ODFW Northeast Oregon Habitat Projects FY2007 Summary

This project continues Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's efforts to restore the habitat of salmon, steelhead and other fishes in the Blue Mountain Province as mitigation for losses resulting from development of the federal Columbia River Power System.  

This project has completed 53 projects restoring 3308 acres of riparian and 73.8 miles of stream habitat in the Blue Mountain Province since it began in 1985.  Restoration efforts have focused on the Joseph Creek, Wallowa River and Upper Grande Ronde River systems based on recommendations of agencies, tribes and the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program (CTUIR 1983; Noll et al. 1988; ODFW et al. 1990; and, Anderson et al. 1992, Huntington 1993, GRMWP 1994, , and Mobrand and Lestelle 1997,  NPCC 2004a , NPCC 2004b).  Review of these restoration efforts has found improving conditions in project areas for salmon, steelhead and other native fishes (Beschta et al. 1991, Kauffman et al. 2002 and McGowan 2005).

Project activities planned for this contract period include project planning, design, permitting, and construction as well as maintenance and implementation monitoring of existing projects.  Staff of this project works closely with the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program (GRMWP) who provides policy direction, project review and organizes project funding for specific projects.  They work with staff of CTUIR  to support the activities of other agencies (NRCS, ODOT, USFWS, NOAA, USFS, etc) implementing habitat restoration projects.

ODFW will work on 3 channel restoration projects during this contract period.  These include:

• End Creek Phase 4: McDonald Creek (upper Grande Ronde River) -  Completion of design, permitting, contracting and construction activities begun in FY 2005. Phase 4 will restore approximately 0.6 mile of channelized stream and 1.1 miles of tributaries;

• Ladd Creek Phase 1: West and Middle Forks (Catherine Creek) - Continue with conducting  field surveys, design, and permitting with construction beginning in summer FY 2007 and finishing in FY2009 to restore 3.3 miles of channelized stream;

• Wallowa River Phase 2- Continue with conducting field surveys, design, and permitting work with construction beginning in summer FY 2007 and completing in FY2008 to restore 0.4 miles of channelized river.

In addition, ODFW staff are working to complete the Hidaway fence project started in FY2006.  At this time no other fences are slated for FY2007 due to the workload associated with the three channel relocation projects. As stated in the SOW, additional fence construction will occur if time and money allow.

ODFW staff will also inspect 53 habitat projects built earlier, conduct maintenance (i.e. fix fencing and watergaps,  etc) necessary to ensure habitat treated by these projects continue to improve and perform implementation monitoring to track this improvement.  Administration, reporting and outreach activities will be conducted as well.

This project is also continuing to address the issues of monitoring in regards to the ISRP's recommendations for our project. In this contract period we will be continuing correspondence with the NWPPC staff and the ISRP to show our project effectiveness in riparian and stream habitat restoration within the constraints of the current budget.

Literature Cited

Anderson, J.W., and others.  1992.  Upper Grande Ronde River Anadromous Fish Habitat Protection, Restoration, and Monitoring Plan.  USFS, ODFW, CRITFC, CTUIR, NPT, OSU

Beschta, R. L., Platts, W.S., and  B. Kauffman.  1991.  Field review of fish habitat improvement projects in the Grande Ronde and John Day River basins of eastern Oregon

CTUIR.  1983.  Summary Report:  Salmon and steelhead habitat improvement initiatives--John Day, Umatilla, Grande Ronde and Imnaha drainages.

GRMWP.  1994.   Grande Ronde Model Watershed Operations - Action Plan.  Available from www.grmw.org/docs/reports_assessments/GRMWP_Plan_1994/GRMWP_Action_Plan_1994.pdf

Huntington, Charles W.  1993.  Stream and Riparian Conditions in the Grande Ronde Basin:  A report to the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Board, Clearwater Biostudies, Inc.

Kauffman, J. B., P. Bayley, H. Li, P. Mc Dowell and R.L Beschta.  2002.  Research/Evaluate Restoration of NE Oregon streams: Effects of livestock enclosures (corridor fencing) on riparian vegetation, stream geomorphic features and fish populations.  DOE/BP  00006210-1.  Available from BPA online at https://efw.bpa.gov/searchpublications/

Mobrand, L. and L. Lestelle.  1997.  Application of the ecosystem diagnosis and treatment method to the Grande Ronde model watershed project.  BPA Task Order Number 95AT61148, P.O. Box 3621, Portland, OR.

McGowan, V.R. 2005.  Grande Ronde Basin Fish Habitat Enhancement Project:  2004 Annual Report to BPA.  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, La Grande, OR.  

Noll, W., Williams, S., and R. Boyce.  1988.  Grande Ronde river basin fish habitat improvement implementation plan.  Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

NPCC.  2004a. Grande Ronde Subbasin Plan.  Prepared for Northwest Power and Conservation Council by Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program.  Pgs 491.  Available from www.nwcouncil.org/fw/subbasinplanning/granderonde/plan/

NPCC.  2004b. Imnaha Subbasin Plan.  Prepared for Northwest Power and Conservation Council by Wallowa County Natural Resources Advisory Committee.  Paged by section.  Available from www.nwcouncil.org/fw/subbasinplanning/imnaha/plan/

ODFW, CTUIR, NPT, WDF, WDW.  1990.  Grande Ronde River Subbasin Salmon and Steelhead Production Plan.  Northwest Power Planning Council.  Portland, OR.