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
Wallowa County/Nez Perce Tribe Salmon Habitat Recovery Plan Implementation

BPA project number   5520900

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
Nez Perce Tribe

Sponsor type   ID-Tribe

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   , EWP

Biological opinion ID   N/A

NWPPC Program number   7.7B

Short description
The Wallowa County/Nez Perce Tribe Salmon Habitat Recovery Plan (County/Tribe Plan) is a locally developed plan to provide habitat in the County suitable for sustaining spring chinook and other salmonids. A watershed approach to habitat issues and local ownership in the County /Tribe Plan were central to the County/Tribe Plan's development. This project is to help implement the County/Tribe Plan.

Project start year   1996    End year   

Start of operation and/or maintenance   1996

Project development phase   Implementation

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects
9202601 - Grande Ronde Model Watershed planning and project implementation. Wallowa County is part of the Model Watershed program.

Project history
N/A

Biological results achieved
N/A

Annual reports and technical papers
Wallowa County/Nez Perce Tribe Salmon Habitat Recovery Plan

Management implications
N/A

Specific measureable objectives
1) Number of watershed restoration projects implemented. 2) Improvements in water quality and instream water quantity.

Testable hypothesis
Not applicable.

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints
This question is not really applicable to this project, however, the big underlying assumption is that local landowners, the County Court, the Nez Perce Tribe, and environmental groups can work together to provide high quality habitat for salmon while allowing local residents the ability to earn a living.

Methods
N/A

Brief schedule of activities
The money budgeted for this project will be split three ways: 1) implementation, 2) hardware, and 3) expenses. Implementation will consist of projects that fit the implementation part of the of the County/Tribe Plan. The County/Tribe Plan provides a "laundry list" of projects that will correct problems identified during the planning process. Streams in the County have been prioritized and this project will emphasize first priority streams over lower priority streams. Projects brought forward by landowners in lower priority streams, however, will not be ignored.

Hardware will consist of equipment that is presently lacking in the County or is considered essential for implementation of the County/Tribe Plan.

Expenses will consist of items including but not exclusive of: consulting fees, travel, and office expenses.

Biological need
There were stream reaches identified in the County/Tribe Plan as needing habitat work.

Critical uncertainties
The critical uncertainty is that local residents do not control what happens downstream from Wallowa County. In other words, Wallowa County residents can not save the chinook in the Snake River basin nor can they insure that any salmon will survive to return to the County.

Summary of expected outcome
1) Instream habitat and water quality and quantity will be improved in Wallowa County. 2) Riparian habitat and upland habitat will be improved. 3) Local landowners will have a stake in restoration activities.

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation
1) This project will cooperate with the Grande Ronde Model Watershed program. 2) Opportunities for local resident's participation in planning and implementation efforts will be encouraged.

Risks
1) A lack of success in returning salmon to the County's watersheds could discourage people from continuing to participate. 2) Some projects may not perform as expected.

Monitoring activity
1) All of the irrigation diversions in the Lostine River, Bear Creek, and this section of the Wallowa River have stream gages installed. Stream gages have also been installed in the mainstems of each stream and also in the mainstem Wallowa. All gages were installed with the cooperation of the landowners. Data from these gages will be used to develop a water budget for instream flows and irrigation diversions. 2) Wallowa Highschool is monitoring water quality at various locations in the lower Wallowa Valley. 3) All watershed restoration projects will have project monitoring associated with them. 4) There will be watershed level and subbasin level monitoring plans developed.

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 1 - fund

Recommended funding level   $50,000

BPA 1997 authorized budget (approved start-of-year budget)   $50,000