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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Distribution of genetic variation underlying adult migration timing in steelhead of the Columbia River basin

Abstract Fish migrations are energetically costly, especially when moving between freshwater and saltwater, but are a viable strategy for Pacific salmon and trout ( Oncorhynchus spp.) due to the advantageous resources available at various life stages. Anadromous steelhead ( O. mykiss ) migrate vast distances and exhibit variation for adult migration phenotypes that have a genetic basis at candidate genes known as greb1L and rock1 . We examined the distribution of genetic variation at 13 candidate markers spanning greb1L , intergenic, and rock1 regions versus 226 neutral markers for 113 populations ( n = 9,471) of steelhead from inland and coastal lineages in the Columbia River. Patterns of population structure with neutral markers reflected genetic similarity by geographic region as demonstrated in previous studies, but candidate markers clustered populations by genetic variation associated with adult migration timing. Mature alleles for late migration had the highest frequency overall in steelhead populations throughout the Columbia River, with only 9 of 113 populations that had a higher frequency of premature alleles for early migration. While a single haplotype block was evident for the coastal lineage, we identified multiple haplotype blocks for the inland lineage. The inland lineage had one haplotype block that corresponded to candidate markers within the greb1L gene and immediately upstream in the intergenic region, and the second block only contained candidate markers from the intergenic region. Haplotype frequencies had similar patterns of geographic distribution as single markers, but there were distinct differences in frequency between the two haplotype blocks for the inland lineage. This may represent multiple recombination events that differed between lineages where phenotypic differences exist between freshwater entry versus arrival timing as indicated by Micheletti et al. (2018a). Redundancy analyses were used to model environmental effects on allelic frequencies of candidate markers, and significant variables were migration distance, temperature, isothermality, and annual precipitation. This study improves our understanding of the spatial distribution of genetic variation underlying adult migration timing in steelhead as well as associated environmental factors and has direct conservation and management implications.

Collins, Erin E.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Achieving Productivity to Recover and Restore Columbia River Stream-Type Chinook Salmon Relies on Increasing Smolt-To-Adult Survival

Abstract We analyzed and compared productivity and survival rates of populations of stream-type Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha from the upper and middle ranges of their distribution in the Columbia River basin. These two groups of populations undergo vastly different exposures during migration through the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). Declines of the Snake River populations, listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, have been associated with the development and operation of the FCRPS. In contrast, John Day River stream-type Chinook Salmon populations, which were less affected by the FCRPS, have declined to a lesser extent and are not listed. Smolt-to-adult survival rates (SARs) accounted for a majority of the variation in life cycle survival rates of Snake River Chinook Salmon. Productivity declined to 13% and 44% of historical productivity levels for Snake River and John Day River populations, respectively. A synthesis of previous studies contrasting anthropogenic impacts between the two regions supports the conclusion that FCRPS impacts explain the large difference in population productivity. Our results suggest that SARs of 4% would result in an expected productivity of up to 70% of historical levels (a SAR level consistent with regional restoration objectives). The SARs have been shown to be highly influenced by conditions within the FCRPS (e.g., water velocity and passage through dam powerhouses). Marine conditions also influence SARs; however, meaningful management actions are only available to affect conditions within the FCRPS. Given the importance of SARs to overall life cycle productivity, recovery and restoration strategies need to prioritize actions that have potential to substantially increase SARs by addressing the significant impacts of main-stem dams. This study highlights the importance of considering river management options in the face of increasingly variable and warming ocean conditions.

