NFFP7100-20-03348 JORDAN SOW.docx

STATEMENT OF NEED

NFFP7100-20-03348

1.0 GENERAL

1.1 BACKGROUND

Fish presence and abundance are linked to physical characteristics of streams{Smokorowski, 2007, Effect of a change in physical structure and cover on fish and fish habitat in freshwater ecosystems-a review and meta-analysis;Smokorowski, 2007 #2266}. Eco-hydraulic models, such as empirically driven habitat suitability curves and mechanistic bioenergetics models speak well to the importance of physical characteristics in predicting fish habitat quality, for they generally model fish presence in accordance with field observations. However, parameterizing and running detailed flow models on regional scales is impractical. Therefore, assessment frameworks that generalize the value of stream habitat quality and quantity is the standard approach to large-scale process based habitat assessments. The data products to be generated under this task will support the generalization of historic floodplain extent, potential for beaver dam building, and river network wide stream temperature patterns.

Streams and rivers occupy floodplains from valley wall to valley wall. Historically, the valley setting of a stream or river was far more complex and spatially extensive than current landscapes appear due to human impacts on stream and river courses and floodplain topography. By channelizing stream and river channels, human development activities (agriculture, urbanization, transportation infrastructure) restrict the areal extent of stream and river engagement with floodplains. Therefore, understanding the geomorphic potential floodplain versus the currently active floodplain is a critical component of any determination of the extent and quality of aquatic habitat.

Beaver modifications on the landscape, especially their dams that impound water and sediment, can dramatically affect both the biotic and abiotic characteristics of the stream network in which they occur. These effects can produce numerous benefits to plants, fish, and wildlife in terms of habitat creation and increased complexity that are often desired in degraded systems in need of restoration. River restoration project goals often focus on improving the hydrologic functions, geomorphology, vegetation, water quality, and habitat for many aquatic and terrestrial species. Dam-building activity by beaver, or human-made beaver dam mimics (beaver dam analogues), can be utilized to reach these goals by taking advantage of their habitat modifying effects. Evaluations of current and historic potential for beaver dam building activity is a critical component of any determination of the extent and quality of aquatic habitat.

Water quality, and in particular water temperature, is a key component of fresh water habitat quantity and quality. Extremes in temperature limit the distribution of adult and juvenile salmonids and temperatures outside their physiologically optimal range constraining population productivity. Because stream temperature is governed by a large suite of interconnected physical and biological processes, it is often used alone as an indicator of watershed health as it can respond dramatically to alterations in any of the underlying determinants. Therefore, understanding not only current, but potential stream temperature, is a critical component of any determination of the extent and quality of aquatic habitat.

1.2 OBJECTIVE

The NWFSC is responsible for providing guidance to the NMFS West Coast Regional Office on ESA salmonid recovery actions, both their appropriateness and their specification. Recovery actions are based on assessments of populations for ecologically limiting factors, identifying physical and biological aspects of the environment, or competitor / predator populations that can be managed to benefit the target species. In general, fresh water habitat, both quality and quantity, has been identified as the most prevalent and accessible arena for management actions. Therefore, to perform broad-scale assessments of stream and floodplain habitat condition, underlying descriptors of current and historic habitat potential must be constructed. This procurement action specifically addresses the development of three region-wide spatial data products that underlie a standardized aquatic habitat assessment template.

The specific objectives of the task is to develop the following data layers:

· Valley bottom extent for NHDPlusHR network in hydro region 17 generated by combining slope, height above nearest drainage (HAND) and estimated bankfull width

· sqlBRAT formatted input parameters for all eight digit watersheds within Hydro region 17

· MODIS mean land surface temperature values for each NHDPlusHR reach in hydro region 17

2.0 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

All work done on this task must be documented as part of the open-source code repository that currently houses the pyBRAT, sqlBRAT and VBET projects. All functionality developed must be compatible with the underlying BRAT metric calculations and logic models. All data products developed will be based only on open-source tool sets such that no proprietary dependencies are built into the project. Documentation of all methodological details and development decisions must be sufficient to allow model functionality and output documentation and peer-evaluation or reproduction. The final work product must be Riverscapes compliant projects containing databases of requires spatial data.

Contractor specific skills and abilities

· Documented familiarity in obtaining and manipulating National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) products. Experience calibrating and running the Beaver Restoration Evaluation Tool (BRAT).

· Demonstrated track record and experience parameterizing and running pyBRAT 3.0 and sqlBRAT 4.0.

· Documented expertise assessing both existing and historical vegetation suitability for beaver.

· Documented expertise analyzing geospatial data.

· Documented experience delineating riverscapes features such as valley bottom data using both slope and height above nearest drainage (HAND).

· Demonstrated knowledge in the techniques required to estimate bankfull from geospatial data.

· Demonstrated knowledge in the sources and types of regional hydrologic equations.

