Tucannon-Touchet R. Watershed Instrea

This project allowed the Columbia Conservation District to continue working with land owners and partner agencies to restore salmonid habitat in the Tucannon and Touchet watersheds. The grant supported implementation of nine instream habitat projects. The Columbia Conservation District supported three additional instream sites as match for the grant. Four of the implementation sites and the three match sites are located on the Tucannon River. Five implementation sites are on the Touchet River.

The Tucannon River watershed is home to ESA-listed spring and fall Chinook salmon, steelhead, and bull trout. Numerous inventories completed by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) concluded there are three main limiting factors to fish production in the Tucannon: 1) high water temperatures, 2) excess sediment, and 3) poor pool habitat for resting and rearing. Watershed scale assessment of the Touchet River watershed indicated similar limiting factors.

This project addressed these limiting factors by pursuing the following goals: 1) to increase natural stability and in-stream pool quality and quantity and 2) to reduce water temperatures, stream bank erosion, and sedimentation rates

An interdisciplinary team (Columbia Conservation District, WDFW, NRCS, and land owners) evaluated individual project sites for critical limiting factors and identified corrective actions. The team used bioengineering methods of structural design applicable to stream type and conditions.

The goal of the project is to improve instream morphology and habitat in salmon bearing streams. The objective of the project is to increase instream cover, spawning, and resting areas.