GSG Conservation Easement

This project had originally intended to fund the Blue Mountain Land Trust in establishing the GSG Conservation Easement, a 1,642 acre parcel encompassing upland, wetland, and riparian habitats. At this time CTWS and BMLT mutually agreed to discontinue the pursuit of the GSG easement, and to shift this project’s focus to other conservation/easement opportunities within the John Day Basin.



OWEB funding ($822,550) for this project went towards the acquisition of this property, while PCSRF funding ($123,674) was used for BMLT capacity (i.e. staff time) for easement development and for performing necessary pre-easement activities (assessment, baseline surveys, etc). The actual metrics for C.0.b, C.10.c.5, and C.10.c.6 are being reported under OWEBs Project #222-8208.



For OWEBs contributions, in 2020, an acquisition and conservation easement opportunity arose for the Phipps Meadow property – a private inholding within the Malheur National Forest situated at the headwaters of the Middle Fork John Day river. This property constitutes 278.74 acres of meadow, wetland, upland, and riparian habitats and is bisected by 1.58 miles of Middle Fork John Day river. Much of the property exists in a degraded condition due to legacy land use effects resulting in poor riparian condition, incised channel form, a lack of juvenile salmonid habitat, and inadequate upland management.



With support from this project BMLT was able to purchase the property in 2020. BMLT subsequently applied for, and was awarded, OWEB funding for acquisition reimbursement and implementation of a conservation easement, the latter being completed in June 2023. CTWS considers the protection of this portion of the watershed a significant achievement due to its watershed placement, restoration opportunity, and complimentary-benefit potential in context of other work implemented by the Tribes in the basin – including the management and in-stream restoration previously completed on the Tribes’ three Middle Fork conservation properties. All remaining funds were expended through the acquisition and easement process and included initial property appraisal, due-diligence work related to acquisition and easement development, writing grant applications, site visits, closing costs, and environmental site assessments.



Since this acquisition, CTWS has played a prominent role in organizing a working group composed of restoration and conservation partners for ongoing restoration and conservation actions on the property. The BMLT has identified CTWS as the lead entity for coordinating the design and implementation of in-stream restoration at Phipps Meadow. Initial 15% in-stream designed are anticipated to be completed during Q4 of 2023. Through the Phipps Meadow working group, partners have begun riparian protection efforts including the installation of exclusion fence in key areas during Q2 and Q3 of 2023. Lastly, the BMLT has been proactive in engaging enrolled Warm Springs tribal members in preparation for the development of a properties management plan, and intend to codify Tribal interests – including access, harvesting/gathering activities, and management for culturally relevant upland and aquatic resources – into this plan based on CTWS input.



In summary, the Phipps Meadow acquisition and easement, funded in large part through this project, has created significant opportunity for restoration at a location that has been long recognized as having a keystone watershed placement within the Middle Fork subbasin, but has been extremely difficult to work on due to land use objectives of previous ownership. Supporting the acquisition of Phipps also marks an access opportunity for Tribal members within their culturally important geography. Overall CTWS considers outcome at Phipps Meadow an overwhelming success with multiple potential benefits to salmonids, watershed health, and culturally relevant resources.

The John Day Subbasin Revised Draft Plan (NPCC 2005a) list the fourth-field Upper John Day River (Hydrologic Unit Code 8: 17070201) where the project is located as a high priority for protection of habitat for summer steelhead and high priority for both protection and restoration for spring Chinook salmon and bull trout. The John Day River Watershed Restoration Strategy (CTWSRO 2014) identifies the Upper John Day River and the Reynolds Creek as the highest priority for all three fish species. The major limiting factors for each species:





Salmon:



• Degraded floodplain connectivity and function



• Degraded channel structure and complexity



Steelhead



• Impaired fish passage



• Degraded channel structure and complexity



Bull Trout



• Degraded channel structure and complexity



• Impaired fish passage





Located in the HUC5 Reynolds Creek-John Day River, which provides critical cold-water habitat to many species. Once the Conservation Easement is in place, additional work will begin to enhance the systems sustainability for fisheries. Climate change will make this location even more critical to these species for spawning and juvenile rearing.



The Upper John Day River is one of the most important strongholds for wild Chinook salmon in the Columbia Basin. Salmon require complex habitats with deep pools and clean gravels for spawning. Juvenile habitat requires diverse habitats with low velocity and high cover environments. Creating alcoves and floodplain habitats are important during spring run off and high water periods. The cold-water habitat that is influenced by the high mountain snow and springs influence is critical to their survival during warm, low flow periods (CTWSRO 2014). Steelhead have a wide distribution throughout the Subbasin and require a complex tributary habitat for juveniles. Projects have been completed in this area to improve fish passage barriers, but additional resources are needed to continue work to improve those (CTWSRO 2014).



Creating side-channels will help provide additional rearing habitat that is very limited. Bull trout require access to the cold-water habitat available to maintain a growing population structure. Loss of floodplain connectivity and complex systems has lead to reduced abundance. With climate change issuesm increased water temperatures, habitat for this species will become even more critical (CTWSRO 2014).