Project 1992-026-01:Grande Ronde Model Watershed, Contract 20535:1992-026-01 DRY CREEK/LOWER VALLEY DITCH PASSAGE

Project 1992-026-01:

https://www.cbfish.org/Project.mvc/Display/1992-026-01



The Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program coordinates watershed planning activities within the Grande Ronde and Imnaha river basins of Oregon. The watershed activities are focused on habitat protection and restoration, and are generally designed to restore and enhance salmon and steelhead resources, encourage and support land and water management, economics, and multiple land uses consistent with sound ecosystem management, and enhance the quality and quantity of river flow.



Contract 20535:

https://www.cbfish.org/Contract.mvc/Summary/20535



1. Project Name: Dry Creek/Lower Valley Ditch Passage



2. Applicant:



Lower Valley Ditch Company

Elwayne Henderson



Grande Ronde Model Watershed Foundation

10901 Island Ave.

La Grande, OR 97850



3. Participating Landowner(s) and Agencies:

Lower Valley Ditch Company

Grande Ronde Model Watershed Foundation (GRMWF)

Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)



4. Project Contact(s):

Lower Valley Ditch Company - Elwayne Henderson

Bureau of Reclamation - Darrell Dyke

Lyle Kuchenbecker - GRMWP



5. Project Location:

T. 2N, R. 42E. SW ¼ of Sec 27

Intersection of Dry Creek and Lower Valley Ditch



6. Project Objectives:



The overall goal of the project is to improve native rainbow and anadromous Snake River steelhead production in the Dry Creek watershed, a tributary to the Wallowa River.



Specific objectives are:

§ Eliminate fish access to the Lower Valley Ditch system (reduce potential mortality)

§ Improve year-around juvenile fish passage in Dry Creek through the ditch crossing site.

§ Reduce flooding impact of high water events caused by collection of water in the ditch.

§ Meet Lower Valley Ditch irrigators land management objectives



This project will eliminate adult and juvenile steelhead and rainbow access from Dry Creek to the Lower Valley Ditch. Juvenile progeny of adults that have spawned in the ditch, or juveniles from Dry Creek that get into the ditch, are at increased risk due to fluctuating ditch flows and the potential for being diverted into fields.



Management Plans/Assessment pertinent to the area:

§ Grande Ronde Model Watershed Action Plan (GRMWP 1994)

§ Wallowa County - Nez Perce Salmon Habitat Recovery Plan (September 1999)



Neither of the above listed assessments specifically address the Dry Creek system. Both did not cover, in detail smaller tributaries such as Dry Creek. However, these assessments do identify fish passage and irrigat