Overview:  The Snake River Salmon Recovery Board (SRSRB) manages the Tucannon River Programmatic Habitat Project (2010-077-00) through this parent contract for the operations support, management organization, implementation assistance, and reporting described in this summary.  The goal of the Tucannon River programmatic is to restore habitat function and channel processes in the spring Chinook priority restoration reaches of the Tucannon River, leading to improved population productivity and abundance.  

Current Emphases:  Project management activities in 2018 will encompass the following major task: the SRSRB will assist CCD, CTUIR, NPT and WDFW staff to implement the ecological restoration and habitat improvement projects in the following priority stream reaches, including PA-6-9, PA-17 & 18 Phase II, and PA-28 Phase III.  The SRSRB staff will also assist in the development and design of priority projects in the following areas; (USFS & CTUIR) PA-4 & 5, & PA-7, PA-17 & PA-18 Phase II, PA-28 Phase III (CCD), and PA-13 (WDFW).  These projects have been prioritized and selected for their high-benefit to spring Chinook habitat.  The primary focus of the eight projects is to increase stream channel complexity through wood placement, and promote floodplain connectivity through increasing connection to side and off-channel habitats.  

The Programmatic has been involved in the completion of habitat designs on the projects proposed for implementation in 2017 including PA- 6-9, PA-17&18 Phase I, and PA-28 Phase II.  It is the intent of the Programmatic to be involved and present in the field during construction in support of WDFW, CTUIR and CCD, in 2017.  As projects completed by the program partners have had time to mature more and more private landowners are coming forward with interest in future habitat restoration.  In 2017, Project Area 17 & 18 (Phase I) is located on both WDFW and private properties, PA-17&18 Phase II will be entirely on private property, and PA-28 (Phase II & Phase III) being entirely on private property.  The program will continue to work as an intermediary with private landowners in the Tucannon  as project continue to be proposed and implemented. The program will assist the CCD, WDFW and CTUIR in conducting field surveys, reviewing field drawings and developing design for PA-13 (WDFW) ,PA-17/18 Phase II & PA-5/6, & 7 (CTUIR),  and PA-28 Phase III and Little Tucannon PALs Phase II for construction in 2018-19.

Background on the need to phase project areas:  Project areas 17 & 18 and 28 are being phased due to the size and complexities involved in both funding the projects (within a single fiscal-year) and permitting some of the actions proposed.  The two phased approach at PA-17 &18 will also provide an opportunity to develop design with private landowners while phase I is built on adjacent property.  The design contractor selected in 2015 for phase I  will work with CTUIR and the program to develop designs for phase II that balance landowner concerns with  the requirements of salmon and steelhead .  This continuity should lead to a quality restoration design. which .  PA-28 is a long reach which did not fit within the typical fiscal constraints of the program and the SRFB.  Phase I was completed in 2016, followed by the implementation of Phase II in 2017 and Phase III in 2018 as funding allowed.

The SRSRB will continue to work with sponsors to prioritize restoration actions and complete restoration designs for future implementation.  The SRSRB will support the CCD in updating and adapting  the design for PA-28 Phase II & III,; and provide coordination for the CCD’s EC clearance in 2017-18. The SRSRB will support WDFW in the advancement of designs for PA-13, for implementation in 2018, and work in support with WDFW in EC clearance and review of those designs.  The SRSRB will continue to support NPT in the identification of an additional high-priority project for design and implementation.

To track progress of implementation toward goals in the Tucannon, the SRSRB will continue to conduct pre & post project surveys of conditions within the project reaches using a Rapid Habitat technique adapted from the CHaMP protocol.  The greatest value of the surveys to the Program is their use as an as-built condition of each project quickly following construction. The surveys will be made available to those conducting change detection research to better assist them in understanding the restoration activities and results.
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Background:  Habitat restoration projects developed though the programmatic are vetted in the SRSRB recovery process building local support in the communities where the restoration will take place.  Restoration projects recommended for funding under the programmatic have undergone multiple levels of review and technical comment before being recommended for implementation.  Only projects exhibiting high benefit to spring Chinook are currently recommended for funding, with selection criteria that prioritize projects that will address the limiting factors outlined for the Tucannon River in the 2008 Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) Biological Opinion.

Purpose:  The projects are expected to increase pool and LWD frequency, improve off-channel habitat, promote floodplain connectivity by increasing stream channel roughness (LWD), and increase channel and side channel length.

Objectives:  The restoration objectives for the Tucannon spring Chinook are as follows (channel structure, LWD and floodplain connectivity being the highest priority):  
  1.  Increase riparian function to 75% of maximum
  2.  Increase large woody debris to 2 or more pieces per channel width
  3.  Increase pool frequency to 15% of stream area
  4.  Reduce channel confinement/increase floodplain connectivity to at least 25% of river length
  5.  Reduce maximum daily water temperature so that it does not exceed 72F at confluence of Pataha Creek (RM 11.8 of the Tucannon)
  6.  Decrease substrate embeddedness to 20% in all reaches above confluence of Pataha Creek (RM 11.8).

Status:  In 2015, the SRSRB RTT worked with project sponsors to identify the high priority projects which are in stage of design that could put them in position for construction in the 2016 & 2017 work windows. The RTT has selected projects based on their ability to achieve measurable progress towards one or more of the objectives listed above, that are outlined in a work plan through 2018.  Solicitation of projects will take place annually as the following two years’ work is outlined and recommended to BPA for funding. Project designs will be evaluated by the RTT and the Snake River Salmon Recovery Board as they are developed leading into implementation.

In 2017, the Programmatic continued to use it annual project implementation funding to leverage matching grants from outside funders, and typically averages cost-share amounts between 200-400 k/fiscal year.  In 2016 >700k was awarded to the program sponsors from the SRFB for implementation in 2017.  It is not the desire of the programmatic nor sustainable to pursue grants of that size from the SRFB due to the funding impact on other projects within the region.  The Programmatic provides technical support to its project sponsors in the pursuit and acquisition of matching grants for both the design and construction of projects within the framework of the review and evaluation process for the Tucannon.

Management Considerations: Implementation of projects is expected to be completed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Columbia Conservation District, Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group (legislative program that supports non-profit groups of volunteers who cooperate with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to improve salmon resources throughout the state), the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Pomeroy Conservation District, Nez Pierce Tribe and/or other qualified groups, tribes, or agencies that submit proposals that are approved by the SRSRB.

This ongoing BPA contract support will facilitate the development of future projects and the refinement of the work plan as well as soliciting project sponsors for implementation.  The SRSRB will also facilitate the collection and reporting of data for implementation status, action and habitat effectiveness, and trend monitoring.  The SRSRB will update the Habitat Work Schedule restoration project data base with new project starts, and the completion status for active projects.  With long-term and sufficient funding levels, restoring channel processes and habitat function across large reaches will improve spring Chinook productivity in the Tucannon River.