Swamp Creek Hardwood and Wetland Restoration
Statement of Work and Budget FY2005

BPA Project Number:  1992-026-01
BPA Project Title: Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program
Contract Number:  New
Contract Title:  Swamp Creek Hardwood and Wetland Restoration
Performance/Budget Period:  May 1st - December 31, 2005

Technical Contact Name:  Ken Bronec
Technical Contact Title: Biological Technician
USFS, Wallowa Valley RD
88401 Hwy 82
Enterprise, OR 97828
541.426.4978 / 541.426.5522
kbronec@fs.fed.us

Contracting Contact Name: Erin Melville
Contracting Contact Title: Project Officer
Wallowa Resources
PO Box 274 / 200 W North St.
Enterprise, OR 97828
541.426.8053 / 541.426.9053
erin@wallowaresources.org

Financial Contact Name: Kathy Reynolds
Financial Contact Title: Finanacial Manager
Wallowa Resources
PO Box 274 / 200 W North St.
Enterprise, OR 97828
541.426.8053 / 541.426.9053
kathy@wallowaresources.org

Project Location

This project is located along Swamp Creek from the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest (W-WNF) boundary (river mile 17.2) north to Cow Camp (river mile 8.6), T02N and T03N, Range 45E, Lower Joseph Creek watershed, Wallowa County, Oregon.

Project Objectives

The overall objective of the project is to improve the physical, chemical, and biological processes within Swamp Creek. The Swamp Creek Hardwood and Wetland Restoration project is a multiple-year, on-going  project initiated in 2001 and listed in the Lower Grande Ronde Subbasin Multi-Species Biological Assessment (pp. 195-206) completed by the W-WNF in 2001.

Specific project objectives are:
• Improve streambank stability
• Increase and diversify riparian vegetation
• Improve floodplain functionality and reduce erosion
• Improve habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species
• Decrease stream temperatures
• Improve fish passage
• Inventory heritage resources
• Provide local school students educational opportunities
• Raise the water table in the meadow areas of Swamp Creek (long-term goal).

The first five objectives are interrelated and will be accomplished through a combination of riparian pasture fence construction, deciduous plantings, and caging, seed/cutting collection and propagation, hardening of existing water gaps, inventorying existing water sources and subsequent spring developments. Fish passage will improve with modification of in-stream structures.  A project-wide inventory of heritage resources will aid in their protection and preservation, and local students will be given opportunites to learn practical applications of natural resource fields. Raising the water table is a long-term goal that will be realized as the riparian condition improves and the riparian vegetation matures to the point that beaver colonies can return to the meadow systems above Swamp Creek Cow Camp.

Project Description

Introduction:
The project is designed to improve water quality, instream habitat, and riparian areas for threatened steelhead and a variety of other wildlife species within the Swamp Creek drainage.  Riparian fence construction, deciduous planting, seed collection and propagation, construction of upland water sources for livestock, modification of in-stream structures, resource inventories, and monitoring and education are proposed to enhance the existing condition.  Individual components of this project have been identified through site-specific observations by fish biologists, wildlife biologists, hydrologists, range administrators, and permittees.

Existing Condition:
The upper part of Swamp Creek flows through a broad, flat, alluvial valley.  Original channel and valley characteristics were likely influenced by the presence and activities of beavers.  Beaver dams slowed water, raised the water table, and created off channel pools and ponds.  With the loss of beavers in the valley and concurrent high flow events, roading, timber harvest and past and current grazing, bank erosion has and continues to occur.
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Currently, the channel is slightly incised with bankfull width to depth ratios just out of the range expected for the channel type (Lower Grande Ronde BA, 2001).  A high sediment load is present within the system.  Riparian woody vegetation is limited along the stream channel and is comprised mostly of alder, with little presence of other shrub species.  The Lower Joseph Creek watershed is rated as Functioning At Risk for stream temperatures in the Lower Grande Ronde Subbasin Multi-species BA (2001).  

