Through this Lower Methow Design contract, MSRF will expand upon past work efforts to refine preliminary design for the Miller Hole Project Area (developed under prior BPA contract# 88463) to final design status.  The Miller Hole Project area was selected based on landowner willingness and habitat uplift potential from the prioritized list in the Lower Methow Reach Assessment (LMRA). The project area includes two adjacent action areas where MSRF has engaged landowners to allow access for design of a single restoration action intended to restore natural processes interrupted by past levee placement and historic development. The objective of this contract is to finalize design for the preferred action alternative for the Miller Hole project area that would be advanced to construction with a subsequent BPA contract. Through the design process, the scope of actions identified at each site was expanded and will require additional landowner outreach.

The primary project (Miller Hole) is located in the lowest segment of the Methow evaluated in the LMRA between RM 1.4 and 2.5.  This area provides steelhead spawning habitat and is the migratory corridor for every adult spring Chinook and steelhead returning to the sub-basin. The Lower Methow is also the last area in the Methow used by rearing Chinook and steelhead juveniles prior to out-migration into the Columbia River. The project is located in Reach 2 of the Methow-Alta Assessment Unit. The Methow EDT model indicates that restoration in the lower reaches of the Methow River has the potential to provide some of the highest biological benefit of any reaches in the Methow, with all three reaches ranked in the top 5 in the subbasin. The Upper Columbia RTT/UCSRB Assessment Unit Prioritization Framework gives a combined restoration rank of #9/51 to the Methow-Alta Assessment Unit.  Both EDT and the UCSRB/RTT prioritization framework identify water temperature, riparian and floodplain function, and perennial side channels as the highest priority actions.

Additional work that will be performed under this contract includes pursuing outreach efforts to expand landowner support/willingness to develop conceptual actions on other sites previously prioritized in the LMRA. These efforts may include individual and small group meetings, collaboration with other project sponsor efforts, and development and mailing of direct outreach materials. The objective of this effort will be to determine community support for additional actions in the Lower Methow Reach Assessment area.

Secondary project identification will focus on the remaining high priority projects identified in the LMRA, which are dispersed between RM 2.5 and RM 28.  Work efforts on secondary sites will be limited to development of conceptual ideas and securing landowner willingness.  MSRF will vet conceptual project areas with BPA staff to ensure consensus on biological uplift achievable at these areas.

Advancing the Miller Hole project actions through final design will ensure timely implementation of the preliminary design funded by BPA through the prior contract. One element of the final design process will be to solicit and incorporate feedback from local, state, federal, and tribal resource specialists to ensure strong support for the developed actions. The Project Area creates a unique need for active stakeholder coordination given tribal, tribal allotment, state, and private ownership in the project area. Successful collaboration among these stakeholders will be essential to ensuring access to other prioritized restoration sites within the LMRA. Actions pursued in the LMRA project areas will need to demonstrate a high potential to improve conditions that are identified as limiting factors, including floodplain condition, instream habitat complexity, and riparian condition to improve the growth and survival of ESA listed fish species.

MSRF staff will coordinate, collaborate, and maintain effective communication with BPA PM/COR, EC Lead, HIP Review Lead, and Hydraulic Engineer during the entire length of this contract with regards to advancement of the project design. MSRF and its subcontractors will address BPA comments and concerns, and the two entities will arrive at a mutual beneficial consensus to ensure that actions developed will meet BPA needs for recovery credit.