Nason Kahler Instream Complexity Restoration Ph 2

River Mile (RM) 7.6 - 6 of the Kahler Reach of Nason Creek has been severely altered from its historic condition by wood removal, highway construction, and construction and maintenance of transmission lines. Restoring natural river processes in Nason Creek has been identified as a high priority in the region for ESA species recovery. Nason Creek, a tributary to the Wenatchee River, is an important creek within the upper Wenatchee Subbasin in that it currently supports major spawning areas for ESA-listed Upper Columbia River (UCR) spring Chinook salmon, UCR steelhead, and is a Columbia River bull trout core area, and also has a high potential for habitat restoration (UCSRB 2007, UCRTT 2014). Nason Creek is the highest priority assessment unit within the Wenatchee Subbasin for habitat restoration (UCRTT 2017).

The purpose of the project is to increase instream complexity and access to peripheral off-channel habitat, thereby improving holding habitat for adult spring Chinook and steelhead and increasing winter rearing habitat for juvenile spring Chinook and steelhead in the Kahler Reach of Nason Creek. The project will complete the final phase of the Nason Kahler Instream Complexity Project and will include construction of Site 2. Project elements will include placement of individual logs, rootwad structures, riparian planting.

* Install 10 engineered log jams with habitat pools for adult holding, juvenile rearing and instream complexity. Each ELJ included starter pools 4-8 feet in depth that spanned the structure length.
* Long-term reduction in localized instream temperature impacts to benefit all life stages by reducing width-to-depth ratios in channel and increasing pool habitat by installing10 Type 2 Engineered Log Jams within Site 01 (RM 7.2 - 7.6).
* Long-term reduction of instream temperature impacts due to 2,558 installed riparian trees and shrubs that will increase stream shading and riparian bank structural integrity along 0.5 miles of Nason Creek