FY 2002 Columbia Plateau proposal 25068

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal titleRock Creek watershed road and riparian corridor improvement project.
Proposal ID25068
OrganizationYakama Nation, Klickitat County, Boise Cascade Corporation (YN/KC/BCC)
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
NamePaul Ward
Mailing addressP.O. Box 151 Toppenish, WA 98948
Phone / email5098656262 / [email protected]
Manager authorizing this projectLynn Hatcher
Review cycleColumbia Plateau
Province / SubbasinColumbia Plateau / Rock Creek
Short descriptionPerform habitat restoration to stabilize mainstem Rock Creek channel, enhance riparian corridor vegetation characteristics, and improve the road network throughout the subbasin to benefit fish and wildlife.
Target speciesSteelhead trout (Middle Columbia River ESU), Fall Chinook and Coho Salmon, Rainbow trout
Project location
LatitudeLongitudeDescription
45.7377 -120.431 Multiple project sites located throughout the Rock Creek Subbasin; Portions of Township 3, 4, 5, and 6 N and Ranges 18, 19, and 20 E.
45.9802 -120.3705 Multiple project sites located throughout the Rock Creek Subbasin; Portions of Township 3, 4, 5, and 6 N and Ranges 18, 19, and 20 E.
45.6964 -120.4581 Rock Creek
Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Sponsor-reported:

RPA
Action 150
Action 153

Relevant RPAs based on NMFS/BPA review:

Reviewing agencyAction #BiOp AgencyDescription
NMFS Action 153 NMFS BPA shall, working with agricultural incentive programs such as the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, negotiate and fund long-term protection for 100 miles of riparian buffers per year in accordance with criteria BPA and NMFS will develop by June 1, 2001.

Section 2. Past accomplishments

YearAccomplishment

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Project IDTitleDescription
20119 Rock Creek watershed assessment and restoration project Results of Rock Creek assessment work will drive out year project site prioritization for this proposal.
NMFS BO; RPA Action 150 Proposal protects and restores productive non-Federal habitat containing threatened steelhead trout (Mid-Columbia ESU)
NMFS BO; RPA Action 153 Attempt to coordinate with NRCS to educate landowners and encourage participation in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2002 costSubcontractor
1. Stabilize mainstem channel, reduce erosion, and increase channel shading on Rock Creek. a. Plant riparian vegetation on gravel bars with mechanical stinger to stabilize sections of channel that are currently unstable. (YN, NRCS) FY 02-04 $850 Yes
b. Install rock barbs in lower Rock Creek to stabilize channel along eroding banks, decrease water velocity, and provide habitat for juvenile salmonids. (YN, KC) FY 02-04 $450 Yes
3. Improve quality of road network to reduce water and sediment delivery to streams. a. Boise Cascade will identify and repair priority road projects on their ownership in the upper watershed. (BCC) FY 02-04 $750
b. Work with Klickitat County to implement road repair work on County roads throughout the Rock Creek subbasin. (YN, KC) FY 02-04 $750
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
1. Stabilize mainstem channel, reduce erosion, and increase channel shading on Rock Creek. 2003 2004 $2,600
3. Improve quality of road network to reduce water and sediment delivery to streams. 2003 2004 $3,000
Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase
FY 2003FY 2004
$2,800$2,800

Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2002 costSubcontractor
1. Stabilize mainstem channel, reduce erosion, and increase channel shading on Rock Creek. a. Plant riparian vegetation on gravel bars with mechanical stinger to stabilize sections of channel that are currently unstable. (YN, NRCS) FY 02-04 $19,150 Yes
b. Install rock barbs in lower Rock Creek to stabilize channel along eroding banks, decrease water velocity, and provide habitat for juvenile salmonids. (YN, KC) FY 02-04 $8,050
c. Plant riparian vegetation on stable stream banks to facilitate the rate of vegetation recovery and to provide channel shading. (YN) FY 02-04 $10,000 Yes
2. Reduce grazing pressure on recovering or restored riparian areas. a. Install fencing to exclude livestock from currently recovering areas or areas under active restoration. (YN) FY 02-04 $12,250 Yes
b. Work with NRCS to educate landowners and encourage participation in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP). (YN, NRCS) FY 02-04 $1,000
3. Improve quality of road network to reduce water and sediment delivery to streams. a. Boise Cascade will identify and repair priority road projects on their ownership in the upper watershed. (BCC) FY 02-04 $16,700
b. Work with Klickitat County to implement road repair work on County roads throughout the Rock Creek subbasin. (YN, KC) FY 02-04 $14,450
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
1. Stabilize mainstem channel, reduce erosion, and increase channel shading on Rock Creek. 2003 2004 $74,400
2. Reduce grazing pressure on recovering or restored riparian areas. 2003 2004 $26,500
3. Improve quality of road network to reduce water and sediment delivery to streams. 2003 2004 $62,300
Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase
FY 2003FY 2004
$81,600$81,600

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2002 costSubcontractor
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget
ObjectiveTaskDuration in FYsEstimated 2002 costSubcontractor
2. Reduce grazing pressure on recovering or restored riparian areas. a. Install fencing to exclude livestock from currently recovering areas or areas under active restoration. (YN) FY 02-04 $750
3. Improve quality of road network to reduce water and sediment delivery to streams. a. Boise Cascade will identify and repair priority road projects on their ownership in the upper watershed. (BCC) FY 02-04 $550
b. Work with Klickitat County to implement road repair work on County roads throughout the Rock Creek subbasin. (YN, KC) FY 02-04 $800
4. Monitor riparian vegetation growth and assess wildlife use of revegetated riparian areas. a. Monitor survival and growth of riparian vegetation from plantings. (YN) FY 02-04 $5,000
b. Assess the utilization of restored or recovering riparian areas by migratory birds and other wildlife species. (YN) FY 02-04 $5,000
Outyear objectives-based budget
ObjectiveStarting FYEnding FYEstimated cost
2. Reduce grazing pressure on recovering or restored riparian areas. 2003 2004 $1,500
3. Improve quality of road network to reduce water and sediment delivery to streams. 2003 2004 $2,700
4. Monitor riparian vegetation growth and assess wildlife use of revegetated riparian areas. 2003 2004 $20,000
Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase
FY 2003FY 2004
$12,100$12,100

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget
ItemNoteFY 2002 cost
Personnel FTE: YN: 10,850 BCC: 7,000 KC: 8,800 $26,650
Fringe YN: 2,745 BCC: 1,960 KC: 2,464 $7,169
Supplies YN: 6,500 BCC: 6,000 KC: 9,500 $22,000
Travel YN: 1,600 BCC: 400 KC: 400 $2,400
Indirect YN: 3,905 BCC: 2,640 KC: 3,336 $9,881
Capital $0
NEPA $0
PIT tags $0
Subcontractor YN: 28,400 $28,400
Other $0
$96,500
Total estimated budget
Total FY 2002 cost$96,500
Amount anticipated from previously committed BPA funds$0
Total FY 2002 budget request$96,500
FY 2002 forecast from 2001$0
% change from forecast0.0%
Reason for change in estimated budget

NA

Reason for change in scope

NA

Cost sharing
OrganizationItem or service providedAmountCash or in-kind
Boise Cascade Corporation Supervisory personnel, equipment (tracked excavator), and equipment operators. $20,000 in-kind
Klickitat County Road Engineers time and expenses, equipment (trucks and excavators) and equipment operators. $30,000 in-kind

Reviews and recommendations

This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.

Recommendation:
Fundable - no response required
Date:
Jun 15, 2001

Comment:

Fundable. The objective of this proposal is to restore habitat in Rock Creek by stabilizing the main channel, enhancing riparian corridor vegetation, and improving the road network throughout the subbasin (proposal for 3 yeas, FY02-FY04). At present there are no BPA funds direct to fish and wildlife in the sub-basin. This proposal is requesting $96,500 for each year and has a cost sharing commitment of $50,000 from the co-sponsors.

