PROJECT / CONTRACT HISTORY

BPA project 2002-070-00, entitled “Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in the Lapwai Creek Watershed”, addresses the need to restore the Lapwai Creek aquatic ecosystem so that the habitat within the watershed no longer limits recovery of the ESA Threatened Lower Clearwater Subbasin Steelhead population.

The focal species for this project is steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss).  There are other species that utilize the watershed including:  fall-run Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and recently reintroduced Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus Kisutch).  

The majority of the Lapwai drainage is federally designated as critical habitat for the Snake River Basin Steelhead DPS.  The Snake River Steelhead DPS is a December 2005 continuance of the August 1997 62 FR 43937 ESU (evolutionary significant unit) listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.  The Snake River Fall Chinook ESU was listed as threatened under the ESA on December 28, 1993 (58 FR 68543).

A robust data set exists within the watershed that shows steelhead distribution and relative abundance throughout the entire Lapwai Creek drainage.  Steelhead habitat requirements, relative to other fish species in the watershed, are fairly specific and include well oxygenated, clean-cool water, suitable in-stream conditions for incubation and rearing, and an ample food supply.   Habitat conditions adequate for supporting populations of steelhead will help ensure high-quality habitat for other aquatic biota as well; in this way, they may considered an indicator species.

Significantly, wild steelhead of the Lower Clearwater basin have seemingly adapted to survive abnormally warm water temperatures. High juvenile steelhead densities have been recorded within monitoring sites in which summer water temperatures exceeded 20º C on a daily basis while low densities have been found within the boundaries of a Lapwai Creek monitoring site in which water temperatures as high as 31.8º C were recorded. In light of current global climate forecasts, a robust population of steelhead possessing the ability to survive such adverse water temperatures would be of great importance to the region. (Richardson 2009, page 35).

Presence of steelhead within the watershed is documented through four efforts.  The 1986 study (Kucera and Johnson, 1986), the 2003-2006 BPA funded project #1999-017-00 conducted by the Nez Perce Tribe (Chandler 2003, 2004, 2006), the juvenile density monitoring conducted in 2010-2019 by Dr. Kennedy, University of Idaho (BOR 2020) and the Adult PIT Tag study conducted by the Nez Perce Tribe 2010-2019 (BOR 2020).  The latter two studies provide new data to inform the project.

The adult data set was collected by the Nez Perce Tribe through an agreement with Bureau of Reclamation (BOR 2020 – Appendix C, pages 1-40).  This data set identified 777 PIT tagged adult steelhead from 2010 to 2019.  Of these the majority were wild steelhead.  The vast majority of steelhead returning to Lapwai Creek ascend Lower Granite Dam (LGR) in August and September with approximately 10% of all returning in the spring.  The adults are observed entering Lapwai Creek with increasing flows in January and February with spawners persisting in the stream through May each year.  The number of estimated spawners in Lapwai Creek was a consistent proportion of the total annual number of wild steelhead adults estimated at LGR, averaging 1.5%, thus mirroring overall adult returns.  The dominant age of returning steelhead to Lapwai Creek was 4 to 5 years old, with a two-year fresh water residency time as the dominant life history strategy.  

The annual proportion of adult females in Lapwai Creek was 61%.  The annual average proportion of repeat spawners from Lapwai Creek and observed within the hydro-system was estimated at 2.4% and 1.4% repeat spawning rate back to Lapwai Creek.

Eight limiting factors were identified in the Lapwai Creek Watershed Ecological Restoration Strategy (LCWERS) (Richardson 2009, pages 40-50) and compliment those identified in the NMFS Idaho Steelhead Recovery plan (NMFS 2017a, page 28 of chapter 6)

•    Elevated Water Temperatures
•    Passage Barriers
•    Excess Sediment
•    Riparian Condition
•    Floodplain Connectivity
•    Altered Hydrology: Flow Timing
•    Instream Habitat Complexity
•    Reduced summer flow

Past accomplishments for the period 2013-2021 have entailed the installation of land improvement projects to address these limiting factors, including 10,289 linear feet of riparian/upland fencing, 1,133.79 acres of weed control,  5.1 miles of road improvements, 1,623 linear feet of streambank bioengineering restoration, 1.1 acres of wetland enhancement, 6,838 acres of direct seeding, 5 alternative watering systems for livestock, 2,200 LF of vegetative buffer, the development of 5 habitat conservation plans with 8.85 miles achieved, 6.0 miles of access restored, 40 acres of tree planting, 264.4 acres of native grass seeding, 5.9 miles of aquatic habitat suitability improvements,17.12 miles of floodplain analysis, and 410 LF of lined waterways.

