Ceded Basins Habitat Support II

The CTUIR Ceded Basins Habitat Support project addresses fish habitat protection and restoration in four subbasins within the CTUIR Ceded Lands (Umatilla, Walla Walla, John Day, and Grande Ronde). The goal is to restore self-sustaining and viable anadromous fish populations and aquatic first foods through the restoration of functional watershed conditions. The project objectives include the following and are consistent with the Umatilla River Vision:
1. Improve active floodplain flow access and floodplain connection with instream flow by removing or modifying false impediments.
2. Protect and improve surface water quality through the enhancement of floodplain and wetland conditions.
3. Promote an appropriate channel pattern and gradient to be measured as sinuosity.
4. Promote appropriate channel morphology and functional instream and aquatic habitat.
5. Promote healthy and stable salmonid habitat through the maintenance and development of pool habitat and hiding cover.
6. Enhance diversity and abundance of macroinvertebrate communities.

The project proposal was organized to fund the Habitat Program Supervisor plus provide project implementation funds to four of the subbasins with the CTUIR Ceded Lands. The Habitat Supervisor accomplished the following tasks under this project:
1. Habitat Project Development and Supervision
• provide supervisory oversight of CTUIR PCSRF projects/project leaders;
• proactively develop collaborative relationships with co-managers (e.g. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife), non-governmental organizations, private landowners, and universities to develop cost-share opportunities, distribute project workloads, implement projects, and ensure projects are scientifically defensible;
• provide integration of PCSRF funding with other local, state and federal salmon habitat restoration funding in a watershed context;
• incorporate research information regarding floodplain/riverine processes and native aquatic communities into the habitat program;
• incorporate technologies and methods that improve program efficiency.
2. Pre-Project (supervise and assist project habitat project leaders)
• Preparation of project proposals;
• assist project leaders in development and securing of necessary landowner easements;
• prepare biological assessments to meet ESA consultation requirements;
• acquire necessary environmental clearances (NEPA, Sec 404, Stream zone alteration, etc.);
• acquire necessary cultural clearances;
• acquire necessary pre-acquisition appraisals;
• design, or assist in design of, projects to protect and restore anadromous fish habitat and floodplain processes on Tribally-owned lands, private lands, and federal lands;
3. Project Implementation (supervise and assist project habitat project leaders)
• assist project leaders with oversight and tracking of implementation actions;
4. Post-Implementation (supervise and assist project habitat project leaders)
• assist project leader with reporting requirements;
• coordinate with Fisheries Monitoring Program to develop and maintain defensible and consistent monitoring methods and reporting;
• coordinate project activities with CRITFC.

The Umatilla River Subbasin work was focused on the Meacham Creek Restoration Project and specifically a channelized portion of Meacham Creek between River Miles 6.0 and 7.0 (45.63073N, -118.356738W). This portion of the stream was straightened and moved to the west side of the valley and levees were constructed in the floodplain to minimize lateral channel migration and overland flow. The property is a mix of CTUIR ownership and National Forest, which gave the CTUIR and USFS opportunity for restoration activity. PCSRF funds were utilized as partial match to hire an environmental consulting firm, Tetra Tech EC, to assist an interdisciplinary technical team in developing a geomorphic channel design for restoring channel and floodplai

Proposed efforts conducted under this proposal will focus on the habitat needs of ESA listed summer steelhead, ESA listed bull trout, spring chinook salmon, and native redband/rainbow trout. Spring chinook salmon are ESA listed in the Grande Ronde River Subbasin, but are reintroduced in the Umatilla and Walla Walla Subbasins. Non-game fish and wildlife species will also benefit indirectly.
Short-term project effects resulting from these projects shall include native plant community recovery, increased stream bank stability and increased stream channel shading. Long-term project effects include improved stream geomorphic features, vegetative succession, cooler stream temperatures, reduced sediment deposition, increased large woody debris recruitment, greater habitat diversity, increased juvenile and adult salmonid freshwater survival, greater salmonid offspring out-migration and increased bird, mammal and invertebrate populations.
The portion of the proposed projects in the Umatilla and John Day Subbasins addressing passage are part of larger, holistic efforts to restore and protect anadromous spring chinook salmon, ESA listed steelhead, resident rainbow trout, and ESA listed bull trout. In most all cases CTUIR is working cooperatively with the USFS, ODFW, NRCS, SWCD, and local land owners to improve passage access and corresponding habitat conditions. The improvement of passage proposed under this project will allow adult and juvenile salmonids to access several miles of important spawning and rearing habitat during key times of the year.