East Fork Hood River "Mills" Large Wood Placement Project - Log Purchase

Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Acquisition

Instream Habitat
Project ID16-Warm-01
Recovery DomainsLower Columbia River
Start Date05/01/2017
End Date08/31/2019
Year2016
StatusCompleted
Last Edited01/25/2024
 
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Description    


The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation – Hood River Production Program (CTWS ) has been working to enhance priority salmon and steelhead habitat in the Hood River basin since 1988. Past Projects include seven Large Wood Debris (LWD) placement projects, streamflow conservation, nutrient enhancement, riparian protection and enhancement, and several water quality improvement projects.

The East Fork Hood River (EFHR) is one of the main tributaries in the Hood River watershed. It provides spawning and rearing habitat for spring Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed steelhead (O. mykiss) and coho salmon (O. kisutch), and resident rainbow trout (O. mykiss). It is also being recolonized by pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus).

During FY16, HRPP staff used an Intrinsic Potential Modeling effort and Stream Physical Habitat data to analyze and prioritize areas of the East Fork Hood River. A one mile section owned by the Mills family was selected for restoration activities, and preliminary designs were developed. During FY18, Interflueve was contracted to develop the engineering design and the project permitting process was initiated.

Funds from FY19, were used to implement the East Fork Mills LWD Placement Project. Through a competitive bidding process, Northwest Watershed Restoration and Interfluve Inc. were contracted to contruct and oversee the implementation of the restoration project. Work began in earnest during the spring of 2019 with transportation of large wood and slash needed to contruct the LWD structures. Ground was broke beginning August 1st and the project was completed by August 22, well within the instream work window for the East Fork Hood River.

Logs were transported to the structure sites with a rock truck and all structures were placed using a class 349 Cat trackhoe. Structures were dug into the streambank or streambed, logs were bolted togeather using threaded rebar, and the structures were then backfilled using the excavated material as balst to esnure the structures would withstand a 100 year flood event. Project construction was overseen and directed by HRPP Biologist and the Interfluve Inc. engineering team that designed the project.

In total, 11 LWD structures were built, 11 associated pool habitats were created, and two promentient side channels were augemented with additional flow. All access routes and disturbed areas were rehabilitated by recontouring the area, seeding and mulching to satabilize soils. Funds have been dedicated in the FY20 habitat budget to purchase potted and bare root plants to furhter rehabilitate the diturbed areas. These plants will be installed during the spring 2020 with HRPP staff and volunteers.

Upon completion, the East Fork Mills LWD project installed 330 logs and rootwads in 11 structures within a 0.6 miles streatch of the East Fork Hood River (Figure 12). Large wood structues will increase instream habitat complexity, collect and store spawning gravels, reconnect to adjacent floodplains, and will help to establish connectivity to remnant side channel habitats and approximately nine acres of mature riparian floodplain. Project effectiveness monitoring will take place in YR 2 and 5 using the same protocols used for pre-project monitoring and habitat surveys. $100,000 from the PCSRF was used procure and deliver large wood to the project site.

Project Benefit    


The EFHR Mills Large Wood Placement Project will enhance ~0.8 miles of the East Fork Hood River with the addition of ~600 logs and rootwads in the main channel, side channels, and floodplain of the project reach. LWD placement will be designed to reconnect remnant side channels, scour pool habitat, sort, collect and store spawning gravels, and promote natural stream processes, such as floodplain inundation, lateral channel migration, sediment transport, and sediment deposition. The project strives to promote the natural ecological function of the EFHR, to increase instream habitat complexity within the reach, provide off-channel and over-wintering habitat for juvenile salmonids, and provide spawning opportunities for several ESA-listed salmonids native to the EFHR.

This project addresses limiting factors identified in several habitat assessment and restoration plans for the East Fork Hood River including: LWD abundance, floodplain and side channel connectivity, and habitat quantity, diversity and complexity.

Accomplishments

Metric Completed Originally
Proposed
Instream Habitat
  Stream Miles Treated .81 .81

Funding Details

SourceFunds
PCSRF$100,000
Other$362,367
Report Total:$462,367


Project Map



Worksites

EFHR Mills Large Wood Placement Project    


  • Worksite Identifier: EFHR Mills Large Wood Placement Project
  • Start Date: 10/01/2016
  • End Date: 08/31/2019
Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

  • Basin: Middle Columbia (170701)
  • Subbasin: Middle Columbia-Hood (17070105)
  • Watershed: East Fork Hood River (1707010505)
  • Subwatershed:
  • State: Oregon
  • Recovery Domain: Lower Columbia River
  • Latitude: 45.55656
  • Longitude: -121.58726

ESU

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

Map

Photos

Metrics

Metrics
  • C.0 Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
    •      . . C.0.a Habitat restoration and acquisition funding 462,367.00
    •      . . C.0.b Length of stream treated/protected .81
    •      . . C.0.c
      Project identified in a Plan or Watershed Assessment
      • Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish-Wit Spirit of the Salmon (CRITFC, 1996) • Hood River Watershed Assessment (NWPPC, 1999) • Hood River Subbasin Plan (NWPPC, 2004) • Hood River Basin Aquatic Restoration Strategy (USFS, 2006) (+2 more)
    •      . . C.0.d.1 Project Monitoring (LOV)
    •      . . C.0.d.2 Monitoring Location (LOV)
    •      . . C.4 Instream Habitat ProjectY (Y/N)
      •      . . . . C.4.a Instream Habitat Funding 462,367.00
      •      . . . . C.4.b Total length of instream habitat treated .81
      •      . . . . C.4.d.1 Channel structure placementY (Y/N)
        •      . . . . . . C.4.d.2 Material used for channel structure (LOV)
        •      . . . . . . C.4.d.3 Miles of stream treated through channel structure placement .81
        •      . . . . . . C.4.d.4 Acres of streambed treated through channel structure placement 1.1
        •      . . . . . . C.4.d.5 Pools expected to be created through channel structure placement 11
        •      . . . . . . C.4.d.6 Yards of average stream-width at mid-point of channel structure placement project11 (Yards)
        •      . . . . . . C.4.d.7 Number of structures placed in channel 11