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
Yakima River Rearing Habitat Enhancement, Between Selah and Union Gaps
BPA project number 5511700
Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
Yakama Indian Nation
Sponsor type WA-Tribe
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
| Name | Lynn Hatcher | |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 151
Toppenish, WA 98948 | |
| Phone | 509/865-6262 |
BPA technical contact ,
Biological opinion ID
NWPPC Program number 3.1D.1
Short description
Much of the Yakima and lower Naches River was diked and channelized by the Army Corps of Engineers after the 1933 flood. Impacts from diking included loss of side channel and alcove habitat by filling and channel down cutting, lost floodplain storage, increased channel velocities and loss of riparian vegetation. The project would focus on reestablishing side channel and alcove habitat, improving existing velocity cover by building deflectors and adding large woody debris, and restoring riparian habitat by planting native riparian vegetation.
Project start year 1997 End year 1999
Start of operation and/or maintenance
Project development phase Implementation
Section 2. Narrative
Related projects
Project history
Biological results achieved
Annual reports and technical papers
Management implications
Specific measureable objectives
Fish utilization in reconnected side channels would be quantified.
Testable hypothesis
Improving rearing habitat in this reach of the mainstem Yakima River will improve anadromous fish stock health in the basin.
Underlying assumptions or critical constraints
Methods
Fish density will be determined with mark/recapture methods.
Brief schedule of activities
The project would be initiated in year one with an engineering study of needed actions to reconnect isolated side channels. Deflectors would be constructed along channelized sections. Riparian vegetation would be planted at appropriate locations. Large woody debris would be scattered in the channel at suitable sites.
Biological need
Managers believe rearing habitat for juvenile fish is severely limited in the basin. This project would redress rearing habitat function through increasing the amount of rearing habitat available.
Critical uncertainties
Rearing habitat for juvenile fish is severely limited in the Yakima Basin, so much so that fish managers believe rearing habitat restoration is one of most important actions to restore stock health.
Summary of expected outcome
Rearing habitat in this reach of the river would increase. Water quality would improve over time.
Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation
Project design and implementation would be coordinated with WDFW and the county Public Works Department.
Risks
Flooding may reduce function of scattered large woody debris.
Monitoring activity
Juvenile fish density would be quantified at reconnected side channels at three times during season of use in the third year.
Section 3. Budget
Data shown are the total of expense and capital obligations by fiscal year. Obligations for any given year may not equal actual expenditures or accruals within the year, due to carryover, pre-funding, capitalization and difference between operating year and BPA fiscal year.| Historic costs | FY 1996 budget data* | Current and future funding needs |
| (none) | New project - no FY96 data available | 1997: 246,400 1998: 56,000 1999: 10,080 |
* 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 Bonneville Dam - Priest Rapids Dam
Recommendation Tier 1 - fund
Recommended funding level $246,400
BPA 1997 authorized budget (approved start-of-year budget) $246,400