John Blum | Sr. Fisheries Scientist and Instream Flow Biologist

Summary

Mr. Blum has conducted numerous fisheries and instream flow investigations throughout the Pacific Northwest, including WA, AK, OR, ID, MT, British Columbia, and overseas. He is extensively trained and certified in the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology, including 2-dimensional instream flow modeling.  In British Columbia, Mr. Blum has conducted fisheries and instream flow studies on Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland, the Okanagan, and Observatory Inlet. Mr. Blum has also worked for the Fish Passage Center marking fish and conducting Chinook and steelhead survival and travel time studies from hatcheries and hydroelectric facilities on the Mid-Columbia and Snake River systems in WA, OR, and ID.  

John has conducted over 60 fisheries and instream flow investigations throughout his career, which has focused on the hydroelectric and mining industries.  He was Project Manager and Principal Scientist for numerous Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing efforts, including Box Canyon Dam (Pend Oreille PUD) and Packwood Lake (Energy Northwest) He has recently been the Project Manager and responsible for environmental permitting for Chelan PUD. 

Education

M.S. Fisheries, University of Washington

B.S. Environmental Biology, Eastern Illinois University

B.S. Business Management, Eastern Illinois University

Experience

35 Years

Registrations & Certifications

  • American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists/American Fisheries Society

  • Instream Flow Method. Certifications

    • IFG 200 Scoping

    • IFG 205 Field Methods

    • IFG 215 Special Problems

    • IFG 310 PHABSIM Modeling

    • IFG 400 Advanced PHABSIM Modeling

    • Advanced SEFA

    • FIS 400  2-dimensional modeling

  • Acoustic Doppler Current Profile Cert

  • Watershed Analysis Certification

  • DNR Level II: Riparian/Fish Habitat

  • Rosgen Levels I-IV Stream Restoration    

Areas of Specialty

  • Hydroelectric and Mining Industry Investigations

  • Fisheries and Instream Flow Studies

  • Environmental Permitting and Management Plans

Employment History

Anchor QEA:  2016 – 2017: (Senior Managing Fisheries Scientist)

McMillen Jacobs Associates:  2012 - 2016: (Senior Fisheries Scientist)

EES Consulting: 2003 – 2012: (Senior Fisheries Scientist, Managing Director)

Cascades Environmental Services: (Owner/Partner/Senior Fisheries Scientist)

ANP DE&S/DTA:  1992 – 2003:  (Owner/Partner/Senior Fisheries Scientist)

Relevant Experience

FERC Relicensing

Grant Creek Fisheries and Instream Flow Studies, Moose Pass, Alaska. Project Manager.  Conducted fish habitat and instream flow studies for proposed hydroelectric project.  Collected all field measurements, did all hydraulic modeling, and developed site-specific tools to evaluate potential impacts to fish and fish habitat.  Wrote reports and assisted in the development of the Draft License Application and fish monitoring plans; also involved in agency consultation and negotiations.

Fisheries and Instream Flow Studies, Packwood Hydroelectric Project.  Project Manager.  Managed and conducted over 20 fisheries and instream flow studies for the relicensing of this hydroelectric project, including fish population and habitat assessments, entrainment investigations, developed restoration alternatives, conducted fish salvage operations, and developed and implemented an instream flow study, including data collection, hydraulic modeling, and agency negotiations.  Wrote over 20 reports for this project, as well as contributed to the draft and final license applications. Am currently developing the Biological Opinion with the natural resource agencies

Environmental Studies, Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project Relicensing and implementation, Pend Oreille County, WA – Project Manager. Conducted all fisheries investigations for the relicensing of this hydroelectric project, including habitat mapping of the Pend Oreille River, adfluvial fish trapping in major tributaries, and development and implementation studies for the new license, including fish passage studies at Box Canyon Dam and Calispell Creek and habitat studies for restoration of 164 miles of tributary habitat in Bull Trout streams.

