The nearly vertical cliffs of the Gorge are vulnerable to landslides, four of which occurred approximately 500 years ago, covering five square miles near Bonneville where they blocked the Columbia River and created a land bridge. The land bridge was located in the area of the current bridge known as “The Bridge of the Gods” and was perhaps the origin of the name, having been passed down through oral tradition. The dam formed by the land bridge created a lake of approximately the same size as the modern day Bonneville Pool, although within a few months the Columbia River breached this natural dam creating a flood 100 feet deep at Troutdale, OR. The Gorge is still susceptible to landslides; in 1984 two children were killed in a slide along Interstate 84 near Cascade Locks. In 1990 four highway workers were injured near Troutdale, and in 1996 a landslide in the Dodeson/Warrendale area of Oregon destroyed numerous homes, before sweeping across the railroad line and Interstate 84 (Oregon Geology). The features of this area continue to be shaped by landslides and the geomorphology of the Columbia River’s flow.

The river runs through the eastern plateau/steppe and then cuts through the Cascade and Coastal Mountain Ranges before entering the Pacific Ocean with much of the Middle Columbia located within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. As a result of the changing landscape, the climate surrounding the river changes drastically. The western side of the Gorge includes rainforests with an average annual rainfall of 75 inches. It is a place rich in wildlife, with forests, lakes, streams, wetlands, and more waterfalls than any other part of the country. The eastern Gorge has an annual rainfall of less than 15 inches, consists of a shrub steppe ecosystem, and is a place of rock bluffs and rolling hills used for farming and ranching.

Humans have also had an impact on the Columbia River. Archaeological evidence shows that nomads were staying in the Gorge over 14,500 years ago, and that settlements were established as early as 11,230 years ago (Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2013). Well before the establishment of white settlements, the Native people had developed the largest trading center in the Northwest at the Long Narrows of The Dalles/Celilo Falls area. Celilo is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited community on the North American continent (Dietrich 1995). The center linked a trade network that extended along the entire Pacific Coast and inland to the Great Plains. Native people living on the Columbia River received a variety of trade goods from all across the region, much of it received in return for one of their most prized resources — salmon. Salmon were central to the culture of the region’s peoples, a part of their religious belief system, providing sustenance and trade goods (Ulrich 2007).

Europeans and Americans began exploring and trading in the Pacific NW in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries.  In 1792 Captain Robert Gray explored the lower river and named it for his ship, the Columbia Rediva.   In 1805 the Lewis and Clark Expedition traveled down the Snake and into the Columbia River, arriving at The Dalles/Celilo Falls area, which Clark noted as being a “great mart of trade”. Within the next 50 years numerous white settlements were established along the river by people following the Oregon Trail or arriving by ship via the Pacific Ocean.  The earliest treaties were negotiated with the region’s Native peoples in 1855, and by 1859 Oregon had become a state; Washington followed, with statehood granted in 1889.  The first salmon cannery was established on the river in 1866.  In 1873 the USACE began modifying the river to aid navigation by removing obstructions, and from 1876-1915 building canals.

The USACE further shaped the Middle Columbia River into its current form through the construction of dams, beginning with the Bonneville Lock and Dam started in 1934 and completed in 1938, to the McNary Lock and Dam finished in 1957, The Dalles Lock and Dam finished in 1960, and the John Day Lock and Dam, completed in 1971 (NW Council). The dams tamed the river’s once notorious rapids and created the sub-sectional pools of the area. Fish lost due to the creation of the dams were ensured by the Mitchell Act (1938) to be replenished by the creation of hatcheries. The dams inundated many of the Native American’s traditional fishing areas and in 1939, In-Lieu sites were promised to the affected Tribes to compensate for their losses (Bureau of Indian Affairs, 2013). The USACE began constructing In-Lieu sites in 1953 and as of the publishing of this document in 2015 there are 31 sites located in the area covered within the MCR (CRITFC).

