Project Objectives:

In past successful funding proposals for this project to BPA, we have emphasized two major objectives.  The first objective is to provide better information to the irrigators about their water usage and its affect on Bear Creek, the Lostine River and the Wallowa River.  The analysis of the data is designed to show the hydrographs of the three streams, irrigation usage and timing, irrigation return flows, and the timing and location of return flows.  This information has been provided to irrigators since 1995 at irrigation district, ditch company, and water user association meetings.  Since 1995 a remarkable increase in summer low flow volumes have been noted and documented in all three drainages below irrigation withdrawal points.  A tremendous increase in cooperation between irrigators and Tribe and State fisheries personnel has been demonstrated through timed flushing flows where all of the irrigators turn their ditches off for several days during the chinook migration season.

The second objective promoted in past funding proposals for this project has been to develop a comprehensive project for the Lostine River that will address the low flow issues.  Any selected alternative will be developed with and have the active participation of the irrigators.  This objective could be achieved in conjunction with the proposed exchange of stored irrigation water in Wallowa Lake with surface irrigation water in the Lostine River and Bear Creek.  This proposed exchange of water is expected to largely eliminate low flow and passage problems during the later months of irrigation season in the Lostine River and Bear Creek.  For this water exchange to be documented and managed to success a comprehensive flow-measuring program, as the one that this proposal seeks to fund, needs to be in place.

An additional third objective for this project is to maintain monitoring partnerships developed around these stream gages.  All seven of these gages provide valuable information for the Nez Perce Tribe, Oregon DEQ, ODFW and others.  The Nez Perce Tribe uses and in part funds this project in conjunction with the trapping facility on the Lostine River.  From April through October the Tribe monitors flow through these gages for the safe and successful operation of their trapping and holding facilities on the Lostine River.  Additionally the Tribe uses flow data from the gages for their monitoring and evaluation purposes.  
    
Oregon ODEQ in cooperation with Wallowa County is developing total maximum daily loads (TMDL) and water quality management plans for 303(d) listed streams in Wallowa County.  The Wallowa River, Lostine River and Bear Creek are all documented to have late summer season elevated stream temperatures and stream habitat modification both of which can in part be attributed to low late summer season flow volumes.  The continued acquisition of flow data in Wallowa County is of vital importance in documenting water quality management plan success or failure.  

ODFW, Wallowa SWCD, NRCS and others commonly use flow data generated at these five gages for conservation project development.  As with the water quality management plan developed by DEQ these other conservation projects can benefit from flow data through project success or failure documentation.

Tie to Grande Ronde Subbasin Plan (Grande Ronde Subbasin Plan Supplement (GRSPS), December 2004):

This stream flow gaging project provides the opportunity to measure changes in flow, EDT attribute key habitat quantity, and cumulative response effect of water conservation in the Wallowa-Lostine geographic area.  Key habitat quantity is defined (page 14, GRSPS) as a composite of several EDT attributes and is largely indicative of reduced channel wetted widths, which is due to loss of flow, and/or due to hydro-modification/road construction.  Table 3-1 (page 15 GRSPS) lists key habitat quantity as a key limiting factor for the Wallowa-Lostine geographic area.  Table 3-3 (page 17 GRSPS) recommends in the Wallowa River watershed (Wallowa, Lostine, and Bear Creek inclusive) to:

1. Mid-Upper Wallowa address sediment load from decreased flows.
2. Lower Lostine-address functions to increase pools, pool quality.  Address water withdrawals.

These two recommendations and the aforementioned key habitat quantity can be quantified through this stream flow-gaging project.

Project Description:

Introduction
This project will continue the operation of five mainstem stream gages, two in the Lostine River, one in Bear Creek, and two in the Wallowa River.  These gages are intended to assist in irrigation water management, fisheries management, long term flow and trend analysis, DEQ water quality management plans, subbasin planning, and provide essential information to facilitate a proposed exchange of stored water in Wallowa Lake with surface water in the Lostine River and Bear Creek.

Existing Condition
A major effort was initiated in Wallowa County in 1995 to determine water use and movement in the central portion of Wallowa Valley.  All irrigation diversions in Bear Creek, the Lostine River, and most in the Wallowa River between the Cross Country Canal and Water Canyon were gaged with the support of the irrigators (32 ditch companies).  Two mainstem gages were reinstalled, one in the Lostine River (78 years of record) and one in Bear Creek (68 years of record).  Five additional mainstem gages were installed, two in the Lostine River, on in Bear Creek, and two in the mainstem Wallowa River.  This SOW will fund five gages as gages Bear Creek at Wallowa and Lostine River at Caudle Lane were discontinued in 2003.  

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) funded the initial gaging effort initiated in 1995 and production of flow record was contracted to the USGS.  In 1999 BOR shifted priorities to other basins in the region and consequently left the gaging program without funding.  At that time the current flow-gaging program was developed where OWEB, GRMWP and the Nez Perce Tribe agreed to be funding partners and the Wallowa SWCD, OWRD and USGS agreed to be production partners.  The funding partnership remained in place until 2002 when the Nez Perce Tribe lost Salmon Plan implementation funds due to BPA cutbacks.  This shortage of dollars was replaced with BOR funds designated for monitoring in the Grande Ronde Basin.    

In March of 2002 the employee at the Wallowa SWCD who conducted all field operation and maintenance of the stream gages took a job at the GRMWP.  A decision was made between the Wallowa SWCD and the GRMWP to move stream-gaging responsibilities with that employee to the GRMWP.

At present (Summer 2005) all production partnerships remain in place: GRMWP is responsible for all field operation and maintenance; OWRD produces provisional record; and USGS conducts all quality assurance quality control and publishes final flow records.  Funding partnership for the 2006 water year is anticipated to be OWEB and GRMWP.

The five gages in this project are directly tied and critically important to the projected irrigation water exchange between stored water in Wallowa Lake and surface water in the middle Wallowa Valley.  This water exchange is associated with the Wallowa Lake Dam Rehabilitation Project that is currently being discussed in the US Congress.  Finally this project has the opportunity to continue providing valuable flow data for future conservation project implementations and will over time provide cumulative effects response data for those projects.

Gage #13331450 (Wallowa River below Water Canyon) is in need of replacement after 10 years of service.  This gage was originally installed as a temporary device to operate for up to five years.  The gage base has settled, is tipped towards the river, and located within eight feet of the Wallowa-Union Railroad; failure is imminent and we are proposing to relocate this gage approximately 200 feet downstream on a private bridge.  Permission has been obtained from the landowner for this installation.  Not only will we have an intended permanent installation with better, more accurate recording capabilities, but the gage will be located more than the obligatory eight feet away from the Wallowa-Union Railroad.  An added benefit of the new gage is no part of the new system will be in contact with the Wallowa River.  The new system uses radar technology to sense stage, is mounted on the bridge, and not subject to abuse from high flow or floating debris.