In FY24, the Hood River Watershed Group (HRWG) will complete designs on several projects, conduct landowner outreach, implement a habitat project and a passage project, and monitor pre and post-project physical characteristics at project sites.

This agreement has been coordinated with and approved by the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs (CTWS). BPA and HRWG are entering into the agreement in order to continue CTWS habitat actions within the Hood River Basin during a period of staff vacancies and transition at the CTWS Hood River office. This agreement will ease CTWS administrative burden and allow for continued implementation during this transition. A concurrent BPA/CTWS agreement will provide funding for additional CTWS staff, flow monitoring, and EFID work that is not included in this agreement.

FISCAL YEAR 2024 OBJECTIVES:

Goal: Complete feasibility evaluations and project designs for fish habitat restoration projects in high priority stream reaches, as identified in the Hood River Basin Partnership Strategic Action Plan (2021).
Objective 1: Finish lower East Fork Hood River Phase 2 and Phase 3 fish habitat restoration designs.
Objective 2: Finalize Neal Creek Phase 3 fish habitat restoration design.
Objective 3: Finalize Baldwin Creek fish habitat restoration and fish passage design.
Objective 4: Evaluate feasibility of fish habitat restoration actions in the Powerdale Corridor of the Hood River, including removal of the old PacifiCorps powerhouse and modifying railroad infrastructure to allow for floodplain reconnection.

Goal: Implement fish habitat restoration projects in high priority stream reaches, as identified in the Hood River Basin Partnership Strategic Action Plan (2021).
Objective 1: Implement Neal Creek Phase 3 fish habitat restoration project to improve approximately 2 miles of steelhead and coho spawning and rearing habitat.
Objective 2: Remove two fish passage barriers on Baldwin Creek to provide access to 2 miles of upstream habitat; begin riparian and wetland restoration.

Goal: Educate watershed residents on the ecology, fisheries, and tribal involvement in the Hood River Watershed. Recruit and engage private streamside landowners to begin development of additional habitat projects in high priority stream reaches.
Objective 1: Provide 8 public presentations or tours on topics such as watershed ecology and conservation, fish populations and management, tribal history, and completed restoration projects.
Objective 2: Recruit 3 to 5 new private streamside landowners for out-year habitat restoration projects.

Goal: Evaluate the impact of habitat restoration projects.
Objective 1: Conduct pre and post-project monitoring of habitat restoration projects according to joint CTWS-USFS-HRWG habitat monitoring protocol.