Final CNFH-AMP

368 Pages·2016·8.06 MB·English

Coleman National Fish Hatchery

Adaptive Management Plan

November 2016
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Coleman National Fish Hatchery
Adaptive Management Plan
Final Report
November 1, 2016

Prepared for:
U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation

Prepared by:
Cramer Fish Sciences under Contract No. R12PX20045
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Acknowledgments
Numerous individuals contributed to the development of this document. In particular, we
acknowledge members of the Technical Advisory Committee commissioned to provide advice
and guidance throughout the course of this project: Naseem Alston (NMFS), Matt Brown
(USFWS), Amanda Cranford (NMFS), Laurie Earley (USFWS), Gene Geary (PG&E), Scott
Hamelberg (USFWS), Doug Killam (CDFW), Mary Marshall (Reclamation), Kevin Niemela
(USFWS), Robert Null (USFWS), Trang Nguyen (Reclamation), Jason Roberts (CDFW), Steve
Tussing (BCWC), and Jonathan Walsh (PG&E). Their patience and expertise is gratefully
acknowledged. An independent science review panel provided critical comments, which helped
to improve this document. Several members of the public provided constructive comments and
useful information, which also helped to improve this document.

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Public Involvement
An open and inclusive process was used to develop the Coleman National Fish Hatchery
Adaptive Management Plan. Two public meetings were held, one early on to aid in scoping the
plan, and a second meeting during the public comment period for the draft plan. Public
comments and responses to those comments are separately available in a comment log.
Members of the public are encouraged to stay engaged as this adaptive management plan is
implemented by attending the Greater Battle Creek Watershed Working Group (GBCWWG)
meetings. More information about the group is available at http://www.battle-creek.net/, or by
writing the Battle Creek Watershed Conservancy, P.O. Box 606, Manton, CA 96059.

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Executive Summary
The Battle Creek watershed, like many in the west, is a complex environment, providing
important opportunities for both the natural and man-made environments. Agency and
stakeholder representatives with interests in the Battle Creek watershed have worked over the
last two decades to reconcile the conflicts between ecological functions and human services.
These efforts have mainly focused on conserving and restoring aquatic habitats for native
salmonid reproduction and growth, while preserving the use of water resources for hydropower
production and water diversions. Mandated fish hatchery operations at the Coleman National
Fish Hatchery (CNFH) is another longstanding use that increases the complexity of these
reconciliation efforts.
Restoration of the upper Battle Creek watershed, motivated through FERC relicensing of PG&E
hydropower facilities, focuses on providing fish access to historical habitat for the re-
establishment of naturally occurring salmonid populations. The Battle Creek watershed is
considered a highly important watershed that historically supported large numbers and a broad
diversity of anadromous salmonids. Infrastructure modifications associated with the Battle
Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project (BCRP) began in early 2010. The goal of the
BCRP is to provide high quality habitat and improve fish passage throughout 48 miles of stream
habitat. Once completed, the BCRP will be adaptively managed as described in a project-
specific adaptive management plan (BCRP-AMP).
The CNFH is located on the north bank of Battle Creek, approximately three miles east of the
Sacramento River. The hatchery barrier weir and fish ladder system is the first substantial man-
made structure immigrating anadromous fish encounter when returning to Battle Creek. The
CNFH is unique among hatcheries in California, in that it is not located immediately downstream
from the reservoir dam it is intended to mitigate. Since its establishment in 1942, the CNFH has
served as an important mitigation component of the Federal Central Valley Project (CVP),
partially compensating for lost natural salmonid production resulting from construction of Shasta
and Keswick dams. The hatchery is considered a positive contributor to regional
socioeconomics.
To provide for better hatchery operations and outcomes, and to partially mitigate for potential
impacts to restoration efforts in the watershed, substantial modifications to the CNFH have
occurred over the last decade to address long-standing concerns about: (1) the hatchery’s
potential to amplify the transmission of fish diseases; (2) adult fish passage through the
hatchery’s barrier weir and fish ladder system; and (3) entrainment of natural origin juvenile
salmonids emigrating from upper Battle Creek. However concerns remain about the continuing
impacts the CNFH may have on the timely restoration of impaired salmonid populations in the
upper Battle Creek watershed. In 2004 an independent technical panel examined the
compatibility of CNFH operations and restoration of salmonid populations in Battle Creek. This
panel recommended development of an adaptive management for the CNFH. This document
describes a plan that supports adaptive management of the CNFH, and to the extent possible,
integrated adaptive management of the CNFH and BCRP. The overall aim is to maximize
compatibility of the CNFH with the BCRP, thereby contributing to the further reconciliation of
ecological functions and human services in the Battle Creek watershed.
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Coleman National Fish Hatchery Adaptive Management Plan
Adaptive management provides a rational approach for addressing issues where competing but
uncertain solutions exist, and for which management cannot be delayed until the issues and
solutions are fully understood. It is often considered for use in ecological systems where:
1. Conflicts exist
2. The stakes are high
3. There is uncertainty about the best way to proceed
Adaptive management is an iterative process that allows for the formal analysis of data and
information as a means of framing new choices, providing understanding, and making decisions.
The adaptive management cycle used in development of the CNFH-AMP closely follows the
cycle developed through the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program, which is the cycle used
in the BCRP-AMP (Figure ES.1).

Figure ES.1. Diagram of the adaptive management cycle developed for the CNFH-AMP.
(Adapted from Healey et al. 2008). The route with thicker arrows generally follows the passive
adaptive management cycle used in the BCRP-AMP. The shaded area (upper right) indicates
where active adaptive management can occur within the cycle.
To develop the CNFH-AMP, a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) comprising the major
agency, restoration, and utility stakeholders in the Battle Creek watershed, was consulted on
every major element of the AMP. TAC guidance included the following:
• Establish the purpose, goal, and objectives.
• Comment on plan development and organization.
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