Project 2007-395-00:Protect and Restore Lochsa Watershed, Contract 84243:2007-395-00 EXP PROTECT & RESTORE UPPER LOCHSA

Project 2007-395-00:

https://www.cbfish.org/Project.mvc/Display/2007-395-00



This project is a part of the Clearwater National Forest-Nez Perce Tribe Watershed Restoration Partnership, and represents a merger of two ongoing projects and one new project in adjacent drainage areas. The ongoing projects merged are Project #1996-077-03 Protect and Restore Wawaatamnime to ‘Imnaamatnoon Analysis Area, and Project #2002-074-00 Protect and Restore Crooked Fork to Colt Killed Creeks Analysis Area. The new project that will be rolled into these two ongoing projects is Project #2007-255-00 Protect and Restore the Middle Lochsa Watershed. Beginning in FY 2007, project #2007-395-00 Protect and Restore the Upper Lochsa will incorporate all three project watersheds which will greatly increase administrative and financial efficiency in order to maximize the direct benefit to fish and wildlife.



Restoration follows a ridge top to ridge top approach with implementation focused on increasing aquatic habitat connectivity, decreasing resource impacts from roads, and exotic invasive plant control. The cost share on this project has been contributed by two other sources: the Clearwater National Forest and Idaho Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Funds. The Clearwater National Forest provides an approximate 30% match including cash and in-kind. In addition, the Nez Perce Tribe applied for and received two Idaho-Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund grants for 2005-2007 which provided $633,000 for implementation of road removal and culvert replacement. Our project planning, project costs, and implementation responsibilities are shared with the Clearwater National Forest.



Contract 84243:

https://www.cbfish.org/Contract.mvc/Summary/84243



Project/Contract History:



This project is an ongoing part of the Watershed Restoration Partnership between the Nez Perce Tribe, the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest and BPA. This project is a combination of two continuing BPA and NPT restoration projects; Project 1996-077-03, Project 2002-074-00, and an extension of the project area to include the entire Lochsa Watershed rather than just the upper subwatersheds. This project unification has significantly increased administrative and financial efficiency in order to maximize the direct benefit to fish and wildlife.



The Nez Perce Tribes Watershed Division views restoration from a ridge top to ridge top approach, with implementation focused on decreasing sediment inputs into area streams, increasing aquatic habitat connectivity, decreasing resource impacts from roads, and eradicating exotic, invasive plants. The cost share for this project has been contributed by the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests which provides an approximate 21% match including cash and in-kind contributions. Project planning and implementation responsibilities are also shared with the Forest, as they have been for twenty two years. In the last two years, the partnership has also added an agreement with Trout Unlimited to provide increased capacity for in-stream habitat work.



To date, the partnership has re-opened access to nearly 100 miles of habitat, removed approximately 570 miles of roads through decommissioning or abandonment, improved 36.4 miles of roads, planted 841 acres of trees and native plants, and treated over 5,400 acres of invasive, non-native plants.



In 2016, the Nez Perce Tribe, BPA, Forest Service, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, NOAA, and several other partners gathered the most current fish and physical habitat data to collaboratively prioritize watershed areas and restoration actions. T