Contract History:
The Restore McComas Meadows/Meadow Creek Watershed project (199607705) has been an on-going project of the Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries Watershed Program since 1996.  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 Meadow Creek watershed contains proposed critical habitat for listed species steelhead trout and potential critical habitat for 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, increased sedimentation, cattle grazing affects, fish passage issues, and noxious weed infestations.  Previously completed contract work includes 2 culvert replacements, 20 miles of road decommissioning, installation of riparian vegetation cages, annual riparian vegetation planting, installation and maintenance of 5 miles of fence, re-contouring of the McComas Meadow ditch, and continued monitoring and evaluation and revegetation surveys.

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 will include:

A) inspection of one culvert replacement-
The Storm 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 7' round culvert with a new 15'W x 7.75'H bottomless arch culvert and is located at T30N/R5E/Sec.17.  The replacement will return fish passage to 2.5 miles of stream for all life stages of aquatic species including juvenile spring Chinook and steelhead.

B) culvert replacement-
Covert Creek was identified as a high priority for replacement as it is undersized and did not pass all life stages of fish. This project will replace the existing 3' round culvert with a new 11' W x 4'-6" H x 36' L Bottomless-Arch Culvert and is located at T30N/R4E/Sec.35.  This work element will return fish passage to 2.0 miles of stream by removing and replacing existing culvert that is a juvenile coho, spring Chinook, and steelhead migration barrier.  The NPNF will offer and manage contract installations.  Funding will come from NPT through BPA and Idaho Office of Species Conservation Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Funding, as well as NPNF in-kind and cost contributions.

C) riparian planting-
Re-vegetation efforts have been going on in McComas Meadows since 2000 and have been successful.  However, Meadow Creek and its tributaries within McComas Meadows consists of over four miles of stream length, which was practically devoid of vegetation in the 1990s.  Additional plantings are warranted to provide a healthy, functioning riparian zone that provides shade to the stream, which will reduce lethal stream temperatures.  In FY06 we will plant an estimated 3,200 native riparian trees within the McComas Meadow area.  Species of trees to be planted include Drummond willow, Sandbar willow, Scouler willow, and Red osier dogwood.

D) fence maintenance-
Five miles of fence were constructed in 1997 of wooden posts and a combination of rails and four-strand barbed wire to isolate and protect McComas Meadows.  Due to heavy snow loads, annual maintenance is required to maintain a properly functioning fence that protects riparian and stream habitat.

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.  Culvert replacement monitoring has been ongoing since 2005.  Per the protocol, culvert replacement monitoring is scheduled for the Meadow Creek Tributary, Doe Creek, Storm Creek and the Covert Creek culverts for FY06.

Project effectiveness monitoring:  The Nez Perce National Forest and the Nez Perce Tribe have developed a monitoring plan for decommissioned roads.  Data is used to monitor success and for suggesting improvements that could be made.  Evaluation of approximately 20 miles of obliterated roads is accomplished by collecting monitoring data at four different sample sites as shown in the WE location.  Data collected for Road Obliteration Monitoring and Evaluation includes the following: locate and evaluate new mass failures, record and evaluate points of surface erosion, evaluate re-vegetation coverage and succession to native plants, measure stream channel restoration and adjustment, and, evaluate whether the treatment applied was appropriate for the land type.  Annual monitoring has been done at these sites since FY2004.

Status and Trend Monitoring: A monitoring protocol for selected stream habitat reaches will track the status and trend of Meadow Creek. Information will be collected on fish abundance and distribution, 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.  Five reaches on Meadow Creek are scheduled for monitoring in FY06. Monitoring for some of the parameters at these reaches began in FY1997 and periodic monitoring has occurred annually since 1997.