By taming the rapids, the dams allowed the river to function as an industrial transportation corridor, with ships running import containers and autos east from Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA through a series of locks up to the Tri-Cities area (Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland, WA), before continuing east via the Snake River to Lewiston, Idaho, where they eventually travel on to 43 states. As of 2014, more than 4 million tons of petroleum products are received at terminals in Portland each year with approximately half of that volume barged upriver to inland ports. The river corridor also provides a route for the transport of grain from farms in the interior of the county to the river’s gateway at the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia River is the number one export route in the nation for wheat and barley, number two for soybeans, and the third-largest grain export gateway in the world (Port of Longview).

The dams also provide irrigation and flood control, important to an area with substantial farmland (grains and livestock), as well as hydroelectric power to Oregon and Washington. In addition, the Columbia River Gorge, renowned for its stunning beauty and spectacular history, supports tourism in the area, providing a wealth of recreational opportunities such as hiking, fishing, mountain biking, windsurfing, and kayaking.

Within the MCR, each pool has its own unique attributes and communities. The John Day Pool is 76 miles long, has a capacity of 2,530,000 acres/feet (WA Dept. of Ecology). This is the last west-east section of the river before the upstream course veers significantly north. The western half of the reservoir has very little development surrounding it, while the eastern half has a significant amount of farmland lining the river on both sides. Communities on the river include Roosevelt, Paterson, and Plymouth, Washington as well as: Arlington, Boardman, Irrigon, Umatilla, and McNary, Oregon. Interstate-82 crosses the river toward between Plymouth and Umatilla connecting eastern Washington to eastern Oregon.

Despite the diverse change in scenery surrounding the river through each of its various pools, the shoreline habitats remain relatively consistent over the course of the MCR. They can be characterized as exposed rocky headlands, wave-cut platforms, pocket beaches along exposed rocky shores, sand beaches, sand and gravel beaches, sand and cobble beaches, sheltered rocky shores, and sheltered marshes (NOAA 1993).

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The flow of water in the MCR-GRP’s 200 mile reach of the Columbia River is controlled by dam outflows within each pool.  The John Day Pool has a normal elevation of 262 feet above mean sea level (USACE). Tributary rivers within the John Day Pool include the John Day River (OR) and the Umatilla River (OR) basins. On the Washington side, creeks entering the reservoir are part of the Rock/Glade watershed, WRIA 31 (WA Dept. of Ecology).  On the Oregon side, the John Day Pool is adjacent to the John Day and Umatilla watersheds.

Rock/Glade (WRIA 31): Many areas of eastern Washington are arid, receiving less than 20 inches of rain annually. Most of the precipitation arrives during the winter months when water demands are the lowest. During the summer, the snowpack is gone, there is little rain, and naturally low stream flows are dependent on groundwater inflow. At the same time, the demand for human uses, including irrigation, are at the yearly maximum. This means that groundwater and surface water are least available when water demands are the highest (WA Dept. of Ecology).

Umatilla Watershed: Water management in the arid Umatilla Basin has become increasingly complex in recent years. Competing demands from society for generating hydro-electric power, maintaining and restoring fisheries, restoring watershed health, providing water for growing communities, and increasing agricultural production through irrigation, have put water resources in the Umatilla Basin and throughout the northwest, under increasing pressure (WA Dept. of Ecology).

John Day Watershed: The John Day is the nation’s third longest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States and the longest containing entirely un-supplemented runs of anadromous fish. Located in eastern Oregon, the basin drains over 8,000 square miles, Oregon’s fourth largest drainage basin, and incorporates portions of eleven counties. Originating in the Strawberry Mountains near Prairie City, the John Day River flows 284 miles in a northwesterly direction, entering the Columbia River approximately four miles upstream of the John Day dam. With wild runs of spring Chinook salmon and summer steelhead, Pacific lamprey, westslope cutthroat, redband and bull trout, the John Day system is truly a basin with national significance (WA Dept. of Ecology).

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Western winds carrying moisture in the air from the Pacific are pushed up against the Coast Range, the Olympic Mountains, and finally the Cascade mountains, creating a phenomenon known as a rain shadow. A rain shadow is an area on the leeward side of the mountains which is sheltered from the rain, creating a distinct shift in climate. As the air rises to pass over the mountains it expands and cools, releasing moisture in the form of precipitation on the western flanks. By the time these winds pass over the Cascades there is little moisture remaining, creating the shrub steppe ecosystem that is emblematic of Eastern Washington.

