Draft 5-1-2020 - PWS - Biological Asssessment_1.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Hydrologic modeling and analysis support for implementation of the Klamath Project

Biological Assessment/Opinion

Introduction

Purpose: Klamath Basin Area Office (KBAO) staff has determined the need for a services procurement requirement. These services are required to implement the Proposed Action (PA) as specified in requirements found in the current and future Biological Assessment (BA) and associated Biological Opinions (BiOps) for the Klamath Project. The BA is issued by the KBAO, while the subsequent BiOps are issued by NOAA-Fisheries (NMFS) and US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This Performance Work Statement (PWS) describes the tasks required to support Reclamation in its hydrologic modeling and analysis as the agency works to formulate and implement the BA/BiOps.

Authorization: The KBAO is implementing the BA/BiOps to ensure the most effective management of finite water supplies to the Klamath Project and in the Klamath River Basin, while protecting endangered species in compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The authority to undertake the work requirement described in this PWS exists in the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act (FWCA), whereby the work involved in this PWS will assist Reclamation managers in determinations of project operations alternatives which are consistent with the protection of endangered species. Species of endangered fish can be found in Klamath Project waters, including UKL, and the Klamath River, and are affected by hydrologic operations of the Klamath Project.

Background: Several hydrologic modeling tools have been developed as part of Reclamation’s 2012 and 2018 BA’s to track and forecast hydrologic conditions throughout the Klamath Basin.

These tools have been used for both planning and operational purposes for compliance with the ESA as detailed in the BA. The full BA can be found on the web (https://www.usbr.gov/mp/kbao/docs/20181221-final-bor-2018-biological-assessment-klamath-project-ops.pdf ).

The BA enumerates a number of compliance challenges faced by the Klamath Project including:

• Limited carry-over water storage capacity in Upper Klamath Lake, the largest source of water for the Project.

• Dependency upon forecasted streamflows for water management decisions as a result of the limited storage.

• Multiple legal responsibilities including the Reclamation Act, the Kuchel Act, and federal tribal trust responsibilities in addition to the ESA requirements.

• A highly variable natural hydrologic system with an average annual rainfall of less than 15 inches.

To help direct planning efforts, the project has used results generated by the Water Resource Integrated Modeling System (WRIMS) to identify the Klamath River and UKL hydrographs that are likely to occur as a result of implementing the PA. WRIMS is a generalized water resources modeling system, broadly accepted by the hydrologic community, for evaluating operational alternatives of large, complex river basins. WRIMS integrates a simulation language for flexible operational criteria specification, a linear programming solver for efficient water management decisions, and graphics capabilities for ease of use. These combined capabilities provide a comprehensive and powerful modeling tool for water resource systems simulation. Reclamation has worked closely with the Services’ hydrologists to develop a WRIMS model specific to the Klamath Basin for this consultation, referred to as the Klamath Basin Planning Model (KBPM) hereafter.

The Proposed Action for 2019 to 2029 consists of three major elements to meet authorized Project purposes, satisfy contractual obligations, avoid jeopardy to listed species and adverse modification of critical habitat, and provide a range of flexibility for listed species and Project irrigators:

1. Store waters of the Klamath and Lost Rivers.

2. Operate the Project, or direct the operation of the Project, for the delivery of water for irrigation purposes, subject to water availability; while maintaining lake and river hydrologic conditions that avoid jeopardizing the continued existence of ESA-listed species and adverse modification of designated critical habitat.

3. Perform O&M activities necessary to maintain Project facilities to ensure proper long-term function and operation...

[The following is] a general overview of the operational approach for the Proposed Action and additional details regarding the fall/winter and spring/summer time periods...

Fall/winter water management, October through February, would operate using a formulaic management approach focused on meeting the needs of coho salmon downstream while increasing water storage in UKL and providing fall/winter water deliveries to the Project and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge (LKNWR). This approach attempts to ensure adequate water storage and sucker habitat in the lake while providing river flows that mimic natural hydrologic conditions based on current conditions in the upper Klamath Basin.

