Chehalis Watershed Assessment and Salmon Life-cycle Modeling
June 24, 2021
A process-based analysis for quantifying historical, current, and future habitat conditions, and modeling the potential benefit of alternative restoration actions to salmon populations
To assist in developing the Aquatic Species Restoration Plan (ASRP) in the Chehalis River basin, we developed a process-based analysis for quantifying historical, current, and future habitat conditions, and modeling the potential benefit of alternative restoration actions to salmon populations. This model consists of three separate modules: the spatial analysis, the habitat analysis, and the life-cycle models.
- The spatial analysis includes the GIS processes and analyses that translate raw data layers into estimates of historical and current habitat areas and quality for each reach in the basin.
- The habitat analysis then takes those data and additional information to estimate life-stage capacities and productivities for each species in historical, current, and future habitat scenarios.
- The salmon life cycle models use the habitat scenarios to evaluate which types of habitat change most influence spawner abundance, and to identify which types of habitat restoration are most likely to aid salmon recovery.
For these analyses we used Version 13 of the NOAA Model. We analyzed the effects of changing eight drivers of habitat change: migration barriers, fine sediment, wood abundance, riparian shade, channel straightening, bank armor, beaver ponds, and floodplain habitats, and modeled effects of those changes on spawner abundance of coho salmon, Chinook salmon, steelhead, and chum salmon. The supporting habitat data layers and contract reports can be downloaded using the links below.
Note that Model Version 14 was renamed the Habitat Assessment and Restoration Planning (HARP) Model. Data and publications for the HARP Model analyses for the Chehalis River basin and other river basins are on the HARP website.
|
Title |
Description |
Download |
Last updated |
Data dictionary |
|
Attributed stream line |
Modified NHD+ stream layer with geomorphic and habitat quantity and quality attributes by 200-m segment |
Shapefile (zip, 4.8MB) |
January 15, 2021 |
Data dictionary (PDF, 2 pages) |
|
Backwater habitats |
Polygon layer of large river (>20 m bankfull width) backwater habitats digitized from aerial imagery |
Shapefile (zip, 217KB) |
January 15, 2021 |
Data dictionary (PDF, 1 page) |
|
Floodplain habitats |
Historical and current floodplain marshes, ponds and lakes |
Shapefile (zip, 2.9MB) |
January 15, 2021 |
Data dictionary (PDF, 1 page) |
|
GLO floodplain feature notes |
Detailed data and descriptions of floodplain habitats noted along GLO survey lines, corresponding to floodplain habitat polygons |
Shapefile (zip, 177KB) |
January 15, 2021 |
Data dictionary (PDF, 2 pages) |
|
Large river edge habitat |
Line layer of large river (>20 m bankfull width) bank and bar edge habitats, including armored bank designations from aerial imagery |
Shapefile (zip, 1.2MB) |
January 15, 2021 |
Data dictionary (PDF, 1 page)
|
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Large river riffle habitats |
Large river (>20 m bankfull width) riffle polygons digitized from aerial imagery |
Shapefile (zip, 456KB) |
January 15, 2021 |
Data dictionary (PDF, 1 page) |
|
NOAA subbasins |
Subbasins boundaries that define subpopulation habitat ranges |
Shapefile (zip, 1.2MB) |
|
Data dictionary (PDF, 1 page) |
Publications
Beechie, T. J., C. Nicol, C. Fogel, J. Jorgensen, B. Timpane-Padgham, Peter Kiffney. 2021. Final report for NOAA watershed assessment and salmon life-cycle modeling in the Chehalis River basin. NOAA Contract Report NMFS-NWFSC-CR-2021-0x. (report in prep)
Model Code
Model code is available at https://bitbucket.org/noaalcm/asrp/src/v13/