Petrosky, Charles E.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Overwintering Distribution and Postspawn Survival of Steelhead in the Upper Columbia River Basin

Abstract Adult summer-run steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss overwinter in freshwater for several months prior to spawning. In systems supporting mixed populations of fisheries and conservation importance, understanding the distribution and survival of pre- and postspawn fish is necessary for informed management. The upper Columbia River supports hatchery-origin components valued by anglers, natural-origin components of conservation concern, and temporary strays from downstream populations. We used radiotelemetry and PIT telemetry to monitor the behavior, distribution, and survival of adult steelhead during fall, overwintering, spawning, and postspawn periods, with a focus on use of the main stem versus four major tributaries. Adult steelhead (N = 807) were tagged at Priest Rapids Dam in 2015 and 2016. One-fifth of steelhead fell back below Priest Rapids Dam and did not reascend. A slight majority of tagged steelhead that overwintered upstream of Priest Rapids Dam did so in main-stem reservoirs (54%; N = 548). Overwintering in the main-stem Columbia River was more likely for later-arriving steelhead and was concentrated in the upstream-most reservoir. Winter tributary use was highest in the Wenatchee (26%; 2016) and Methow (18%; 2015) rivers, whereas no steelhead overwintered in the Entiat River. Harvest of hatchery-origin steelhead was 18% in 2015 and was near zero in 2016, when the fishery was suspended due to low adult returns. After accounting for reported harvest, annual overwinter survival did not differ between main-stem and tributary habitats, and relatively low adjusted survival of hatchery-origin steelhead in 2015 suggested unreported harvest. In contrast to low iteroparity rates (<3%), the majority of postspawn steelhead (56.5%) exited tributaries as kelts; kelt survival to Bonneville Dam was 65% in 2016 and 23% in 2017. Collectively, the results highlight the importance of understanding patterns of habitat use and mortality in steelhead populations when managers are faced with balancing harvest and conservation goals.

Fuchs, Nathaniel T.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Retracted: Monitoring Hatchery Broodstock Composition and Genetic Variation of Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River Basin with Multigeneration Pedigrees

Abstract Hatchery production of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Columbia River basin comprises most of the anadromous salmonid production in this region. Hatchery facilities and programs serve to mitigate for impacts to salmonids due to the construction and operation of hydropower dams and habitat impacts from development in addition to the conservation and restoration of natural populations. A genetic method referred to as parentage-based tagging (PBT) enables highly reliable detection of hatchery-origin fish and inference of multigeneration pedigrees. This study compiles 11 years of PBT data from nearly 125,000 interior stream-type Chinook Salmon from 24 spawning hatcheries located in tributaries of the mid- and upper Columbia River as well as the Salmon, Clearwater, and Grande Ronde River subbasins. Multigenerational pedigrees allowed investigation of the proportion of natural- and hatchery-origin broodstock (pNOB and pHOB, respectively) for each hatchery and enumeration of the scale of production between segregated and integrated programs. We then compared how pHOB and the scale of production influenced the number of stray fish observed, genetic diversity, relatedness, and age-class compositions within broodstocks. Over 91.0% of hatchery broodstock could be assigned back to their parents, and there was an overall rate of less than 1.0% of broodstock that were unintentionally incorporated into nonnatal hatchery programs. We evaluated 14 segregated programs with 0.0–10.0% pNOB, 7 intermediate programs (10.1–50.0% pNOB), and 3 integrated programs (>50.0% pNOB). There was no correlation between the scale of production or pNOB with the level of genetic diversity, but as production size increased, so did the effective number of breeders. This study demonstrates the utility of PBT as a monitoring tool for hatchery broodstocks, and results suggest that segregated and integrated programs have tradeoffs that generally align with their intended broodstock management purpose of providing fish for harvest and/or fish for supplementation or reintroduction.

