The HRPP will use project funds within this contract to implement two water efficiency projects and one fish passage project in the Hood River basin. All projects are identified as high priority projects in the Hood River Watershed Action Plan and draft Lower Columbia Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan. Projects include:

Christopher Ditch Piping Project

The HRPP will contract the East Fork Irrigation District (EFID) to:
1. Install 3,000 feet of 15” irrigation pipe in the open Christopher irrigation ditch.  
2. Construct 4,300 feet of new pipeline to distribute irrigation water from the newly piped Christopher Ditch line.
3. Replace 2,500 of worn existing pipe.

The project will be implemented in two phases after the 2014 and 2015 irrigation seasons and prior to the beginning of the 2016 season.  Phase I consists of task 1 above and Phase II is tasks 2 and 3.  Capital funds from this project will be added to an existing contract the HRPP has let with the East Fork Irrigation District (see Project 199802100 Contract 62296) to extend the performance period through June 2016.
East Fork Irrigation District will hire GHD Engineering to complete final design of Phase II. EFID will purchase the pipe for Phase I and the HRPP will purchase the pipe and fittings for Phase II. The EFID will hire a construction firm to install the pipe and fittings. The HRPP will hire WS Geo-Visions to complete the necessary Cultural Resource Surveys.
Benefits include an anticipated water savings of 0.5 cfs to be converted into an instream water right for the East Fork Hood River, elimination of an overflow and reduction of irrigation overflow into Neal Creek.  The EFID will submit an application of conserved water to the OWRD for this project.

East Fork Irrigation District Water Conservation Master Plan

Restoring instream flow in the East Fork Hood River is the highest priority habitat restoration action in the Hood River subbasin. Irrigation withdrawals have the greatest impact on flows in the East Fork Hood River and the Hood River watershed as a whole. To address this impact, the HRPP has been partnering with the East Fork Irrigation District to implement water conservation and water management efficiency projects since 2003.
Beginning in 2012 the HRPP began a three-year project with the District to develop a comprehensive water conservation plan.  The goal of the Master Plan is to identify and prioritize future water conservation and water management projects within the District. A critical element of the plan will include strategies and commitment from the EFID to ensure a portion of the conserved water is protected instream.  During FY 13 HRPP contracted with the EFID to complete mapping of the District’s water delivery system, determined necessary pipe size to enclose open ditches and developed a procedure manual to optimize operations of their newly installed head gate and existing Coanda and sand trap fish screens ( see annual report for Project 199802100 Contract 58390).
Using funds from this project the HRPP will contract the EFID to complete the Master Plan.  EFID will continue their contract with GHD Engineering and work with the engineers to complete the following tasks:
1. Review of existing conditions.
2. Overview of existing system.
3. Evaluate proposed SCADA / telemetry system.
4. Planning level scope of system improvements.
5. Complete Final Master Plan

The final element of the Master plan will be a description of methods the EFID will use to transfer a portion of the water savings resulting from implementation of projects identified in the Master Plan instream.The EFID irrigation system will be assessed for infrastructure improvements that will lead to water conservation.  This will take the form most likely of a telemetry system, pipe replacements, open ditch piping, overflow elimination, and installation of pressure reducers.  The improvements will be evaluated on a cost/water conservation benefit and will then be prioritized.   The EFID will provide a statement in the Master Plan (hopefully in the form of an MOA) as to how water conserved by these projects will be dedicated to an instream water right for the East Fork Hood River.   The legal vehicles to be used and amounts of water to be transferred instream at the POD will be described.
The completed Master Plan will be used by the EFID, HRPP, OWEB, Hood River Watershed Group and others to identify, fund and implement high priority water conservation projects within the District.