Fisheries Investigations, Spokane River ramping rate and aesthetic flow evaluations, Spokane County, WA - Project Manager. As part of the relicensing studies for the Spokane River Project, developed and implemented a ramping rate study on 10 miles of the Spokane River to determine potential impacts to resident Rainbow Trout from decreases in stage due to Project operations.  As part of the aesthetic flow evaluations of the falls in downtown Spokane, evaluated habitat connectivity for proposed reroute of summer flows to both sets of falls.

Fisheries Investigations, Lake Chelan Hydroelectric Project Relicensing, Chelan County, WA - Project Manager. Was responsible for six of the seven fisheries-related relicensing studies for Chelan County PUD, including creel surveys, stream monitoring, fish evaluations in 9 tributaries, use of rainbow and cutthroat trout in the major river body, entrainment investigations, species inventories, developed habitat suitability curves for Chinook Salmon, report writing and agency negotiations. 

Fisheries Investigations, Rocky Reach Hydroelectric Relicensing, Chelan County, WA.   Project Manager.  Was responsible for fisheries-related relicensing studies for Chelan County PUD, including the use of an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and underwater cameras to map existing salmonid habitat and fish utilization along the entire reservoir and major tributaries; conducted creel surveys, wrote project reports and negotiated with the natural resource agencies. 

Fisheries Assessments and Monitoring, Haas Kings Relicensing Implementation, Kings River, CA.  Principal Investigator.  Was responsible for conducting implementation studies specified in the Haas Kings new license, including fisheries and habitat surveys of the Haas Kings River, adjacent to Kings Canyon-Sequoia National Park.  Developed population estimates, restoration recommendations; wrote project reports.

Fisheries Assessments and Instream Flow Studies, Bear River Relicensing Implementation, Caribou County, ID.  Project Manager.  As part of the relicensing of the Bear River projects, was responsible for conducting habitat assessments and instream flow studies for 4 of the hydroelectric facilities operated by PacifiCorp.  Also conducted radio-tagging studies of local salmonids to determine if recreational flows were at such a level as to displace those fish found in the reaches between the projects.  Projects were successfully relicensed.

Fisheries Assessments and Instream Flow Studies, Sullivan Creek License Amendment, Pend Oreille County, WA. Project Manager.  Conducted instream flow studies for lower Sullivan Creek as part of the license amendment process for Pend Oreille PUD.  Also was an expert witness for Pend Oreille PUD, and participated in the license surrender process for Sullivan Lake.  Conducted habitat and population surveys in the watershed and lake, as well as developing hydroacoustic surveys estimates of lake populations and evaluating potential impacts to recreational facilities if Sullivan Lake were to be lowered during the summer.

Instream Flow Studies, Oak Grove Hydroelectric Project, Clackamas River, OR. Project Manager.  Principal Investigator.  Conducted instream flow studies for the Oak Grove Fork as part of the Clackamas River Hydroelectric Project for Portland General Electric (PGE), including all hydraulic modeling.  Also conducted habitat and salmonid population assessments, as well as accretion and inflow studies for the relicensing of this project. 

Instream Flow Studies – Pacific Northwest

In addition to the instream flow studies associated with relicensing of hydroelectric projects, Mr. Blum has been involved with instream flow studies associated with rule-making for the state, adjudication of flows, mining operations, and exploratory efforts for preliminary licenses for proposed hydroelectric projects.  Several of these studies are listed below.  Overall, Mr. Blum has conducted over 60 instream flow assessments using the Instream Flow Incremental Methodology (IFIM), in addition to Tenant and Toe Width methodologies.

Instream Flow Studies, WRIA 19, Clallam County, WA.  Project Manager.  Conducted instream flow studies for the Washington Department of Ecology (WDOE) to set instream flows for nine rivers and streams in Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 19 on the Olympic Peninsula, WA.  Selected transects, collected all field data and ran all hydraulic models used to set flows for this Watershed Planning effort.

Instream Flow Studies, Wenatchee River, Chelan County, WA.  Project Investigator.  Conducted instream flow studies for WDOE to set instream flows on the Wenatchee River (WRIA 45) in central Washington. Selected transects, collected all field data and ran all hydraulic models used to set flows for this Watershed Planning effort.

