Alpowa Creek Habitat Assessment

The Asotin County PUD completed a prioritized salmon habitat restoration and protection plan for 15 miles of Alpowa Creek. Originating in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in southeastern Washington, Alpowa Creek is a first order tributary to the Snake River, entering four miles downstream from the confluence of the Clearwater River below Clarkston, WA. The focus of the assessment was on the mid to upper reaches of Alpowa Creek above Pow Wah Kee Gulch. Subbasin Plans have been completed for Pataha Creek to the west and Asotin Creek to the east of the Alpowa watershed. Habitat conditions in the Alpowa watershed had been identified as a critical uncertainty in recent planning documents and there had been minimal fish habitat protection and restoration funding identified for Alpowa. Landowners were familiar with other projects that had been completed within Asotin Creek to improve instream habitat and, as Alpowa Creek is an important watershed for contributing to the Asotin Summer Steelhead, this assessment was initiated. Instream and riparian priority areas were identified and mapped and projects that are supported by landowners and technical agencies have been identified and recommended based on spawning ground and habitat surveys. Habitat surveys identified low numbers of instream pools with limited wood. Riparian surveys identified areas with limited vegetation, monocultures (with white alder being the dominant species), limited age class diversity, and narrow bands of riparian vegetation.

The purpose of this overall project was to complete a prioritized salmon habitat restoration and protection plan for 15 miles of Alpowa Creek.