Approximately six miles of stream habitat on private land on the Yankee Fork Salmon River (YFSR) have been severely altered by dredge -mining, eliminating much of the natural meander pattern of the stream and associated instream habitat, and riparian vegetation and function.  The altered stream corridor consists of unconsolidated and unvegetated dredge tailings, which have increased sedimentation of spawning gravels and rearing pools.  The mainstem YFSR has down-cut, causing upslope instability, also affecting many tributary streams.  The goal of the Yankee Fork Dredge Tailings Restoration Project is to restore natural river channel characteristics, floodplain function, hydraulic and sediment regimes, and aquatic habitat within the dredged reach of the YFSR, initially by redistributing dredge tailings piles from the floodplain.  Restoring the YFSR, historically a major Chinook salmon producer, to natural conditions will create a healthy, functioning riparian community providing numerous benefits to fish and wildlife.
The methods used for construction will follow those of BPA Project 19-96-053-00, North Fork John Day Dredge Tailings Restoration, by redistributing tailings piles and bringing the river back up to grade when necessary.  Expected outcomes include benefits to anadromous salmonids through a healthy, functioning floodplain and riparian community, an increase in spawning and rearing habitat for salmonids, an increase in instream habitat diversity, and upslope stabilization.  Time frame for the project would be a maximum of eight years, with annual on-the-ground restoration activities implemented through the fiscal year 2012.  Monitoring and evaluation (M & E) will be based on Watershed Assessment recommendations.  M & E commitments will be minimal, as this can be accomplished with existing agency (USFS, IDFG), Tribal personnel, and students (ISU).
Project Description
"Technical and/or scientific background

The Yankee Fork watershed is located in central Idaho in the Upper Salmon River Basin.  The watershed is approximately 49,202 ha in size and is encompassed entirely within the Salmon-Challis National Forest.  The Yankee Fork drains approximately 360 km of perennial stream from its headwaters to the confluence with the Salmon River, and 468 km of seasonally intermittent tributaries.  Elevations range from 814 m above sea level at its Salmon River confluence to more than 3,000 m on several mountain peaks.  The Yankee Fork receives approximately 76 cm of precipitation annually.  The Yankee Fork was primarily formed through extensive volcanic activity occurring 45 to 50 million years ago in central Idaho.  The flow regimes of streams within the Yankee Fork watershed are typical of the mountainous regions of Idaho.  Peak flows occur from late May to June during spring snowmelt, while base flows occur from late summer through February.
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The Yankee Fork, one of the larger watersheds within the upper Salmon River, historically was a major salmon producer.  Large stream size, diversity of habitats, availability of low gradient stream channel reaches, aquatic productivity, and a remnant spawning and rearing population, make the Yankee Fork a potential important Chinook drainage within the upper Salmon River subbasin.  
Snake River stocks of Chinook salmon have used the Yankee Fork and its tributaries for spawning and rearing long before human settlements entered the watershed.  Every summer the Bannock Tribe would camp at the mouth of Ramey Creek to harvest spawning salmon.  Because of the strong historical populations, habitat capability must have been high to support the different species' life histories.  More recently, Snake River Chinook salmon populations have suffered direct mortality associated with hydropower operations of on the Columbia River and the lower Snake River.  In addition, habitat degradation, introduction of exotic species, hatchery supplementation, and instream flow diversions have induced additive pressures on the population as a whole.  Due to the decline of this species, Snake River spring/summer salmon were listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened on April 22, 1992 (57 FR 42529), and the Yankee Fork is classified as critical habitat (57 FR 14653).  
Until passage problems are resolved, the resiliency and persistence of remaining wild Chinook salmon stocks will be largely dependent on the quality and diversity of remaining stream habitats.  All remaining populations and habitats for Chinook salmon are critical to the persistence and recovery of this species.  The proposed project is located in an area severely altered by human activity and is degraded to a level that even if mainstem migration impediments were reversed, little habitat would remain to support a viable spawning population of natural Chinook salmon without implementation.
In 1938, a large dredge was constructed on the Yankee Fork and operated from 1939 through 1942 by the Silas Mason Company.  After World War II, the dredge was reactivated and operated until 1952.  It was estimated that $11 to $12 million worth of gold was extracted (market value at the time of mining) from approximately six miles of the mainstem Yankee Fork Salmon River and the lower 1.5 miles of Jordan Creek.  As a result of the extensive dredge mining, a complete re-channeling of lower portions of the Yankee Fork has occurred along with the deposition of extensive unconsolidated dredge piles.  This section of the river has been widened and the channel straightened compared to pre-dredging conditions.  The substrate has been severely altered and is now dominated by boulders and cobbles with few spawning gravels.  The historic floodplain can no longer be accessed and the riparian zone has been severely altered.