Instream Flow Studies, Spokane River, Spokane County, WA.  Project Investigator.  Conducted instream flow studies for WDOE to set instream flows on the Spokane River (WRIA 34 and 35) in eastern Washington. Selected transects, collected all field data and ran all hydraulic models used to set flows for this Watershed Planning effort.

Instream Flow Studies, Cultus Mountain, Skagit County, WA.  Project Investigator.  Conducted instream flow studies for four streams that comprised Cultus Mountain for Skagit PUD. Selected transects, collected all field data and ran all hydraulic models used to setting instream flows on these creeks.

Instream Flow Studies, Skagit and Samish rivers, Skagit County, WA.  Project Investigator.  Conducted instream flow studies for WDOE to set instream flows on the Skagit and Samish rivers (WRIA 3) in western Washington. Selected transects, collected all field data and ran all hydraulic models used to set flows for this Watershed Planning effort.

Instream Flow Studies and Habitat Assessments, Calligan and Hancock creeks, King County, WA.  Project Investigator.  Conducted instream flow studies, habitat assessments, and spawning and emergence timing investigations for resident salmonids in these streams for proposing potential hydroelectric projects.   Selected transects, collected all field data and ran all hydraulic models used to set flows for these streams.

Instream Flow Studies and Habitat Assessments, Warm and Skookum creeks, Whatcom County, WA.  Project Investigator.  Conducted instream flow studies and fish and habitat assessments for the resident salmonids on these proposed hydroelectric projects.  Selected transects, collected all field data and ran all hydraulic models used to set flows for these streams, and was an expert witness in front of the Pollution Control Hearing Board for Warm Creek.

Instream Flows and Fisheries Studies – British Columbia

Instream Flow Studies, Wahleach Creek Hydroelectric Project, Chilliwack, BC.  Project Manager. Conducted instream flow studies for proposed hydroelectric project, including field investigations, hydraulic modeling, report writing and agency negotiations.

Instream Flow Studies, Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project, Gibsons, BC. Project Manager. Conducted instream flow studies for proposed hydroelectric project, including field investigations, hydraulic modeling, report writing and agency negotiations. 

Fisheries Investigations and Instream Flow Studies, Anyox and Kitsault Hydroelectric Projects, B.C. Project Manager.  Project Manager.  Conducted fisheries and instream flow investigations for proposed hydroelectric projects near Observatory Inlet, BC. 

Fisheries and Instream Flow Studies, Meyers Creek, Osoyoos, B.C.  Project Manager.  Conducted fisheries and instream flow studies for proposed Crown Jewel Mine outside of Oroville, WA, including field investigations, hydraulic modeling, report writing and agency negotiations.  Was a trans-boundary project. 

Mamquam River Fisheries and Instream Flow Studies, Squamish, B.C. Technical Lead.  Conducted fisheries and instream flow studies for proposed hydroelectric project, including field investigations, hydraulic modeling, report writing and agency negotiations

Kokish River Instream Flow Studies, Vancouver Island, Technical Lead.  Conducted hydraulic modeling and report writing.

 

Mining and Environmental Impact Statements

Biological Consultant for Hecla Mining Company.  Rock Creek, Montana.  Technical Writer.  Assisted in the development of the Supplemental Biological Assessment for the proposed Rock Creek.  Examined potential impacts of revised operations on Bull Trout and Westslope Cutthroat Trout for the mine in the Pend Oreille River, Rock Creek, and other project streams.

Instream Flow Specialist/EIS/Expert Witness Testimony.  Oroville, WA.  Principal Aquatics Investigator.  Conducted instream flow study for the permitting of the Crown Jewel Gold Mine for Newmont Gold Company.  Also included instream flow studies and habitat assessments for Meyers, Nicholson, and Marias creeks as well as expert witness testimony.

Aquatic Investigations for Newmont Gold Company.  Cajamarca, Peru.  Project Manager.  Conducted aquatic sampling of fish and macro-invertebrates for baseline investigations of elemental mercury as a result of a spill by Minera Yanacocha.

