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
Umatilla River Basin Anadromous Fish Habitat Enhancement

BPA project number   8710001

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
CTUIR

Sponsor type   OR-Tribe

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

BPA technical contact   Jerry Bauer, EWN 503/230-7579

Biological opinion ID   None

NWPPC Program number   3.1D.1, 7.6C.5

Short description
Conduct watershed project planning and education process by identifying problems and developing creative solutions to land use problems impacting fisheries habitat in the Umatilla River Basin. Implement maintenance and continued instream and riparian habitat enhancement projects for benefits to spring & fall chinook, coho, and steelhead.

Project start year   1987    End year   

Start of operation and/or maintenance   1988

Project development phase   Implementation/Maintenance

Section 2. Narrative

Related projects
8403300 - Umatilla Hatchery O & M
8343500 - Umatilla Hatchery Satellite Facilities O & M
9101400 - Umatilla Hatchery Satellites - Design & Construction
8802200 - Umatilla River Basin Trap & Haul Program
9000501 - Umatilla Basin Natural Production M & E

Project history
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Umatilla National Forest and Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife cooperatively developed a comprehensive five year habitat implementation plan in 1988. This plan identified anadromous fish habitat problems in the Umatilla River Basin and provided solutions, goals and priorities for addressing these problems. The current habitat enhancement project is a continuation of this initial effort. Stream habitat conditions in the Umatilla Basin range from pristine (need protection) to severely degraded (need enhancement). If natural production goals are to be met in the basin, habitat limiting factors must continue to be addressed.

Biological results achieved
Salmon runs were extinct in the Umatilla Basin prior to implementation of the Umatilla Fish Restoration Program. The habitat enhancement project is a key component of this program and has resulted in 11.0 river miles of improvements. Habitat improvements have included installation of riparian fencing, revegetation of streambanks and surrounding flood plain areas and placement of instream/bank stabilization structures. These efforts benefit fish by improving water quality parameters, increasing sub-surface/instream flow levels and providing more diverse habitat. This work and continued habitat improvements is expected to greatly increase the natural production capability of salmon and steelhead in the Umatilla River Basin.

Annual reports and technical papers
Contractor submits an Annual Report which are available for each year since inception.

Management implications
Habitat enhancements implemented under this project will result in the following benefits: 1) increased water table saturation zones and instream flow levels during summer months, 2) slower water velocities and narrower stream channels, 3) more diverse native riparian vegetation communities to assist with bank stabilization, provide recruitable wood for instream cover, increase shading, increase insect drop and filter sediments. These combined benefits will aide anadromous salmonids by improving overall water quality, increasing and diversifying fisheries habitat and increasing potential food sources (macroinvertebrates).

Specific measureable objectives
Improvements will be monitored following implementation to evaluate short and long-term effects of instream and riparian area enhancements on fish habitat, riparian vegetation recovery, macroinvertebrate presence/diversity and water quality. More specific monitoring techniques are outlined under MONITORING ACTIVITY. Overall success of the project (effectiveness and educational value) will be measured by evaluating public participation and landowner cooperation.

Testable hypothesis

Underlying assumptions or critical constraints

Methods
Land use practices impacting fish production capability will continue to be identified throughout the watershed through baseline data collection, GIS analysis and public scoping meetings. Long-term solutions to land use problems will be developed cooperatively with landowners and other resource agencies in the basin. Remedial measures will be implemented to reduce or eliminate detrimental land management activities where possible. Physical factors which limit production capability will be addressed through enhancement of instream and riparian habitats.

Brief schedule of activities
Continue BPA funding for implementation of maintenance and continued instream and riparian habitat enhancement projects. Continue watershed project planning/scoping process to identify problems and develop/implement solutions to land use problems impacting fisheries habitat in the Umatilla River Basin.

Biological need
Former and current detrimental land use practices continue to impact anadromous fisheries production in the Umatilla River Basin. High summer stream temperatures, nonpoint source pollution (primarily agricultural runoff from cropland areas), lack of native riparian vegetation, low or intermittent stream flows, lack of habitat diversity, and unstable stream channels limit available salmonid spawning/rearing areas throughout the basin. Habitat improvements including riparian fence construction, installation of sediment retention structures and revegetation of riparian corridor areas will diversify habitat and improve water quality/quantity conditions for fish and macroinvertebrates.

Critical uncertainties
Physical surveys conducted in cooperation with CTUIR's Natural Production and Monitoring Program indicate that quality habitat is limited in the Umatilla River Basin. A critically impacted life history state currently affecting the natural production of steelhead and chinook salmon is juvenile rearing (egg deposition to smolting). Also, high quality habitat areas may become fully seeded at some point in the not too distant future. Therefore, there is a need to continue to enhance watershed conditions and expand available spawning and rearing areas in the basin. Improvements, such as those mentioned under BIOLOGICAL NEED will help achieve this objective.

Summary of expected outcome
Benefits expected from habitat enhancements have previously been described under MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS. Overall, these benefits should improve water quality parameters, expand and diversify fisheries habitat and increase potential food sources (macroinvertebrates).

Dependencies/opportunities for cooperation
The restoration of fisheries resources in the Umatilla Basin has been a coordinated effort between Tribal, local, state and federal agencies and the agricultural community. CTUIR's cooperators include ODFW, NACS, Umatilla County SWCD, USFWS and the Umatilla Basin Watershed Council. Project examples include the Umatilla Basin Project, the Umatilla River subbasin salmon and steelhead production plan, the Umatilla Basin Anadromous Fish Habitat Enhancement Project and the Umatilla Hatchery and associated artificial production plans. This coordination has continued and expanded through public scoping meetings formed to identify issues and develop creative solutions to land use problems in the basin. CTUIR intends to continue these coordination efforts.

Risks

Monitoring activity
Baseline and post-project monitoring includes photopoints, physical surveys, stream cross-sections, temperature and turbidity measurements. Information will continue to be used to identify watershed health concerns and to assess the short and long-term effects of instream and riparian area enhancements on fish habitat, riparian vegetation recovery, and water quality.

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   Bonneville Dam - Priest Rapids Dam

Recommendation    Tier 1 - fund

Recommended funding level   $275,000

BPA 1997 authorized budget (approved start-of-year budget)   $274,092