1. E STABLISH R ELATIONSHIP B ETWEEN F ISH P ASSAGE S URVIVAL AND T URBINE O PERATING E FFICIENCY NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES HTI, Inc. and J. R. Skalski (Proposal No. 35023)

2. Proposal No. 35023 P ROPOSAL B ACKGROUND + Turbine operations constrained to within ±1% peak efficiency + Presently, assumption is highest survival occurs at peak efficiency; unclear whether it refers to direct or indirect effects or both + Recent data, though limited, do not show correlation; in fact, highest survival coincided with turbines operating beyond the peak efficiency (e.g., Wanapum, Lower Granite, and McNary) + Analysis of historic data showed no statistical correlation (Skalski et al. 2002)

3. Proposal No. 35023 P ROPOSAL B ACKGROUND, continued + Survival may differ between turbines at a site; multi turbine passage studies lacking at most dams, making it difficult to assume all turbines are born alike + Easier to design turbines per se but difficult to quantify/verify improvements in fish survival (e.g., Rocky Reach, Bonneville, etc.); may be important factor in turbine rehabilitation + Aging turbines prime target for rehabilitation at several dams, fish survival information needed

4. Proposal No. 35023 R OCKY R EACH + Survival differences between turbines, depth, and power production at a site

5. Proposal No. 35023 W ANPAUM + Highest survival at turbine operating beyond peak efficiency

6. Proposal No. 35023 M C N ARY + Same results (preliminary) as at Wanapum: highest survival at turbine operating beyond peak efficiency (11,200 cfs)

7. Proposal No. 35023 P ROPOSAL O BJECTIVES + Use multiple tagging techniques for isolating immediate and long-term passage effects (only one data point at Lower Granite) –Estimate direct effects using balloon tags at four turbines, each operating at discrete efficiencies (four); –Estimate post-passage effects using acoustically tagged fish at the same conditions + PIT tagged fish can also be simultaneously released if NMFS/BPA deem necessary and useful

8. Proposal No. 35023 S TUDY D ESIGN + Use hatchery-reared smolts + A 4 x 4 factorial design (16 independent survival estimates); four turbines, each at four operating efficiencies/discharges + All releases to be made with intake screens in place + Release 120 fish per day + Fish to be released at discrete points within turbines, fish to pass between stay vanes and wicket gates + Data to be analyzed daily (for balloon tagged fish) for adjustments in sample size

9. Proposal No. 35023 S TUDY D ESIGN (A COUSTIC T AGS ) + Identical components as for balloon tag study except for use of acoustic tags + Release 30 dead tagged smolts below the dam to verify if they float down to the detection arrays + Acoustic tagged fish to be released concurrently with balloon tagged fish + Post-passage survival to be determined through fish detection arrays 10 - 15 miles downstream of McNary Dam or at John Day + Detections indicative of alive fish + Similar survival study underway for Chelan Co. PUD (Rocky Reach)

10. Proposal No. 35023 S AMPLE S IZE + 200 fish for each treatment (3,200 fish) and 100 controls (1,600 fish) to provide survival estimates within ±3%, 90% of the time + Proposed sample size based on previous investigations (e.g., Rocky Reach, Rock Island, Wanapum, Bonneville, Lower Granite)

11. Proposal No. 35023 S ELECTION OF M C N ARY D AM + Some baseline survival data exist + Potential for turbine rehabilitation/replacement + Identified potential problems due to predation and water temperature + If PIT tagged fish are also released, may incorporate that information for more comprehensive assessment

12. Proposal No. 35023 E VALUATION + Recaptured fish location (GPS as in Bonneville study, Normandeau Associates et al. 2001) + Test of assumptions + Examine for injury/mortality, assign probable causes + Survival data to be statistically analyzed for establishing operating efficiency and fish survival relationship separately for each turbine + All statistical analyses to be performed by Dr. John Skalski + Estimation of in-river post passage survival (acoustic tracking) by HTI

13. Proposal No. 35023 E XPECTED R ESULTS + Quantification of direct and indirect effects + Suggestion for operational guidelines to maximize fish survival + Tailrace distribution of entrained fish for possible correlation with predator preferred habitat

14. Proposal No. 35023 R EPORTING + Daily interactions with BPA and other designated personnel + Issue draft report for comments within 120 days of completing field work + Incorporate comments and finalize reports