Ecological Standing Committee Meeting (February 15, 2008)

Slide 1.

Niagara Power Project Relicensing:

Slide 2.

Agenda

Update on Feasibility Study for Protecting and Restoring Native Plants in the Vicinity of the Niagara Gorge
Review Pertinent Background Information, Work Plans, and 2008 Schedules for HIP Design and Implementation
HIPs Expenditures to Date
Meeting Wrap Up / Action Items

Slide 3.

Update on Feasibility Study for Protecting and Restoring Native Plants in the Vicinity of the Niagara Gorge

Slide 4.

Prototype Fish Attraction Structures Shallow Water and Deep Water

Approach

Design and install several prototypes
Evaluate –qualitative observation by camera and/or SCUBA
Use evaluation results for future installations

Slide 5.

Shallow Water Fish Attraction Structures

Slide 6.

Potential Location for Prototype Shallow Water Fish Attraction Structures

Slide 7 & Slide 8.

Deep Water Fish Attraction Structure

Slide 9.

Fish Attraction Structures -2008

Task	Time Frame
Preliminary Design (50%)	Q4, 2007 –Q1, 2008
ESC Review of Preliminary Design	February, 2008
Permitting	March –August, 2008
Final Design	March –May, 2008
Bid for Construction and Award	June –August, 2008
Update ESC	Q3
Construction	Q4, 2008
Update ESC	Q4 or Q1, 2009

Slide 10.

Area Upstream of Motor Island -1938

Slide 11.

Niagara Power Project Conceptual Design of Wetland with Open Water Upstream End of Niagara River, NY

Slide 12.

Preliminary Model Results

Slide 13.

Tern Nesting in Wetland Creation Area

Slide 14

Wetland Creation Area -2008

Task	Time Frame
Conceptual Design (Footprint, Material Evaluations)	Q1 –Q3
Hydraulic Modeling (Ice, Wind Elevations)	Q2 –Q4
Pre-application Permit Consultation	Q2 –Q4
Constructability Review	Q3
Update ESC	Q3
Cost Opinion	Q4
Update ESC	Q4
ESC Conceptual Design (10%) Review	Q1, 2009

Slide 15

Status of Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) on the Niagara Frontier

NYS threatened species
Monitored annually since mid 1980s by NYSDEC
Restricted to artificial sites
Terns nest on breakwalls, water intakes, and power tower cribs
Buffalo Harbor is the largest tern colony in the entire Great Lakes (N=1525 nests)
Productivity low due to poor habitat, predation, weather, and human disturbance

Slide 16

Number of Tern Nests on the Niagara Frontier

Slide 17

Niagara Tern Nests (N=1525): Harbor breakwalls(81%), water intakes (12%), cribs (7%)

Slide 18 & Slide 19

Buffalo Harbor Breakwalls(2004-2007)

Gravel nesting boxes, fenced enclosures, chick shelters

Slide 20

Water Intakes (2007)

Slide 21

Enhancements Work

Create new habitat
Higher nest density
Higher hatching rates
Higher fledging rates
Very high productivity

BUT, current methods are very labor intensive and temporary

Results	Productivity (chicks/nest)
No enhancements	0.5
Fenced enclosures	1.0 –1.3
Enclosures + gravel	1.3 –3.0

Slide 22

Common Tern HIP: Design and Build Permanent Habitat Improvements

What

Gravel
Fencing
Shelters

Where

Breakwalls
Water Intakes
Power Tower Cribs

Other Methods or Locations?

Islands (Frog, Tower)
Nesting rafts (Black Rock Canal, Buckhorn or TifftMarsh)
Nesting barges (Buffalo Harbor)

Slide 23

Common Tern HIP: Challenges

Slide 24

Tern HIP: Conceptual Design #1

Steel nesting boxes filled with gravel, high sides, and shelters

Slide 25

Tern HIP: Conceptual Design # 2

Nesting barge filled with gravel, fenced, with shelters

Slide 26

Tern HIP: Conceptual Design #3

Breakwall end cells–steel perimeter fence, filled with gravel, and shelters

Slide 27

Common Tern -2008

Task	Time Frame
ESC Pre-conceptual Design Review	February, 2008
Army Corp Consultation	Q1 –Q2
Conceptual Design (10%) –Option Dependent	Q2 –Q4
Army Corp Consultation -Conceptual Design	Q3
ESC Conceptual Design (10%) Review	Q3
Preliminary Design	Q4 into 2009

Slide 28

Invasive Species -2008

Common Reed and Purple Loosestrife control
Conduct winter baseline survey work at Tifft and Buckhorn

ground survey over frozen marsh

Conduct summer survey

baseline monitoring plots
survey other (non-marsh) locations

Develop Invasive Species Control Action Plan

detail specific control approaches

Slide 29

Invasive Species Schedule -2008

Task	Time Frame
Baseline Survey -Buckhorn and Tifft	Q1 –Q3
Update ESC	Q3
Draft Action Plan	Q3
ESC Review Action Plan	Q4
Finalize Action Plan	2009

Slide 30

Osprey

Selection of one location for installation in 2008
Preliminary location -East River Marsh

Slide 31

Osprey -2008

Task	Time Frame
Platform Engineering	Completed
Confirm Site Selection	March – April, 2008
Update ESC	Q2
Site Specific Geotechnical Design	May – June, 2008
Archeological Investigations	May – June, 2008
Bid for Construction and Award	June – July, 2008
Construction	Q3, 2008
Update ESC	Q4

Slide 32

HIPS Capital Cost Expenditure Report for 2007

HIPs	Estimated Capital Cost	Spent To Date (12/31/2007)
Beaver Island Wetland Restoration	$2,700,000	$77,024
Strawberry Island Wetland Restoration	$2,300,000	$28,812
Area Upstream of Motor Island	$4,200,000	$144,839
Motor Island Shoreline Protection	$1,900,000	$86,121
Invasive Species-Buckhorn and Tifft Marsh	$350,000	$7,209
Osprey Nesting Platforms	$70,000	$18,434
Common Tern Nesting	$560,000	$19,600
Fish Attraction Structures	$310,000	$13,685
Total HIPs	$12,390,000	$395,700

Slide 33

Review Action Items