In August 2004, two reaches of Swamp Creek were assessed for Proper Functioning Condition by the interagency National Riparian Service Team, with other public and private participants, using the Creeks and Communities strategy.  This strategy was focused on problem solving and fostering decision making at the ground level by the people most affected.  Swamp Creek was rated as "Functional At Risk with an upward trend" by group participants.  Despite the upward trend, higher than expected width-to-depth ratios, lack of diversity of exisiting riparian plant communities, and insufficient vegetative cover present to protect banks during high lows were noted as areas for improvement.  The specific actions below have the potential to greatly improve exisiting conditions.

A phase of this project was funded during the 2004 season by BPA.  In 2004, restoration included construction of riparian pasture fence, planting and caging 2,000 shrubs, and development of off-site water sources for livestock.  This proposal for the next phase of the Swamp Creek Restoration Project will not include riparian fence construction or planting, but focus more strategic elimination of sediment sources to the stream.

Specific Actions:
The following tasks will be partially funded by BPA:
Task 1:  Establish upland/off-site water sources.  An inventory of existing and potential water sources was conducted in the fall of 2003 and late summer 2004.  The inventory identified potential sources for livestock water (ponds and springs) that can enable livestock managers to keep livestock in the uplands and away from Swamp Creek.  The development of these water sources will reduce livestock pressure on Swamp Creek and allow for restoration to occur in the riparian area at a near natural rate.  In the fall of 2004, approximately 4 water sources will be improved/developed.  This proposal is for (see attached map):
• an additional 5 spring sources to be developed (includes troughs, fencing, and springboxes),
• repair the overflow on one spring,
• clean one pond, and  
• construction/repair of approximately 1000 feet of fence associated with two ponds

Deliverable: 7 water sources (ponds and/or springs) made functional for off-site watering of livestock.

Task 2: Treat chronic sediment sources in approximately 5 miles of Swamp Creek.  Fall 2004 inventory revealed approximately 45 sites along this length of stream where livestock access the stream to water and cross.  These areas include six water gaps created to allow livestock access for watering (of which four are planned for treatment).  Livestock use in these small, localized areas has resulted in eroded banks, with a widened and shallower stream.  The chronic sediment sources are typically less than 10 feet in length along the bank (except water gaps and access points on the outside of meander bends) and usually include both banks of the stream.  Access points on the outside of meander bends are espcially problematic because of the increased erosion potential in these areas.  

Treatments will include rocking approaches to the stream (water gaps and vehicle fords only), fencing or otherwise blocking them off (meander bend access points only) and establishment of better access points, and/or development of off-site water sources.  These treatments are expected to promote channel narrowing and deepening in the worst problem areas, which will help decrease stream temperatures.  This proposal is to address 12 of the worst sediment sources within the Bennett pasture of the Davis Creek Allotment and the Bennett pasture in the Swamp Creek Allotment.  We plan to determine how well the treatments function and how livestock use changes within the riparian pastures prior to treating the remaining sites.    

