The 8,678 acre Rainwater Wildlife Area was established in September 1998 by the CTUIR under the NPPC Fish and Wildlife Program and Washington Interim Wildlife Mitigation Agreement (BPA et al., 1993) to protect, enhance, and mitigate wildlife impacted by development of the John Day and McNary hydroelectric dams. The project is located in the upper South Fork Touchet River drainage in the Walla Walla River Subbasin approximately 8 miles south of Dayton, Washington adjacent to the Umatilla National Forest. The area was selected by the CTUIR and BPA as a regional mitigation project because of its large size, location in the upper headwaters of the Touchet River watershed, and ability of the area to provide anadromous fish, resident fish, and wildlife benefits in a watershed context.

The Wildlife Area is located in southeastern Washington in Township 7 North, Range 39 East, all or portions of Sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9; and Township 8 North, Range 39 East, all or portions of Sections 5, 8, 9, 17, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, and 34, Willamette Meridian, Latitude 46.12.30, Longitude 117.57.30.

The goal of this contract is to help Bonneville Power Administration meet its' Columbia River Basin mitigation obligation within the Ceded Lands of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).  The contract will provide funding to the CTUIR to administer the Rainwater Wildlife Area, and maintain, protect, and enhance fish and wildlife habitat.  Targeted habitat types include riparian, native grasslands, and upland forest.

The project area includes approximately 7,000 acres of upland and riparian coniferous forest, 1,500 acres of native and native-like grasslands, and 180 acres of deciduous riparian habitat.  The Wildlife Area also provides 10 miles of headwater spawning and rearing habitat for Threatened summer steelhead and bull trout, and resident trout.  The project provides 5,161 baseline Habitat Units (HU's) and an estimated 1,500 enhancement HU's for seven target mitigation species.  

The 2008 SOW is a continuation of management activities on the Wildlife Area and provides direction for planned actions in the 2008 contract period.  During 2006, the wildlife area was impacted by the Columbia Complex Wildfire, which burned approximately 4,000 acres of upland grassland, forested, and riparian cover types within the wildlife area.  As such, management priorities for the 2007 and 2008  project periods have and will be directed towards controlling weeds, fuel treatment, and reestablishing native plant communities.        

Project activities include: 1) Planning and Design; 2) Construction and Implementation; 3) Operations and Maintenance; and 4) Monitoring and Evaluation.  Management efforts undertaken as part of this contract are designed to promote watershed health, support recovery of ESA fish species, and nurture self sustaining ecosystems.    

Management activities planned for 2008 will focus on implementation of the following major tasks:

• Administration and operations of wildlife area,
• Construct 0.5 miles of boundary fence,
• Conduct final phase of South Fork Touchet River Road repair along 0.25 mile road segment,
• Remove fire slash to reduce fuel loadings and prepare sites for planting,
• Plant trees on 25 acre burn unit to facilitate cover development,
• Continue ongoing weed management program,
• Monitor and evaluate habitat