Tenmile Creek is a 42 square mile tributary to the Snake River between Asotin Creek and Grande Ronde, and is almost exclusively held under private ownership.  Wild steelhead and rainbow/redband trout spawning and rearing was documented by WDFW in 2000 and 2002.  36 redds in 15.9 miles in 2000 and 29 redds in 7 miles were also documented in 2001 with an additional 23 resident rainbow/redband trout redds.

Couse Creek is a 24 square mile tributary to the Snake River between Tenmile Creek and the Grande Ronde.  It is also almost exclusively held under private ownership with wild steelhead and rainbow/redband trout spawning and rearing documented by WDFW.

The ACCD, in cooperation with co-managers and local landowners, has identified priority restoration projects and the need to continue to assess salmonid use of streams outside of Asotin Creek.  The CREP Program, independent of BPA, has been successfu... l in working with landowners to protect riparian areas and implement upland BMPs to reduce erosion.  This initiative has gained momentum and is needed to continue to implement the Asotin Subbasin Plan, which has identified priority areas and actions for ESA listed streams within Asotin County.  Couse and Tenmile are protection areas as identified by the Asotin Subbasin Plan.

The objectives within the overall SOW are to continue to identify priority areas and actions for ESA listed streams and fish species within Asotin County and to provide habitat restoration and to further establish, protect and improve overall water quality, riparian areas, and stream habitat.  Additional objectives are to continue to reduce soil erosion and instream sedimentation by stabilizing soils and streambanks through agricultural BMPs, and with improved livestock management practices that include exclusion from adjacent streambanks and beds.

Current Work Elements (WE), such as tree plantings, fencing, no-till direct seeding, and upland erosion and sedimentation control, meet these objectives by utilizing tree plantings and no-till direct seed to further reduce upland erosion and soil loss, sediment loading, and to increase riparian buffer establishment.  Riparian buffers also serve to reduce instream temperatures, provide direct soil stabilization and provide needed stream shading and habitat for fish redds and fry in the stream.  Fencing keeps livestock out of the streams, further protecting the streambanks, reducing in-stream sedimentation and reducing fecal coliform levels.  Sediment basins serve to collect runoff and soil loss before leaving the site and before entering stream systems.  Basins hold the water and soil on-site, allowing the water to percolate back into the soil and overall water table where it is needed.

All project elements have to be inspected, and approved, by District staff before a landowner receives cost-share reimbursement for the project.  If project actions do not meet the required specification, the District doesn't pay for implementation costs until deficiencies are remedied and results meet our standards.  The ACCD board sets a maximum hourly-rate a landowner may charge for their time (an amount less than what a contractor would charge but still showing their time has a value).  The USDA Farm Service Agency in Asotin County has set the same rate for landowner labor (currently $20/hour), and other agencies with whom we work accept this rate.  The District board also establishes hold-downs or caps for every practice we employ in our projects, and these constraints ensure that landowners and contractors are not able to overcharge or abuse the cost-share program through excessive hourly-rate billing.  The costs of BPA-supported actions and practices are based on documented expenses that cannot exceed the caps set by the board (expenses actually incurred can be less than the cost-caps established by the board, at less cost to BPA).  Even if a landowner spends an inordinate amount of time employed on project implementation activities, total reimbursement is limited by the maximum cost-share limits established by the Board.   Show More