# Details concerning CCR-23399:

This contract extension mainly focuses on preparing all environmental compliance/regulatory agency compliance and design for the following 2 projects:

The following work will be accomplished through this contract change action:

1)  Final 90% designs and permitting for the Pioneer Side Channel; and

2)  Provide planning and design for the Nason Creek N1 Floodplain Reconnection.  

Construction funding for the Pioneer Side Channel would likely be sought through the 2011 SRFB/TRIB/BPA open solicitation process. The N1 Project has been proposed to the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board as a potential “targeted solicitation” project for BPA funding.


The original UPA Wenatchee Complexity project was proposed by the Chelan County Natural Resource Department (CCNRD) as part of a regional commitment by Chelan County to initiate long-term habitat protection and restoration efforts within the Wenatchee River subbasin for salmonid species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Less than 10% of that original contract remains unspent and 4 of the potential complexity projects have been implemented. Alternatives Analysis' has begun on two additional projects from the original CMZ Study.

The Wenatchee Complexity Project identified potential project sites from the Lower Wenatchee River Channel Migration Zone Study (CMZ Study) and indicated that complexity projects identified in subsequent Bureau of Reclamation Reach Assessments could also be submitted for implementation.

The purpose of the CMZ Study was to provide the technical foundation to allow the selection and prioritization of salmonid habitat restoration, enhancement, and preservation projects. Specifically, the Phase I CMZ Study goals were as follows:
-Map historic and current channel migration zones,
-Identify factors affecting migration rates,
-Conduct a riparian survey, and
-Identify potential restoration sites.

The study identified numerous potential complexity projects. The list below is a subset of the total projects that was included in the original contract.
1. CMZ Site 6 (Constructed in 2010)
2. CMZ Site 11 (Constructed in 2008)
3. CMZ Site 17 (Alternatives Analysis completed in 2008)
4. CMZ Site 20 (Constructed in 2010)
5. CMZ Site N4 (Constructed in 2009)

Also identified in the CMZ Study were CMZ Site 7 (Pioneer Side Channel) and CMZ Sites N1, N2 and N3 (Nason Creek N1/KDIZ3 Floodplain Reconnection).

In addition, the Bureau of Reclamation had begun an effort to conduct reach assessments to find additional complexity projects in the Wenatchee subbasin when the original UPA Complexity Project was proposed. This effort included a Tributary Assessment and Reach Assessments on portions of Nason Creek completed in 2009. The N1 site was also identified as the Kahler Disconnected Inner Zone 3 and Disconnected Outer Zone 6 (K-DOZ-6 and K-DIZ-3) as part of the Kahler Reach Assessment. The Bureau recently completed a Baseline Geological Assessment of the Lower 4 Miles of Nason Creek (from the Wenatchee up to the Kahler Reach) which also included the N2 and N3 sites.

As part of the 2010 Add-on Habitat Action of Existing UCR Projects, CCNRD identified the Pioneer Side Channel (CMZ Site 7) and a Draft Alternatives Evaluation was completed in November 2010 for the Pioneer Side Channel with BPA funding. An Alternatives Analysis was completed for the Nason Creek N1/KDIZ3 Floodplain Reconnection in February 2011 with funding from the Whole Watershed Restoration Initiative NOAA/Ecotrust.

Pioneer Side Channel

The Pioneer Side Channel Project was initiated to evaluate opportunities to remove a diversion dam and enhance habitat in tandem with the Washington Water Project work to change the point of diversion for the Pioneer Ditch (Lower Wenatchee Instream Flow Enhancement). Two alternatives were evaluated: 1) Remove the Weir and Maximize the Existing Channel, 2) Divert the Channel around the Weir. A third alternative was recommended for evaluation at the presentation of the report at the Wenatchee Habitat Subcommittee meeting: 3) Remove the Weir With no modifications to Existing Channel. The Alternatives Analysis will be completed in April and a preferred alternative selected for design.

N1

The re-alignment of SR 207 in the 1940’s disconnected Nason Creek from the adjacent floodplain in several areas. Nason Creek contains major spawning areas for ESA-listed spring Chinook salmon and steelhead, and it is a bull trout core area. The Wenatchee Watershed Implementation Schedule identifies channel connectivity, off-channel habitat, and channel reconfiguration actions as Tier 1 biological priority actions necessary for species recovery. This project evaluated several alternatives to re-connect Nason Creek to the adjacent floodplain.