Spring/summer water management would remain consistent with historic operations by proposing to maintain full irrigation deliveries in accordance with existing contracts, contingent upon available water supplies. Reclamation will evaluate the total available UKL water supply and determine in early spring a supply of water to be reserved in UKL for ESA-listed suckers (UKL Reserve), the amount of water available for the Klamath River (EWA), and the available water supply for Project irrigation (Project Supply). The division of the total available UKL water supply between UKL Reserve, EWA, and Project Supply was determined based on an analysis of available information regarding ESA-listed species needs and the ecologic needs of the species identified in previous BOs. A key driver is greater water certainty in water supply for the Project and the flexibility to meet real-time species needs. This real-time management approach for UKL and the Klamath River attempts to optimize the ecologic benefit of the available water supply, resulting in the ability to maximize the amount of remaining water available for the Project. In some instances, dry hydrologic conditions characterized by limited precipitation, runoff, and inflows to UKL may create shortages in the total available UKL water supply, which can result in a Project Supply that is less than the full irrigation demand.

Reclamation is proposing to use the water management process described here to provide guidance on making releases at Link River Dam based on a hydrologic indicator of upper Klamath Basin conditions.

The hydrologic indicator used is based on inflow to UKL. The intent of this method is to create a river hydrograph downstream of IGD that is a better approximation of a natural flow regime that reflects actual hydrologic conditions and variability occurring in the upper Klamath Basin.

This approach will require significant coordination and organization to implement, and Reclamation has an Environmental Water Account (EWA) Manager to facilitate implementation of the Proposed Action.

The primary role of the EWA Manager is to coordinate with the various stakeholders in a near real-time manner to ensure that the Proposed Action is implemented as intended and to provide guidance on how to manage the EWA to best meet the needs of coho salmon in the Klamath River while balancing the needs of listed suckers in UKL. In addition to the above mentioned tasks, the EWA Manager will also manage a Flow Account Scheduling Technical Advisory (FASTA) Team, integrate and synthesize technical recommendations from individual FASTA Team members, and provide flow management recommendations.

The purpose of Environmental Water Management is to effectively and efficiently utilize a broad range of technical expertise under the coordination of an EWA Manager to recommend and implement Environmental Water Account flow releases to meet ecological objectives for coho salmon (and other species) in the Klamath River while balancing the needs of listed suckers in Upper Klamath Lake, should it be decided that deviation from the formulaic approach previously described will provide greater ecologic benefits. There are many potential organization structures and management processes in use that could be used for implementing Environmental Water Management. The Environmental Water Management organization structure and process was developed to satisfy the following principles:

• Reclamation, acting under the authority of the Secretary of the Interior, will ultimately be responsible for Environmental Water Management on the Klamath River and UKL, and all flow decisions on the Klamath River (the proposed Environmental Water Management structure and process does not relinquish this Secretarial responsibility).

• Reclamation, as the Secretary’s designee, is responsible for evaluating whether flow management recommendations are consistent with flood control, public safety, and operational constraints.

• Klamath River flow releases and UKL storage management will be guided by a combination of prescriptive releases (minimums) and real-time hydrologic conditions. However, in an effort to enhance the ecological benefits of water management, this draft Environmental Water Management approach is anticipated to provide flexibility to optimize water use.

• Identifying clear roles and responsibilities of all participants in the process.

• Having a single person responsible in the Science group for synthesizing and recommending flow management actions to the management group (i.e., Science group advises a flow management group, thereby avoiding strict voting or consensus conflicts in the Science group).

This real-time EWA management approach requires significant coordination between Reclamation and other stakeholders. A formal organization structure soversees the coordination process to ensure successful implementation of real-time EWA management.

Description of Work

The objective of this requirement is to provide as-needed support to the EWA Manager and Reclamation hydrologists as they work to implement the Klamath Project Proposed Action.

Most of the anticipated work is focused on satisfying conditions detailed in the Proposed Action or BiOps. However, a number of related concerns requiring analysis have arisen during implementation of the 2019 BiOps and even during their predecessor, the 2013 BiOp. These ancillary tasks may include, but are not limited to:

• Quantification of water resulting from a regulatory call on water rights

• Dam removal effects on hydrology

• Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations

• Effects of climate change

• Improved UKL inflow forecasting

• Assist in development or testing of RiverWare model

The actual consultant assignments will be at the request of Reclamation personnel.