Fish and Aquatic Resources Section of McDonald Gold Project EIS.  Blackfoot River.  Principal Investigator.  Wrote the aquatics section of the EIS for this proposed mine located near Lincoln, Montana.

Fish and Aquatic Resources Section of Cherry Point Industrial Park EIS.  Whatcom County, WA.  Principal Investigator.  Wrote the aquatics section of the EIS for this proposed marine terminal near Bellingham, WA

Pend Oreille Mine Mixing and Dilution Study, Pend Oreille County, WA.  Project Manager.  Developed, conducted and analyzed results of a dilution and mixing study for Cominco Mining Company on the Pend Oreille River.

Sensitive, Threatened and Endangered Species

Chelan PUD Environmental Permitting.  Chelan County, WA.  Project Manager.  Provided Chelan PUD with federal, state, and locate permit applications for a variety of recreation and maintenance projects.  Over 60 projects were identified and permits applied for or procured, ranging from City/County Shorelines permits to complex projects involving ESA-listed species, requiring ESA-consultation with Federal, State, and local regulatory agencies. Projects were located along the Columbia River and tributaries, as well as Lake Chelan.

Quinault National Fish Hatchery Weir Replacement, Grays Harbor, WA.  Chelan PUD Environmental Permitting.  Chelan County, WA.  Technical Writer. Developed Biological and Environmental Assessments for Bull Trout and State-listed species. Included evaluations of Bull Trout Critical Habitat and Essential Fish Habitat for Chinook and Coho Salmon

Packwood Lake Hydroelectric Project.  Lewis County, WA.  Project Manager. Biological Assessment for: 1) installation of a fish tailrace barrier for Chinook and Coho Salmon and Steelhead Trout and 2) Biological Assessment for the relicensing of the Packwood Hydroelectric Project. Also assisted in the development of the Biological Opinion for the Project.  

Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project.  Pend Oreille County, WA.  Project Manager. Biological Assessment for Bull Trout in the Pend Oreille River, and other terrestrial and botanical threatened and endangered species, as part of the Box Canyon Dam License Amendment.

Cedar Creek Biological Assessment, Pend Oreille County, WA.  Project Manager.  BA for Bull Trout in the Pend Oreille River as well as other terrestrial and botanical threatened and endangered species.

Mayfield Lake Biological Assessment, Lewis County, WA.  Project Manager.  Biological Assessment for threatened and endangered salmon and other salmonids, as well as other terrestrial and botanical threatened and endangered species.

Bonneville Cutthroat Trout Restoration Plan, Bear River, Caribou County, ID.  Project Manager.  Also included fish, wildlife and plants for PacifiCorp. 

Pend Oreille River-Lower Clark Fork River Loss Assessment Study.  Principal Author.  Assessment of losses for resident, fluvial, and adfluvial native stocks, with special attention to Bull Trout for Washington Water Power Company.

 

Hatchery and Lake Studies

Tilton River Instream Flow Studies, Lewis County.  Principal Investigator. Conducted instream flow studies to negotiate instream flows for potential hatchery development on the Tilton River, a tributary to the Cowlitz River for a private developer ($25,000; 1993 - 1996).

Gatton and Matheny creeks Instream Flow Studies, Grays Harbor County.  Principal Investigator. Conducted instream flow studies to negotiate instream flows for potential hatchery development for the Quinault Indian Nation of the Salmon River and Lake Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula coast.

Lake Quinault Sockeye Salmon Rehabilitation and Enhancement Program, Grays Harbor, WA.  Project Manager.  Developed restoration plan for the restoration of Lake Quinault Sockeye Salmon using hatchery supplementation for the Quinault Indian Nation.

Lake Ozette Sockeye Salmon Rehabilitation and Enhancement Program, Clallam County, WA.  Project Manager.  Developed restoration plan for the restoration of Lake Ozette Sockeye Salmon using streamside incubators and the introduction of Lake Quinault Sockeye Salmon for the Makah Indian Tribe.