The alternatives analysis evaluated background information and existing site conditions to identify data collection and modeling needs to evaluate six alternatives for reconnecting Nason Creek to the adjacent floodplain. The alternatives analysis report describes the following alternatives to reconnect floodplain at the N1 site:
1. SR 207 Relocation
2. Full channel reconnection – causeway
3. Full channel reconnection - two large bridges
4. Partial channel reconnection - culverts
5. Engineered log jams
6. No action alternative

There was extensive stakeholder input to develop the alternatives considered and to select the recommended alternative. Table 1 (attached at the end of this report) summarizes the stakeholder input. Most stakeholders agreed that the recommended alternative is SR 207 relocation which will reconnect 74 acres of historic floodplain and restore active channel migration processes.

Nason Creek is a Category 2 watershed which means that it contains federally listed species and despite the habitat degradation, habitat connectivity still exists and restoring ecosystem functions within these watersheds is a high regional priority. The N1 floodplain reconnection project is an important component of the whole watershed restoration effort currently happening in Nason Creek. US Bureau of Reclamation, US Forest Service, and Yakama Nation have completed assessments to document existing conditions and identify proposed actions to improve salmon habitat and overall watershed health. BPA has funded two prior oxbow reconnection projects in lower Nason Creek. US Forest Service is currently conducting a minimum roads analysis in Nason Creek for future road decommissioning to improve water quality and salmon habitat. Yakama Nation, Chelan County Natural Resources Dept, USFWS, and other stakeholders are currently working on project designs to implement several floodplain reconnection and habitat diversity projects in Nason Creek. Once these projects (namely, N1, Lower White Pine, and Upper White Pine) are implemented, they will total over 4-6 miles of stream habitat enhancement. Another way to quantify this effort is that over 30% of the Chinook spawning habitat in Nason Creek will be enhanced through collaborative efforts in this watershed.

# END CCR-23399
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*****START CCR-20180*****

The original Contract #46466 was created for the CMZ 6, Pioneer Piping and Pioneer Side Channel projects (see text below the line of asterisks). The contract is being amended to include work for the CMZ 20 project. As stated in the original Contract Description, the CMZ 20 project needed to be reviewed by the ISRP, Council and BPA before it could be added to the contract. A few work elements were modified (WE A, B, C, G, L, M and N). A few Work Elements were added (WE O, P, Q and R). And a few Work Elements remained the same (WE D, E, F, H, I, J and K). The updated Line Item Budget is included as an attachment. It shows the Original Budget Totals, Estimated Change, and Total Budget by Work Element and by item (Personnel, Fringe Benefits, Supplies, Travel, Overhead, and Subcontracted).

The CMZ 20 project site is located in the lower Wenatchee River, at RM 25.0, immediately downstream of the Icicle Creek confluence, on river-right in Section 12 Township 24N Range 17E, Willamette Meridian (Figure 1). The site was inundated in the early 1900s when a dam was constructed near Leavenworth for the impoundment of water for saw mill operations, which consequently led to the deposition of several feet of fine sediments. Near the upstream extent of the site, Icicle Creek is actively eroding the river bank through natural fluvial processes. Several areas of the river bank have been cleared of woody vegetation, which has accelerated the erosion. Erosion has been noted along bank at the golf course directly across the river from Site 20.

A 2,500 linear foot high flow side channel runs along the south floodplain of the CMZ Site 20 island. Isolated pools form in this channel when high flows recede, which cause fish stranding during low flow periods. The bed of the high flow channel is primarily sandy soils, whereas the main channel is cobbles and gravels. The bedform of the high flow side channel indicates that the sandy bed material is unstable and shifts substantially during high flow events.

The Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan (2007) (Recovery Plan) recognizes that the lack of off-channel habitat as a primary limiting habitat factor for listed salmonids on the Wenatchee River. This project will improve that condition by enhancing 400 feet of existing high-flow side channel habitat.