The John Day Pool lies just outside of the transition zone to the east of the mountains and has the dry continental climate common east of the Cascade Mountains.  The mean annual temperature in Arlington, Oregon, elevation 280 feet above sea level, is 54° F, ranging from an average low of 34° F in January, to an average high of 76° F in July. Recorded temperature extremes include a low of -9° F and a high of 111° F. Mean annual precipitation is 9 inches with more than three quarters occurring between November and February. Annual snowfall is 8 inches, with more than half occurring in December and January.

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Large Commercial Vessel Traffic: There is significant commercial movement through the Middle Columbia corridor which offers six separate port facilities, including the Ports of: Arlington, Hood River, The Dalles, Kennewick, Klickitat, and Skamania. The Dalles Lock reports “an average of 8 million tons of cargo, mostly grain and petroleum products, passing through each year” (USACE). Future oil movement along the Columbia River Vessel Route is estimated to reach 566 million gallons/yr. (based on best annual estimates and 2013 data) (WA Dept. of Ecology). The potential for vessel collisions or groundings presents a significant spill risk. Large commercial vessels typically carry significant amounts of heavy and blended fuel oils and other petroleum products, increasing the risk for sensitive resources to be impacted if an oil spill incident were to occur.

Road Systems: Vehicle traffic on roadways pose an oil spill risk in areas where they run adjacent to the shoreline, or cross over lakes, rivers, creeks, and ditches, that drain into the Columbia River. Several main highways run parallel to the river, including Highway 14 in Washington and Interstate-84 in Oregon. Within the MCR area there are six major highway bridges that cross the Columbia River, two that cross the Yakima River, and one that crosses the Snake River. In addition, there are approximately 30 smaller bridges or causeways where vehicles cross tributaries or small lakes on the shores of the Columbia. A vehicle spill onto one of these bridges or roadways can cause fuel or oil to flow from hardened surfaces into the Columbia River or its tributaries. Commercial trucks can contain hundreds to thousands of gallons of fuel and oil, especially fully loaded tank trunks, and may carry almost any kind of cargo, including hazardous waste or other material that would pose a risk to the environment. Smaller vehicle accidents pose a risk as well — commensurate to the volume of fuel and oil they carry.

Rail Transportation and Facilities: Similar to the highways systems that run along much of the Columbia River, rail transportation runs closely parallel to the river banks throughout the Lower and Middle Columbia River areas. BNSF Railroad’s Fallbridge Subdivision runs along the Columbia River on the Washington side, while Union Pacific’s Portland Subdivision runs along the opposing bank in Oregon. These two major railroad companies employ mixed cargo trains that can carry hazardous materials on both of these lines, including Bakken crude oil from the east to refineries along the coast.

The majority of the transportation of oil by rail into Washington and Oregon enters Washington at the border with Idaho near Spokane. Once in Washington, oil trains cross the Spokane River, travel to Pasco, and then continue westward along the Columbia River through the Columbia River Gorge to Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA.  After reaching the coast, oil trains are heading north through Tacoma and Seattle, WA towards refineries in Anacortes and Ferndale, WA near the Canadian border. Prior to 2012, there was little to no transport of crude oil by rail to Washington or Oregon, as oil was traditionally transported by water via tanker or barge. With the surge in production at the North Dakota Bakken oil fields, and oil sands coming from Canada, rail has become an option for transporting crude to refineries throughout the country.

Locomotives by themselves typically hold several thousand gallons of diesel fuel plus large quantities of lube and motor oils. Individual tank cars can contain just over 30,000 gallons of crude oil or other petroleum products. Trains can carry 3,000,000 gallons of oil in a unit train of 100 tank cars; at 42 gallons per barrel that equates to 71,428 barrels. In 2013, approximately 17 million barrels were shipped through Washington, increasing to somewhere in the vicinity of 55 million barrels in 2014. These numbers are only predicted to rise as facilities are improved or increased.