· Documented experience extracting data from satellite remote sensing data.

· Documented experience working with and generating riverscapes compliant projects.

· Documented experience with Riverscapes Analyst Viewer and Explorer (RAVE) and experience writing business logic for formatting data products in ArcGIS.

3.0 DELIVERABLES & SCHEDULE

Valley Bottom Extraction Valley Bottom polygons for NHDPlusHR network in hydro region 17 generated by combining slope, height above nearest drainage (HAND) and estimated bankfull width. The deliverable will include approximations of valley bottom at varying levels of threshold that represent the confidence in which the area is considered valley bottom.

· Valley bottom extent (VBET) will be represented as series of polygons that delimit the valley bottom feature along the stream network.

· Valley bottom extent will also be represented as the intersection of the VBET polygons and the NHDPlusID polygons as an area.

The valley bottom polygons will be provided as riverscapes compliant projects for each eight digit watershed within hydro region 17.

BRAT Calibration sqlBRAT formatted input parameters for all eight digit watersheds (HUC4) within Hydro region 17. This product has two sources:

· Migration of BRAT parameters from existing pBRAT model runs within hydro region 17.

· Assignment of parameters from these existing model runs to the remaining watersheds in hydro region 17 where BRAT has never been run. Assignment will be performed using criteria such as proximity, climatology and topography. Documentation is required explaining the rationale for each assignment.

The input parameters in question are:

· Maximum drainage area (sqkm) for each watershed. This is the mean drainage area for reaches where the width of the channel first exceeds 20m, moving in an upstream direction from the outflow of each eight digit watershed.

· Vegetation suitability of each LandFire 2.0.0 EVT and BPS type for dam construction by beaver. For existing pyBRAT runs this should be a straightforward migration from prior versions of LandFire. For watersheds where BRAT has never been run this will involve extrapolation from a representative watershed where values do exist, as well as operator review to ensure that riparian vegetation types are calibrated accurately.

· Peak flow and base flow hydrological equations. These equations will come from those used in existing BRAT runs or from cited literature. All equation terms must be accompanied by values for each watershed.

The BRAT calibration parameters will be delivered as a Riverscapes compliant project containing database tables that clearly identify the eight digit watershed (HUC4) as well as the LandFire vegetation type to which the parameters apply.

Land Surface Temperature Riverscapes compliant project containing a database of MODIS mean land surface temperature values for each NUDPlusHR reach in hydro region 17. The deliverable will be accompanied by RAVE business logic and symbology to support viewing in ArcGIS.

· Land surface temperature values will be based on the 8d LST (daytime pass) product

· All data available over the time interval 2000-2015 will be utilized.

· All missing values, due to cloud cover or sensor malfunction, will be uniquely

· NHDPlusHR reach associated polygons will be attributed via an area weighted averaging algorithm

4.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE

The period of performance for this contract is one year from the date of award.

5.0 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE

The primary place of performance will be the Contractor’s facilities, off-site from NOAA facilities.

6.0 POINT OF CONTACT

Chris Jordan, NMFS/Northwest Fisheries Science Center/Division chris.jordan@noaa.gov Phone # 541.207.7190 (cell, preferred during off-site work requirements), office # 541.754.4629

7.0 SECURITY

· Personnel performing work must wear visible identification at all times when physically within Government facilities or on Government premises.

· Personnel performing work will not work on-site.

· Personnel performing work will not require access to NOAA facilities.

· Personnel performing work will not require a PIV or CAC.

· Personnel performing work will not require a NOAA email address.

· Personnel performing work will not require use of DOC owned IT Equipment (Laptop, Desktop Computer).

· Personnel performing work will not require Non-Government IT equipment to interconnect to a DOC network.

· Personnel performing work will not require access to non-public DOC/NOAA data.

8.0 DATA PRIVACY

Should work on this agreement require that personnel have access to Privacy information, personnel shall adhere to the Privacy Act, Title 5 of the U.S. Code, Section 552a and applicable agency rules and regulations.

Data created, obtained and collected during the performance of this agreement is the property of NMFS. Data may not be released by any party without written consent from the NMFS POC. Data must be protected from unauthorized disclosure. Personnel must comply with all Federal, DOC, NOAA, and NMFS policies relating to IT and data security.

9.0 NON-PERSONAL SERVICE

Personnel performing services under this order will be controlled, directed and supervised at all times by management personnel of the contractor. Personnel will perform independent of and without the supervision of any Government official. Actions of contractor employees may not be interpreted or implemented in any manner that results in any employee creating or modifying Federal policy, obligating the appropriated funds of the U.S. Government, overseeing the work of Federal employees, providing direct personal services to any Federal employee or otherwise violating the prohibitions set forth in Parts 7.5 and 37.1 of the Federal Acquisition Regulations. The NMFS will perform the inspection and acceptance of the completed work.