INTRODUCTION

KWEP works to restore, enhance, and protect watershed function within the Klickitat subbasin. Project work emphasizes restoration and protection in watersheds and reaches that support native salmonid stocks, particularly steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss; listed as "Threatened" within the Mid-Columbia ESU), spring Chinook (O. tshawytscha) salmon, and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus; ESA "Threatened").  Restoration activities are aimed at restoring stream processes by removing or mitigating watershed perturbances and improving habitat conditions and water quality.  Watershed and habitat improvements also benefit fall Chinook (O. tshawytscha) and coho (O. kisutch) salmon, resident rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout (O. clarki) and enhance habitat for many terrestrial and amphibian wildlife species.  Protection activities compliment restoration efforts within the subbasin by securing refugia and preventing degradation.  Since 90% of the off-reservation project area is in private ownership, maximum effectiveness is accomplished via cooperation with state, federal, tribal, and private entities. The Klickitat Watershed Enhancement Project (KWEP) addresses goals and objectives presented in the Klickitat Subbasin Plan, Klickitat Lead Entity Strategic Plan, and the 1994 NPCC Fish and Wildlife Program.  


PROJECT GOALS
The overall goal of KWEP is to restore watershed health to aid recovery of salmonid stocks in the Klickitat subbasin.  There are three sub-goals:
•  Assess watershed and habitat conditions to prioritize sites for restoration activities.   This involves data collection, compilation, and review of existing as well as historic habitat and watershed conditions.  Identification and filling of data gaps is also a component of KWEP.
•  Protect, restore, and enhance priority watersheds and reaches to increase riparian, wetland, and stream habitat quality.  In-situ and watershed-scale restoration activities mitigate or resolve conflicting historic, present, and/or future land-uses.  Protect areas of existing high-quality habitat condition and prevent further deterioration of degraded habitats.  Restore areas of degraded stream channel and/or habitat condition.
•  Monitor watershed conditions to assess trends and effectiveness of restoration activities.  Monitoring is a critical component to evaluating project success and guiding adaptive practices.  Site-specific and basin-wide spatial scales are addressed.  KWEP augments the Klickitat M&E project by assisting data collection and providing QA/QC and analysis of channel morphology, streamflow, temperature, habitat, and channel substrate.


ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE
Most of the projects in which KWEP is involved involve partners and cost-sharing.  The nature of KWEP involvement is noted for each project.  A categorical exclusion was completed for KWEP planning, design, data management, and monitoring activities on January 26, 2004.   BPA determined that such actions do "not present any extraordinary circumstances that may affect the significance of the environmental effects," and, "that the proposed action may be categorically excluded from further NEPA review and documentation."  Projects involving KWEP-funded ground disturbance beyond the scope of the categorical exclusion are noted accordingly.  


NARRATIVES FOR MAJOR PROJECT WORK

Haul Road (RM 18 to 32) Project (a.k.a. Klickitat River Floodplain Conservation and Restoration Project)

On the ground goal:  The Haul Road Project - Phase 2 will enhance and restore riparian and floodplain habitat by modifying 2.1 miles (cumulative) of road to reduce channel confinement and restore floodplain access along 0.94 miles of the road to increase off-channel habitat for steelhead and salmon.

Partners: Columbia Land Trust (CLT).   KWEP is contributing to the project as the technical lead for design and construction oversight of restoration actions, assisting planning activities, and providing construction materials.

FY09-10 KWEP activity:  KWEP involvement in FY09 & FY10 will include construction oversight and revegetation.    

Background:  This portion of the river has the greatest habitat complexity of any reach in the lower Klickitat River and provides critical spawning, migration and rearing habitat for winter and summer steelhead (ESA-Threatened), Chinook salmon (spring and fall runs), and coho salmon. The project area is encompassed by the "Lower Klickitat Mainstem: Little Klickitat to Leidl Bridge" reach which is in the top tier of geographic priorities identified in the 2005 Klickitat Salmon Recovery Strategy. The project addresses both limiting features and functions identified in the 2005 draft Klickitat Salmon Recovery Strategy for this reach by breaching portions of the road to restore connectivity and pulling -back and re-vegetating fill materials in other portions to enhance riparian vegetation. This reach provides a high proportion of the basinwide spawning habitat for all three species, accounting for roughly 30%, 51%, and 38% of the annually observed basinwide spawning for steelhead, fall Chinook, and coho, respectively.  Riparian and floodplain conditions have been degraded by a combination of 1996 flood deposits and channel encroachment by road fill, although the absence of other floodplain development coupled with somewhat less-confined valley conditions has afforded the river in this reach greater resiliency than downstream reaches.  Phase 1 of the project was initiated in 2004.  