Horn, Rebekah L.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Abundance and Migration Success of Overshoot Steelhead in the Upper Columbia River

Abstract Summer steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss may enter freshwater almost a year before spawning and potentially make long migrations (>1,000 km) to interior headwater habitats. However, in response to suboptimal freshwater habitat conditions (e.g., warmer water temperatures), adult summer steelhead may exhibit complex behaviors during upstream migration in the Columbia River basin. Steelhead may migrate upstream of their natal tributary (hereafter, referred to as “overshoot”) and spend days to several months before subsequently migrating downstream (hereafter, referred to as “fallback”) to their natal tributary to spawn. An expansion of an existing Bayesian patch occupancy model, derived from observations of adult steelhead that were PIT-tagged to estimate population-specific abundance upstream of the tagging location, incorporated downstream detection locations to estimate the abundance of overshoot fallbacks. Overshoot steelhead abundance at the tagging location was estimated based on the relationship between the number of known overshoot fallbacks (i.e., the number of steelhead that overshot and successfully migrated downstream to their natal tributary) and their model-estimated abundance. During the study period (2010–2017), the annual mean proportion of overshoot steelhead that successfully migrated downstream of the tagging location (Priest Rapids Dam) was 0.59 (SD = 0.14). The number of dams encountered by overshoot steelhead during their downstream migration was negatively correlated with their downstream migration success probability. Improved downstream passage survival for adult steelhead will increase the abundance of affected populations while reducing potential genetic introgression of upstream populations (i.e., strays). This is the first study to estimate the abundance of overshoot and fallback steelhead, providing the data necessary for scientists to estimate potential conservation benefits of improved downstream survival. For example, surface flow passage routes (e.g., sluiceways and temporary spillway weirs) are very effective in guiding and passing adult steelhead downstream of Columbia River hydroelectric projects and data from this assessment show that changes in dam operations throughout the downstream migration period may maximize conservation benefits.

Murdoch, Andrew R. (ORCID:0000000324827689)↗
DOE OSTI2023

Multigeneration Pedigrees to Monitor Hatchery Broodstock Composition and Genetic Variation of Spring/Summer Chinook Salmon in the Columbia River Basin

Abstract Hatchery production of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha in the Columbia River basin comprises most of the anadromous salmonid production in this region. Hatchery facilities and programs serve to mitigate for impacts to salmonids due to the construction and operation of hydropower dams and habitat impacts from development in addition to the conservation and restoration of natural populations. A genetic method referred to as parentage-based tagging (PBT) enables highly reliable detection of hatchery-origin fish and inference of multigeneration pedigrees. This study compiles 11 years of PBT data from nearly 125,000 interior stream-type Chinook Salmon from 24 spawning hatcheries located on tributaries of the mid- and upper Columbia River and in the Salmon, Clearwater, and Grande Ronde River subbasins. Multigenerational pedigrees allowed for investigation of the proportions of natural- and hatchery-origin broodstock (pNOB and pHOB, respectively) for each hatchery and enumeration of the scale of production between segregated and integrated programs. We then compared how pHOB and the scale of production influenced the number of stray fish observed, genetic diversity, relatedness, and age-class compositions within broodstocks. Over 91.0% of hatchery broodstock could be assigned back to their parents, and overall less than 1.0% of broodstock consisted of fish that were unintentionally incorporated into nonnatal hatchery programs. We evaluated 11 segregated programs with 0.0–10.0% pNOB, 9 intermediate programs (10.1–50.0% pNOB), and 3 integrated programs (>50.0% pNOB). There was no correlation between the scale of production or pNOB with the level of genetic diversity, but as production size increased, so did the effective number of breeders. This study demonstrates the utility of PBT as a monitoring tool for hatchery broodstocks, and results suggest that segregated and integrated programs have tradeoffs that generally align with their intended broodstock management purpose of providing fish for harvest and/or fish for supplementation or reintroduction.