The CMZ 20 project area is undeveloped, with the high-flow side channel that creates an island adjacent to the Wenatchee River. Flow enters the side channel annually when flow in the river is approximately 5,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) or greater. The mainstem Wenatchee River directly adjacent to the island provides suitable spawning habitat for Chinook salmon, with significant spawning activity occurring in the mainstem each year. No spawning activity has been observed in the side channel where the ELJs will be located; however, remnant pools in the channel remain after high flow resulting in the stranding of hundreds of juvenile salmonids annually. The side channel provides rearing habitat and the installation of four ELJs will improve the quality of the rearing habitat by increasing habitat complexity, providing instream and overhead cover, and providing high-flow refuge for juvenile salmonids during spring runoff events.

This project will directly address the priorities of A Biological Strategy to Protect and Restore Salmonid Habitat in the Upper Columbia Region (Upper Columbia River Technical Team 2008) (Biological Strategy), and the Recovery Plan (Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board 2007). As stated in the Biological Strategy, the Tier 1 habitat action recommendations for the lower Wenatchee River include placement of wood in side channels. This recommendation is also supported in the Recovery Plan. For the lower Wenatchee River, the Recovery Plan prescribes the following: “Increase habitat diversity and quantity by restoring riparian vegetation habitat along the Wenatchee River, reconnecting side channels and floodplain with the river, and increasing large woody debris [LWD] in the side channels.”

The CMZ 20 LWD Project will address two problems: 1) lack of cover in remnant pools that contain trapped salmonids during summer months, and 2) the overall lack of off-channel habitat complexity during high flows. Based on input from WDFW, and CCNRD, the project proposes to install four Engineered Log Jams over existing pool habitat in the side channel. Chapter 2 of the Design Narrative describes the details of the Large Woody Debris Structure Designs.

The side channel is connected to the Wenatchee River during high flows and is currently a fish trap after flow in the river falls below 5,000 cfs. Hundreds of juvenile salmonids (spring Chinook, steelhead, and coho) are trapped annually in the pools of the channel, and overhead woody cover is generally absent.

The LWD structures will be installed in the side channel to provide stable, complex, woody habitat features. The elements in the structures are designed to withstand high velocity flows associated with floods and maximum complexity and cover to the pools they will be installed in/over. The LWD structures will be constructed using 10- to 20-foot-long logs with 12-  to18-inch average diameters. The logs will include 3- to 5-foot-diameter rootwads or will be from mid-sections of trees with at least 10 branches intact after construction.

*****END CCR-20180*****

******************************Original Contract************************
The UPA Wenatchee Complexity projects are proposed by the Chelan County Natural Resource Department (CCNRD) and are part of a regional commitment by Chelan County to initiate long-term habitat protection and restoration efforts within the Wenatchee River subbasin for ESA-listed species. The UPA Wenatchee Subbasin Complexity Programmatic (Wenatchee Complexity) projects will be located in the Wenatchee subbasin and will benefit Upper Columbia steelhead, spring Chinook and bull trout. Five potential complexity projects were proposed, including Channel Migration Zone (CMZ) N4, CMZ 6, CMZ 11, CMZ 17 and CMZ 20. CMZ 11 was constructed in 2008. CMZ N4 was constructed in 2009. Construction for CMZ 6 and CMZ 20 is planned for 2010. The CMZ 17 project was not selected for design.

This contract covers CMZ 6, the Pioneer Piping Project, and the Pioneer Side Channel Project. The Pioneer projects were added to the Wenatchee Complexity projects during the Bonneville Power Administration's 2010 Add-on solicitation. CMZ 20 will be added as an amendment to this contract if it is successfully reviewed and approved by the ISRP and Council.

ISRP comments for this complexity proposal include:
Reconnecting potential floodplain habitats is definitely worthwhile, but this proposal does not provide enough information to enable a technical evaluation of the merits of each project individually. In some of the site descriptions there was insufficient information on how the berms/levees/roads would be breached or otherwise removed to reconnect the river with potential floodplain habitats, or what habitat conditions (e.g., acres of wetland ponds, riparian terraces, side channels, etc.) would be created after access is restored. Without this information, it was difficult to assess the potential benefits of each site scientifically. Therefore, the ISRP recommends partial funding for this project until the plans for each site are more fully developed and landowner agreements are finalized. Given the high total cost of the reconnecting the five floodplain sites, each location should be treated as an individual project and justified more completely. It is highly likely that these floodplain reconnection projects could have real benefits to fish and wildlife in the Wenatchee subbasin, but each area deserves a more complete description, a landowner agreement, and a reasonable monitoring plan. We suggest that funding be provided for securing agreements and developing thorough engineering plans, with implementation contingent on preparation of more complete proposals for each site.