Klickitat River (RM 12) Salmon Habitat Restoration Project

On the ground goal: Improve habitat quality for spring Chinook, summer steelhead, and winter steelhead (Tier 1 priority species).  In addition to the Tier 1 species listed, the project will improve rearing, holding, and migratory habitat for fall Chinook and coho salmon between river miles 12.1 and 13.6.  Project actions will include construction of six large woody debris (LWD) jams (Douglas Fir, ponderosa pine, white fir) and revegetation of 2.2 acres of floodplain along 1, 625 feet of bank.  An additional 2.8 acres of adjacent upland will be planted with ponderosa pine.

FY 09-10 activity: During the FY09 & FY10 contract, KWEP will assist MCRFEG staff with planning, design and construction.

Background: This project addresses limiting habitat features (lack of channel complexity and poor riparian vegetation) identified for this reach in a top geographic priority identified in the Subbasin Plan and KLESRS.  Implementation and related oversight will occur during FY09 pending approval of SRFB funding.  This project occurs within the "Lower Klickitat Mainstem: Mouth to Little Klickitat" reach identified as a top-tier geographic priority in the Klickitat Lead Entity Salmon Recovery Strategy (KLESRS) along the Klickitat River.  Riparian and floodplain plantings will increase bank stability, floodplain roughness, and bank cover.  Upland plantings will increase long-term woody debris recruitment potential.  LWD treatments will enhance channel complexity and maintain a side-channel; the cost-share aspect of this project includes at least 10,000 bf of wood donated by the property owner.  Construction will be funded by a SRFB grant sponsored by MCRFEG that KWEP personel helped author in 2005.  Implementation is anticipated for 2009.



Lower White Creek Restoration Project

On the ground goal:   This project is aimed at restoring channel complexity and improving rearing habitat for Tier 1 priority species (summer and winter steelhead) identified in the KLESRS, but is anticipated to benefit adult holding and spawning habitat as well.  The project reach occurs along the mainstem of White Creek between RM 3 and RM 6 and will involve treatment at 18 sites.   Treatments will involve LWD jams construction within existing pools.  Excavation will be conducted at some sites to increase residual pool depths.

FY09-10 activity:  During the FY09 & FY10 contract, KWEP will provide funding for survey, design, planning, administration, and construction oversight.  It will also assist with funding materials and supplies.  

Background:  The proposed project addresses limiting habitat features (bed degradation, pool structure, and LWD abundance) identified for this reach in a top geographic priority identified by the Subbasin Plan and KLESRS.  White Creek, a 3rd order tributary of the Klickitat River, provides important spawning and rearing habitat for ESA-listed Middle Columbia River steelhead.  The White Creek watershed as a whole is likely the most important spawning and rearing tributary watershed within the Klickitat subbasin. In recent years, the White Creek watershed has accounted for up to 40% of the observed steelhead spawning in the entire Klickitat subbasin.  Implementation is anticipated in 2008 and will be funded by a SRFB grant sponsored by YNFP.



Tepee Creek Restoration - Phase 2 Design

On the ground goal: develop a 30% design for restoration of floodplain connectivity for a 1.3 mile reach of Tepee Creek between river miles 4.5 to 5.85.  Upon implementation, this will have the effect of increasing floodplain storage, reducing severity of active channel hydraulic conditions during high flows, and potentially restoring low flows to this and downstream reaches.  The preferred conceptual approach is to restore channel grade and elevation using planform adjustments and natural bedforms.  

FY09-10 activity:  During the FY09 & FY10 contract, KWEP will provide funding for survey, design, planning, administration (FY09) and construction oversight. (FY10).  KWEP will also assist with funding materials and supplies.  

