This contract will fund the Yakama Nation Fisheries Upper Columbia Habitat Restoration Project to seek, design and implement fish habitat restoration projects throughout the Methow, Entiat, and Wenatchee subbasins for the Calendar Year 2021 performance period.  Administrative tasks related to this SOW, such as reporting and inventory management, are provided under BPA Contract 56662 REL 215.

This contract details salmon habitat restoration work being designed or implemented in the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead recovery area under the guidance of the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan and the 2017 Biological Strategy Update.  Yakama Nation Fisheries uses project and ecological concern prioritizations contained within the 2017 Biological Strategy Update and within Habitat and Geomorphic Reach Assessments reviewed by the Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team to determine which project action types and locations to pursue.  At the project level, Yakama Nation Fisheries subcontracts with technical consultants to develop salmon habitat restoration actions that best address prioritized ecological concerns limiting salmon and steelhead productivity and abundance.  

Work Element actions in 2021 include:

RESTORATION ACTIONS (2021 CONSTRUCTION ACTIONS)

Methow Subbasin:
Lower Chewuch Assessment Unit - Eight Mile Creek Barrier Removal  and Chewuch RM 4.6 Side Channel Restoration
Middle Methow Assessment Unit - M2 Alder Creek Floodplain Side Channel Restoration and M2 Golden Doe Large Wood Restoration
Lower Twisp Assessment Unit - Twisp River Habitat Wood Harvest

Wenatchee Subbasin:
Upper Wenatchee Assessment Unit - Skinney Creek Channel Reconstruction and Nason Confluence Side Channel Restoration

Entiat Subbasin:
Middle Entiat Assessment Unit - Entiat Upper Stillwaters Upper Burns Restoration

DESIGN PROJECTS (2021 ENGINEERING AND DESIGN PROJECTS)

Methow Subbasin:
Lower Twisp Assessment Unit - Upper Twisp River and Tributaries Project (USFS Lands – Little Bridge Creek) and Twisp Horseshoe Phase 2 Large Wood Structures and Newby Narrows Phase 2
Upper Twisp Assessment Unit - Upper Twisp River and Tributaries Project (USFS Lands – War and Mystery) and Scaffold Camp Side Channel
Upper Methow Assessment Unit - Fawn Creek Large Wood Restoration and Methow Basin EWD Instream Flow Project
Upper Chewuch Assessment Unit - Chewuch Old Yeller (USFS Lands)

Wenatchee Subbasin:
Nason Creek Assessment Unit - Nason Creek N1 DOT Project and Upper Nason Creek Project (USFS Lands)
Upper Wenatchee Assessment Unit - Chiwawa Fan Side Channel Restoration (USFS Lands) and Chiwawa Outlet Restoration
Lower Wenatchee Assessment Unit - Lower Wenatchee River Reach 3 Restoration

Entiat Subbasin:
Upper-Middle Entiat Assessment Unit - Entiat Stillwaters Silver Falls and Fox Creek Restoration
Mad River Assessment Unit - Mad River (USFS) Projects

For all three subbasins, this contract also details a scope of work for continuing to partner with the United States Forest Service to implement salmon recovery actions on USFS managed lands.  Through a cooperative agreement with the USFS, the Yakama Nation provides some cost reimbursement coverage to the USFS for federal staff costs on conducting NEPA and environmental compliance review on Yakama Nation sponsored projects.

Future salmon habitat restoration design and implementation work is contemplated to be added to this contract under upcoming Contract Change Requests.