Monitoring Protocols for Salmon Habitat Restoration Projects in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary

This document describes a set of protocols developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce with the support of the US Army Corps of Engineers. The protocols will be used to assess habitat restoration projects as part of the Cumulative Ecosystem Response Evaluation effort begun in 2004 and to conclude in 2010 (Diefenderfer et al. 2005). The goal of these restoration activities in the lower Columbia River and estuary (CRE) is to repair the connectivity and function of wetland habitats, and thereby to allow juvenile salmon to regain benefit from these important rearing and refuge areas. To do this effectively, researchers and managers require the means to 1) evaluate the results of individual restoration activities, 2) compare results among projects, and 3) determine the long-term and cumulative effects of habitat restoration on the overall estuary ecosystem. To achieve this, we are developing a standardized set of research and monitoring protocols. We limited the number of metrics to a proposed “core” set and selected measurement methods that are straightforward and economical to use. By “core,” we mean the smallest suite of metrics that can adequately detail the results of restoration given the financial and logistical limitations of comprehensively monitoring ecological change over extended temporal and spatial scales. We selected core metrics based on the following criteria: 1) metrics correspond to commonly held restoration project goals; 2) are applicable to all sites; 3) represent controlling factors, ecosystem structure, and ecosystem function; 4) are relevant to both present and future investigations; and 5) are practical in terms of available level of effort. Monitoring protocols are provided for hydrology (water surface elevation); water quality (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen); elevation (bathymetry, topography); landscape features; plant community (composition and cover); vegetation plantings (success); and fish (temporal presence, size/age structure, species). Preface This research is being conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE)’s Anadromous Fish Evaluation Program (AFEP), study code EST–P-04-04. The study is funded by the Corps’ Portland District; Blaine Ebberts is the Corps’ Biological Technical Lead for this project. The protocols benefited from feedback and discussions by scientists at a workshop on Columbia River estuary restoration project monitoring convened by the Corps and the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership in June 2004. The study is conducted jointly by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), and the Columbia River Estuary Study Taskforce. We invite comments on this working draft of the restoration project monitoring protocols manual. Our intent is to achieve a widely adopted standard set of monitoring metrics and protocols in the Columbia River estuary. Please send comments or questions to Gary Johnson (gary.johnson@pnl.gov; 503-417-7567).