The NuStar Energy facility in Vancouver, WA is planning on adding rail-offload capability and converting a 120,000 barrel methanol tank to store oil instead, allowing it to handle one crude-by-rail train approximately every three days. Vancouver Energy is a facility proposed for the Port of Vancouver, which if approved, would initially handle one to two crude-by-rail trains per day, and would be capable of receiving up to four per day (WA Dept of Ecology). When oil is transported by train it is usually carried by crude-by-rail unit trains, trains carrying 100 oil tank cars or more. Unit trains carrying crude oil are now commonly found traveling along the Columbia River. As of June 2014, nineteen loaded unit trains with Bakken oil were passing through the Middle Columbia River weekly.

Oil Pipelines: Two pipeline terminals are located in the MCR area.  The Tidewater pipeline terminal and the Tesoro Logistics NW pipeline terminal are both situated in the McNary Pool, on the eastern shore of the Snake River near the its confluence with the Columbia in Pasco, Washington.  These facilities receive, store and distribute bulk liquid products such as gasoline, diesel, bio-fuels, fertilizer, and industrial/agricultural chemicals. Along with the pipelines, the facilities are accessible by barge, rail, and truck.  A spill from a pipeline, or one of the other associated modes of transporting petroleum products, has the potential to significantly impact sensitive resources in the area.

Aircraft: Several airports are located within the MCR area including the: Cascade Locks State Airport, Columbia Gorge Airport, Arlington Municipal Airport, and Tri-Cities Airport. Landing strips at these airports are used for recreational, commercial, and transit purposes. With airports in the area, the potential exists for aircraft failures during inbound or outbound flights that could result in a spill with a release of jet fuel to the Columbia River or its tributaries.

Recreational Boating: Accidents involving recreational water craft on the Columbia River have the potential to result in spills of anywhere from a few gallons of gasoline, up to hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel. Examples of such accidents include: collisions, a vessel grounding, catching on fire, sinking, or exploding. These types of accidents, as well as problems with bilge discharges and refueling operations, the most typical types of spills to occur, have a negative impact on sensitive river resources.

Landslides, Earthquakes, Weather, and Wildfire: Oil spill risk factors include accidents near waterways due to natural events, including landslides, earthquakes, weather and wildfire. Landslides commonly occur on slopes and in areas where they have taken place before, and historically, the Columbia River Gorge is one of the areas that have been most active in the recent past. A U.S. Geological Survey study (Blakely et al., 2011) presented geologic and paleoseismic evidence that the potential for large magnitude earthquakes (greater than M 7) could be much greater for eastern Washington than previously assumed. The MCR has its fair share of severe weather with the possibility of strong winds all year long, snow and ice in the winter, heavy rains in the western side of the Gorge, and thunderstorms throughout the area, which also place the region at risk of weather related wildfire.

Other Spill Risks: Other potential oil spill risks in the area include: dam turbine mechanical failures, road run-off during rain events, on-shore or near shore construction activities where heavy equipment is being operated, and the migration of spilled oil through soil on lands adjacent to the river or along creek or stream banks, as well as security concerns, such as acts of vandalism, sabotage, or terrorism to dams, railroads, or pipelines.

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This section is purposely broad in scope and should not be considered comprehensive. Some of the sensitive resources described in this section cannot be addressed in Response Strategies and Priorities because it is not possible to conduct effective response activities in these locations. Additional information from private organizations or federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies should also be sought during spills.

This material is presented with enough detail to give general information about the area during the first phase of a spill response. During an actual incident, more information about resources at risk will be available from the Environmental Unit in the Planning Section.

Note: specific resource concerns related to areas that already have designated protection strategies may be found in the “Resources At Risk” column of the matrix describing the individual strategies.

The information provided in this section can be used in:

• Assisting the Environmental Unit (EU) and Operations in developing ad hoc response strategies.
• Providing resource-at-risk “context” to responders, clean-up workers, and others during the initial phase of a spill response in the GRP area.
• Briefing responders and incident command staff that may be unfamiliar with sensitive resource concerns in the GRP area.
• Providing background information for personnel involved in media presentations and public outreach during a spill incident.
• Providing information on benthic and water column species or cultural resources present to assist in planning for oils with the potential to sink or submerge.

