R18A00066 Mod 002 NOI-.pdf

Notice of Intent to Award Template (03/2019)

NOTICE OF INTENT TO AWARD

This notice is not a request for applications. This provides public notice of the Bureau of Reclamation’s intention to fund the following project activities without full and open competition.

OPPORTUNITY

NUMBER

BOR-LC-19-N019

PROJECT TITLE Range-wide Spikedace and Loach Minnow Habitat Assessment RECIPIENT Kansas State University

ANTICIPATED

FEDERAL

AMOUNT

$124,982.39

STATUTORY

AUTHORITY

Conservation of Wild Life, Fish and Game Act of March 10, 1934 (Pub.

L. 73-121; 48 Stat. 401) as amended by the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of August 14, 1946 (Pub. L. 85-624; 72 Stat. 563; 16 U.S.C. 661-666c); Section 5 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973, December 28, 1973 (Pub. L. 93-205; 87 Stat. 884; 16 U.S.C. 1534); and Section 7(a) of the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1956, August 8, 1956 (70 Stat. 1122; 16 U.S.C. 742f(a)), regarding the construction and/or continued operation and maintenance of any Federal reclamation project:

(1) plan, design, and construct, including acquiring lands or interest therein as needed for:

(a) fish passage and screening facilities at any non- Federal water diversion or storage project; or

(b) projects to create or improve instream habitat.

(2) acquire or lease water or water rights from willing sellers or lessors; or monitor and evaluate the effect of Reclamation actions on Endangered Species Act-listed species.

CFDA NUMBER 15.517

RECLAMATION

POINT OF

CONTACT

Jeff Anderson, jranderson@usbr.gov

SUMMARY OF

PROJECT

ACTIVITIES

There are three primary tasks being added to this study:

1) Validate the efficiacy of implanting loach minnow and spikedace with 8mm PIT tags using hatchery fish.

2) Characterize dispersal and habitat use of stocked loach minnow and spikedace, with emphasis on dispersal downstream of fish barriers.

3) Characterize dispersal and habitat use of naturally spawned loach minnow and spikedace, with emphasis on dispersal downstream of fish barriers.

Objective 1: Validate the efficiacy of implanting loach minnow and spikedace with 8mm PIT tags.

1) Laboratory study – tag 50 LM and 50 SD ranging in size from 50 mm to 80 mm at ARCC.

2) Measure survival and tag retention over 30 days.

Objective 2: Characterize dispersal and habitat use of stocked loach minnow and spikedace, with emphasis on dispersal downstream of fish barriers (likely locations are Blue River above fish barrier, Spring Creek (oak), and possibly other areas.)

1) Stock 100+ loachminnow and spikedace with PIT tags.

2) Establish an array of 4 – 6 submersible antennas up and downstream of stocking location to quantify emmigration.

3) Focus on movement below fish barriers if present in the system.

Objective 3: Characterize dispersal and habitat use of naturally spawned loach minnow and spikedace, with emphasis on dispersal downstream of fish barriers.

1) Capture fish occurring at or near sites fish are stocked to contrast dispersal patterns of hatchery reared or naturally occurring fish.

2) Might conduct experiment in other stream if there are inadequate numbers of naturally occurring fish in streams stocked with hatchery fish.

3)

SELECTION

JUSTIFICATION

Reclamation did not solicit full and open competition for this award based on the following criteria:

1) Continuation - This work will be an expansion of current work conducted by the awardee. Several of the sites currently being studied by Dr. Gido and his staff will include the PIT tag assessment to further refine habitat use and post stocking survival. This proposal will build of their current efforts by targeting sites where active stocking is taking place (ex. Blue River and Spring Creek (oak). When assessing habitat continuity is especially important in order to provide an unbiased assessment of the entire range of a species. The staff at Kansas State University have the knowledge of the sampling protocols and familiarity of the locations to effectively complete this project.

2) Unique Qualifications - The recipient has knowledge of this area and knows how to access it. They are familiar with many of the sites in the Gila River basin some of which are extremely remote and another grantee would not know what to do, where to go, or how to get there, and would not have the specialty equipment (ex.

nets, and sampling gear) required to sample in this unique location. Based on previous work, the recipient knows what to do, where and when to do it, and knows and has the tools and equipment required to get to the work location and complete the work.