Peer Review Plans

Title and Description:
NMFS draft Biological Opinion Central Valley Water Operations (OCAP)
The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to prepare a biological opinion on Federal actions that are likely to adversely affect a threatened or endangered species or adversely affect their designated critical habitat.  A new biological opinion is being prepared on Federal and state water operations that deliver water to over 20 million people in southern California and irrigate millions of acres of highly productive agricultural land throughout California’s Central Valley.  These actions and related water pumping harm Chinook salmon, steelhead, and green sturgeon which are listed as threatened or endangered.  Because of competing demands for a limited water supply and procedural complexities that surround implementing the ESA, NMFS’s 2004 biological opinion (on this same action) was, and continues to be, controversial.  Issues involving water supply and reliability, and how to address those in light of imperiled species have only grown since 2004 as new information emerges on climate and ecological changes in the project area.  The new biological opinion will likely remain a topic of national interest and the need for highly qualified peer reviewers will be critical to address the anticipated scientific scrutiny this action will receive.

ID:  96 Info. Type:  ISI
Estimated Dissemination Date:  3/2/2009
Contact Person:  Rebecca Rootes  NOAA Locator

Date First Posted in Peer Review Agenda:  12/16/2007

Estimated Peer Review Start Date:  9/15/2008
Review type: individual letters
Expected number of peer reviewers:  3 or fewer
Peer reviewers will be selected by:  a designated outside organization

Will the public, including scientific or professional societies, be asked to nominate potential peer reviewers?  no

Will there be opportunities for the public to comment on the work product to be peer reviewed?  no

How?  N/A

When?  N/A

Will the agency provide significant and relevant public comments to the peer reviewers before they conduct their review?  no

Primary disciplines or expertise needed in the review:  Expertise needed in salmon/water manipulation and management, salmon habitat modeling, application of the Endangered Species Act, salmon risk assessment methodologies, salmon conservation biology.

Comments on Peer Review:

Charge statement to the reviewers: OCAP Terms of Reference-1.pdf