River Delta Consortium

Efforts

Efforts describe the goal-oriented activites of workgroups

• Knowledge Creation
  • Adaptive Management
  • Arts and Crafts
  • Lessons
  • Monitoring
  • Research
• Protection
  • Acquisition
  • Green Infrastructure
  • Regulation
• Restoration
  • Beach Nourishment
  • Engineered Log Jams
  • Fish Passage
  • Revegetation
• Social Change
  • Advocacy
  • Coordination
  • Education
  • Funding
  • Integrated Ecosystem Management
  • Legislation
  • Planning

Effort References

• RCO's PRISM Project Search
• Salmon Recovery Portal
• Ecology's Administration of Grants and Loans
• USACE Regulatory In-lieu Fee and Bank information Tracking System

Wiki Rules

• Wiki text does not reflect the policy or opinion of any agency or organization
• Please adhere to our Social Contract and Style Guide
• Complain here, and be nice.

Between 2014 and 2016 the consortium met to support ESRP, 1) in response to the increasing needs of delta restoration projects, 2) to accelerate estuary restoration in alignment with the Puget Sound Action Agenda, and 3) to support the continued evolution of the river delta adaptive management strategy, into a full adaptive management program, through integration of funding decisions, based on a shared base of information on project needs and effectiveness. A cross agency group met to compare notes and talk about ecosystem restoration and management strategies in Puget Sound river deltas for the purpose of better weaving policy, funding, project management, and science actors into a highly functioning protection and restoration system. The consortium had no decision making authority over regional or program priorities. Meetings are attended by representatives from interested agencies that are currently funding Delta Restoration for the purpose of increasing information sharing.

Notes on Consortium Activities

• Cereghino 2014 communicated the intent of the delta consortium to the Puget Sound Watershed Leads.
• Consortium work led to the development of the Estuary Implementation Strategy under the NEP program.
• Jay Krienitz (WDFW), Paul Cereghino (NOAA), Todd Hass and Leska Fore (PSP), Keith Dublanica (GSRO), Mike Ramsey (RCO), Adam Sant or Jessica Hammell (WDOE), Matt Goering (WDNR), Rich Carlson (USFWS) generally participated in meetings.
• The Consortium aimed to support integration of existing efforts related to river delta restoration, including:
  • Delta metrics project - work by NOAA and ESRP to better represent past, present and potential future delta conditions. By mining PRISM, Habitat Work Schedule and through interviews we have identified approximately 140 restoration actions that have occurred in Puget Sound river deltas.
  • River Delta Adaptive Management Strategy and ESRP learning efforts - work by ESRP and NOAA to integrate learning with capital project funding.
  • Chinook Monitoring and Adaptive Management - work by PSP and Watershed Leads to adapt Chinook recovery over time, including estuary restoration.
  • River Delta Story Maps - work by WDFW and NOAA and PSP to better represent delta restoration.
• The Consortium supported development of Cereghino 2015 accelerating estuary restoration which uses interviews with technical staff to evaluate barriers to large estuary restoration in Puget Sound.
• Many networking functions served by the Delta Consortium are not served by Floodplains by Design the Habitat Strategic Initiative Advisory Team and Floodplains Local and Regional Exchange.

Sample Meeting Notes from January 2016

• STATE OF THE SALMON REPORT - Work on Habitat Work Schedule metrics is ongoing in preparation for the 2016 state of the salmon report which is anticipated at end of calendar year. This would be a good opportunity to tell river delta stories.
• State of Watersheds report is anticipated in mid-spring.

