Primary deliverables in this contract include the maintenance of past riparian fencing projects, installation of three riparian renewal fencing projects 1. Bear Creek, 2. Fox Creek and 3. Eight Mile Creek.  Project staff will also oversee and assist with implementation of large wood and floodplain complexity projects within protected areas along 8 Mile Creek, tributary to the Middle Fork John Day River and Cottonwood Creek, tributary to the North Fork John Day River.

The John Day Fish Habitat Enhancement Program is currently undergoing a transitional phase in its long history of fish habitat restoration. For the past 40 years, the program has primarily focused on riparian fencing as a method to enhance fish habitats, a strategy that has proven highly effective. However, in the last two years, our focus has expanded to include instream habitat restoration efforts. This transition is not a swift or simple shift; it requires time, dedica... tion, and ongoing development of new skills and tools by our staff to successfully implement these projects. During this transition, we have acquired key equipment necessary for instream restoration, including a mini-excavator, post pounder, water tank, and welder. These tools are vital for the hands-on work required to restore instream fish habitats. While the program will continue its successful riparian fence initiatives, the added focus on instream restoration is a significant growth in our mission.

In 2025, we plan to implement one large-scale instream project and one smaller instream project during the designated instream work window. This will involve weeks of on-site work, including camping, moving equipment and materials, and long, physically demanding days in the field. The program will continue to collaborate with various partners in the John Day Basin to carry out these restoration projects. However, due to our limited resources and capacity, we are unable to take on multiple large-scale projects in a single year.

Background:
This project was initiated on July 1, 1984, and allows for initial landowner contacts, agreement development, project design, budgeting, and implementation for anadromous fish habitat improvement on privately owned lands within the John Day Basin. The purpose of the John Day Fish Habitat Enhancement Program is to enhance production of indigenous wild stocks of spring chinook and summer steelhead within the sub basin through habitat protection, enhancement, and fish passage improvements. The project has historically accomplished enhancement through the development of riparian enclosures and in more recent years has moved to also incorporate floodplain restoration projects into protected riparian areas to improve overall habitat function. The Fish Habitat Program coordinates with many different agencies. The projects in Gilliam county partner with Gilliam Soil and Water Conservation District, projects in Wheeler are associated with Wheeler Soil and Water Conservation District, and the John Day Fish Habitat Program also works with the Tribal entities of both Umatilla and Warm Springs Tribes.

Project Prioritization:
The John Day Fish Habitat Enhancement Program is continually keeping in mind the prioritization of upcoming projects.  Prioritization efforts have included: using the Atlas framework, in the John Day Basin to identify priority areas and projects; working closely with the District Fish Biologist to obtain guidance when selecting projects; and working to adjoin projects in focus areas to create large contiguous habitat protections.

Riparian Protection Fence Development:
Initial Riparian Fence Cooperative Agreements are for a term of 15 years and are intended to give the riparian vegetation time to get established and stable in the event that domestic livestock are allowed back into the riparian areas.  This fence protection gives the stream time to reestablish vegetation which will shade the stream and reduce solar inputs, stabilize banks, and improve overall riparian habitat diversity.  During the initial agreement period ODFW commits to maintaining the riparian fence and in some cases off site cattle watering facilities as described below.  From observations landowners have kept up the maintenance on the original riparian fences on approximately 90% of the expired Cooperative Agreements.  In high priority areas the program has renewed/rebuilt and/or maintained riparian protection fences for an additional 10 years.  Riparian buffer widths vary, but the average minimum is approximately 35 feet above the ordinary high-water line. During 2015-2019 the average buffer widths had increased to 87.2 feet (more recent data on buffer width is unavailable). The Fish Habitat Program goal is to improve as much riparian vegetation in the 15-year Cooperative Agreement that is signed by each landowner.  

Considerable time is spent coordinating with landowners on the Cooperative Agreement, fence alignment, gates, and water gap locations. Fish habitat staff stake structure locations and GPS the locations prior to landowner approval. The GPS coordinates are then given to Grant Soil and Water Conservation District (GSWCD) to map the riparian fence layout. GSWCD advertises the opportunity to bid on the project in the local newspaper, sets up the bid packets, and determine whether each contractor is qualified and has the proper licensing, bonding and insurance requirements for the project. Cultural surveys are arranged with BPA environmental compliance personnel. A pre-bid tour of the project area is given to the contractors so they can view the terrain, fence layout, and design. Sealed bids are submitted to GSWCD by interested contractors and the project is awarded to the lowest qualified bidder. The project time frame is established depending on the length of the project, (typically we allow 3 weeks for each mile of fence to be constructed). ODFW fish habitat personnel oversee the progress and quality of the work. In some cases, materials will also be delivered by ODFW personnel for financial efficiency. At the end of the project the Fish Habitat personnel will complete a final walk through of the project and problem areas will be flagged and corrected by the contractor before final payment is requested and paid by GSWCD through a subcontract. Because the fish habitat program has to maintain the project for 15 years, the specifications to the riparian fence construction are closely monitored. Photo points are established at the beginning of each project and then retaken every three years.

Riparian Protection Fence Maintenance:
The John Day Fish Habitat Enhancement Program staff maintain new riparian projects for the term of 15 years. Currently there are approximately 293 miles of riparian fence protecting 6,900 acres of buffer/riparian and 27 offsite spring developments with associated landowners in 11 different counties, Gilliam, Grant, Wheeler, Crook, Harney, Jefferson, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, and Wasco. For example, we currently have 10 projects in Gilliam County that we maintain from our main headquarters in John Day, Oregon. The maintenance issues are time consuming and labor intensive.  The program has two full time positions, one 6-month position (6 months Fish Habitat and 6 months Screening and Passage), and a 4-month secretarial position.

To facilitate reduced maintenance costs the John Day Fish Habitat Program has begun using steel pipe instead of wooden posts. Utilizing steel should cut down the maintenance costs significantly over the 15-year Cooperative Agreement with private landowners, which states that ODFW Fish Habitat Program will maintain for the term of the agreement.

The John Day Fish Habitat Program also contracts the Grant County Weed Department. Fish habitat personnel when on riparian project sites keep an eye out for noxious weeds on the counties top ten weed list. A small budget has been set aside to spray approximately 70 acres on projects currently under cooperative agreements. This has been a great benefit to our program to be able to spray weeds within the riparian area, if nothing else to show landowners that weeds can be maintained even in high dispersal areas.

Floodplain Enhancement:
In recent years the John Day Fish Habitat Enhancement Program has begun incorporating floodplain restoration components into the fencing program to enhance areas that may or may not have a riparian fence installed.  Currently the John Day Fish Habitat Program is working on multiple instream projects within the John Day Basin, project details are within specific WE's.   Show More