Following dredge mining, the Yankee Fork road was rebuilt over the dredge tailings.  This road is the primary public thoroughfare to the Yankee Fork drainage, and provides access for popular seasonal recreational activities, and also to the jointly-administered USFS and State of Idaho "Land of the Yankee Fork" State Park and Historical Area established for the interpretation of historic mining in this area of Idaho.  The road also provides access to an on-going large-scale open pit gold mine and to private holdings and residences within the drainage.
In accordance with the Fish and Wildlife Program goals, this project will benefit the biological needs of salmon, steelhead, and bull trout and protect other native fish and wildlife species by improving habitat conditions in the Yankee Fork Salmon River.   This project will involve cooperative habitat protection and improvement with private landowners because some of the proposed work area is owned by Simplot, Inc.  These privately owned areas are within the USGS Sunbeam Quadrangle, T11&12N, R15E, in Sections 5, 32, 29, 20, and 17.  This project is addressing the Final Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan, with the cooperation and co-sponsorship of the project among the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the USDA Forest Service (USFS), State of Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and Idaho State University (ISU).  Efforts will be coordinated to complement other activities to protect and re-restore important, quality habitat throughout the watershed (primarily USFS lands).  
This proposed action is supported by the Final Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan; the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River Watershed Assessment; the Upper Salmon River Subbasin Plan; the Watershed Analysis Approaches for Chinook salmon; Yankee Fork of the Salmon River, Idaho; the NMFS biological opinion for Chinook salmon in the Yankee Fork watershed; and the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.  
Thousands of kilometers of western streams have been severely altered by dredge mining for gold.  This project will be similar to BPA project # 199605300, North Fork John Day River Dredge Tailings Restoration, where channel structure was returned to a pre-dredged condition at the project site following the redistribution of over 6,000 cubic yards of tailings.  This project allows the river access to the floodplain, water and energy are now dissipated to emulate the natural condition of the river system, and Chinook salmon used the newly redistributed substrate to construct redds within weeks after completion.
"Rationale and significance to Regional Programs

The Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program recognizes that improvements in habitat quality are needed to increase the productivity of many stocks of Chinook salmon.  The Yankee Fork Chinook salmon stock is in jeopardy of going extinct (a time estimate is difficult to predict) unless survival through the migration corridor on the Snake and Columbia Rivers and habitat quality and quantity in the Yankee Fork watershed can be improved.  The Yankee Fork Dredge Tailings Restoration Project will attempt to restore over six miles of river to a natural, pre-mining condition.  Redistributing tailings piles from the floodplain should allow the river to access its historic floodplain, which has not occurred since dredging was initiated in 1939.  By moving toward restoration of pre-mining channel conditions, more natural habitat conditions should develop and function again in the watershed.  This project will provide a healthy stream and riparian community and in turn, provide numerous benefits to fish and wildlife, water quality, and other users of the watershed.
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"This project will directly address several measures in the Fish and Wildlife Program.

Measure 7.6A.1 calls for coordination of human activities on a comprehensive watershed management basis.  This will be accomplished through periodic meetings with the State Fish and Game Department Biologists/Managers, USFS Fisheries and Research Biologists, landowners, the Engineer on the NFJD project, and Tribal Biologists.  Several public meetings will be held to inform and involve the public in the project.  Legal conservation easements will be established with landowners.  Priorities for restoration will be developed based on outcomes from the meetings and review of the analyses done on the watershed.  Cooperative planning with all parties will commence based on these priorities.  Monitoring and evaluation of activities will be conducted in cooperation with all parties and Idaho State University.  
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"Measure 7.6A.2 calls for improved productivity of salmon and steelhead habitat critical to the recovery of weak stocks.  The Yankee Fork has been designated as critical habitat (57 FR 14653), and the stock at this time is extremely depressed and on the verge of extinction.  This project will improve habitat productivity by providing a healthy, functioning stream and riparian community.  

Measure 7.6B.3 gives priority to habitat projects that have been integrated into broader watershed improvement efforts and that promote cooperative agreements with private landowners.  This project will use a Subbasin Assessment to guide project activities, and as most of the affected areas are on private land, a cooperative agreement/easement will be essential to the success of the project.  
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Measure 7.6B.4 calls for giving priority to actions that maximize the desired result per dollar spent, and to actions that have a high probability of succeeding at a reasonable cost.  This project is modeled after a highly successful and cost-effective restoration project (North Fork John Day River Dredge Tailings Restoration, 9605300) and similar, possibly better results are expected with this YF project since part of the assessment will involve consultation with the John Day cooperators to see what lessons were learned in implementation, what was most effective, and what could have been done differently to achieve more efficient results.    
Measure 7.6B.6 encourages involvement with volunteers and educational institutions in cooperative habitat enhancement projects.  This project will involve the Shoshone-Bannock High School through their streamside incubator project on the Yankee Fork, the Challis High School through their Living Stream Classroom Project, and Idaho State University and University of Idaho graduate students.  
