The Umatilla Subbasin has been the homeland of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), since time immemorial. Riverine systems and floodplains have been dramatically altered since the Euro-American settlement of the region. This has led to the expected habitat changes (i.e. degradation), such as channelization, lack of wetlands and riparian vegetation, and impaired water quality. This in turn has resulted in the steady decline in all fisheries resources within the Umatilla Subbasin.

As a result of this apparent decline, the CTUIR Fisheries Department initiated the Umatilla Anadromous Fish Habitat Project (the Umatilla Project) in 1987 to protect, enhance, and restore functional floodplain, channel, and watershed processes to provide sustainable and healthy habitat for First Foods species. The Project utilizes a First Foods-based strategy for aquatic ecosystem restoration organized around the Umatilla River and Upland Visions’ functional Touchstones: water quality and quantity, geomorphology, connectivity, riparian vegetation, and aquatic biota. These Touchstones allow for a clear and direct connection between traditional and contemporary methods, as well as a linkage to primary limiting factors, basin and subbasin plans, and ESA species recovery plans and watershed assessments. This also aligns with a holistic, processed-based methodology for enhancing and beginning the process to restore watershed processes to benefit treaty resources.

As part of the Northwest Power Conservation Council’s (NPCC) Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, this project is one of BPA’s actions to provide off-site mitigation for impacts to salmon and steelhead populations and wildlife habitat caused by the construction and operation of FCRPS dams. The Umatilla Project (BPA project 1987-100-01) specifically addresses habitat improvement gaps for the Middle Columbia population of the Umatilla Basin steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Distinct Population Segment (DPS) identified in the 2020 FCRPS BiOp, as well as lost fishery resources that are of cultural significance of the CTUIR.

Since the projects inception, the Umatilla Project has engaged collaboratively with subbasin partners to strategically plan restoration, implement restoration actions, and cost share on critical habitat restoration and passage actions throughout the subbasin. The Umatilla Project has completed floodplain reconnection on over 15 miles of subbasin streams/rivers, re-opened over 187 miles of habitat, protected over 7,089 acres via easement or acquisition, 3.7 miles of levee removal, 6.8 miles of channel and side channels reconnected, 3,400 pieces of wood installed, 690 acres planted, and 4,100 acres of weed treatment (portions repeated annually).

The Umatilla Project will continue to work with all relevant partners and other projects to identify, collaboratively design and implement restoration actions that are of the highest priorities to protect and begin to restore processes that support First Foods and treaty-reserved resources. Implementation of actions that help to place processes on a recovery trajectory will have the added benefit of increasing ecosystem resiliency in the face of a changing climate.

During CY2023, the project will continue to work on coordination efforts, identification of new projects, planning and permitting, designs and construction. Permitting and designs will continue for the UmaBirch Floodplain Reconnection Project, located along the mainstem Umatilla River and confluence of Birch Creek. The CTUIR are also coordinating with the UBWC to complete designs on two fish passage projects on West Birch Creek. One of these is located on West Birch and the other site is located nearby on a major tributary (i.e. Stanley Creek). Designs will be completed for the Meacham RM10-11 Floodplain Reconnection and mainstem Umatilla River RM 77.1-78.4 (Imeques Project) projects. One major construction project will occur on Birch Creek, UmaBirch PA-4. Crews will also continue to maintain high priority project areas, treat weeds and complete all planting necessary within all project areas. Please refer to the respective Work Elements for a more detailed account of those specific projects.

Priorities:
Development of the mainstem Umatilla River Assessment and Strategic Action Plan. This effort will complete a scientifically robust assessment that informs development of a strategic action plan identifying impaired subbasin and floodplain processes, fish limiting factors and restoration strategies.

UmaBirch Project: this is a high priority project, based on the fact that it will impact all life history stages, for all aquatic organisms living within the Umatilla Basin. This project is addressing all of the high priority restoration actions within this high priority reach, as identified in the Birch Creek Assessment and Action Plan (CTUIR 2016). Construction will occur on the UmaBirch PA-4 Project in 2023 in a separate project contract. The project is located along a 0.9 mile reach of Birch Creek, RM 1.8-2.7).

West Birch Fish Passage Project design: these two projects were identified as a high priority on the ODFW/ODOT list of priority fish passage projects. They were also identified as a priority in the Birch Assessment (CTUIR 2016).

Meacham Creek:
RM 10-11 Project: This is the next highest priority area in Meacham in relationship to previous work in Meacham Creek prioritized within the watershed assessment (Andrus & Middel 2003). This project is in coordination with USFS to design a floodplain reconnection project.

Mainstem Umatilla River:
Imeques Project: Mainstem Umatilla River design project over 1.8 miles of stream (RM 77.1 78.9 to address off-channel fish habitats, instream complexity, and infrastructure concerns at the acclimation facility.  This project will also include restoration actions for a property purchased within the land acquisition project.