Horn, Rebekah L.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Spatial Microbial Respiration Variations in the Hyporheic Zones Within the Columbia River Basin

Abstract While the hyporheic zone (HZ) accounts for a significant portion of whole stream CO 2 concentrations, HZ respiration modeling studies are lacking in quantifying their contributions to the total CO 2 at large watershed/basin scales. Quantifying the contribution of anaerobic respiration is also underappreciated. This study used a carbon‐nitrogen‐coupled river corridor model to quantify HZ aerobic and anaerobic respiration and determined the key factors controlling their spatial variability within the Columbia River Basin (CRB). The modeled respiration patterns showed high spatial variability. Among the nine sub‐basins composing the CRB, the Lower Columbia and the Willamette, which receive higher precipitation, had higher respiration. Medium‐sized rivers (fourth to sixth orders) produced the highest aerobic and anaerobic respiration among reaches of different sizes. At the basin scale, aerobic respiration is dominant, representing approximately 98.7% of the total respiration across the CRB. While most of the reaches were dominant with aerobic respiration, reaches in agricultural land showed a relatively higher anaerobic respiration (18%) ratio. A variable importance analysis showed that hyporheic exchange flux controlled most of the spatial variability of HZ respiration, dominating over other physical variables such as residence time, stream dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrate, and dissolved oxygen (DO). The influence of substrate concentration (DOC and DO) is larger in modeling anaerobic respiration than aerobic respiration. Future efforts will focus on improving the estimation of the HZ exchange flux and the implementation of spatially explicit parameterizations for the reactions of interest to reduce model uncertainty.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Visual and genetic stock identification of a test fishery to forecast Columbia River spring Chinook salmon stocks 2 weeks into the future

Abstract Modern fisheries management strives to balance opposing goals of protection for weak stocks and opportunity for harvesting healthy stocks. Test fisheries can aid management of anadromous fishes if they can forecast the strength and timing of an annual run with adequate time to allow fisheries planning. Integration of genetic stock identification (GSI) can further maximize utility of test fisheries by resolving run forecasts into weak‐ and healthy‐stock subcomponents. Using 5 years (2017–2022) of test fishery data, our study evaluated accuracy, resolution, and lead time of predictions for stock‐specific run timing and abundance of Columbia River spring Chinook salmon ( Oncorhynchus tshawytscha ). We determined if this test fishery (1) could use visual stock identification (VSI) to forecast at the coarse stock resolution (i.e., classification of “lower” vs. “upriver” stocks) upon which current management is based and (2) could be enhanced with GSI to forecast at higher stock resolution. VSI accurately identified coarse stocks (83.3% GSI concordance), and estimated a proxy for abundance (catch per unit effort, CPUE) of the upriver stock in the test fishery that was correlated ( R 2 = 0.90) with spring Chinook salmon abundance at Bonneville dam (Rkm 235). Salmon travel rates (~8.6 Rkm/day) provided predictions with 2‐week lead time prior to dam passage. Importantly, GSI resolved this predictive ability as finely as the hatchery broodstock level. Lower river stock CPUE in the test fishery was correlated with abundance at Willamette Falls (Rkm 196, R 2 = 0.62), but could not be as finely resolved as achieved for upriver stocks. We described steps to combine VSI and GSI to provide timely in‐season information and with prediction accuracy of ~12.4 mean absolute percentage error and high stock resolution to help plan Columbia River mainstem fisheries.

Hess, Jon E.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Adaptive management of large-scale ecosystem restoration: increasing certainty of habitat outcomes in the Columbia River Estuary, U.S.A.

Ecological restoration programs in dynamic coastal environments can benefit from adaptive management, including an iterative process for identifying and addressing critical uncertainties. We highlight key developments under the three pillars that have increased the rate of restoration by the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP) over 20 years: science, coordination, and management. We show how such programs can be institutionalized to ensure that estuary ecosystems are better understood, conserved, and restored. The principal conservation effort under CEERP is to reconnect historical floodplain wetlands to the mainstem. The program also supports other restoration actions that demonstrate a high potential to benefit ecosystem function and endangered salmon populations, however, there is greater uncertainty regarding these less-utilized techniques. Through adaptive management, we address both technical uncertainty regarding benefits to the environmental resource and programmatic uncertainty pertaining to decision-making. Here, we examine three periods of CEERP growth to establish how complementary research and restoration actions have improved program outcomes over time. We highlight the tools and processes that were developed and integrated into the program to refine program strategy, improve project design, and maximize ecological benefits. CEERP supported 77 restoration projects and reconnected over 7,000 acres of floodplain habitat to the lower Columbia River between 2004 and 2021. Building on these successes, we outline current plans to better engage landowners and local communities, solicit new project types, and maintain enough flexibility within the program to adapt to new priorities.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Model Inputs, Outputs, and Scripts associated with: “Spatial microbial respiration variations in the hyporheic zones within the Columbia River Basin”