Measure 7.6C.5 calls for federal land and water management agencies, states, tribes, and private landowners to take all steps necessary to comply with the habitat objectives.  By providing a healthy, functioning stream and riparian community, this project will improve sediment regimes, bank stability, water quality, large woody debris, large pool frequency, riparian vegetation, stream morphology, and riparian areas compared to current conditions.  
Measure 7.8A.2 charges federal land managers to initiate actions needed for recovery when the habitat objectives are not being met.  The USFS has provided the framework for this project by completing the Watershed Assessment and a cultural survey and contracting a geomorphologic study and a heavy metals analysis, which will be used to guide the restoration effort.  The USFS has also initiated a feasibility study on the relocation of the road which also affects riparian and riverine function.  
Measure 7.8D.1 charges parties to identify and protect riparian and underwater lands associated with perennial and intermittent streams and to initiate actions to increase shade, vegetation, and standing and down large woody and small woody debris when water quality objectives are not being met.  The affected six-mile area of the Yankee Fork Salmon River has no functional floodplain, and is currently listed by the State of Idaho as being a water quality limited segment, and restoring it will accomplish the above listed objectives.  The project will use non-structural methods whenever possible to allow the river to establish connectivity with the floodplain.
This project will directly address several RPAs within Section 9.6.2.1 of the FCRPS BiOp involving actions related to tributary habitat.  RPA 149 will be addressed through improvement of fish passage accomplished by the formation of natural in-channel and side-channel substrate through the tailings reach. RPA 152 will be addressed through coordination of efforts with other agencies.  This will be accomplished by the sharing of critical data for use by other entities.  For example, sharing continuously monitored water quality data for the development of the TMDL by the State of Idaho Department of Environmental Quality.  RPA 153 will be addressed with the protection of riparian buffers strips through legal negotiation of private land conservation easements.
This project will be similar to BPA project #199605300, North Fork John Day River (NFJD) Dredge Tailings Restoration.  Ed Calame, the engineer responsible for the project has already provided considerable information for this proposal, and we intend to retain him as a consultant for this project if possible.  Reports, knowledge, and information generated from the NFJD project has provided, and will continue to provide, guidance for this project.  This project also intends to define and develop technological tools, knowledge, and expertise to assist in designing cost-effective restoration strategies to improve fish habitat and stream-riparian environments.
This project will be a cooperative effort between agencies, tribes, private parties, and local interest groups, and a broad base of support will be essential to the success of the project.  By using a comprehensive and broad-based watershed approach, this project will ensure that all affected parties will have input into the implementation phase.  The project will be very important to the survival of Chinook salmon and steelhead in the Yankee Fork Salmon River, and would be a good investment of rate-payer monies by the BPA.
Relationships to other projects
The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes currently have two ongoing BPA-funded projects involving the Yankee Fork Salmon River.  The Salmon River Habitat Enhancement Project (199405000) has created off-channel rearing ponds for juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead and samples the ponds and mainstem Yankee Fork annually to estimate juvenile abundance, habitat use, and adult escapement.  The Salmon Supplementation Studies in Idaho Rivers Project (198909803) also samples the West Fork Yankee Fork as one of the control streams in the study.  This project also complements other USFS restoration efforts that are identified in the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River Watershed Assessment for improving watershed processes and the stream-riparian function (i.e., road realignment, grazing strategies, etc...).  
Data generated by these projects will be used to monitor Chinook salmon and steelhead trends during and after the construction phase is completed.  The project will also continue restoration efforts initiated by private parties in the watershed which involved restoration of 0.5 miles of stream riparian habitat previously degraded by dredging on Jordan Creek, a tributary to the Yankee Fork.
This project is a collaborative effort involving the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the United States Forest Service Yankee Fork Ranger District and Rocky Mountain Research Station, private landowners, University of Idaho, and Idaho State University.  
All parties wish to see this project succeed, and manpower and equipment will be made available as necessary to ensure it does.  A full-time program manager with the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes will administer the contract, coordinate process for implementation, develop work priorities, gather, synthesize, and present data, author reports to BPA, coordinate M&E, and advise graduate students.  This person will oversee the day-to-day operation of the project and be responsible for obtaining/facilitating all required permits, easements, consultations, etc. necessary for the project to operate.  Permits and consultations necessary will include: 1) Idaho Department of Water Resources permit to alter a stream channel; 2) U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit programs under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 and Section 404 of the Clean Water Act; 3) consultations with State Historic Preservation Office and affected Tribes; 4) NEPA analysis; and 5) consultation with NMFS and USFWS.  
Biologists with the USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station will be initially used to complete the remote sensing work necessary to properly plan and implement the project.  Other parties that may be involved in the project include Idaho State University, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, the Upper Salmon Basin Watershed Project (BPA Project No. 199401700) and the Custer County Soil and Water Conservation District.  These parties are concerned with improving fish habitat in the Salmon River Basin and could provide valuable input to this project in terms of soliciting more private interest involvement in the project and/or assistance with M&E.  Private consultants may be hired as necessary to provide additional input and information.