Engaging Stakeholders in Umpqua Basin Flow Restoration

This project increases the pace and scale of instream flow restoration in the Umpqua Basin by engaging stakeholders to increase their knowledge of flow restoration and the opportunities, tools, and incentives available to voluntarily reduce or conserve out-of-stream water use in prioritized reaches of the watershed. Flow restoration tools include leasing and transfer of water, irrigation efficiency upgrades, and minimum flow agreements, which help ensure fish passage and water quality needs for the life stages of native fish and aquatic-dependent organisms. Insufficient instream flow is listed as a key limiting factor in the NOAA Fisheries Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Recovery Plan (Recovery Plan) (2016), which identifies the withdrawal of water as a factor leading to the ESA listing of these fish. In fact, water quantity is listed as the primary limiting factor in the Umpqua (Table 3-2, p 3-7), and agricultural activities that reduce instream flows, are cited as degrading water quality, which is a secondary limiting factor leading to declines in coho population abundance.
In the Recovery Plan for the Umpqua Stratum, NMFS identifies the first action is to “assess the potential success of a pilot program and implement the water conservation and instream flow program in the South or Middle Umpqua populations. Develop a pilot flow restoration effort to implement the protection and restoration strategy and test the program feasibility in the South or Middle Umpqua populations” (p 6-50) which is the exact objective of this proposal. The Partnership for Umpqua Rivers proposes to increase staff capacity to provide technical expertise in water transactions, and to engage key water right holders. There is not currently any dedicated capacity in the Umpqua Basin to develop or support flow restoration projects. PUR will collaborate with partners and receive technical support from Trout Unlimited and Wild Salmon Center to develop transactions and to help engage stakeholders.

This project increases the pace and scale of instream flow restoration in the Umpqua Basin by engaging stakeholders to increase their knowledge of flow restoration and the opportunities, tools, and incentives available to voluntarily reduce or conserve out-of-stream water use in prioritized reaches of the watershed. Flow restoration tools include leasing and transfer of water, irrigation efficiency upgrades, and minimum flow agreements, which help ensure fish passage and water quality needs for the life stages of native fish and aquatic-dependent organisms. Insufficient instream flow is listed as a key limiting factor in the NOAA Fisheries Oregon Coast Coho Salmon Recovery Plan (Recovery Plan) (2016), which identifies the withdrawal of water as a factor leading to the ESA listing of these fish. In fact, water quantity is listed as the primary limiting factor in the Umpqua (Table 3-2, p 3-7), and agricultural activities that reduce instream flows, are cited as degrading water quality, which is a secondary limiting factor leading to declines in coho population abundance. In the Recovery Plan for the Umpqua Stratum, NMFS identifies the first action is to “assess the potential success of a pilot program and implement the water conservation and instream flow program in the South or Middle Umpqua populations. Develop a pilot flow restoration effort to implement the protection and restoration strategy and test the program feasibility in the South or Middle Umpqua populations” (p 6-50) which is the exact objective of this proposal. The Partnership for Umpqua Rivers proposes to increase staff capacity to provide technical expertise in water transactions, and to engage key water right holders. There is not currently any dedicated capacity in the Umpqua Basin to develop or support flow restoration projects. PUR will collaborate with partners and receive technical support from Trout Unlimited and Wild Salmon Center to develop transactions and to help engage stakeholders. Increasing the capacity and level of engagement in the Umpqua Basin to develop voluntary water acquisition and instream flow restoration projects will result in improved hydrologic conditions in the Middle and South Umpqua Basins and benefit native aquatic species, including ESA-listed coho salmon. Water projects will increase instream flows in priority reaches throughout the irrigation season, with particular focus on later summer and early fall periods when instream flow is most limited for native fish.