Evaluation and Coordination of Pacific Lamprey Activities in the Umatilla River Sub-basin | BOR PN 17 N017

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR PN 17 N017

The Bureau of Reclamation grant opportunity titled "Evaluation and Coordination of Pacific Lamprey Activities in the Umatilla River Sub-basin" (Funding Opportunity Number BOR PN 17 N017) supports work to understand and reduce the impacts that Reclamation-operated water projects may have on Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus) in the Umatilla River Sub-basin. The effort is rooted in Reclamation's 2012 Columbia River Basin lamprey Assessment, which identified ways dams, diversions, and related facilities can affect lamprey and recommended follow-up actions. In the Umatilla Basin, Reclamation specifically points to the leadership and long-running involvement of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), where lamprey conservation is already integrated into the CTUIR Fisheries program. The overall aim is to continue investigating project-related effects on lamprey populations and to identify, plan, and eventually support fish passage and protection measures where impacts are found.

A major theme of the opportunity is that Pacific lamprey have deep cultural, subsistence, and ecological importance for Tribes in the Pacific Northwest, including CTUIR. The opportunity notes that adult lamprey numbers have declined sharply, and it frames the work as part of an ongoing restoration and recovery effort that includes translocation, conservation actions, and threat reduction. Funding is intended to strengthen the CTUIR lamprey program so it can evaluate how Reclamation facilities and operations influence lamprey survival and movement, then translate those findings into practical remedies. Potential remedies mentioned include improving adult fish passage, addressing juvenile migration and entrainment problems, and supporting propagation efforts that could contribute to recovery.

This is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning Reclamation expects to be substantially involved in the project rather than simply providing funds and stepping back. The eligible applicant pool is limited to federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and the activity area is categorized under natural resources (CFDA 15.517). The opportunity listed an award ceiling of $180,000 and was posted on August 29, 2017, with an original closing date of September 12, 2017. While the posting format includes a field for expected awards, the number is not specified in the provided source text.

The recipient responsibilities are centered on monitoring, evaluation, coordination, and reporting tied to specific lamprey life stages and risk pathways at Reclamation facilities. CTUIR is expected to evaluate and monitor adult passage issues at Reclamation facilities in the Umatilla River basin, focusing on whether adults can successfully move past diversion structures and other barriers. CTUIR will also evaluate juvenile entrainment concerns, using field surveys and PIT tag studies to determine whether juvenile lamprey are being drawn into canals or otherwise diverted from their natural migration routes by project operations. Another task is to monitor lamprey presence in canals and determine when salvage is needed, which is important because fish that become stranded or trapped in irrigation infrastructure can suffer high mortality if not recovered and returned to suitable habitat. In addition, CTUIR will participate in multi-agency efforts to provide juvenile lamprey for studies and recovery actions, which may include propagation and translocation components intended to rebuild depleted populations. Finally, CTUIR will handle the administration, coordination, and reporting requirements for the agreement, ensuring that activities are documented and findings are shared among partners.

Reclamation's role is described in concrete operational and technical terms, emphasizing fieldwork at key facilities and joint decision-making on study design. Reclamation will conduct canal sampling, salvage, and other entrainment studies in irrigation canals associated with the Three-Mile Falls, Maxwell, and Feed Canal Diversion Dams, with CTUIR providing assistance. After each sampling event, Reclamation will provide CTUIR with periodic informal updates, supporting ongoing adaptive management rather than waiting until the end of a field season to exchange information. Based on what canal sampling shows, Reclamation will also coordinate with CTUIR to identify, prioritize, design, and implement any additional entrainment studies that appear necessary, and it will participate in the experimental design of PIT tag studies to ensure the monitoring approach is scientifically sound and aligned with facility operations. Reclamation further commits to coordinating with CTUIR to analyze monitoring results as they come in and to use those results to better define how specific Reclamation projects affect Pacific lamprey in the sub-basin.

Taken together, the opportunity is essentially a targeted, collaborative research-and-planning effort tied to real infrastructure in the Umatilla River Sub-basin. It funds coordinated monitoring of adult passage and juvenile entrainment, canal surveillance and salvage decisions, and participation in broader lamprey recovery efforts, with Reclamation actively engaged in field sampling, study design, and data interpretation. The intended outcome is clearer evidence about where and how Reclamation facilities impact lamprey, followed by informed planning for mitigation actions such as passage improvements, entrainment reduction measures, and population support strategies like propagation or translocation.

• The Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Evaluation and Coordination of Pacific Lamprey Activities in the Umatilla River Sub-basin" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.517.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-08-29.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-09-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $180,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized).

Apply for BOR PN 17 N017

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