Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers Council Capacity 2019-21

The Council Capacity grant increased operating capacity for the Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers. Critical watershed concerns addressed include Coho recovery, water quality, and estuary fish habitat and infrastructure restoration. In the past two years the Council has completed 3 instream restoration projects, 1 fish passage projects, 3 technical assistance projects, and developed 4 engineered designs. We have completed 2 6th field watershed monitoring projects while continuing to monitor 3 6th fields continuously. We have continued implementing 1 effectiveness monitoring project and initiated 1 new effectiveness monitoring project. We have also participated initiated and participated in 2 regional working groups (Umpqua Oak Partnership and South Coast Tide Gate Collaborative) and we are actively working on several estuary and tide gate projects, with 1 in progress and 3 others in development. Finally, we continue to participate, annually, in the local Fish Eggs to Fry Program, administering instruction in 10-14 classrooms per year.

This grant will benefit salmon and steelhead in that the funds will be utilized to maintain and build relationships throughout the basin that will result in positive outcomes in habitat restoration and improved water quality. The Partnership for the Umpqua Rivers watershed contains over 15,000 miles of Essential Salmon Habitat for Chinook and coho salmon, and steelhead. Limiting factors include; habitat quality, habitat access, altered hydrology, and water quality. The council’s Umpqua Basin Action Plan and Strategic Plan focus largely on fish recovery actions. In the past 2 years the council has assisted with the development of 22 restoration projects that address salmon and/or steelhead and their habitats. The coordinator will utilize watershed assessments, action plans and relevant Recovery Plans to prioritize future restoration and monitoring projects.