SUMMARY OF FY24 CONTRACT

The "Strategy for Ecological Restoration of Lapwai Creek Watershed", Categorical Review planned projects, and the NPSWCD's project ranking sheet, were the main documents used to prioritize implementation work in the FY24 SOW.  Work planned for the May 1, 2024 through April 30, 2025 contract period includes projects located on private lands, and in all cases landowner permission has been obtained. Planned activities include:

- Vegetative plantings - 0.2 acres with native trees, shrubs, and grasses;
- Maintenance of vegetation planted at 22 sites from 2017 to 2023 (35 acres). Protection of approximately 5 acres of wetland meadow from noxious weeds, and 0.1 acre of streambank protected from hybrid knotweed;
- Inventory and assessment on four private land parcels and development of restoration plans for those parcels;
- Stream temperature monitoring at 22 sites;
- Preparation of non-technical annual progress report for prior contract period;
- Preparation of draft technical report for 2024 temperature data;
- Finalization and uploading of RME report for 2023 temperature data;
- Outreach efforts to landowners in high priority restoration areas including direct mailings, website, and newsletters;
- Identify and select projects for future contract periods;
- Develop a design for one restoration project in the Lapwai Creek basin; and  
- Installation of 2 water developments and 400 LF of fencing, which will be installed around the water developments.

Work completed under this contract assists in meeting the following objectives from the Lapwai Creek restoration plan:

Objective 1 – Reduce stream temperatures
Reduce water temperatures to levels meeting applicable water quality standards for life stage-specific needs of anadromous and native resident fish, with an established upward trend in the number of stream miles meeting standards. The benchmark for this objective is to reduce overall days exceeding daily average temperatures at less than 16 degrees Celsius for spawning and rearing for anadromous salmonids and less than 20 degrees Celsius under all circumstances (NPCC 1994). Additional benchmarks for specific project types are discussed under relevant deliverables. Desired outcomes include restoring hydrologic and riparian functions related to temperature, identifying and rehabilitating wetland and floodplain areas, and continuing efforts aimed at increasing streamside shading where shading has been reduced by anthropogenic activities. This objective is consistent with the Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan, pg 35 (NPCC, 2005).

Objective 2 – Improve aquatic habitat diversity and complexity
Improve aquatic habitat diversity and complexity to levels consistent with objectives in the subbasin plan, with particular emphasis on recovery of anadromous stocks. Aquatic habitat condition (including diversity and/or complexity components) is limiting all focal species. Improvement in habitat productivity is considered critical to the attainment of goals for both anadromous and resident species. Address priority problems with protection and restoration activities designed to promote development of more complex and diverse habitats through improved watershed condition and function. Desired outcomes include additions of large woody debris, stream channel reconstruction, increased side channels, increased pool quality/quantity, floodplain reconstruction, protecting and restoring wetland, and improved hydrologic functions. Management criteria includes water temperature of 16°C, adequate sources of woody debris recruitment, width to depth ratios <10, streambank conditions are >90% stable, with on average, less than 10% of banks actively eroding, and overbank flows occur on a 1.5 – 2 year event.  This objective is consistent with the Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan, pg. 37 (NPCC, 2005).

Objective 3 – Reduce instream sedimentation
Reduce instream sedimentation to levels meeting applicable water quality standards, with an established upward trend in the number of stream miles meeting standards. Benchmarks for this activity include streambanks are >90% stable, < 20% cobble embeddedness, and low turbidity (NOAA, 1996). Additional benchmarks for specific project types are discussed under relevant deliverables. Desired outcomes include restoring streambank condition, reducing sediment delivery to the stream from hydrologically connected roads and uplands, and reducing sediment inputs by implementing practices that address problems from logging, mining, agriculture, and other historic and current sediment-producing activities. This objective is consistent with the Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan, pg 35 (NPCC, 2005).

Status and Trend and Implementation/Effectiveness monitoring under this contract is coordinated with the Nez Perce Tribe. The Nez Perce Tribe conducts the monitoring and evaluation required to determine population status and trends, as well as the physical and biological response to habitat/watershed restoration efforts. The Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation District (NPSWCD) utilizes the Nez Perce Tribe's monitoring data to prioritize habitat improvement and site-specific project areas.