Watershed Planning

Watershed Plan for Box Canyon Reservoir Streams, Pend Oreille County, WA.  Project Manager. Authored long-term plan for eight primary streams to the Pend Oreille River in Box Canyon Reservoir.  Detailed land ownership, species present, grazing allotments, and projected a 25 year restoration program of ESA-listed Bull Trout as well as Westslope Cutthroat Trout and Mountain Whitefish.  Was used in part, for Programmatic Environmental Assessment to conduct restoration activities on National Forest System lands

Watershed Plans for the Washington Coastal Area, Grays Harbor, Jefferson and Clallam Counties, WA.  Project Manager.  Authored watershed plans on the Quinault, Queets, Hoh, and Quillayute rivers for the Quinault, Hoh and Quileute Tribes and the State of Washington.

Management Plans, Salmon and Steelhead Conservation and Enhancement Act.  Co-Author. Co-authored management plans for the Western Washington Conservation Area under the SSCEA for the western Washington treaty tribes.

Sub-basin Plans for Columbia River Tributaries.  Contributor.  Conducted the habitat analysis (for estimation of smolt output and projected adult returns) and contribution of Columbia River tributaries using BPA/NWPPC models for NWPPC; contributor to the Sub-basin plans on the Columbia River and Puget Sound systems.

Fisheries Management

Management of Mixed-Stock Ocean and Terminal Area Fisheries, Clallam County, WA.  Fisheries Management Biologist.  Actively managed fisheries for the Makah Tribe in Neah Bay, WA, on the Olympic Peninsula.  Participated in Pacific Fisheries Management Council (PFMC) re: ocean fisheries management; also was an expert witness for the Makah Tribe regarding ocean interceptions in mixed stock areas.

Extensive experience in 1) Coded Wire Tagging (CWT) and analysis for ocean and terminal area contributions; 2) PIT-tagging on Columbia and Snake River systems; 3) freeze branding for survival and travel time studies on the Columbia River system; and 4) floy tagging and radio and acoustic tagging on the Pend Oreille River system.

Hydroacoustic, Fish Behavior and Radio/Acoustic Telemetry Studies

Lake Ozette Sockeye Salmon restoration, Makah Indian Tribe, Clallam County, WA.  Principal Investigator. Conducted hydroacoustic surveys of Lake Ozette to determine abundance, size and distribution of sockeye salmon smolts in Lake Ozette.

Lake Washington Sockeye Salmon Abundance Surveys, University of Washington, King County, WA. Principal Investigator.  Conducted hydroacoustic surveys in Lake Washington to determine abundance, size and distribution of sockeye salmon smolts.

Lake Quinault Sockeye Salmon Restoration Project, Quinault Indian Nation, Jefferson County, WA.  Principal Investigator. Conducted hydroacoustic surveys in Lake Quinault to determine abundance, size and distribution of sockeye salmon smolts.

Packwood Lake Hydroacoustic Surveys, Energy Northwest, Lewis County, WA. Project Manager and Principal Investigator. Conducted hydroacoustic surveys of Packwood Lake to determine distribution, abundance, and spawning timing of rainbow trout utilizing Packwood Lake tributaries for spawning.

Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project, Pend Oreille PUD, Pend Oreille County, WA. Project Manager. Conducting hydroacoustic surveys of project canyon, forebay and tailrace to determine distribution, behavior and abundance for the siting of Project upstream and downstream fish passage facilities.

Radio Telemetry Studies, Box Canyon Hydroelectric Project, Pend Oreille PUD, Pend Oreille County, WA. Project Manager. Captured, tagged and monitored target species.  Conducted radio telemetry studies of native and introduced fish in the Pend Oreille River to determine the extent of migratory behavior and tributary utilization; also used telemetry to establish locations for upstream fish passage facility and to assist in the determination of downstream migratory patterns for Bull Trout.

Bear River Relicensing (Bear River in Idaho and Utah). Project Manager. Tagged and monitored trout behavior in response to different flow regimes as part of the instream flow studies for the relicensing of the Bear River hydroelectric projects.