The Oxbow Conservation Area was purchased as a high priority project in 2001 with BPA mitigation funds by the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (Tribes).  The Project has since received BPA annual funding for O&M as part of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Tribes and BPA.  

The property is located in the within the John Day subbasin plan’s highest priority 5th Field HUC, Camp Creek, for Middle Fork subwatershed. The property holds a high concentration of adult spring chinook salmon through the high temperatures and low flows of the summer months, offers spawning and rearing habitat to chinook salmon, ESA-listed as Threatened Mid-Columbia summer steelhead and bull trout as well as access to the five fish-bearing perennial tributaries that come into the property from National Forest lands.

Past activities on the property severely impacted its habitat potential via overgrazing, dredge mining, invasive plants, and the clearing of trees and shrubs from riparian habitat.  Since acquisition, the Tribes have been working to protect existing habitat, restore degraded habitat, and assess conditions within the property and its valuable fish and wildlife habitat.  The Project will continue to follow the goals, objectives, and guidelines presented in the property management plan. Biological objectives for this Project target habitat for anadromous fish populations and other ESA-listed and sensitive species found on the property.

This Project will continue to address aquatic priorities outlined in the John Day Subbasin Plan:

•Protect High Quality Existing Habitat – achieved through various property O&M, education and outreach, riparian fencing, controlled access, monitoring trends, etc.
•Enhance Riparian and Instream Habitat – achieved through channel restoration of historically dredged and degraded streams, intensive riparian planting, adding large wood for habitat and stream complexity where needed, and controlling invasive  plants in riparian corridors.  
•Fish Passage and Habitat Connectivity – achieved through improving irrigation diversions, and replacing outdated fish screens. Improved passage to Ruby Creek will also be addressed through the channel restoration efforts planned for 2009.
•Flow Restoration - achieved through protection of existing water rights, removing juniper, careful use irrigation for riparian enhancement and groundwater storage, and monitoring of flows surrounding such usage.

AMENDMENT JUNE 2008
Incorporates BPA/Treaty Tribes MOA funding additions
Extends contract to March 30, 2009, in order to ease the merging of the Forrest Conservation Area and the Oxbow Conservation Area projects under one BPA project to ease administration and improve management efficiency.

Adds salary for Restoration Ecologist to oversee Project Managers, manage large-scale restoration projects development, design, and implementation, provide long-term planning support, and seek additional funding for restoration projects.  This position is targeted to have 80% funding from BPA's Forrest and Oxbow Projects (2002-015-00 % 2002-041-01), split approximately 50/50 among the projects.  These two project also will provide/share support for vehicle costs, some travel and training costs, and purchase of a computer for this position.  It is the goal of the tribes to eventually diversify funding for this position through secured grants for restoration projects.  Future BPA funding support for this position is aimed at 50% in 2010 (once Forrest and Oxbow are combined under one project).  The Restoration Ecologist will work primarily out of Warm Springs Natural Resources Department Office to improve communication between the Tribes and Conservation Area Management in the Upper John Day Subbasin.  This position should assume many of the administrative burdens that keep Project Habitat Managers in the office instead of out in the field.  Ultimately the new position, and merging of the two Projects should allow more efficiency in allowing funding to make a difference on the ground.

Adds various subcontracts for shop building completion work (water, electric, etc.)
Adds subcontract for Dr. Pat McDowell of University of Oregon to set up solid, reproducible geomorphological study components to ensure that property management and projects are having an appropriate affect on conditions influencing limiting factors to salmonid recovery.  This study effort of Dr. McDowell's is part of a broader watershed scale effort as part of the MFJDR Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW) program.    
Adds funds to procure an additional ATV

Adds funds for service contracting for some of the Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) involved with the future restoration efforts
Adds WE for planning restoration design approaches as part of the Bureau of Reclamation' s IDT
Other funding adjustments in supplies, equipment, etc. to ensure completion of WE and to cover contract extension to March 30, 2009.