Evans Creek Culvert Replacement Project

The HRPP plans to improve fish passage in the East Fork Hood River (EFHR) through elimination of a fish passage barrier on Evans Creek, a major tributary of the EFHR.  Fish passage has been identified in several planning documents as a major limiting factor in the EFHR. The lower EFHR and its tributaries are the number one priority subwatershed for restoration in the Hood River Aquatic Strategy (USFS 2006). This project is also identified in the Hood River Action Plan. Evans Creek is a 9.5 mile long perennial tributary to the EFHR that supports steelhead, coho salmon and cutthroat trout.  It lies within the Lower Columbia River ESU for steelhead and coho and is located in “essential salmonid habitat” as defined by the Division of State Lands.  Evans Creek is one of few clear water streams in the EFHR and offers important spawning and rearing habitat for fish in the glacially influenced East Fork watershed. In recent years, spring Chinook have been observed in the EFHR watershed and may be utilizing Evans Creek for spawning, rearing, and refugia. The project is located in the upper Hood River valley, approximately one mile south of Parkdale.  Legal description for the project site is 1S, 10E, Section 7 and a longitude of 45 29.8N and latitude of 121 35.3W.
Hutson Drive is a Hood River County (County) maintained road that crosses Evans Creek at river mile 2.5. Undersized four foot and six foot diameter culverts create velocity and depth barriers for adult and juvenile fish at this crossing. HEC-RAS modeling predicts that a flow with a 2-year recurrence interval will over top Hutson Drive. In addition, a second “hidden” culvert exists 100 feet downstream of the road. The County began work to straighten the road in 1985, but the realignment project was abandoned. As a result, the creek was left flowing through a newer culvert underneath a large amount of fill. This 100 foot long, six foot diameter corrugated pipe culvert is not set into the stream bottom (as in current practice) and has a sloping grade. It is a depth and velocity barrier for juvenile and adult fish passage. Ten rock gabions remain in place as part of the abandoned project, apparently intended to step up water elevations for fish passage through both culverts. These are only partially functioning. Removal of these passage barriers will restore access to 1.6 miles of intact fish habitat.  
The priority of replacing these culverts has risen because of other cooperative fish passage and water quality improvement projects recently completed in Evans Creek. Two irrigation district barriers and a culvert on a private driveway have been removed in recent years, leaving the Hutson Road culverts as the lowest fish passage barrier on Evans Creek.  As a result, the HRPP began working with Hood River County to replace these culverts in 2007.  At the beginning of FY09, the HRPP agreed to cost share on the project. Completion of final designs, developed by WH Pacific, was halted after failure to acquire the necessary easements for construction. This delay led to the expiration of a critical funding grant and the project was put on hold until the necessary easement was acquired and final designs could be completed.  Substantial progress was made towards acquisition of the easement in the Spring of 2014 and the project was resurrected.
Plans developed by the Hood River County propose replacing the existing culverts with a single bottomless arch capable of accommodating a 100 year flood event. The new structure would have an approximate span of 20 feet and rise of eight feet. Hutson Drive would remain in the same location, but would be raised approximately 3 feet in order to accommodate the stream crossing and to improve the vertical geometry of the road. The existing gabions would be removed and approximately 400 feet of the stream would be re-constructed along a more natural alignment.  The HRPP proposes to complete final designs and purchase the new bottomless arch.  The HRPP will also provide federal environmental compliance coverage through the BPA and will assist in completion of other state and federal permits.
Project benefits include restored passage to 1.6 miles of clear water habitat and 400 feet of reconstructed stream. Stream reconstruction will restore habitat complexity and spawning potential. It is anticipated that this project will be cost shared with OWEB ($400,000), Middle Fork Irrigation District ($10,000), Hood River County ($41,000) and the HRWG (in-kind).

Summary reports of yearly accomplishments will be included in the FY 14- 16 annual progress reports for 199802100 expense contracts. The reports will be uploaded in Pisces during December of each reporting year.


CCR- 35941:

Contract 66493 ammended to remove Christopher Ditch Phase II and implementation of Evans Creek Culvert Replacement  Project.The new contract amount will be $256,338.      $668,240  will be returned to the project and re-allocate in mid-2016.