Monitoring Steelhead Use of Restoration Projects

The project will document steelhead spawning and juvenile rearing activity in the North Fork Walla Walla River and Couse Creek, two tributaries identified as primary spawning areas for the Umatilla/Walla Walla population of mid-Columbia River steelhead. The project goal is twofold: 1) Document baseline steelhead redd counts and juvenile abundance and 2) Monitor the effectiveness of restoration actions with pre and post-implementation stream surveys.
Information describing steelhead utilization of the North Fork Walla Walla River and Couse Creek is currently lacking. With technical support from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council will conduct redd counts, habitat surveys, and juvenile snorkel surveys in 5.6 miles of the North Fork and 4.2 miles of Couse Creek in 2025 and 2026. The baseline spawning and rearing information is a first step toward filling a data gap about steelhead use of these tributaries. Effectiveness monitoring of restoration treatments will guide future project development and adaptive management actions.
Project partners include the property owners, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, and Bonneville Power Administration.

The project will document steelhead spawning and juvenile rearing activity in the North Fork Walla Walla River and Couse Creek, two tributaries identified as primary spawning areas for the Umatilla/Walla Walla population of mid-Columbia River steelhead. The project goal is twofold: 1) Document baseline steelhead redd counts and juvenile abundance and 2) Monitor the effectiveness of aquatic habitat restoration actions with pre and post-implementation stream surveys.
Information describing steelhead utilization of the North Fork Walla Walla River and Couse Creek is currently lacking. With technical support from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Walla Walla Basin Watershed Council will conduct redd counts, habitat surveys, and juvenile snorkel surveys in 5.6 miles of the North Fork and 4.2 miles of Couse Creek in 2025 and 2026. The baseline spawning and rearing information is a first step toward filling a data gap about steelhead use of these tributaries. Effectiveness monitoring of habitat restoration treatments will guide future project development and adaptive management actions aiming to improve spawning and rearing habitat in Walla Walla River tributaries.