Tasks and Deliverables

The tasks in this requirement will provide as-needed support to the EWA Manager as they work to implement the Klamath Project BA/BO. Below is a list of tasks that stem from the BA, that the Contractor may be assigned; additional work related to these tasks may also be assigned as work evolves, and dependent on funding.

Task 1. Develop models and analytical tools to calculate and archive flows for routine operations.

The Contractor shall assist with daily hydrological operations as requested, including:

a) Klamath Project irrigation demand and deliveries

b) Required EWA releases, usage, and remaining supply

c) NWR deliveries

d) Irrigation district operations

e) Upper Klamath Lake inflows

f) Keno Reservoir accretions and depletions

g) Keno Dam to Iron Gate Dam accretions and depletions

h) Klamath River flows at Link River Dam

i) Klamath River flows at Keno Dam

j) Klamath River flows at Iron Gate Dam

Task 1 Deliverables: Spreadsheets and databases that track flow data, and technical memoranda describing how the spreadsheets and databases function (electronic format).

Task 2. Development of new procedures and tools for hydrologic analyses

Subtask 2.1 – The Contractor shall work with Reclamation staff to identify new procedures or tools that will assist in compliance with the BiOp requirements, such as:

• Quantification of water resulting from a regulatory call on water rights

• Dam removal effects on hydrology

• Forecast Informed Reservoir Operations

• Effects of climate change

• Improved UKL inflow forecasting

• Assist in development or testing of RiverWare model

Subtask 2.2 – The Contractor shall develop agreed-upon procedures or tools identified in Subtask 2.1.

Task 2 Deliverables: Report identifying new procedures that were considered, timeframe, and cost of development. Development of agreed-upon tools to ready-to-implement condition.

Task 3. Compliance Assessment

Subtask 3.1 – The Contractor shall determine the potential necessity for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance for implementation of the BA.

Subtask 3.2 – The Contractor shall determine if Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River operations comply with ESA requirements for listed coho salmon and shortnose and Lost River suckers.

Subtask 3.3 – The Contractor shall determine if the incidental take of ESA-listed fishes resulting from implementation of the BA is within the limits allowed under the forthcoming

BO.

Task 3 Deliverables: Documents to determine if NEPA and ESA compliance has been met, with recommendations (electronic format).

Task 3. Coordination

Subtask 4.1 – Upon request from Reclamation, the Contractor shall coordinate with federal, state, local, private, and tribal stakeholders, as well as staff from KBAO, Reclamation’s Technical Services Center (TSC), and Reclamation’s Regional Planning Division on:

- Development of the products delineated in Tasks 1, 2, and 3 above

- Implementation of daily operation of Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River

Subtask 4.2 – Provide support for presentations to irrigators, regulatory agencies, tribes, and other stakeholders regarding operations.

Task 4 Deliverables: Stakeholder meeting materials, summaries, and presentation;

documents to determine operational and drought plans are consistent with BA/BO (electronic format).

Schedule of Deliverables and Performance Period

The Contractor shall develop a project and deliverables schedule, in coordination with Reclamation, within two months from date requested by Reclamation staff. The performance period of this contract will be from date of award through five years from date of award.

Performance Assessment Plan:

(a) The Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan is one evaluation method the government uses to surveillance performance to determine whether the Contractor meets the standards of performance as defined in the PWS. The absence of a QASP for any contract requirement, however, shall not detract from its enforceability or limit the rights or remedies of the government under any other provision of the contract in determining the quality of the Contractor performance.

QUALITY ASSURANCE SURVEILLANCE PLAN (QASP)

Performance Requirement

Summary

Acceptable Quality Level Means of Measurement

Contractor shall comply with the Performance Work Statement Tasks 1-4.

a. Timeliness:

Workshops, reports, and model runs, and development of new tools or models are completed within the specified timeframes 95% of the time.

Confirmed Reports and/or Periodic COR Surveillance

b. Quality:

Reports are thorough, model changes are comprehensive, and model runs are complete 99% of the time.

Confirmed Reports and/or Periodic COR Surveillance