This data package is associated with the publication “Spatial microbial respiration variations in the hyporheic zones within the Columbia River Basin” published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences (Son et al. 2022) available at doi: 10.1029/2021JG006654. This data package includes the key model inputs/outputs of the river corridor model for the Columbia River Basin (CRB) and the model source codes, which were used in the manuscript. The model is a carbon-nitrogen-coupled river corridor model (RCM), and the model is used to quantify hyporheic zone (HZ) aerobic and anaerobic respiration at the NHDPLUS stream reach scales. The RCM used in this study combines empirical substrate models derived from observations and three microbially driven reactions to compute respiration of the HZ for each National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) reach within the CRB. The reactions in HZs of each NHD reach include anaerobic respiration and two-step anaerobic respiration via denitrification. Our HZ respiration estimates are limited to the lotic (or flowing) stream/river systems, and do not account for the respiration process in water column. Note that the RCM only simulates the HZ’s contribution to the dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations in the streams, and the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere are not modelled. The model computes at hourly timesteps because of the fast reaction rates. The key input data of the model are exchange flux, residence time, and stream solute (dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved oxygen (DO), and nitrate concentrations). These inputs are constant over time and represent long-term averaged values.This modeling framework successfully quantified HZ respiration components over multiple scales. It revealed key mechanisms driving the spatial variation of HZ aerobic and anaerobic respiration in reaches with varying hydrologic and substrate conditions. Thus, this modeling study offers a testing hypothesis in different river system (e.g., climate and biomes) for the HZ respiration processes, and can be used as a sampling design tool for large-scale HZ experimental studies.This dataset contains five folders: (1) model_inputs, (2) model_outputs, (3) Rscripts, (4) figures, and (5) model_codes. It also contains a readme, file level metadata (FLMD), and data dictionary (dd). Please see the FLMD for a list of all the files contained in this data package and descriptions for each. The model_inputs folder contains the model inputs used to drive the model simulations. The model_outputs folder contains key model output files from the river corridor model. The Rscripts folder contains the Rscripts for pre- and post- processing model results. The figures folder contains the raw figures associated with the manuscript. The model_codes folder includes key model source codes/input files. All files are .jpg, .jpeg, .out, .e, .od, .dat, .sub, .F90, .0, .R, .sbx, .cpg, .sbn, .shx, .shp, .dbf, .prj, .tfw, .tif, .xml, .pdf, or .csv.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-LP1 British Columbia - Mountain pine beetle-attacked lodgepole pine stand

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-LP1 British Columbia - Mountain pine beetle-attacked lodgepole pine stand . This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-LP1 British Columbia - Mountain pine beetle-attacked lodgepole pine stand produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - This tower is located at an mountain pine beetle (MPB)-attacked almost pure lodgepole pine stand, 15 tall, approximately 35 km southeast of Mackenzie at Kennedy Siding .