Habitat conditions for fish and wildlife in Rock Creek sub-basin have been severely compromised by over a century of land use and human development. The 1996 flood event compounded these problems causing extensive damage to the mainstem channel and several tributaries. The basin presently supports steelhead trout (Mid Columbia River ESU), fall bright chinook and coho salmon, and rainbow trout.

While the proposal is not particularly informative of the habitat area and extent of work proposed, the presentation to the ISRP clearly demonstrated a severely disrupted environment that will require substantial work. The modest funds requested for FY02 will accomplish relatively little compared to the apparent scope of the problem, but it should be considered an initial investment in subbasin planning and recovery.

The work proposed includes a small bit of stream rehabilitation but is mostly rebuilding existing county and Boise Cascade forest roads, an approach that has been shown to significantly reduce sediment delivery to streams in other areas. A more complete proposal would include monitoring the effectiveness of fencing to exclude livestock from recovering and restored areas and to evaluate the effectiveness of road repairs in reducing sediment delivery to streams. Changes in erosion, channel shading, and stream temperature should be documented.


Recommendation:
High Priority
Date:
Aug 3, 2001

Comment:


Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
Aug 10, 2001

Comment:

Fundable. The objective of this proposal is to restore habitat in Rock Creek by stabilizing the main channel, enhancing riparian corridor vegetation, and improving the road network throughout the subbasin (proposal for 3 yeas, FY02-FY04). At present there are no BPA funds direct to fish and wildlife in the sub-basin. This proposal is requesting $96,500 for each year and has a cost sharing commitment of $50,000 from the co-sponsors.

Habitat conditions for fish and wildlife in Rock Creek sub-basin have been severely compromised by over a century of land use and human development. The 1996 flood event compounded these problems causing extensive damage to the mainstem channel and several tributaries. The basin presently supports steelhead trout (Mid Columbia River ESU), fall bright chinook and coho salmon, and rainbow trout.

While the proposal is not particularly informative of the habitat area and extent of work proposed, the presentation to the ISRP clearly demonstrated a severely disrupted environment that will require substantial work. The modest funds requested for FY02 will accomplish relatively little compared to the apparent scope of the problem, but it should be considered an initial investment in subbasin planning and recovery.

The work proposed includes a small bit of stream rehabilitation but is mostly rebuilding existing county and Boise Cascade forest roads, an approach that has been shown to significantly reduce sediment delivery to streams in other areas. A more complete proposal would include monitoring the effectiveness of fencing to exclude livestock from recovering and restored areas and to evaluate the effectiveness of road repairs in reducing sediment delivery to streams. Changes in erosion, channel shading, and stream temperature should be documented.


Recommendation:
Date:
Oct 1, 2001

Comment:

Statement of Potential Biological Benefit to ESU
Project features installation of rock structures and road improvements to treat streambank erosion. Continuation of previous work. May reduce sediment and improve mesohabitat conditions

Comments
Rock Creek is culturally significant to YIN. Past timber harvest, road construction and grazing have seriously altered watershed processes. Project does not resolve watershed function problems. Support riparian planting and road improvements. Channel engineering should only be implemented as last resort.

Already ESA Req? no

Biop? yes


Recommendation:
Rank C
Date:
Oct 16, 2001

Comment:

Costs appear insufficient to accomplish much work. The proposed work appears very piecemeal. BPA believes that a recommendation for this proposal should await a sub-basin plan and the Technical Recovery Team’s ESA guidance. Otherwise, this relatively small proposal could evolve into a major funding commitment before the priority of the Rock Creek sub-basin is understood relative to ESA needs and the work already being performed in other sub-basins that addresses the same or higher priority species.
Recommendation:
Fund
Date:
Jan 3, 2002

Comment:


Recommendation:
Do Not Fund
Date:
Sep 20, 2003

Comment:


Recommendation:
Date:
Sep 20, 2003

Comment:

The following baseline assessment work will continue to be conducted; steelhead spawning surveys (listed), stream temperature monitoring, habitat inventory. A FLIR flight will be conducted. In addition, a continuous recording gauging station will be activated; Projects for fencing, off channel watering facilities, riparian plantings and instream structures will be scoped and preliminarily designed.