Near Term Actions/Action Agenda/Implementation Strategies

• ANALYSIS - NOAA is supporting PSP with a view of NTAs based on concepts developed in Cereghino 2015 accelerating estuary restoration and Coordinated Investment.
• WDFW has a delta-focused near term action proposal implementing recommendations in Cereghino 2015 accelerating estuary restoration. Including funding for 1) regional project technical assistance, 2) estuary restoration design guidelines and BMPs, 3) investigation of how to approach voluntary land acquisition leading to estuary restoration. Futurewise prepared recommendations for Snohomish Marine Resource Committee to evaluate shoreline landowner engagement. Farm, Fish and Flood Initiative has an agriculture strategy by that discusses land acquisition developed by Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland. The proposal also includes support for a Lead Entity coordinated effort to update the nearshore chapter for salmon recovery (currently described in Redmond et al 2005).
• PSP has produced a test case "implementation strategy" for the estuaries vital sign. Near Term Action review (including NOAA comments) will be taken into consideration as part of the Strategic Initiative process. WDFW will be the Strategic Initiative lead for the Habitat Initiative under which the estuary strategy will be managed.
• Science needs are currently missing from the estuary strategy. ESRP learning program materials have been used as a placeholder for future consideration. PSP biennial science work plan is pending shortly. There may be some value in bringing ESRP learning project criteria to the attention of the Science Panel.

Skokomish Delta

• DNR Aquatic Lands staff are planning a tour of the Skokomish Delta on April 28 to discuss how large projects organize diverse funding to implement projects. This could be informative to Water and Salmon Grant Program Coordination.
• The Skokomish River GI is ongoing. Some projects involve reconnecting creeks within the tidal zone.

Skagit Delta

• WDFW has been doing cross-program coordination work to develop protocols for estuary restoration with an initial focus on the Skagit Delta. This relates in part to the new replacement lands policy described in File:WDFW 2015 delta restoration replacement lands.pdf.

Snohomish Delta

• SNOHOMISH DELTA STORY-MAP - ESRP is developing a Snohomish Delta story map. They anticipate outreach to agricultural producers who have been involved in restoration and hope to incorporate personal narratives, considers how sea level rise affects the delta situation, and describe multiple-benefit projects. There may be value in connecting to TNC Coastal Resilience Tool. The PSP Snohomish Restoration Fact Sheet has a 15 page summary of Snohomish work that may be informative. Also consider Breslow 2014.
• SNOHOMISH DELTA PLAN - Funding and restoration partners in the Snohomish Delta met in January. NOAA is working with Tulalip Tribes & Snohomish County to develop a long range plan for potential future work in the Snohomish Delta.
• WDFW received $1.4M from NOAA under new coastal resilience funding to finish Smith Island Restoration, which includes resources for regional WDFW outreach staff focused on north Puget Sound estuary restoration.

Montoring and Effectiveness

• PSP published a series of estuary restoration effectiveness documents. Si Simenstad will be completing a review of PSP's estuary effectiveness analysis. Additional effort is needed to insure that shared knowledge becomes part of future project work. We have an existing e-mail network through past interview work. ESRP is considering how to fund future communications work.

Funding

• A contractor team just prepared an analysis of funding sources for the Ecosystem Coordination Board that may be of interest.
• Floodplains by Design pre-proposals due Jan 29, 2016.
• RCO manual updates for SRFB are due in Febrary-March, and then PRISM will be open for the next SRFB/PSAR round.
• ESRP is developing its final calendar, and will generally follow the SRFB time frame with pre-proposals in May followed by site visits.
• Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program
  • WDFW is updating the ESRP website, with a project showcase and some new functionality. In the past it has been a location for telling stories about estuary and beach restoration.
  • ESRP is preparing to update grant criteria. Beach and Estuary criteria will split and will be reviewed by PSEMP. ESRP is considering a small grants program this year, potentially engaging the Marine Resource Committees.
  • Tish Conway-Cranos has accepted the ESRP Science Manager position starting in February. She will support learning contracts and provide technical leadership through ESRP.
• PSNERP general investigation is aiming for a chief's report in the summer of 2016 in preparation for the next legislative session, and includes work in the Nooksack Delta, Snohomish Delta, Skagit Delta, and Duckabush Delta.

facts or skills acquired by a person through experience or education.