The following is a list of the field-verified chronic sediment sources to Swamp Creek in the five mile stream section that includes the Bennett Pasture in both the Swamp Creek and the Davis Creek Allotments.  There are also two water gaps needing treatment in the Upper Swamp Creek Pasture of the Swamp Creek Allotment.  The sediment sources are numbered sequentially starting at the Forest boundary at the south end of the Bennett Pasture of the Davis Creek Allotment.  A short description of each sediment source is given with a prescription for recommended treatment.  
1. Vehicle Ford - close by placing trees and rocks with an excavator
2. Vehicle Ford accessing east side road, affecting 12 feet of bank on both sides of the stream - if the road can be closed, recommend closing by placing logs, planting and caging deciduous shrubs.  If the road cannot be closed, rock approaches.
3. Livestock Access Point - fallen lodgepole is directing livestock down steep bank, affecting six feet of bank.  Move down tree up next to stream to close this access point.
4. Livestock access on meander bend affecting 10 feet of bank on both sides - close with short cattle panel fence, plant and cage deciduous shrubs.  Allow access on adjacent straight portion of stream.
5. Livestock access on meander bend affecting 40 feet of bank on outside of bend - close with short cattle panel fence, plant and cage deciduous shrubs.  Develop an off-site water source away from the stream using a trough fed from a plastic pipe gravity system coming from upstream source in Swamp Creek.
6. Livestock access on meander bend affecting 50 feet of bank - close with short cattle panel fence, plant and cage deciduous shrubs.  This site is close enough to number 7 to use the same off-site water source.
7. Vehicle Ford - close by planting and caging in approaches.
8. Water Gap in south end of Bennett Pasture of Swamp Creek Allotment - rock approaches and add wood to protect vertical gap on northernmost 30 feet of gap.
9. Water Gap in Bennett Pasture of Swamp Creek Allotment (old ford site) - rock approaches on both banks
10. Water Gap in Lower Swamp Pasture of Swamp Creek Allotment (visited with NRS team) - rock approaches and across stream
11. Livestock Access on outside of meander bend - close with cattle panels.  Develop off-site water if funding allows.
12. Water Gap in Lower Swamp Pasture of Swamp Creek Allotment - rock approaches and across stream bottom.

Deliverable: Elimination of 12 chronic sources of sediment to Swamp Creek

Task 3:  Cage 50 existing residual native shrubs to protect them from livestock and wildlife browsing.

Deliverable: 50 existing shrubs caged

Task 4: Modify 41 in-stream structures (see attached maps) to allow for complete juvenile fish passage and improved habitat diversity.  Instream structures (also called check-dams or log weirs) were installed in many of the Forest Service creeks in the mid - 1980s for two main purposes: 1) to slow stream incision and store sediment behind logs thereby locally aggrading the stream, and 2) to create scour pools and fish habitat in streams over-widened from a variety of current and historic management practices.  Instream structures were considered the best technology at that time and were installed with great fervor across the nation without regard to differences in channel morphology (stream type) or complete consideration of all hydraulic forces that would be at work around the structures.

In Swamp Creek, each instream structure was created from a 30-60 ft. long, 1.0-2.5 ft. diameter log placed level and perpendicular to streamflow.  The ends of these logs were secured in place by burial in the banks and a large gabion basket placed on top of each end (refer to attached photo of instream structure).  Wire mesh was placed on the streambed extending 3 ft. upstream from each log.  Geo-textile (waterproof) material was placed on top of the wire mesh and was stapled to the mesh and log to keep water flowing over, not under, the log structure.  Most structures were slightly notched in the middle to help funnel water at low flows toward the middle of the creek downstream.

Years of experience and research have taught us that not all streams benefit from this type of structure.  B-type streams can handle considerable amount of organic debris and flow blockages without developing adverse impacts, whereas streams with pool-riffle morphology like C-, E- and D-type channels can be adversely affected (Rosgen, 1996).

Lower Swamp Creek is a B- and C-type stream with pool-riffle morphology and has not benefited from these instream structures.  The structures promote downstream bank scour through hydraulic forces associated with a large horizontal obstruction perpendicular to streamflow, widening the creeks 100-200% immediately downstream and perpetuating that width every year during high flow (refer to attached photo).  In addition, the geo-textile material designed to keep water flowing over the structure is now torn, allowing water to filter through the substrate or flow through a narrow opening under most log structures at low flow, which inhibits juvenile fish passage.  The wire mesh underneath the material is now rusted, broken and exposed, creating a hazard to aquatic species, wildlife and humans alike.  

