Project Background

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has been participating in BPA's wildlife mitigation efforts since the mid 1980s.  Since 1991, Oregon wildlife managers have been working together to coordinate the planning, selection, and implementation of BPA-funded wildlife mitigation projects under the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's (NWPCC's) Fish and Wildlife Program as outlined in Sections 7 and 11, specifically measures 7.6, 11.2D, 11.3E, and 11.3F (NWPPC 1995).  The Oregon wildlife managers (or Oregon Wildlife Coalition) are comprised of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Confederated Tribes of the Warms Springs Reservation of Oregon (CTWSRO), Burns Paiute Tribe (BPT), and Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR).

The LMWA is located 6.9 miles south of La Grande, Oregon in the southwest corner of the Grande Ronde Valley.  Before the addition of the four properties of interest, the LMWA consisted of 3,208 acres of grain fields, tree and shrub areas, native prairie, marsh and open water.  In addition to being an important staging area for migratory waterfowl, the LMWA serves as nesting area for many species.  Over 2,000 ducks and 400 Canada geese are produced each year.  The LMWA hosts over 200 species of birds, 40 species of mammals, and 10 species of reptiles and amphibians either as residents or visiting migrants.

The Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area Additions project was approved by the NWPPC in 1998-99. Three parcels known as the Simonis, Wallender and Conley Lake totaling 844 acres were purchased from The Nature Conservancy in 2001. Fiscal year 2002 saw major construction and restoration on the Wallender parcel and part of the Simonis parcel. Restoration on the Simonis property was completed in the winter of 2002-03. Restoration included construction of approximately 30,000 feet of dikes and placement of twenty-three water control structures. Nearly three miles of Ladd Creek were restored to a more natural, meandering channel. Two water control/fish ladders were also installed in Ladd Creek to improve fish passage.  Other activities included construction of perimeter fences, seeding uplands and planting shrubs and trees along riparian areas.

The draft five-year habitat management plan for the project was completed and submitted to BPA for review.  A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation (M&E) plan was developed and included in the five-year habitat management plan.  Formal monitoring was begun in FY 2002 with the placement of point-count survey locations and photo point locations and development of waterfowl survey routes. Baseline photos were taken at photo points.

Historical and Existing Habitat Conditions

Historically, the Wallender and Simonis properties were part of the large Tule Lake wetland complex.  However, like most of the wetlands in the area, the majority of the wetlands that occurred on those properties were drained and converted to agriculture.  Prior to purchase by TNC in 1998, the 309-acre Wallender parcel was farmed for small grain and alfalfa production.  Prior to restoration, there were about 294 acres of idle farmland and about 15 acres of creek bottom and idle pasture.  Most of the parcel was subject to periodic flooding from Ladd Creek which runs along the southern and eastern property boundaries, and from Barney Creek which flows through the 375-acre Simonis parcel and existing Ladd Marsh Wildlife Area land to the south.  Barney Creek joins with Ladd Creek on the southern boundary of the Wallender parcel.  Ladd Creek and Barney Creek were relocated to ditches in the early 1900s.

After the Simonis property was drained and ditched, the property supported a small farm and ranch operation.  Approximately 60 acres has been in small grains and alfalfa.  There are 3 acres in the home and building site.  Except for a few scattered wetlands, the remainder of the 375 acres was in pasture and grass hay.  Since purchase by TNC in 1999, the former landowner has been permitted to continue minimal ranching and farming activities on 120 acres.  The farming activities have been used to control weeds and reduce the heavy residual cover for restoration activities.  Farming activities will be phased out as restoration proceeds.  The majority of the property is subject to periodic flooding.  

The Conley Lake property is comprised of 120 acres of shallow lake (at high water) and 41 acres of upland habitat currently planted in small grains.  The lake, which has no formal inlet, receives most of its water through surface run-off and ground water.  Water depth averages 2-3 feet when the lake is full.  There is a small band of native vegetation separating the lake from surrounding agricultural land.  

This project will protect and enhance 844 acres of high priority upland, wetland and riparian habitats.  Restored seasonal wetlands will produce abundant stands of aquatic plants (e.g., sedges and rushes) that will provide food for water birds.  These plant communities will also provide habitat for many other species of birds and wetland wildlife. The wetlands will dry out during most years, allowing the natural processes of recycling nutrients to occur, which is important for maintaining wetland system productivity.  Restored riparian habitats will provide much improved habitat conditions for a variety of wildlife species, especially neotropical migrants and locally nesting passerine species.  Wetland margins will be restored to a tufted hairgrass community and upland areas will be restored to a greasewood/basin wildrye plant community.  Restoration efforts will also dramatically improve winter and summer habitat for steelhead, Chinook salmon, and resident fish in Ladd Creek and Catherine Creek.  Summer water temperatures will decrease, winter water temperatures will increase, there will be more pools and deep instream habitat areas for anadromous and resident fish, winter rearing habitats will be improved for juvenile steelhead, and there will be improved quality and quantity of water flowing into Catherine Creek from Ladd Creek.

Project Goal

The overall goal of the LMWA Additions mitigation project is to protect existing habitat values and restore degraded values that have occurred as a result of past and current land management practices on lands adjacent to or near the existing LMWA.  This Statement of Work (SOW) and associated budget address the maintenance and operation (O&M) and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of enhancements on Wallender, Conley Lake, and Simonis properties. Project Work Elements are outlined below and will be achieved with funds recommended by the NWPCC for the LMWA Additions project.  The total estimated Fiscal Year 2005 budget is $48,000.