Contract History:
The Protect and Restore Mill Creek Watershed (200003600) has been an on-going project since 2000.  This project is being completed in cooperation with the NPNF.  The ultimate goal of the project is to restore the physical and biological characteristics of the watershed to provide quality habitat for anadromous and resident fish species that support the historical, cultural and economic practices of the Nez Perce Tribe.  The Mill Creek watershed contains high habitat potential for steelhead trout and bull trout; it has moderate habitat potential for spring Chinook salmon.  Restoration in this watershed focuses on restoring riparian processes by addressing increased water temperatures, cattle grazing degradation, fish passage issues, and noxious weed infestations.  Previously completed contract work includes culvert assessment and prioritization, 1 culvert replacement, annual riparian vegetation planting, installation of 2.5 miles of fence, and continued monitoring and evaluation.

Summary of 2006-2007 Contract Work:
This project is part of the Nez Perce National Forest-Nez Perce Tribe Watershed Restoration Partnership with in kind contributions from the Nez Perce National Forest.  This year's new contract work includes:

A) inspection of one culvert replacement-
The Camp Creek culvert has been identified as a high priority for replacement as it was undersized and did not pass all life stages of fish. Funding for the subcontract portion of the replacement project is included under the previous contract.  This project will replace the existing 48" round culvert with a new 14.25'W x 9.17'H pipe-arch culvert and is located at T2N/R3E/Sec.13.  The replacement will return fish passage to 3 miles of stream for all life stages of aquatic species including juvenile spring Chinook and steelhead.

B ) riparian planting-
The meadow habitat in upper Mill Creek has lost over 90% of its riparian vegetation since 1930.  It is virtually devoid of riparian vegetation, so this project will re-vegetate the riparian zone by planting an estimated 1,300 native riparian trees within the Mill Creek upper meadow area.  Species of trees to be planted include Drummond willow, Sandbar willow, Scouler willow, and Red osier dogwood.

C) fence maintenance-
Five miles of fence were constructed between the years of 2000 & 2001 to protect critical meadow habitat in the upper Mill Creek Meadow area.  The fence requires annual maintenance to repair windfall, snow and human damage.

D) completion of design for 2 future culvert replacements-
Designs for culvert replacement are a cooperative effort between the NPT and the NPNF.  The Forest Service generally takes the lead, and the Nez Perce Tribe reviews and approves all designs before being solicited for bids on construction projects.  Culvert replacements are installed to correct fish barriers and are designed for stream simulation and sized for active channel, design size is checked with the capacity required for the 100-year flood, and the larger size becomes the final design criteria.  Successful stream simulation culverts pass all aquatic species, including all life stages of fish.   Hepner and Merton Creeks are tributaries to Mill Creek and have been identified as fish passage barriers.  Designs will be completed during this contract cycle, and implementation will follow in the next two years.

E) continued monitoring and evaluation-
Project effectiveness monitoring:  A monitoring protocol for culvert replacements will track the status of habitat within and around the culvert, as well as the stream channel's reaction to the newly installed culvert.  Monitoring for culvert replacements includes redd counts/fish surveys above and below culverts, channel grade, in-culvert substrate, and profile measurements. A report on the success of previously and newly installed culverts will be completed.  Monitoring is scheduled for the Corral Creek culvert and the Camp Creek culvert in FY06. Initial culvert monitoring was completed on the Corral Creek culvert in FY05.

Status and Trend Monitoring: A monitoring protocol for selected stream habitat reaches will track the status and trends of Mill Creek. Information will be collected on macro-invertebrates, flow, temperature, sediment composition, and habitat parameters to include channel morphology, valley width index, Wolman Pebble counts, cobble embeddedness, large woody debris, bank stability, and riparian condition and density.  This data will be summarized into a monitoring report, showing trends of conditions as a result of watershed restoration activities.  Two reaches on Mill Creek are scheduled for monitoring in FY06. Monitoring on some of the parameters at these reaches began in FY2000 and periodic monitoring has occured annually since FY2000.