This Instream Structure Modification Project will remove the geo-textile material, the rusty wire and the gabion baskets, and reconfigure the structure log, sometimes in conjunction with whole trees, to allow year-round juvenile fish passage, allow the streambanks to heal inward, and allow natural processes to take over maintenance of channel morphology and pool habitat.  Dave Rosgen, PhD and Registered Professional Hydrologist wrote, "Unfortunately, the check-dam design often adds to channel instability by decreasing sediment transport capacity, increasing width/depth ratios, accelerating headward aggradation, initiating lateral migration, and accelerating streambank erosion…Our challenge now is to restore the natural stability and natural function of rivers" (Rosgen, 1996).  This project intends to do just that.  

Heavy machinery will be needed to remove, maneuver and re-bury the logs, create pools, push over whole trees and carry them to creek, shake out the gabion baskets, and remove stream substrate from on top of the geo-textile material and underlying wire.  Where logs are re-buried in the bank, vegetation/ sod will be removed and set aside when digging the trench and replaced on top of disturbed area where it will have the greatest chance at re-stabilizing the soil.  There may be some headcutting at these sites as the gravels get rearranged around new hydraulic forces, but it is not a large concern.  Significant bank erosion from structure modification is not expected to occur, although there may be localized areas of erosion as the stream adjusts to the reconfigured structures.

Whole trees may be harvested near each site if approval is granted to harvest select trees in the RHCA that do not provide shade and would not ordinarily reach the channel if blown over.  One or two whole trees approximately 22 inches in basal diameter and 1.5 times the bankfull width, including branches and rootwads, will be added to each reconfigured log in large woody debris (LWD) deficient reaches to help create small log complex.  Large woody debris additions help retain smaller gravel in the system, reduce the stream power of larger flow events, and add hydraulic roughness which leads to increased pools and spawning gravels, and therefore greater channel complexity.  

Following are general descriptions of the modifications with specific structure numbers associated with that modification.  Technical advice for this task is being provided by the Regional Aquatic Restoration Assistance Team.

Every structure modification will involve the following two actions:
· Gabion baskets will be cut open with bolt cutters and the contained rock deposited on site, usually in the overly-widened section of stream near the bank just downstream from the gabion basket to assist in channel narrowing.  If the channel is not overly-widened, the rock will be deposited on the top of the bank near the former location of the gabion basket.  The empty basket will then be removed and taken to a landfill.
· All geo-textile material and wire mesh upstream of and attached to the structure will be removed by hand and taken to a landfill. Substrate that has moved on top of the material/mesh combo will be removed and repositioned after the material and underlying wire are removed.  All scraps of material and/or wire found in the vicinity will be removed as well.

Following are actions that are proposed for the instream structure modifications:
· Instream structures that do not promote bank-edge scour downstream but maintain mid-channel scour pools and do not pose a juvenile fish passage barrier may be left in place.  Structures that have shifted or blown out since installation but are not causing channel instability and structures that are in an abandoned piece of channel may be left as well.
     1. Swamp structure #s 12, 25, & 31

· Remove log and re-bury in the left or right bank angling upstream at 20-30 degrees from the bank with the outer end below bankfull elevation and keyed in (buried) for approximately ½ its length for stability.  These structures would occur where no more Large Woody Debris is needed (refer to attached drawing):  
     1. Swamp structure #s 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11, 14, 18, 27, 32, 38 & 39
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· Remove log and place on left or right bank angling down into stream as well as angling downstream, with approximately 50% of the log remaining on the bank.  These structures would occur where no more LWD is needed:
     1. Swamp structure #s 6, 8, 13, 17, 21, 22, 23, 29, 30, 34, 37 & 41

· Remove log and re-bury in the left or right bank angling upstream at 20-30 degrees from the bank with the outer end below bankfull elevation and keyed in (buried) for approximately ½ its length for stability.  One or two whole trees will be added on top of bole with rootwads facing downstream.  These structures would occur where more Large Woody Debris is needed (refer to attached drawing):  
     1. Swamp structure #s 1, 7, 10, 15, 16, 19, 20, 24, 26, 28, 33, 35, 36 & 40