CCNRD provided signed landowner willingness forms, project design and design report, a monitoring plan, and other requested information for the CMZ 6 project to the ISRP for review in October 2009. The project was reviewed and approved by the ISRP in November 2009. Council approved the project in December 2009. Construction is planned for CMZ 6 in 2010.

The CMZ Site 6 is located at River Mile (RM) 3.5 on the lower Wenatchee River, Township 23, North, Range 20 East, Section 19, Willamette Meridian. The CMZ 6 project proposes to create and enhance an 800-linear-foot side channel to provide off-channel refuge, rearing, and over-wintering habitat for juvenile salmonids and other fish species. This work includes creating 600 linear feet of side channel that will connect flows to 200 linear feet of enhanced side-channel habitat. The historic oxbow to the north of US 2 will not be reconnected since the landowners are not willing to have more flow go through their property. Therefore, the CMZ 6 project site is to the south of US 2. The project site is located at mile post 108.4 on U.S. Highway 2 (US 2). The land on which the project will be constructed is Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) right-of-way of US 2. The project will address two problems: 1) the degraded habitat conditions within the existing outlet channel, and 2) the overall lack of salmonid off-channel habitat on the lower Wenatchee River. Based on input from BPA, the Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team, the Salmon Recovery Fund Board, WSDOT, and CCNRD, the following goals were used to develop the most feasible and appropriate design alternative:
*Create a side channel habitat that flows during moderate to high flow events in April, May, and June to provide off-channel flow refuge.
*Create year-round habitat in the existing channel through deepening the thalweg, installing LWD, and revegetation.
The key feature at the project site is an existing side channel. The existing side channel functions as an outlet channel on the south side of US 2 downstream of a 60-inch concrete culvert. This side channel was recently excavated by WSDOT to provide improved flood flow conveyance between the historic channel to the north of the highway and the Wenatchee River. The WSDOT project does not provide complex cover, or significant riparian vegetation. During low-flow periods, the connection between the existing outlet channel downstream of the 60 inch culvert and the Wenatchee River is a shallow and narrow (just a couple inches deep and about 2-feet wide) channel that is difficult for juvenile fish to find and enter from the river. This project will include enhancement of 200 feet of the existing side channel, but it will not change the hydraulic connection between the oxbow habitat north of the highway and the river. Side channel enhancement will include lowering the bed to provide year-round access, widening of the bed and installation of LWD to increase habitat area and complexity, and extending the side channel to include an upstream connection to provide
an additional access point for fish and send flushing flows at key times of the year through the channel to improve habitat quality. The downstream 200 feet of the enhanced side channel will be permanently inundated to provide year-round foraging and refuge habitat. Near the downstream end no earthwork will be done along the east side of the channel so that all work is done on WSDOT right of way. The channel enhancement will include the installation of LWD structures, boulder clusters, and riparian planting. Several types of large woody debris structures will be used within the side channel to provide stable, complex woody habitat features. Salvaged cottonwood trees will also be placed along the side channel. The woody structures will be interplanted with native willow and dogwood stakes. The wood structures will provide a stable environment for plant establishment and will continue to provide long-term bank stability. In addition, a new 600 foot side channel will be constructed to provide flow-through habitat during normal spring snowmelt controlled flows and during times of high peak flows. Design details are included in the Designs and Design Report.

The Pioneer Piping Project and Pioneer Side Channel Project do not need to undergo ISRP review. The Pioneer Piping Project will include obtaining surveys to develop draft designs and a draft design report to pipe an irrigation ditch. The Pioneer Side Channel Project will involve developing an Alternatives Analysis for a potential side channel project.

Property Inventory: No property that was secured under this contract during the 2007-09 performance period needs to be reported.