White Salmon River Subbasin Habitat Project

Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Acquisition

Fish Passage Improvement Riparian Habitat
Project ID15-Yaka-02
Recovery DomainsLower Columbia River
Start Date04/01/2016
End Date06/30/2021
Year2015
StatusCompleted
Last Edited01/25/2024
 
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Description    


The main objective of this project was to remove a complete fish passage barrier at river mile 0.32, restoring access to 4.55 miles of quality spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous fish and enhancing sediment and debris transport to improve habitat above and below the culvert. Design and engineering needed to replace the barrier culvert on Mill Creek used SRFB and USFWS funds and were completed in 2015. Condit Dam at RM 3.3. on the White Salmon River was breached on October 26, 2011, and removal of the dam structure was completed in 2012, removing the only downstream barrier to the Mill Creek Fish Passage project site. The anadromous species listed have begun or are expected to use White Salmon River tributaries, including Mill Creek (which is the downstream-most White Salmon tributary accessible to anadromous salmonids).

In addition, work under this project improved conditions at the impounded White Salmon River delta, at an active restoration site for which funding (PacifiCorp Condit Dam removal settlement, BIA, PCSRF 13-Yaka-02 White Salmon Delta Habitat Enhancement Planning & Assessment, and 13-Yaka-03 White Salmon Delta Critical Habitat Enhancement) has expired. The Underwood Restoration Project was executed in late winter and early spring 2018; however, a 30-year high water event due to accelerated spring run-off of a substantial snowpack in the upper Columbia River basin led to the complete inundation of the site for over 5 weeks in May-June 2018, submerging recently applied seed and installed plants. The seed was presumably washed away or made unviable by the high water, and some of the plantings did not survive the prolonged inundation. This project replaced lost seeding and plants to insure a healthy riparian habitat at the entrance to the system, through which all migrating salmonids must pass.

Worksite #1: Mill Creek Culvert – Replaced a culvert fish passage barrier at Mill Creek river mile 0.32 with a new, fish-passable road crossing where Lakeview Road crosses Mill Creek, restoring access to 4.55 miles of quality spawning and rearing habitat for anadromous fish and enhancing sediment and debris transport to improve habitat above and below the culvert.

Worksite #2: White Salmon confluence (Underwood In-lieu restoration site) – Funds from this grant were used to address outstanding and unanticipated restoration needs where a recent project reconfigured fluvial deposits post-Condit Dam removal in the inundated reach of the lower White Salmon River (Bonneville Pool backwater) to create riparian habitat that will support suitable juvenile rearing and outmigration, and restore ecological function for salmonids. Due to unanticipated and un-modeled prolonged inundation of the site just after planting in spring 2018, as well as lower than expected site elevations due to insufficient fill, some areas of the site need to be re-seeded with native vegetation mix and replanted with appropriate native shrubs and trees. .75 miles of riparian streambank were treated, and 5.7 acres of riparian area were planted with native species. Funding also covered weed control on the site (5.7 acres) to ensure the success of native plantings, and purchase of a modest stockpile of target plants for infilling. Project monitoring at the Underwood site will be accomplished in out years on the ground as well as aerially with the use of a UAV to assess success.

Project Benefit    


The primary goal of the Mill Cr. culvert replacement project was to open fish passage to an additional 4.55 miles of high-quality stream habitat in Mill Creek above the former Condit Dam location. The project also restores natural conveyance of water, large woody material and sediment by replacing the former culvert with a road crossing that will not bottleneck high flows or restrict conveyance, allowing Mill Creek to function as a natural part of the White Salmon River basin.
Fish species expected to benefit from the project include Coho, Mid-Columbia summer steelhead, Mid-Columbia winter steelhead, Lower Columbia Spring Chinook, Lower Columbia fall Chinook, Lower Columbia Coho, Rainbow trout, Coastal cutthroat trout, and Pacific and Brook Lamprey. As salmon and steelhead in-migration, spawning, and rearing increase throughout the White Salmon basin, Mill Creek is expected to serve as important refuge from seasonal extremes in other parts of the basin, including periods of high flows and high turbidity in the winter and low flows or high temperatures in the summer.

Mill Creek is a source of cold, clear water (it is spring-fed), and while the White Salmon River may suffer from higher sediment levels in the future, and other tributaries already suffer from low flows and warm stream temperatures, Mill Creek will become increasingly important in providing cold water refuge for migrating and rearing salmonids. Steelhead spawning surveys in the lower creek since the project began have documented spawning activity by Middle-Columbia steelhead. The presence of Coho juveniles suggests that Coho are spawning in the creek. (see details under project description).

