FY2019 Nooksack Tribe Priority Project Implementation and Maintenance

This project supported construction of the SF Nooksack Homesteader Reach Restoration project, a high priority for restoration of instream habitat for South Fork Nooksack Early Chinook in the South Fork Nooksack River Homesteader Reach (RM 5.4-6.5), downstream of Acme in Whatcom County. The project addressed key limiting factors of lack of deep, holding pools, high temperatures, and low habitat diversity. Restoration involved construction of 23 new engineered log jams and enhancement/stabilization of 2 engineered log jams that had been originally constructed in 2007, as well as removal of approximately 125 feet of riprap bank hardening that disconnected the historic channel migration zone and floodplain channel grading to improve floodplain connectivity. The project was funded by 9 grants totally $3,857,817, including $3,262,306 in PCSRF-related funding. In addition to this grant, other PCSRF-related grants included: NWIFC PCSRF FY20, NWIFC PCSRFY FY21, NWIFC PCSRF FY22, RCO #21-1132, and RCO #22-1358. This grant provided $166,758 in funding, 4.3% and 5.1% of total and PCSRF-related funding, respectively. Metrics have been scaled to proportion of PCSRF-related funding (5.1%).



Phase 1 implementation of the South Fork Nooksack Homesteader project was originally planned for summer 2022, but permitting complexity delayed implementation of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 to summer 2024. Specifically, FEMA Region 10 National Flood Insurance Program guidance formerly afforded flexibility to restoration projects in meeting the no-rise requirements in floodways. However, that guidance was rescinded, necessitating that we secure a Conditional Letter of Map Revision/Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR/LOMR) to implement the project. The CLOMR request (MT-2) was submitted on 5/10/23, and the CLOMR was secured on 7/15/24, on the first day of the “fish window” for in-water work. The CLOMR/LOMR requirements dramatically increased engineering costs for the project; high costs were associated with technical challenges reconciling the 2D project model with the 1D effective model, the need for multiple design and hydraulic modeling iterations to meet CLOMR constraints, preparation of the MT-2 submittal, and responses to multiple additional data requests and follow-up questions that arose during MT-2 review.

South Fork Nooksack and North Fork/Middle Fork Nooksack early chinook are essential for ESU recovery, but wild abundances and productivity are critically low. Restoring instream habitat in the South Fork and North Fork Nooksack River through the construction of historic-scale engineered log jams is an important strategy to improve abundance and productivity in the near term.



The primary goal of restoration in the SF Nooksack Homesteader Reach is to improve habitat conditions to address early chinook limiting factors of high temperatures, low habitat diversity, and lack of key habitat by restoring habitat conditions and addressing the root causes of habitat degradation, namely the lack of large stable log jams that form and maintain complex pool habitat. Restoration is designed to benefit Nooksack early chinook holding and rearing survival by restoring deep complex pools that can function as refuges from high temperatures and improve juvenile rearing productivity; there will be collateral benefits to other species that use the reach (steelhead, bull trout, coho, chum, sockeye, pink, cutthroat trout). The objective of the project is to place engineered log jams in order to form deep primary pools with complex cover. This project is expected to lead to measurable improvement in the following habitat viability and project effectiveness indicators (Nooksack Chinook Monitoring and Adaptive Management Framework): pool frequency, natural and woody edge habitat length, number of stable log jams, and low and high flow cover.



The primary goal of restoration in the NF Nooksack Maple Reach is to improve habitat conditions to address early chinook limiting factors of high channel instability and low habitat diversity by restoring habitat conditions and addressing the root causes of habitat degradation, namely the lack of large stable log jams that form and maintain forested islands, floodplain and associated side channels. Restoration is designed to benefit Nooksack early chinook egg-to emergence and early rearing survival by restoring stable side channels; there will be collateral benefits to other species that use the reach (steelhead, bull trout, coho, chum, sockeye, pink, cutthroat trout). The objective of the project is to place engineered log jams and stabilize existing log jams in order to stabilize alluvial bars and increase pool frequency, edge habitat, complex cover, and connectivity to stable side channel habitats with suitable spawning areas. This project is expected to lead to measurable improvement in the following habitat viability and project effectiveness indicators (Nooksack Chinook Monitoring and Adaptive Management Framework): pool frequency, natural and woody edge habitat length, floodplain forest, riparian forest stand age, forested islands, number of stable log jams, low and high flow cover, and side channel/braid-main channel ratio.