BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1997 Proposal

Section 1. Administrative
Section 2. Narrative
Section 3. Budget

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Administrative

Title of project
BPA Structure Maintenance

BPA project number   5508200

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
USFS

Sponsor type   OR-Federal Agency

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   , EWI

Biological opinion ID   

NWPPC Program number   

Short description
In 1984, the Wallowa Valley Ranger District, incooperation with the Bonneville PowerAdministration (1988) began a extensive program of riparian/fisheries restoration and enhancement. With these highly successful restoration projects began a comprehensive maintenance program to ensurethat improvement structures function to designspecifications and goals, benefiting the goals andobjectives of the entire riparian/fisheriesrestoration and enhancement program on the WallowaValley Ranger District which encompasses the JosephCreek Subbasin. This project will consolidate all maintenance workneed for those exclosure fences and instreamhabitat structures which are components ofpreviously completed BPA/USFS stream rehabilitationprojects on the Grand Ronde Basin, Joseph CreekSubbasin, Wallowa Valley Ranger District.

Project start year   1997    End year   2001

Start of operation and/or maintenance   1988

Project development phase   Maintenance

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects
N/A

Project history
As stated previously, in 1984 the Wallowa ValleyRanger District, in cooperation with the BonnevillePower Administration (1988) began a extensiveprogram of riparian/fisheries restoration andenhancement. With these highly successfulrestoration projects began a comprehensivemaintenance program to ensure that improvementstructures function to design specifications andgoals, benefiting the goals and objectives of theentire riparian/fisheries restoration andenhancement program on the Wallowa Valley RangerDistrict which encompasses the Joseph CreekSubbasin.

The Bonneville Power Administration has previouslyfunded this project under contract No.DE-A179-84BP17578, Project No. 84-9;
FY 93 - $16,590
FY 92 - $12,949
FY 91 - $13,074
FY 90 - $13,492
FY 89 - $10,732

Biological results achieved
To date The Wallowa Valley Ranger District hasaccomplished 26.8 miles of riparian/fisheriesrestoration within the Joseph Creek Subbasin. Fisheries habitat improvement accomplishmentsoccurred in four major work activities:

(1) Project monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
(2) Maintenance of previous projects.
(3) Streamside vegetation plantings.
(4) Implementation of habitat rehabilitationprojects.

For the purpose of this project, we will discussNo. (2) Maintenance of previous project. Directresults include the yearly inspection and maintenance of 45.6 miles of exclosure fencing andthe yearly inspection and maintenance 1193 instreamhabitat improvement structures.

Biological results achieved as a results of acomprehensive maintenance program include,re-establishment of riparian vegetation, includingtrees and shrubs, increased bank stability,increased stream shading resulting in decreasedwater temperatures, increased spawning and rearinghabitat, increased soil productivity, decreasedsediment production, and a rejuvenated riparianzone.

Annual reports and technical papers
Annual reports include those made to the BonnevillePower Administration under Contract no.DE-AI19-84-BP-17578, Project No. 84-9.

Management implications
An indirect and highly beneficial effect of the tenyear effort has been the building of a fisheriesprogram on the Wallowa Valley Ranger District whichhas resulted in an increased awareness of theimportance of streams and fish habitat by Districtpersonnel and the public. The Joseph Creekwatershed is managed exclusively for wild steelheadtrout production. Current steelhead production potential for the Grand Ronde Basin is estimated at16,566 adults and 432,844 smolts (ODFW 1986).

Knowledge gained from this program has increasedthe knowledge pool for habitat restoration. Measuring the results of completed projects hasallowed fisheries professionals to design currentand future restoration projects with predicableresults. Knowledge includes such factors as whatworks, what does not, and what restorationactivities cost. In addition, the �Blue MountainsNatural Resource Institute� has adopted Elk Creek asa Demonstration Project for the purpose of"demonstrating" the knowledge gained fromrestoration activities and how to transfer andapply that knowledge to other public and privatelands.

Specific measureable objectives
The overall objective is to maintain habitatimprovement structures to ensure accomplishment ofdesign and performance goals.