Background:  Currently, most of the incised reaches in the White Creek watershed (including the project reach) dry up from July through October.  Anecdotal accounts from the 1960s suggest that at least some of these reaches were historically perennial. Many of the same reaches showing signs of bed armoring are also characterized by a simplified morphology with low pool frequencies, rectangular, canal-like cross sections, and an absence of large woody debris (LWD). Impacts from grazing (in the form of altered riparian vegetation, bank erosion, and channel incision) are also evident in several meadow reaches within the watershed.  Anecdotal evidence, along with watershed size, elevation, and precipitation, suggest that more reaches had perennial flow historically. Because of the very low to nonexistent base flow conditions at many spawning areas, post-emergence movement by steelhead fry and juveniles to summer refugia is critical to their survival.  Summer refugia (in the form of perennially-flowing stream reaches or remnant pools in otherwise dry reaches) is highly limited in Tepee Creek and is necessary for successful rearing within this watershed.  Upper Tepee Creek and East Fork Tepee Creek, due to groundwater inputs or intact wetlands that act as reservoirs, provide some of this necessary perennial habitat.     Where perennial pool habitat is present, survival appears to be good, particularly for 0+ and 1+ aged fish.  Currently, fry observed migrating as a result of summer freshets are often stranded in areas that dry up.  Additional refugia is critical for increased survival.  A partial fish barrier downstream of the proposed project reach was replaced in October 2007 as part of the SRFB-funded Tepee Creek Fish Passage Restoration project (Project #04-1716).  



Upper Klickitat River In-Channel and Floodplain Enhancement Project - Phase 2 and Phase 3 design

On the ground goal:  Enhance instream habitat and water quality to benefit mid-Columbia steelhead (ESA - Threatened) and spring Chinook (WDFW - Depressed) at three priority sites totaling 0.29 river miles (cumulative) along the Klickitat River between RM 70 and 74.5.  Work will involve reshaping and replanting 0.62 miles (cumulative) of bank and 2.1 acres of floodplain.

FY09-10 KWEP Activity:  KWEP will provide funding for survey, design, permitting, administration, and construction oversight for Phase 2 in FY09 and survey, design, permitting and administration for Phse 3 in FY10.. It will also assist with funding materials and supplies.  YNFP-sponsored PCSRF and SRFB grants will cost-share in-stream construction actions.  

Planning and design actions are encompassed by a categorical exclusion completed by BPA Environmental Compliance staff in 2004.  NEPA and HIP Bi-Op checklists will be prepared to cover implementation actions which are expected to occur in FY07.  

Background:  Work will restore ecosystem characteristics and processes and address priority factors identified as limiting salmonid production in the Klickitat Subbasin Plan as well as the Klickitat Lead Entity Salmon Recovery Strategy.  The core EDT reach that encompasses project sites ranks third overall in the Klickitat subbasin in restoration potential for combined performance of steelhead and spring Chinook.  Project work addresses most of the top limiting factors identified for the reach.  Proposed activities build upon the experience of recent large woody debris (LWD)-based habitat projects completed in upper reaches of Klickitat River and its tributaries.

The intent of the project is to reduce the interaction between the 255 Road and the Klickitat River in three locations and improve in-channel habitat conditions.  The 255 Road is the arterial road for the upper third of the Klickitat watershed and is the primary access route for tribal members to access reservation lands for ceremonial, subsistence and economic purposes as well as for transporting forest products.  Relocation of the road would be a more desirable option and allow for evolution of a more stable planform and profile.  However, the size of the road and valley morphology make relocation cost prohibitive.  



OTHER RELATED PROJECTS


Improve Farming Practices - Administer MOA with Central and Eastern Klickitat County Conservation Districts (CEKCCD) for operation of a no-till drill.  The goal is to increase residual ground cover (stubble) in agricultural fields between crop cycles and reduce disturbance to the soil profile.  The net result is greater infiltration of precipitation into the soil profile and less surface runoff and soil erosion.  This project targets smaller farmers (typically 80 ac or less) for whom it is not economical to purchase such equipment.  Outcomes will reduce fine sediment contributions to streams


Habitat Assessment and Monitoring - Augment monitoring and assessment of physical watershed characteristics in the Klickitat subbasin.  Supplement data and analysis of the Klickitat M&E project by assisting with collection, QA/QC, and analysis.  Conduct effectiveness monitoring at past KWE-related project sites.  
Assist data collection and management of channel morphology, streamflow, temperature, habitat, and channel substrate data.  KWEP actions are encompassed by a categorical exclusion completed by BPA Environmental Compliance staff in 2004.