Upper Grande Ronde River Watershed Partnership - Place-Based Integrated Water Resources Planning

Salmonid Restoration Planning and Assessments

Project ID	OWEB 220-8313-17327
Recovery Domains	Snake River
Start Date	01/22/2020
End Date	12/23/2024
Year	2019
Status	Completed
Last Edited	05/02/2025

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Description

This project supported the development of a strategic action plan for the Upper Grande Ronde River Watershed (UGRRW) Partnership and supported the Partnership’s development and coordination of restoration actions. The Partnership was able to conduct field visits, host meeting spaces with potential partners, conduct research and refine strategies to address critical water issues, and finally develop a strategic action plan to continue the Partnership’s work in the UGRRW into the future.
Because the projects scheduled end date is after the PCSRF FFY 2019 award closes, no funds allocated for this project are reported as match to PCSRF funds.

Project Benefit

Several strategies identified by the Partnership will focus on restoration of flows and habitat for Chinook and steelhead within the UGRRW. Potential strategies (to be further refined with feasibility studies) include: Reconnect and restore floodplains; Enhance riparian vegetation and stream shading; Upland restoration; Levee setbacks; Stream restoration (restore channel morphology)/restore/improve stream channel dimension, pattern and profile; Beaver reintroduction and beaver dam analogues; Alpine meadow restoration; Create new wetlands and reestablish old wetlands; Address channel downcutting and increase bank storage capacity; Create new wetlands and reestablish old wetlands/improve the ability to hold and clean water; Wet meadow restoration/improve function of wet meadows to capture and store water; Levee removal; Fish screening and passage to increase connectivity to cold water refuge; Water banks; Improve forest canopy to capture snowpack (store and use) - highest elevations USFS land; Sloughs. These potential strategies have been discussed and are being refined by the UGRRW Partnership. Resulting projects would have the potential to benefit salmon through water quality improvements (temperature and flow), increased volumes of surface water through storage opportunities, and groundwater through reactivation of floodplains and wetlands. Stream shading and riparian restoration also have benefits in terms of providing a source of food and cool stream water.

Source

Funds

State

$99,989

Other

$65,000

In-Kind Volunteers

$10,000

Report Total:

$174,989

Worksites

60933188

Worksite Identifier: 60933188
Start Date:
End Date:

Area Description

No Area Description data was found for this worksite.

Location Information

Basin: Lower Snake (170601)
Subbasin:
Watershed:
Subwatershed:

State: Oregon
Recovery Domain: Snake River
Latitude: 45.25479008
Longitude: -117.93885637

ESU

Snake River Basin Steelhead DPS
Snake River Spring/Summer-run Chinook Salmon ESU

Map

Photos

Metrics

B.0 Salmonid Restoration Planning and AssessmentsY (Y/N)

. . B.0.a Planning And Assessment Funding 174,988.92
. . B.0.b.1 Area Encompassed 1,049,600.0

. . B.1 Restoration Planning And CoordinationY (Y/N)

. . . . B.1.a Planning and Coordination funding 174,988.92

. . . . B.1.b.3 Coordination of watershed conservation and restoration effortsY (Y/N)

. . . . . . B.1.b.3.a
Name of plan

ESA Recovery Plan for Snake River Spring/Summer Chinook & Snake River Basin Steelhead, National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Region, 11/2017.

. . . . . . B.1.b.3.b

Description and scope of the plan implemented

The Plan notes that salmon recovery can only be achieved through coordinated efforts to build strong conservation partnerships among individuals, groups, and government or non-government organizations. These conservation partnerships are crucial in facilitating information exchange and developing and implementing strategies for Recovery Plan implementation. This project will further the capacity of the partnership to accelerate the pace, scale, and quality of salmon restoration work in the implementation area.

. . . . B.1.b.12 Developing restoration/action planY (Y/N)

. . . . . . B.1.b.12.a

Name of plan developed
Upper Grande Ronde River Watershed Partnership, December 2024, Upper Grande Ronde River Watershed Partnership Place-Based Integrated Water Resources Planning Strategic Action Plan

. . . . . . B.1.b.12.b

Description and scope of the plan developed

The SAP focuses on flood reduction concepts such as floodplain restoration and levee setbacks with the goal to improve water quality for municipalities, agricultural interests, and native fish populations in the Upper Grande Ronde River Watershed (UGRRW). The SAP planning area boundary is the lower valley which includes a mix of highest, second priority, and lowest priority habitat as it is heavily influenced by the seven cities located in this area. This boundary was chosen to complement current restoration efforts in the headwaters of the UGRRW. This SAP is anticipated to have benefit survival outcomes for out-migrating juvenile Chinook and steelhead in the valley. The SAP provides a roadmap to implement restoration actions through identification of early action areas, verifying areas through modeling, and then implementing a voluntary setback program to improve stream health and habitat for native fish.