The Burns Garrity Perrennial Side Channel is a restoration project sponsored by the Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group (CCFEG). This project will occur at Chewuch River Mile 3.2-3.9 on WDFW and private land with a WDFW Conservation Easement. Project design is led by Rio Applied Science and Engineering, and funded by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Chelan PUD Rocky Reach Tributary Committee, and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The US Bureau of Reclamation is providing technical assistance with hydrologic and geomorphic surveys, 2D hydraulic modeling, and high-level quality control through review from their regional River Restoration Group. The design is also informed by past groundwater monitoring funded by the Tributary Committees. Construction will be funded by the Douglas County Wells Tributary Committee (43% of cost) and BPA (57% of cost).  

This reach is actively used for spawning and rearing of listed spring chinook and steelhead, is an important migration corridor for listed bull trout, and supports resident cutthroat and juveniles of declining Pacific lamprey. The RTT Biological Strategy (2014) identifies intrinsic potential for spring chinook (0.5365) and steelhead (1.184) in this reach as the highest values of any Assessment Unit in the Upper Columbia, highlighting the potential benefit of improving currently degraded habitat.

The primary goal of this project is to increase currently limited off-channel habitat quantity and floodplain connectivity in this reach of the lower Chewuch River. The ½ mile of year-round, complex side channel habitat created by this project will provide needed habitat for ESA-listed spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead, as well as benefit various life stages of diverse native species, such as listed bull trout and declining pacific lamprey. Implementation of the project design will address identified ecological concerns through actions such as increasing habitat complexity, connecting and enhancing cold-water off-channel habitat, and restoring riparian vegetation in a reach of the Chewuch that provides integral habitat for multiple life-stages of listed salmonids, as well as other native fish, but currently has limited floodplain connectivity and often does not meet standards for water temperature and flow.

This project will construct a roughly ½ mile-long perennial side channel on public and private land in the lower Chewuch River. The project will include 3000’ of perennial side channel, 800’ of seasonal side channel, and 1400’ of seasonal swales, increasing floodplain activation in existing high-flow channels and swales by approximately 5 acres on the 1.5-year flood. The project will include approximately 1.2 acres of native planting, a wood and boulder jam in the mainstem Chewuch River, and numerous small wood structures in the perennial side channel.

The contractor CCFEG, its designated agents, sub-consultants and project stakeholders will be available, responsive and will collaboratively address contract related issues during the term of the contract. Contract issues include but are not limited to technical, policy, regulatory, project management and associated elements related to the project. Successful execution of this contract is contingent on alignment of the preceding contract issues with the BPI and BPA contracting processes, project management plans, design review protocols (including but not limited to BPA RRT design review, and integration of input and comments from BPA).

CCFEG Contract Manager and their design consultant will all cooperate, coordinate, collaborate, and maintain effective communication with BPA PM/COR, EC Lead, RRT Lead, and Hydraulic Engineer during the entire length of this design contract. CCFEG and its subcontractors will address BPA comments and concerns, and the two entities will arrive at a mutual beneficial consensus. CCFEG contract manager will upload all the subcontracts executed under this contract cbfish.org.

CCFEG will not submit an annual report under this contract. CCFEG will provide the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board (UCSRB) sufficient information so they, UCSRB, can assemble a comprehensive annual report for all contracts under project #2010-001-00 including this contract. Report will then be submitted by the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board (UCSRB) to BPA under contract 77842 and/or the follow-on to that contract (CR-324364) in this project 2010-001-00 to fulfill deliverable. UCSRB will submit and upload report under project 2010-001-00, Upper Columbia Programmatic Habitat in FFY18 and FFY19.