FY2022 Nooksack Tribe Priority Project Implementation
Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Acquisition
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22-NOOK-01 | Puget Sound | 07/01/2023 | 10/31/2024 | 2022 | Completed | 01/14/2025 | |
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Description
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 FY19, NWIFC PCSRFY FY20, NWIFC PCSRF FY21, RCO #21-1132, and RCO #22-1358. This grant provided $266,850 in funding, 6.9% and 8.2% of total and PCSRF-related funding, respectively. Metrics have been scaled to proportion of PCSRF-related funding (8.2%).
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 However, that guidance was rescinded, necessitating that we secure a Conditional Letter of Map Revision/Letter of Map Revision (CLOMR/LOMR) to implement the project.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.
Project Benefit
South Fork Nooksack early chinook are essential for ESU recovery, but wild abundances and productivity are critically low. Restoring instream habitat in the South 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 goal of the project is to restore upstream migration, holding, spawning and rearing habitat to improve abundance and productivity of SF Nooksack Early Chinook, which is essential for recovery of the ESA-listed Puget Sound Chinook ESU. In summer 2021, over 2500 Chinook died on the spawning grounds before they could spawn due to high temperatures, low flows and degraded habitat. The Fish Camp reach overlaps a zone of groundwater discharge and is one of the few remaining high priority areas in the lower SF for which restoration is needed. It is heavily used by Chinook returning to the Skookum hatchery upstream. The project will reduce the risk of a future Chinook mortality event by forming deep, complex pools that will provide temperature refuge for holding and rearing Chinook. Restoration will also benefit ESA-listed steelhead and bull trout; coho, chum, riverine sockeye, and pink salmon; and cutthroat trout. The project builds on previous design work funded by the SRFB and represents an important opportunity to integrate habitat restoration and flood risk reduction.
The primary goal of restoration in the SF Nooksack Fish Camp 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.
Accomplishments
Instream Habitat |
Stream Miles Treated |
.08 |
.06 |
Funding DetailsNo Funding data has been entered for this project.
Worksites
South Fork Nooksack Fish Camp Reach
- Worksite Identifier: South Fork Nooksack Fish Camp Reach
- Start Date:
- End Date:
Area Description
No Area Description data was found for this worksite.
Location Information
- Basin: Puget Sound (171100)
- Subbasin: Nooksack (17110004)
- Watershed: South Fork Nooksack River (1711000404)
- Subwatershed: Black Slough-South Fork Nooksack River (171100040406)
- State: Washington
- Recovery Domain: Puget Sound
- Latitude: 48.72
- Longitude: -122.203
ESU
- Puget Sound Chinook Salmon ESU
Map
Photos
Metrics
Metrics
- C.0
Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
- . . C.0.a
Habitat restoration and acquisition funding .00
- . . C.0.b
Length of stream treated/protected .00
- . . C.0.c
Project identified in a Plan or Watershed Assessment | |
Shared Strategy Development Committee and National Marine Fisheries Service. 2007. Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan for the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Comprised of two documents: 1) Shared Strategy Development Committee, 2005, Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan, Volumes I and II, adopted by the National Marine Fisheries Service on January 19, 2007; and 2) NMFS, 2006, Final Supplement to the Shared Strategy's Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan. |
- . . 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 .00
- . . . . C.4.b
Total length of instream habitat treated .00
- . . . . 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 .00
- . . . . . . C.4.d.4
Acres of streambed treated through channel structure placement .0
- . . . . . . C.4.d.5
Pools expected to be created through channel structure placement 0
- . . . . . . C.4.d.6
Yards of average stream-width at mid-point of channel structure placement project0 (Yards)
- . . . . . . C.4.d.7
Number of structures placed in channel 0
South Fork Homesteader
- Worksite Identifier: South Fork Homesteader
- Start Date: 07/01/2023
- End Date: 10/31/2024
Area Description
South Fork Nooksack River, Homesteader Reach, RM 5.4-6.5
Location Information
- Basin: Puget Sound (171100)
- Subbasin: Nooksack (17110004)
- Watershed: South Fork Nooksack River (1711000404)
- Subwatershed: Black Slough-South Fork Nooksack River (171100040406)
- State: Washington
- Recovery Domain: Puget Sound
- Latitude: 48.745823
- Longitude: -122.212388
ESU
- Puget Sound Chinook Salmon ESU
Map
Photos
Metrics
Metrics
- C.0
Salmonid Habitat Restoration and AcquisitionY (Y/N)
- . . C.0.a
Habitat restoration and acquisition funding 266,850.00
- . . C.0.b
Length of stream treated/protected .08
- . . C.0.c
Project identified in a Plan or Watershed Assessment | |
• Shared Strategy Development Committee and National Marine Fisheries Service. 2007. Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan for the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). Comprised of two documents: 1) Shared Strategy Development Committee, 2005, Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan, Volumes I and II, adopted by the National Marine Fisheries Service on January 19, 2007; and 2) NMFS, 2006, Final Supplement to the Shared Strategy's Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan.
• WRIA 1 Watershed Management Board. 2022. 2022 SRFB/PSAR Grant Restoration and Protection Strategy Matrices. Bellingham, WA. 8pp. |
- . . 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 266,850.00
- . . . . C.4.b
Total length of instream habitat treated .08
- . . . . 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 .08
- . . . . . . C.4.d.4
Acres of streambed treated through channel structure placement 3.0
- . . . . . . C.4.d.5
Pools expected to be created through channel structure placement 1
- . . . . . . C.4.d.6
Yards of average stream-width at mid-point of channel structure placement project96 (Yards)
- . . . . . . C.4.d.7
Number of structures placed in channel 2
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