Deliverable: Improved fish passage and stream function at minimum of 30 in-stream structures

Task 5: Monitor to establish a baseline for a long-term monitoring plan.  The Forest Service and the Grande Ronde Model Watershed have cooperatively developed a long-term monitoring strategy which includes baseline monitoring in conjunction with trend monitoring.  The Forest Service conducted a Region 6 Hankin and Reeves Level 2 survey in 2004 to establish a baseline for the number of pools and large wood per mile.  Additional baseline monitoring needs are as follows:  
1) Greenline monitoring (Winward) at six sites throughout project area agreed upon by Forest Service personnel and permittees;
2) Proper Functioning Condition survey following BLM (1993) protocol;
3) Channel morphology assessment for project area using Rosgen's classification system; and
4) Streambank condition assessment for project area (% of existing unstable banks).  

Additional monitoring will be done by the Forest Service.  Refer to Task 9 below.

Deliverable:  Baseline monitoring for this project completed

The following tasks will be funded through cost share from USFS and Wallowa Resources:
Task 6: Riparian habitat typing of Swamp Creek upstream of the Cow Camp to determine which deciduous species will be most appropriate for planting.
Task 7:  Collect and propagate seeds and cuttings to plant future deciduous vegetation, once habitat typing has been complete and appropriate species mix has been verified.  Future planting will be caged or fenced and will occur within the riparian pasture.
Task 8: Inventory of heritage resources within the subwatershed.
Task 9: Monitor and educate. The Forest Service will do the following annual monitoring:  Livestock utilization of grasses and shrubs, streambank alteration (compare to baseline streambank condition assessment), photo monitoring, temperature monitoring (3 sites), meadow water-level monitoring (2 sites with 3 wells each), survival inventories of planted deciduous shrubs, and redd counts.  Refer to Monitoring Plan below.  Education will include involving students from local schools in the monitoring program, and a field trip from the Portland State Perspectives in Watershed Health Course.
Task 10: Develop a stewardship program, including hiring of a steward responsible for monitoring and other duties

Benefits: Benefits from this project should include the following:
· Improved streambank stability
· Increased and diversified riparian vegetation
· Improved floodplain functionality
· Reduced erosion
· Improved habitat for a variety of fish and wildlife species
· Establishment of native stocks for future riparian planting
· Decreased stream temperatures
· Improved fish passage
· Educational opportunities for local students

Improved fish passage, the heritage inventory and educational opportunities will be realized in <2 years.  The other benefits will be realized in 2-10 years, resulting in improved watershed conditions and habitat for all fish and wildlife over the existing condition.

Project Maintenance:
The fencing projects will be included in the annual fence maintenance program for the grazing allotments.  All of the above fences will be maintained by a land steward and/or the permittees.  

Permits:
ESA consultation and NEPA will be completed by April 2005 for the BPA funded portion of this project.  A Division of State Lands permit will also be obtained by April 2005 for the in-stream portion of this project.

Monitoring Plan:  
The monitoring for the Swamp Creek Restoration Project will be divided into three temporal phases, short term, mid-term and long term, as follows:  

Short Term (annually):
·  Utilization on grasses and shrubs
·  Stream bank alteration
·  Photo monitoring
·  Survival inventory of planted deciduous vegetation
·  Redd counts

Mid-term (2-5 years):
·  Windward greenline

Long-term (>5 years):
·  Cross sections
·  Temperature
·  Meadow water-level monitoring using wells
·  Hankin and Reeves (R6 level 2) stream survey
·  Proper functioning condition
·  Channel morphology assessment (Rosgen classification)

Key areas to be monitored for utilization will be established between the Forest Service and the permittees.  Ideally monitoring will be done as a group and signed off by all to show all are in agreement.  Long term monitoring will be done every 5-10 years, or when photos show a marked change.

Work Dates:  
June 15, 2005 to December 31, 2005.