Black, Thomas Andrew↗
DOE OSTI2023

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-Ca1 British Columbia - 1949 Douglas-fir stand

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-Ca1 British Columbia - 1949 Douglas-fir stand. This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-Ca1 British Columbia - 1949 Douglas-fir stand produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - 1949 Douglas-fir stand; Tower Type 20" triangular tower; Latitude/Longitude 49.86725N 125.33360W (GPS survey, 2003. Coordinates updated/corrected May, 2006); Elevation 320 m; North-east facing terrain, 5-10 deg slope; Mean Air Temp. 8.3 °C* ; Mean Annual Precipitation 1461 mm * ; Date Operations Began June 1997 ; Frequency of EC Measurements 20.83 Hz; Frequency of Other Met. Sensors 1 - 4 sec, year round ; Soil Respiration Measurements 30 min., automated soil respiration system in 2000, periodically during growing season using portable system in 2002 ; * 1998-2001 averages from the 1948 Douglas-fir stand meteorological tower

Black, T. Andrew↗
DOE OSTI2023

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F CA-Ca2 British Columbia - Clearcut Douglas-fir stand (harvested winter 1999/2000)

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-Ca2 British Columbia - Clearcut Douglas-fir stand (harvested winter 1999/2000). This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site CA-Ca2 British Columbia - Clearcut Douglas-fir stand (harvested winter 1999/2000) produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - Tower Type: 10" triangular tower; Latitude/Longitude 49.87048N -125.29087W (GPS survey, 2003. Coordinates updated/corrected May, 2006); Elevation approx. 180m; Mean Air Temp. (for the growing season) 8.3 C*; Mean Annual Precipitation 1461 mm *; Date Operations Began August 2000; Frequency of EC Measurements 7.7 Hz (2000 ­ 2001), 20 Hz (2002); Frequency of Other Met. Sensors 4 sec, year round; Soil Respiration Measurements Periodically during growing season using portable system in 2002; * 1998-2001 averages from the 1948 Douglas-fir stand meteorological tower

Black, T. Andrew↗
DOE OSTI2022

DC Solar for All: Implementation Plan to Scale Low- and Moderate- Income Community Solar + Storage Resilience Hubs in the District of Columbia

This implementation plan discusses the District of Columbia's strategy to combine low-income community solar projects with resilience technologies. Through the technical and financial support offered by the Inclusive Shared Solar Initiative and building on extensive stakeholder engagement in LMI neighborhoods around the District, the District of Columbia team expects to reduce energy burdens for LMI residents, address barriers to and streamline SfA program enrollment, and support the development of innovative benefit delivery models, including a community solar-supported climate resilience center.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Juvenile Salmon and Their Habitats in the Columbia River Estuary: A Review and Synthesis of Knowledge Development 2000–2025

[This is a 90% discussion draft.] This is the third Synthesis Memorandum funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and developed for the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP) on the topic of habitat restoration in the Columbia River Estuary (CRE) from Bonneville Dam to the river mouth. While the first two were developed by PNNL and NOAA without the benefit of stakeholder participation, for the current memo, two key activities were initiated: (1) review, by the Expert Regional Technical Group (ERTG), of status and trends monitoring and action effectiveness monitoring funded by CEERP, and (2) a workshop including representatives of the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the action agencies [AAs]), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), major research agencies contributing to CEERP, and sponsors who implement CEERP restoration actions. A systematic literature review was conducted using ClarivateTM Web of ScienceTM database. The topics of interest for CRE relevant research included salmon ecology, physical processes, and wetland habitats, and therefore required the use of broad search terms. Our final search criteria included a combination of Boolean operators and an approach to combine different sets of search terms. The final search result yielded 669 records. The records were classified by groups and assigned to the relevant disciplinary expert for review. The review identified substantive advances in understanding the provision of salmon habitat functions through spatiotemporally dynamic physical and ecological processes, and the use of CRE habitats by numerous stocks of juvenile salmon. It also uncovered heretofore unincorporated historical documentation of riparian habitats across the CRE. The characterization of the structural components of floodplain habitat including plant associations and channel networks has advanced considerably, together with the understanding of seasonal changes and long-term trends. The relative influence of salmon-habitat location in the CRE as compared with temporal factors, mainly season, has been well described, which affects the prioritization of restoration. Stressors on the ecosystem and fish, and the drivers of these stressors, have been more carefully elucidated and predictive models are in various stages of development. The vision, aims, and design of restoration projects have advanced together with methods of data collection, analysis, and modeling that have seen substantial improvements. Experiments intended to inform the design of restoration projects are underway or have been completed. An important outstanding area of research that has lagged behind the advances in fundamental understanding of the ecosystem and salmon habitat functions remains the peer-reviewed documentation of the outcomes of restoration for both habitats and fish functions.

