CREST proposes to continue to implement estuary habitat restoration projects during this contract period.  Projects developed, designed, and permitted during previous contract periods will move to construction.  CREST will continue to develop and design new restoration projects working with landowners, stakeholders, and subcontracted design and engineering consultants.    CREST will continue to invest staff time in community outreach and project development including participating in regional meetings with BPA, the Corps, as well as partner coordination forums such as the Estuary Partnership Science Work Group.  CREST biologists will conduct Level 3 pre and post project evaluation at our restoration sites in coordination with partners and the Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (CEERP).  

Restoration of estuary habitat focuses on habitat opportunity, capacity, and realized function critical to the recovery of Threatened/Endangered salmon utilizing the Columbia River Estuary.  CREST Habitat Restoration Program Deliverables include:
1)  Identification, prioritization, and development of potential estuary habitat restoration projects.
2)  Scoping and selecting restoration projects based on technical evaluation during feasibility stage and scientific review by Estuary Partnership Project Review Committee and partners.
3)  Design, permit, and implement 3-5 on the ground estuarine restoration projects each year.
4)  Conduct Action Effectiveness Monitoring and Research of restoration projects in coordination with regional partners.

The following projects are currently in full design, engineering, and permitting and will move to construction in 2015:
• North Unit Sauvie Island Phase 3.  This project, at ODFW managed property on Sauvie Island, aims to enhance tidal wetlands by removing barriers, replacing undersized culverts, as well as marsh plain lowering.  Phases 1 and 2 focused on the removal of a water control structure and enhancing several hundred acres of estuarine emergent wetlands associated with Ruby Lake, Millionaire Lake, and Deep Widgeon wetlands.

• Skipanon 8th Street Dam.  Removal of the 8th Street Dam in Warrenton will restore juvenile rearing habitat to the tidal portions of the Skipanon River.  Several river miles will positively benefit from dam removal and restore free flowing tidal processes to approximately 300 acres.  The dam and water control structure will be removed and a 54 feet bridge will be installed to fully connect tidal processes upstream and downstream of the 8th Street Dam.

• Buckmire Slough Phase 1.  This project enhances tidal wetlands in Buckmire Slough on lands owned by Clark County near Vancouver Lake.  This is the first phase of a multi-phase project.  For CREST Buckmire Slough Phase 2 will remove an additional barrier within Buckmire Slough and correct a fish passage barrier on a county road that will ultimately connect the project to WDFW lands and several hundred acres of tidal wetlands.

• Megler Creek.  Megler Creek is a tributary stream in Pacific County, WA.  Building off CREST’s success at the Fort Columbia project, CREST is proposing to correct several fish passage barriers due to undersized culverts within a heavily used fish passage corridor.  With extensive cost share from the WA Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the National Park Service the BPA is assisting with construction cost share.

The following projects are currently in feasibility and will begin, design, engineering, and permitting phases and will move to construction in 2016:
• Crane Slough.  Restoration actions for Crane Slough will be to remove an antiquated water control structure and enhance the marsh plain through fill removal, channel enhancement and ditch filling to restore tidal access to a 25 acre wetland.  Crane Slough is located along the Gilbert River on Sauvie Island.

• Domeyer Wetland.  Domeyer restoration involves marsh plain lowering and channel excavation to restore tidal processes to a 50 acre wetland.  Domeyer wetland is located along the Gilbert River on Sauvie Island.

• Willow Bar.  Willow Bar is a 40 plus acre marsh plain lowering and channel creation project in along the shoreline of the Columbia on Sauvie Island.  

• Westport Slough.  Westport Slough restoration involves breaching/removing levee to restore fish access and natural estuarine processes to an 80 wetland within the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge.

CREST will also continue to work through design and engineering process in support of the Upper Lewis and Clark River project and Buckmire Slough Phase II for implementation in 2017.

Each of the projects described above provides immediate access to estuarine habitats for juvenile salmonids.  CREST will also invest project manager staff time working with specific landowners, project partners, and in data gathering and investigations at other sites including Palensky Wildlife Area, West Sand Island, Crims Island, 2 Rivers, and other potential restoration sites for construction in 2017 and beyond.  

CREST will pursue cost share for project engineering and construction during this contract period from the National Park Service, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership.  

Within this contract, major work elements are directly related to implementation of previously designed projects and on engineering and permitting for out year projects.  Additional actions focus on community outreach and project development.  

Projects in development will be subject to review and assignment of survival benefits by an Action Agency subcommittee, Estuary Partnership Science Work Group, and the Expert Regional Technical Group.  All projects in the estuary are also subject to cost benefit analysis and approval by BPA.  Each of the projects CREST is proposing during this contract undergoes a cost/SBU preliminary review and final scoring by ERTG.  If at any time during the scientific review and ERTG process it is determined that proposed restoration projects do not meet costs/SBU CREST will work with BPA to address costs/SBU issues.

Pre and Post project evaluation will be conducted by CREST biologists at Ft. Columbia, Otter Point, Colewort Creek, Gnat Creek Phases 1 and 2, South Tongue Point, Diblee Point, Sharnelle Fee, Karlson Island, Sauvie Island Phases 1, 2, and 3, 8th Street Dam, Buckmire Slough, Crane, Domeyer, Willow Bar, Westport Slough and other restoration sites to better quantify use and habitat lift for individual restoration sites and to inform benefits of restoration actions at projects in development.