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Classification types are listed below:

• Federal Endangered (FE)
• Federal Threatened (FT)
• Federal Candidate (FC)
• State Endangered (SE)
• State Threatened (ST)
• State Sensitive (SS)

Federal and State Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive species that may occur within this area, at some time of the year, include:

Mammals: 

• gray squirrel (western) [ST(WA)]

Birds: 

• American white pelican [ST(WA)]
• common loon [SS(WA)]
• greater sage grouse [ST(WA)]
• ferruginous hawk [ST(WA)]
• sandhill crane [SE(WA)]
• yellow-billed cuckoo [FT/SE]

Fish: 

• bull trout [FT]
• chinook salmon, Fall (Snake River) [FT/ST(OR)]; Spring/Summer (Snake River) [FT/ST(OR)]; Spring (upper Columbia) [FE]; (upper Willamette River) [FT])
• chum salmon (Columbia River) [FT]
• sockeye salmon (Snake River) [FE]
• steelhead trout (middle Columbia) [FT]; (Snake River) [FT]; (upper Columbia) [FT]; upper Willamette River [FT]

Amphibians:

• northern leopard frog [SE(WA)]

Invertebrates:

• Mardon skipper [SE(WA)]

Critical habitats:

These are the specific areas occupied by an endangered or threatened species that contain the physical or biological features that are essential to the conservation of that species – and that may need special management or protection. Critical habitat may also include areas that were not occupied by the species at the time of listing but are essential to its conservation.

The following species have designated critical habitat within this area:

• bull trout
• chinook salmon Fall (Snake River); Spring (upper Columbia River)
• sockeye salmon -Spring/Summer (Snake River)
• steelhead (middle Columbia River); (upper Columbia River); (Snake River)

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• Side channels and impounded areas provide feeding and resting areas for waterfowl and herons and are important rearing areas for juvenile fish.
• Several rivers and smaller tributary streams flow into the mainstem of the Columbia River within this area. These act as important salmon migration routes and spawning areas, as well as providing rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids and resident fish species. Stream mouths are concentration areas for anadromous fish and are feeding areas for a variety of birds. Wintering waterfowl use the mainstem Columbia as well as these rivers as some of the open water associated with the lower reaches of the rivers and streams.
• Riparian areas serve as transitional zones between the uplands and the rivers and consequently are heavily used by a variety of wildlife. They contribute to nearshore fish habitat by providing shade, cover, and food. They also play a crucial role in supporting a large diversity and abundance of songbird species as breeding, migrating, and overwintering habitat.
• Islands provide important nesting areas for a variety of bird species, as well as habitat for a variety of mammals.
• Numerous habitat restoration sites exist along the middle Columbia River and its tributaries. Often, significant resources have been invested in these locations to improve stream conditions specific to salmon recovery.
• Subsurface Habitat – The shallow subsurface habitats that occur within this region include:

• • Fine sediments (mud/silt/sand) – Associated with slow/still water flows. May have aquatic vegetation present.
    • Animals associated with these areas may be: salmonid and resident fishes; birds (dabbling and diving ducks); semi-aquatic mammals (muskrat, beaver, etc.); shellfish (freshwater clams); amphibians and reptiles (frogs, newts, salamanders, turtles, etc.); insects caddis flies, mayflies, dragonflies, and stoneflies). Many other animals also utilize these areas for foraging.
  • Coarse sediments (gravel/cobble) – Associated with moderate water flow. May have aquatic vegetation present.
    • Animals associated with these areas may be: salmonid and resident fishes; birds (dippers, harlequin ducks); semi-aquatic mammals (muskrat, beaver, etc.); shellfish (pearlshell mussels, crayfish); amphibians and reptiles (tailed frogs, torrent salamanders; insects caddis flies, stoneflies). Many other animals also utilize these areas for foraging.
  • Bedrock – Associated with fast water with little or no deposition of loose bed materials. Aquatic vegetation not typically present.
    • Animals associated with these areas tend to be mostly cold-water (salmonid) fishes, birds (dippers, harlequin ducks), and amphibians (torrent salamanders).

Fish:

• Varioussalmonids (both juvenile and adults) are present in the river above the John Day Dam throughout the year. Millions of juvenile salmonids move downstream through this area and use this area for rearing and foraging as they prepare for migration to the ocean. Returning adult salmonids of various types and stocks support significant tribal and recreational fisheries.
• Anadromous fish (other than salmon) in this region include American shad and Pacific lamprey.
• Resident fish present year-round in the river include white sturgeon, walleye, largemouth bass, crappie, perch, bullheads, and northern pike minnow.