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed
Riparian Habitat
  Stream Miles Treated .75 .75
  Acres Treated 5.7 5.7
Fish Passage
  Barriers Removed
  Miles Opened 4.55 4.87

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$100,000
Report Total:$100,000


Project Map



Worksites

Mill Cr. Culvert    


  • Worksite Identifier: Mill Cr. Culvert
  • Start Date: 04/01/2016
  • End Date: 06/30/2021
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Middle Columbia (170701)
  • Subbasin:
  • Watershed:
  • Subwatershed:
  • State: Washington
  • Recovery Domain: Lower Columbia River
  • Latitude: 45.77895
  • Longitude: -121.53201

ESU

  • Lower Columbia River Coho Salmon ESU
  • Middle Columbia River Steelhead DPS
  • Lower Columbia River Chinook Salmon ESU

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • C.0 Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
    •      . . C.0.a Habitat restoration and acquisition funding 69,926.00
    •      . . C.0.b Length of stream treated/protected .01
    •      . . C.0.c
      Project identified in a Plan or Watershed Assessment
      Condit Dam Removal Final SEPA Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, 2007, Wash. Department of Ecology, publication #07-06-012 White Salmon Subbasin Plan (NPPC 2005).
    •      . . C.0.d.1 Project Monitoring (LOV)
    •      . . C.0.d.2 Monitoring Location (LOV)
    •      . . C.0.d.3
      Monitoring text (from Phase I)
      Establish photo points and vegetation survival sampling grids, time-lapse and aerial photo monitoring of newly constructed channels correlated with project staff gage/Bonneville pool height. Photo points for vegetation survival sampling grids, time-lapse photos from unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV -drone). Island inundation frequency to stage/pool level monitoring were conducted per 404 requirements
    •      . . C.2 Fish Passage ImprovementY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . C.2.a Fish Passage Funding 69,926.00
      •      . . . . C.2.b.1 Length of stream made accessible 4.55
      •      . . . . C.2.b.2 Square miles of streambed made accessible (Square miles)
      •      . . . . C.2.b.3 Type of blockage/barrier (LOV)
      •      . . . . C.2.b.4 Number of blockages/impediments/barriers impeding passage 1
      •      . . . . C.2.f.1 Culvert installed or improved at road stream crossingY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . C.2.f.2 Number of culverts installed or improved 1
        •      . . . . . . C.2.f.3 Miles of stream made accessible by culvert installation/upgrade 4.55

White Salmon River Confluence (Underwood In-lieu Restoration Site)    


  • Worksite Identifier: White Salmon River Confluence (Underwood In-lieu Restoration Site)
  • Start Date: 10/01/2018
  • End Date: 06/30/2021
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Middle Columbia (170701)
  • Subbasin:
  • Watershed:
  • Subwatershed:
  • State: Washington
  • Recovery Domain: Lower Columbia River
  • Latitude: 45.729306
  • Longitude: -121.523193

ESU

  • Lower Columbia River Coho Salmon ESU
  • Middle Columbia River Steelhead DPS
  • Lower Columbia River Chinook Salmon ESU

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • C.0 Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
    •      . . C.0.a Habitat restoration and acquisition funding 30,074.00
    •      . . C.0.b Length of stream treated/protected .75
    •      . . C.0.c
      Project identified in a Plan or Watershed Assessment
      Recovery Plan for the White Salmon River Watershed December 2011. Plan identifies potential need for sediment management in the delta area post Condit removal.
    •      . . C.0.d.1 Project Monitoring (LOV)
    •      . . C.0.d.2 Monitoring Location (LOV)
    •      . . C.0.d.3
      Monitoring text (from Phase I)
      Established photo points and vegetation survival sampling grids, time-lapse and aerial photo monitoring of newly constructed channels correlated with project staff gage/Bonneville pool height.
    •      . . C.5 Riparian Habitat ProjectY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . C.5.a Riparian Habitat Funding 30,074.00
      •      . . . . C.5.b.1 Total riparian miles streambank treated .75
      •      . . . . C.5.b.2 Total Riparian Acres Treated 5.7
      •      . . . . C.5.c.1 Riparian plantingY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . C.5.c.2
          Species of plants planted in riparian
          Red-Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea),Scouler’s Willow (Salix scouleriana),Pacific Willow (Salix lasiandra)Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus),Douglas Spirea (Spiraea douglasii),Red Alder (Alnus rubra)
        •      . . . . . . C.5.c.3 Acres planted in riparian 5.7
        •      . . . . . . C.5.c.4 Miles of streambank treated with riparian planting .75
      •      . . . . C.5.h.1 Riparian plant removal/controlY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . C.5.h.2
          Species of plants treated/removed in riparian
          Yellow flag iris Reed canarygrass Blackberry Rush skeletonweed Spotted knapweed (much improved) Canada thistle Herb Robert False Indigobush Scotch broom Teasel Bull thistle Annual cereal ryegrass
        •      . . . . . . C.5.h.3 Acres of riparian treated for plant removal/control 5.7
        •      . . . . . . C.5.h.4 Miles of streambank treated for riparian plant removal/control .75