Acoustic Beam Trash Rack Intake Flow Middle Fork Interbay and Ralston Afterbay Sampling cont… General Schematic Illustrating the Orientation of Acoustic Beam and Sample Volume at Each Intake Intake Side View Intake Front View

10. Middle Fork Interbay and Ralston Afterbay Sampling cont… • Reservoir Water Levels • Sonar equipment will be turned off if reservoir water surface elevations in the reservoirs drop below the equipment (equipment is damaged if it is not submerged) • Data collection will resume once water surface elevations increase above the equipment

11. Middle Fork Interbay and Ralston Afterbay Sampling cont… • Data Processing • Process a maximum of 120 days of data at each intake • Every 6th day of data (60 days total) • Review data & process up to a max of 60 additional days of data at each intake • Collaboratively determine additional sampling with the Aquatic TG (e.g., when entrainment is variable) • Correct entrainment estimates for the percent of the intake actually ensonified • Calculate actual percent ensonified after installation of the sonar arrays.

12. Middle Fork Interbay and Ralston Afterbay Sampling cont… • Direction of fish travel and depth analysis • Direction of fish travel is translated into a compass angle • Fish traveling at angles towards the intakes and at the depth of the intake are assumed to be entrained

13. Trash Rack Flow Cross-section of Acoustic Beams 180 135 225 90 270 315 0 Intake (Top View) 45 • Direction of Travel Entrainment Quadrant (angles 0-45° & 315-360°)

14. Direction of Travel (cont.) 0-45° 315-360°

15. Hypothetical depth of intake Number of fish at risk of entrainment • Depth and Direction of Travel Determine Entrainment Risk (example)

16. Study Approach Continued • Sampling for Entrainment at Duncan Creek • Use Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags • Sample one diversion season (winter through early summer) Duncan Creek Diversion Dam Tunnel Intake

17. Duncan Creek Sampling cont… • PIT Tags • Sample for 5 days or 1000 trout (Oct – Nov 2008) • 0 to 2 miles above diversion • Tag >=60 mm juvenile/adult fish • 12.5 mm tags

18. Duncan Creek Sampling cont… • Install Tag Reader into Diversion Intake (Nov 2008) • Calibrate Reader beginning, middle, and end of diversion season • Minimum of 10 tags through reader each time • Monitor reader through winter (visits or satellite telemetry) • One of largest antenna openings Biomark has made (5’x 6.6’) Example 17’ x 4’ antenna installation. Example side-by-side 5’ x 5’ antennas.

19. Duncan Creek Sampling cont…Hydrology • “Passive” Diversion ... when flows exceed ~8 cfs water goes through the tunnel.

20. Duncan Creek Sampling cont… • Other Necessary Equipment • Propane generator • Propane tank • Electronics box • Satellite Transponder Propane Generator Propane Tank Electronics Box

21. Duncan Creek Sampling cont… • Young-of-the-Year (YOY) Timing and Abundance • Sample upstream of the diversion • Sample on four occasions in May and June

22. Duncan Creek Sampling cont… • Assumptions and Permits • Antenna can be constructed that will work (size, metal interference, etc.) and be protected from damage or malfunction through the winter/spring (i.e.,difficult access) • A USFS special use permit (propane, generator, etc.), if needed, and CDFG permits for PIT tagging can be obtained. • PIT tag sampling, YOY timing and abundance upstream of the diversion (May and June), and fish population and other data (literature) will provide sufficient information to evaluate entrainment. • Successful completion of the PIT tag study depends on the above assumptions. If the assumptions cannot be met, then PCWA will not be held responsible for completing the study.

23. North and South Forks Long Canyon Creek • Entrainment Data Available • Duncan Creek Entrainment Sampling • Fish population data above and below diversion • Similar populations above and below (based on data to date) • Many YOY (not YOY recruitment limited?) • Resident trout, relatively small size about 22.5 cm • West Panther Creek and literature movement data • Hydrology/Temperature • 5 months of extremely low flows <1 cfs limiting factor for fish population • Short diversion season (limited summer diversion) • Lower Long Canyon warm temperature • Existing barriers above and below diversions • Limited recreational fishery

24. Hydrology • North Fork & South Fork Long Canyon Creek • ~5 Months Low Natural Flows (no diversion) • ~30% time flows less than 1 cfs • South Fork 90% Exceedance 0.45 cfs • North Fork 90% Exceedance 0.25 cfs • Diversions Typically End Early Summer • Flow pattern similar to Duncan Creek, but low lower magnitude

25. North Fork Long Canyon Creek • Summer/Fall flow Above Diversion: NFLC 3.8 Below Diversion: NFLC 1.9

26. South Fork Long Canyon Creek • Summer/Fall Flow Below Diversion: SFLC 2.3 Above Diversion: SFLC 4.2

27. North Fork Long Canyon South Fork Long Canyon

28. North Fork Long Canyon South Fork Long Canyon

29. Duncan Creek

30. Temperature

31. Fish Data • Fish Distribution in North and South Forks Long Canyon Creek Above and Below Diversions

32. Density and Biomass of Trout Above and Below Small Diversions

33. Density and Biomass of Trout Above and Below Small Diversions

34. Age, Growth Rates, and Size of Trout

35. Direct Sampling and New FERC License Collaboration Schedule