Wildlife:

• Significant waterfowl concentrations exist throughout this GRP region from fall through spring. Hundreds of thousands of geese, swans and dabbling ducks may occupy this region during peak periods. Resident and migratory waterfowl heavily utilize the islands, backwaters, wetlands and adjacent uplands of the region from fall through spring. Numerous islands in this sub-region also provide nesting habitat for resident waterfowl.
• Bald eagles andgreat blue herons are nesting residents and may be found year-round throughout the region. Peregrine falcons are commonly found as winter and spring visitors. Other raptors, including golden eagles, osprey, northern harrier, and burrowing owl are also regularly found in this area.
• Resident and migratory songbirds heavily utilize riparian habitats year-round and are susceptible to response activities that disturb riparian vegetation.
• Mammals common to the region include managed species such as mule and whitetail deer, etc. Other mammals present include semi-aquatic species such as beaver, muskrat, river otter, mink and raccoon. Because of their habitat preferences, these latter species are vulnerable to contact with spilled oil.
• Amphibians and reptiles are found throughout this area.

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Columbia River, John Day Pool (~RM 215-292)

1. Railroad Island (~RM 216): Waterfowl breeding and winter concentration areas. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitat. Public recreation area (Army Corp of Engineers Park).
2. John Day River (~RM 218): Waterfowl concentration area; Salmonid spawning and rearing habitat; resident warm water fish; heavy shorebird use.
3. Goodnoe Waterfowl area (~RM 226): Waterfowl concentration area. Public recreation area.
4. Chapman Creek Waterfowl area (~RM 236): Impounded wetland habitat. Salmonid spawning and rearing area. Concentration area for breeding, migrating and wintering waterfowl. Public recreation area (Sundale Park).
5. Wood Gulch (~RM 243): Salmonid concentrations and habitat, resident warm-water fish nursery and adult fishery. Concentration area for breeding, migrating and wintering waterfowl.
6. Willow Creek (~RM 252): Impounded shallow water habitat. Salmonid concentration and rearing habitat, resident warm-water fish, winter waterfowl concentrations, shorebirds.
7. Three Mile Canyon (~RM 256): Colonial nesting birds (including Caspian tern), salmonid concentrations, and waterfowl concentration area.
8. Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge (~RM 261-283): Numerous islands, sloughs and wetlands. Submerged aquatic vegetation beds and wet meadow habitat. Provides rearing habitat for juvenile salmonids and resident fish. Provides habitat and forage for hundreds of thousands of migratory and wintering Also provides nesting habitat for water birds such as shorebirds, herons, terns, and other sensitive species as well as nesting habitat for burrowing owls, long-billed curlews, bald eagles, and other migratory birds. Numerous species of mammals are present such as deer, otter, beaver, small mammals, etc. Includes habitat for reptile species of concern such as sagebrush lizard. Also provides significant wildlife-dependent recreation opportunities such as hunting, fishing, and birdwatching.
9. Plymouth Island (~RM 288-290): Shrub steppe habitat interspersed with wetlands and riparian areas. Large waterfowl breeding and winter concentration areas, raptors, shorebirds, herons.  Salmonid concentration and rearing habitat. Miscellaneous small mammals present. Public recreation area.
10. Umatilla River/McNary Wildlife Nature Area (~RM 289): Salmonid concentration and rearing habitat, sturgeon spawning, resident fish habitat.

Specific Geographic Areas of Concern – Maps and Descriptions

Figure 1: Specific Geographic Areas of Concern for the lower GRP area.

Figure 2: Specific Geographic Areas of Concern for the mid GRP area.

Figure 3: Specific Geographic Areas of Concern for the upper GRP area.