1) Physically inspect all riparian protectionfences and implement repairs as needed.
2) Physically inspect all instream habitatimprovement structures to ascertain need forrepairs or modifications to ensureaccomplishment of design and performancegoals.

Testable hypothesis
N/A

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints
None

Methods
The necessary structural maintenance of instreamstructures are identified during the physicalmonitoring phase of the maintenance activity. Maintenance typically consists of "fine tuning" thestructure to better achieve desired results, but itcould also include a partial reconstruction of astructure damaged by high flows. This mightinclude the addition of some additional rockrip-rap of other repair involving minor excavation.
Some minor structures, such as log deflectors, mayrequire re-establishment.

Areas where the riparian exclosure fencing has beendamaged will be located during the physicalmonitoring phase and all necessary maintenancecompleted. Fences will be checked at monthlyintervals throughout the grazing season to note andrepair any additional fencing failures.

Brief schedule of activities
Task 1 PHYSICALLY MONITOR THE PROJECTS LISTED BELOW AND EVALUATE THEIR ANNUAL MAINTENANCE NEEDS.

Chesnimnus Cr: Fencing: 27.3 miles of 4-strand barbed wire, 27 of 266 hard instream structures
and 13 of 129 soft instream structures.
Devils Run Cr.: Fencing: 4.0 miles of 4-strand barbed wire, 13 of 125 soft instream structures
Elk Cr: Fencing: 5.8 miles of 4-strand barbed wire, 11 of 114 hard instream structures
Peavine Creek: Fencing: 5.5 miles of electric, 11 of 114 hard instream structures, 19 of 185 soft instream structures
Peavine Creek: Fencing: 1 mile of 5-strand barbed wire, 3 of 25 hard insstream structures
Davis Creek: Fencing: 2 miles of 4-strand barbed wire, 26 of 260 soft instream structures.
TOTAL - 45.6 miles of fencing, 50 of 494 hard instream structure, 70 of 699 soft instream structures.

NOTE The number of instream structures requiring maintenance is estimated (based on a 10% failure rate) due to the fact that accurate maintenance needs can not be determined until after peak stream runoff has occurred (usually in May of June.)

Task 2 PRESCRIBE MAINTENANCE PLANS TO CORRECT THOSE PROBLEMS FOUND DURING COMPLETION OF TASK ONE.

Task 3
PREPARE AND SECURE IMPLEMENTATION CONTRACTS TO COMPLETE ALL MAINTENANCE NEEDS.

Biological need
The underlying need for this project is thatwithout proper maintenance, years of accumulatedrestoration and "healing" time may be lost. Fisheries restoration takes time. Once a streamhas been given the building blocks and necessarytools to restore itself it needs protection andtime. With proper maintenance this protection andtime can be given.

Critical uncertainties
None

Summary of expected outcome
The continued success of riparian/fisheriesrestoration efforts on 22.8 miles of streamslocated on the Joseph Creek Subbasin, WallowaValley Ranger District.

Results achieved as a results of a comprehensivemaintenance program include, re-establishment ofriparian vegetation, including trees and shrubs,increased bank stability, increased stream shadingresulting in decreased water temperatures,increased spawning and rearing habitat, increasedsoil productivity, decreased sediment production,and a rejuvenated riparian zone.

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation
The projects only restriction is funding.

Risks
The are NO risks associated with implementing thisproject. The only risks are associated with NOTimplementing this project. Loss of valuableriparian/fisheries habitat and 10 years ofrestoration efforts in cooperation with BPA.

Monitoring activity
Exclosure Monitoring - All streamside units areexamined for maintenance needs and repairsperformed prior to livestock grazing within thepasture or allotment. Fences are then checked atmonthly intervals throughout the grazing season tonote and repair any additional fencing failures.

Section 3. Budget

* For most projects, Authorized is the amount recommended by CBFWA and the Council. Planned is amount currently allocated. Contracted is the amount obligated to date of printout.

Funding recommendations

CBFWA funding review group   Snake River

Recommendation    Tier 2 - fund when funds available

Recommended funding level   $17,491