Overview: Project Area is located on private property within the active river channel and floodplain of Birch Creek, upstream of its confluence with the Umatilla River. The project area is identified as a high priority for restoration actions in the Birch Creek Assessment (CTUIR 2016) to complete projects that initiate pool development, remove levees, restore topography, reestablish vegetation, and reconnect floodplain areas. Based on impact to steelhead and Chinook salmon populations throughout the Umatilla subbasin, the UmaBirch project area is a priority for habitat restoration actions expected to have the greatest projected population response (increased productivity and abundance).

Background: The project reach is located on lower Birch Creek, in the middle Umatilla River watershed, which supports several salmonid species: fall and  spring Chinook salmon, summer steelhead (ESA-listed, threatened), coho, lamprey and bull trout; the project area is within designated critical habitat for all chinook, steelhead and bull trout. The area is used by juveniles of all of these species for rearing. However, due to the lack of channel habitat complexity and overall poor channel conditions, there are limited spawning and rearing habitat for these species.The lack of suitable spawning habitat is due to the riffle-dominated, high gradient, large substrate-sized nature of the channelized river. There are few pools, and very limited quantities of slow-water holding habitat where migrating salmonids can rest. Sinuosity is low, and the Umatilla River and Birch Creek are highly entrenched and confined, significantly limiting connectivity to the historic floodplain.

Project Summary: Enhancing and restoring instream habitat in this project area will be accomplished through a variety of treatment actions in the main channel, along the banks, and within the floodplain. Utilizing a River Vision (Quaempts et al 2011) approach, the project's primary objective is to restore natural riverine processes and reconnect the active channel to the floodplains. Specific treatments will include: channel and side-channel excavation; construction of instream habitat features to promote complexity, such as engineered log jams (ELJs) and riffle boulder clusters; removal of infrastructure such as spoils material and artificial embankment; levee removal; wetland creation and enhancement; and, the installation of riparian and floodplain plantings. The principal benefits of project implementation will be restoration of historic spawning, rearing, resting and over-wintering habitats for all salmonid species. The associated treatment of riparian areas is expected to promote naturally occurring repair, restoration, and recovery of both floodplain and riparian zone function and processes.

Purpose: Promote the habitat objectives for this project area: force pools and hydrologic/hydraulic variability in the plane-bed channel sections, increase a variation of instream velocities, and provide additional complexity in the deep, incised sections, providing year-round juvenile rearing and spawning habitat for ESA-listed fish species. Improved floodplain connection and roughness intended to enhance and promote natural stream conditions and function, provide spawning and rearing habitat for spring and fall Chinook salmon and ESA-listed steelhead, reintroduced lamprey, coho, and other native fish species, and improve water temperatures and retention at the reach scale.

Expected Implementation Actions (from the Design Report): Excavate to encourage development of channel form and function, and promote natural geomorphic response. Install ELJs and other pieces of wood; include additional wood placements in the main channel to increase channel complexity over the 0.87 mile reach. Place additional unsecured mobile LWM in the main channel, side channels and on the floodplain for complexity. Plant adjacent floodplain and riparian areas, and where disturbed, re-vegetate and restore construction access sites and staging areas.