THE ROLE OF A CONSULTING FIRM COLLECTING FISH MIGRATION DATA ON THE SNAKE AND COLUMBIA RIVERSCOL (RET) CURT THALKENSENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

ABOUT NORMANDEAU ASSOCIATES• Over 40 years of experience in environmental

consulting• One of the largest, most well-known natural

resources management companies in the U.S. (EBJ)

• Recognized ability to tackle large, complex projects

• 250 employees in 13 states• Technical Disciplines

– Marine Sciences– Fisheries and Aquatics– Terrestrial / Wetlands / Wildlife– Water Resources– Hydrology and Geology– Biological Laboratories and

Field Equipment– Public Involvement

Employee owned since 2000!

We qualify as a small business under Federal NAICS code

541712 Research and Development in the Physical,

Engineering, and Life Sciences. Other NAICS codes include:

541620 Environmental Consulting Services and 541690

Other Scientific & Technical Consulting Services.

PORTS & WATERWAYS FIELD SERVICES

• Sediment / Dredge Materials Characterization Studies– Sediment coring and grab sampling– Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)– Side Scan Sonar– Sediment Profiling– Bathymetry

• Collection and Characterization of Marine Species– Benthic macro invertebrates, Shellfish,

Ichthyoplankton, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton and Aquatic Plants

• Remote Methods– Hydroacoustics– Sediment Profile Cameras– Video Characterizations– Dive Surveys

FISHERIES AND AQUATICS

• Active Hydroacoustics– Natural resources management– Hydropower– Coastal nuclear and fossil fuel energy– Offshore renewable energy– Ports, waterways, coastal development

• Technologies include– DIDSON– Single-beam, multi beam echosounders– Side scan sonar– Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)– Acoustic Telemetry

• Patented Technology– Hi-Z Turb’N Tag®

ADULT FISH COUNTING CONTRACTWhy a Private Sector Small Business?

• In 2011, USACE initiated a market research survey. This includes issuing a “Sources Sought” requesting qualified businesses to notify USACE of their ability to accomplish the work.

• In accordance with federal regulations, should two or more small businesses respond to a federal agency’s request for sources sought, and these businesses adequately demonstrate they are capable of performing the work, that federal agency is required to set the procurement aside for only small businesses.

• Normandeau was one of a group of firms that responded to the sources sought—requiring the next contract to be competed among qualified small businesses.

• As the result of a competitive small business process, USACE awarded the adult fish counting services contract for the Snake and Columbia Rivers to Normandeau Associates Inc. on November 8, 2012.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

• Furnishing accurate counts of adult fish passing though 14 fish ladders at 8 Corps projects.

• Government-furnished computer system is used to tally each fish.

• Nine species of fish are counted, including Chinook, coho, sockeye, pink, and chum salmon; steelhead; bull trout; American shad; and Pacific lamprey.

• Chinook and coho are also counted as either adults or jacks, based on length.

• Wild and hatchery steelhead must be distinguished through the presence/absence of an adipose fin.

• Fish tags/marks, injuries, and signs of gas bubble trauma are noted.

FISH COUNTING LOCATIONS

• Bonneville Dam (Visual and Video Counts)• Bradford Island Fish Ladder • Washington Shore Ladder

• The Dalles Dam (Visual and Video Counts)• East Fish Ladder • North Fish Ladder

• John Day Dam (Visual and Video Counts)• South Fish Ladder• North Fish Ladder

• McNary Dam (Visual and Video Counts)• Oregon Shore Fish Ladder • Washington Shore Fish Ladder

• Ice Harbor Dam (Visual and Video Counts)• South Shore Fish Ladder • North Shore Fish Ladder

• Lower Monumental Dam (Visual Counts Only)• South Shore Fish Ladder• North Shore Fish Ladder

• Little Goose Dam South Shore Fish Ladder (Visual Counts Only)• Lower Granite Dam South Shore Fish Ladder (Visual and Video Counts)

FISH COUNTING SCHEDULE

• Real time fish counting– All projects, April 1 – October 31

– 50 minutes/hour, 16 hrs/day (5 am – 9 pm)

• Video fish counting– Night counts annually at selected

projects June 15 – Sept 30 (9 pm -5 am)

– Winter counts annually at selected projects Nov 1 – Mar 31 (5 am -9 pm)

FISH COUNTING

• Staff of 50 counters with experience ranging from several months to 35 seasons

• Ongoing training for new and experienced counters as the season progresses and fish passage conditions change

• Quality Assurance program dictates that each counter is tested by a supervisor on a monthly basis

SEE WHAT THE BONNEVILLE COUNTERS SEEhttp://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environment/Fish/

Cameras.aspx

FISH COUNTING DATA

• Fish have been counted at Bonneville since 1938 and at other federal hydroelectric projects since they were completed.

• Both the NOAA Fisheries BiOp and the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC) Fish and Wildlife Program establish regional processes for fish passage management.

• Counting schedules, which fish species are counted, how counts are reported, and expansion or estimation methods are overseen by the Fish Passage and Operations Management (FPOM) committee (comprised of NOAA, CRITFC, ODFW, WDFW, IDFG, BPA, and Corps of Engineers biologists).

• Normandeau staff enter fish data directly into a regional database maintained by the Corps of Engineers Fisheries Field Office at Bonneville Dam and available at:

• http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environment/Fish/Data.aspx

http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environment/Fish/Data.aspx

EXAMPLE OF FISH COUNT DATAhttp://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environment/Fish/Data.aspx

NORMANDEAU OFFICE LOCATIONSQUESTIONS?