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During a spill response, after the Unified Command is established, information related to specific archeological concerns will be coordinated through the Environmental Unit.  In order to ensure that tactical response strategies do not inadvertently harm culturally sensitive sites, WDAHP should be consulted before disturbing any soil or sediment during a response action, including submerged soils or sediments.  WDAHP and/or the Tribal governments may assign a person, or provide a list of professional archeologists that can be contracted, to monitor response activities and cleanup operations for the protection of cultural resources at risk.  Due to the sensitive nature of such information, details regarding the location and type of cultural resources present are not included in this document.

Discovery of Human Skeletal Remains

Any human remains, burial sites, or burial-related materials that are discovered during a spill response must be treated with respect at all times (photographing human remains is prohibited to all except the appropriate authorities).  Refer to National Historic Preservation Act Compliance Guidelines (NWACP Section 9403) during an emergency response.

Procedures for the Discovery of Cultural Resources

If any person monitoring work activities or involved in spill response believes that they have encountered cultural resources, all workers must stop immediately and notify the Unified Command and Cultural Resource Specialist.  The area of work stoppage must be adequate to provide for the security, protection, and integrity of the material or artifact(s) discovered.

Prehistoric Cultural Resources (May include, but are not limited to, any of the following items):

• Lithic debitage (stone chips and other tool-making byproducts)
• Flaked or ground stone tools
• Exotic rock, minerals, or quarries
• Concentrations of organically stained sediments, charcoal, or ash
• Fire-modified rock
• Rock alignments or rock structures
• Bone (burned, modified, or in association with other bone, artifacts, or features)
• Shell or shell fragments
• Petroglyphs and pictographs
• Fish weirs, fish traps, and prehistoric water craft
• Culturally modified trees
• Physical locations or features (traditional cultural properties)
• Submerged villages sites or artifacts

Historic cultural material (May include any of the following items over 50 years old):

• Bottles, or other glass
• Cans
• Ceramics
• Milled wood, brick, concrete, metal, or other building material
• Trash dumps
• Homesteads, building remains
• Logging, mining, or railroad features
• Piers, wharves, docks, bridges, dams, or shipwrecks
• Shipwrecks or other submerged historical objects

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Flight Restriction Zones: The Environmental Unit (Planning Section) may recommend Flight Restriction Zones to minimize disturbance or injury to wildlife during an oil spill. Pilots/operators can decrease the risk of aircraft/bird collisions, prevent the accidental driving of wildlife into oiled areas, and minimize abandonment of nests by keeping a safe distance and altitude from these identified sensitive areas.

The Air Operations Branch (Operations Section) will manage all aircraft operations related to response and will coordinate the establishment of any Flight Restriction Zones as appropriate. Environmental Unit staff will work with the Air Operations Branch Director to resolve any conflicts that arise between flight activities and sensitive resources.

In addition to restrictions associated with wildlife, Tribal authorities may also request notification when overflights are likely to affect culturally sensitive areas within reservations.  See Oil Spill Best Management Practices (NWACP Section 9301) for more information on the use of aircraft and helicopters in open water and shoreline responses.

Wildlife Deterrence: The Wildlife Deterrence Unit within the Wildlife Branch (Operations Section) manages wildlife deterrence operations. These are actions intended to minimize injuries to wildlife by keeping animals away from the oil and cleanup operations. Deterrence activities may include using acoustic or visual deterrent devices, boats, aircraft or other tools. The Wildlife Branch works with state and federal agencies, and the Environmental Unit (Planning Section), to develop deterrence plans as appropriate.

For more information see the Northwest Wildlife Response Plan (NWACP Section 9310) and Northwest Area Wildlife Deterrence Resources (NWACP Section 9311).

Oiled Wildlife: Capturing oiled wildlife may be hazardous to both personnel and the affected animals. Incident personnel should not try to approach or capture oiled wildlife but should report any observations of oiled wildlife to the Wildlife Branch (Operations Section).

For more information see the Northwest Wildlife Response Plan (NWACP Section 9310).

Wildlife Refuges and Wilderness Areas: The following are located within this region:

• Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge

Aquatic Invasive Species: The waters of this region may contain aquatic invasive species (AIS) – species of plants and/or animals that are not native to an area and that can be harmful to an area’s ecosystem. If so, preventative actions may be required to prevent the spread of these species as a result of spill response activities and the Environmental Unit is able to recommend operational techniques and strategies to assist with this issue.

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