estuary↗
DOE OSTI2022

Local-thermal-gradient and large-scale-circulation impacts on turbine-height wind speed forecasting over the Columbia River Basin

Abstract. We investigate the sensitivity of turbine-height wind speed forecast to initial condition (IC) uncertainties over the Columbia River Gorge (CRG) and Columbia River Basin (CRB) for two typical weather phenomena, i.e., local-thermal-gradient-induced marine air intrusion and a cold frontal passage. Four types of turbine-height wind forecast anomalies and their associated IC uncertainties related to local thermal gradients and large-scale circulations are identified using the self-organizing map (SOM) technique. The four SOM types are categorized into two patterns, each accounting for half of the ensemble members. The first pattern corresponds to IC uncertainties that alter the wind forecast through a modulating weather system, which produces the strongest wind anomalies in the CRG and CRB. In the second pattern, the moderate uncertainties in local thermal gradient and large-scale circulation jointly contribute to wind forecast anomaly. We analyze the cross section of wind and temperature anomalies through the gorge to explore the evolution of vertical features of each SOM type. The turbine-height wind anomalies induced by large-scale IC uncertainties are more concentrated near the front. In contrast, turbine-height wind anomalies induced by the local IC thermal uncertainties are found above the surface thermal anomalies. Moreover, the wind forecast accuracy in the CRG and CRB is limited by IC uncertainties in a few specific regions, e.g., the 2 m temperature within the basin and large-scale circulation over the northeast Pacific around 140∘ W.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Shallow-Water Habitat in the Lower Columbia River Estuary: A Highly Altered System

Abstract Decreases in shallow-water habitat area (SWHA) in the Lower Columbia River and Estuary (LCRE) have adversely affected salmonid populations. We investigate the causes by hindcasting SWHA from 1928 to 2004, system-wide, based on daily higher high water (HHW) and system hypsometry. Physics-based regression models are used to represent HHW along the system as a function of river inflow, tides, and coastal processes, and hypsometry is used to estimate the associated SWHA. Scenario modeling is employed to attribute SWHA losses to levees, flow regulation, diversion, navigational development, and climate-induced hydrologic change, for subsidence scenarios of up to 2 m, and for 0.5 m fill. For zero subsidence, the system-wide annual-average loss of SWHA is 55 ± 5%, or 51 × 10 5 ha/year; levees have caused the largest decrease ( $${54}_{-14}^{+5}$$ 54 - 14 + 5 %, or ~ 50 × 10 5 ha/year). The loss in SWHA due to operation of the hydropower system is small, but spatially and seasonally variable. During the spring freshet critical to juvenile salmonids, the total SWHA loss was $${63}_{-3}^{+2}$$ 63 - 3 + 2 %, with the hydropower system causing losses of 5–16% (depending on subsidence). Climate change and navigation have caused SWHA losses of $${5}_{-5}^{+16}$$ 5 - 5 + 16 % and $${4}_{-6}^{+14}$$ 4 - 6 + 14 %, respectively, but with high spatial variability; irrigation impacts have been small. Uncertain subsidence causes most of the uncertainty in estimates; the sum of the individual factors exceeds the total loss, because factors interact. Any factor that reduces mean or peak flows (reservoirs, diversion, and climate change) or alters tides and along-channel slope (navigation) becomes more impactful as assumed historical elevations are increased to account for subsidence, while levees matter less.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