This contract will fund the Yakama Nation Fisheries Upper Columbia Habitat Restoration Project to seek, design and implement fish habitat restoration projects throughout the Methow, Entiat, and Wenatchee subbasins for the Calendar Year 2023 performance period.  Administrative tasks related to this SOW, such as reporting and inventory management, are provided under BPA Contract 56662 REL 265.

This contract details salmon habitat restoration work being designed or implemented in the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead recovery area under the guidance of the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan and the 2021 Habitat Restoration Prioritization.  Yakama Nation Fisheries uses project and ecological concern prioritizations contained within the 2021 Habitat Restoration Prioritization and within Habitat and Geomorphic Reach Assessments reviewed by the Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team to determine which project action types and locations to pursue.  At the project level, Yakama Nation Fisheries subcontracts with technical consultants to develop salmon habitat restoration actions that best address prioritized ecological concerns limiting salmon and steelhead productivity and abundance.  

Work Element actions in 2023 include:

DESIGN PROJECTS (2023 ENGINEERING AND DESIGN PROJECTS)

Methow Subbasin:
Lower Twisp Assessment Unit - Newby Narrows Phase 2
Methow River-Fawn Creek Assessment Unit - Methow Basin EWD Instream Flow Project
Wolf Creek Assessment Unit - Wolf Creek USFS
Chewuch River-Doe Creek Assessment Unit - Chewuch Old Yeller (USFS Lands)
Chewuch River-Pearrygin Creek Assessment Unit - Chewuch Root Canal

Wenatchee Subbasin:
Lower Nason Creek Assessment Unit - Nason Creek N1 DOT Project
Lower Chiwawa River Assessment Unit - Chiwawa Outlet Restoration and Lower Chiwawa USFS
Wenatchee River-Nahahum Canyon Assessment Unit - Lower Wenatchee River Reach 3 Restoration

Entiat Subbasin:
Entiat River-Lake Creek Assessment Unit - Entiat Stillwaters Fox Creek and Signal Peak
Mad River Assessment Unit - Mad River (USFS) Projects, Mad River Outlet, MRO Instream Flow Project

RESTORATION ACTIONS (2023 CONSTRUCTION ACTIONS)

Methow Subbasin:
Middle Twisp Assessment Unit - Scaffold Camp Side Channel Restoration

Entiat Subbasin:
Entiat River-Lake Creek Assessment Unit - Entiat Silver Falls Restoration

Wenatchee Subbasin:
Lower Nason Creek Assessment Unit - Upper Nason Creek Restoration

For all three subbasins, this contract also details a scope of work for continuing to partner with the United States Forest Service to implement salmon recovery actions on USFS managed lands.  Through a cooperative agreement with the USFS, the Yakama Nation provides some cost reimbursement coverage to the USFS for federal staff costs on conducting NEPA and environmental compliance review on Yakama Nation sponsored projects.

Future salmon habitat restoration design and implementation work is contemplated to be added to this contract under upcoming Contract Change Requests.