 | GEOREV-1987-100-01 | Proposal Version 1 | Existing Project | Pending BPA Response | 1987-100-01 | Umatilla Anadromous Fish Habitat-Umatilla Tribe | The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) retains aboriginal and treaty rights related to fishing, hunting, pasturing of livestock, and gathering of traditional plants within the Umatilla River/Willow Creek Subbasin Plan (Umatilla/Willow Subbasin Planning Team 2005). The CTUIR Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has developed and accepted a First Foods organization and approach to ecosystem management based on the cultural traditions and practices of the Longhouse. The organization follows the serving order of food and conceptually “Extends the Table” to manage for sustainability within the Umatilla River Basin. The First Foods are considered to be the minimum ecological products necessary to sustain CTUIR culture. The order is watershed-based beginning with water at the first and lowest point and progresses up to salmon, deer, cous, and huckleberry. This creates clear links to treaty rights and resources and sets direction and goals that relate to the community culture. In addition the CTUIR Department of Natural Resources developed the Umatilla River Vision (Jones et al. 2008) that provides a description of the processes and conditions needed to protect and provide for riverine First Foods. The River Vision describes physical and ecological processes in support of 5 touchstones; hydrology, geomorphology, connectivity, riparian vegetation, and aquatic biota.
The goal of the CTUIR Umatilla Anadromous Fisheries Habitat Project (UAFHP) is to protect, enhance, and restore functional floodplain, channel and watershed processes to provide sustainable and healthy habitat for aquatic species in the Umatilla River Basin. The UAFHP, an ongoing project initiated in 1987, implements restoration actions in a coordinated effort for achievement of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Umatilla/Willow Subbasin Plan, Middle Columbia Steelhead Recovery Plan (NMFS 2009) and Bull Trout Draft Recovery Plan within the Umatilla/Walla Walla Recovery Unit (USFWS 2002) recovery plan goals. Project activities further address water quality limiting factors as per the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act 303d list and supported by the Umatilla River Basin TMDL and WQMP (2001) and CTUIR TMDL (2005).
The UAFHP is an integral component of the Umatilla River Subbasin Salmon and Steelhead Production Plan (NPPC 1990) and is guided in its habitat restoration activities by multiple planning documents: Umatilla/Willow Subbasin Plan (NPCC 2005), Five-Year Action Plan for the Development and Maintenance of Habitat Improvement Projects in the Umatilla Subbasin: 2006-2010 (CTUIR and ODFW 2006), Umatilla River Vision (Jones et al. 2008), Conservation and Recovery Plan for Oregon Steelhead Populations in the Middle Columbia River Steelhead Distinct Population Segment (NMFS 2009), Bull Trout Draft Recovery Plan within the Umatilla-Walla Walla Recovery Unit (USFWS 2002), Meacham Creek Watershed Analysis and Action Plan (Andrus and Middel 2003) and Umatilla and Meacham Watershed Assessment (UNF 2001).
Ongoing fish monitoring and evaluation efforts in the Umatilla River Basin indicates that summer steelhead in-stream habitat is near or at carrying capacity and supports the need for increased habitat availability for summer steelhead. A detailed assessment of fisheries populations, watershed habitat, and limiting factors was accomplished through ecosystem diagnosis and treatment (EDT) and incorporated into the Umatilla/Willow Subbasin Plan (Umatilla/Willow Subbasin Planning Team 2005). As part of EDT, the Umatilla Subbasin is dichotomized into Geographic Areas. The specific potential of Geographic Areas to improve performance of focal species was evaluated using EDT and qualitative habitat assessment (QHA) modeling. The resulting prioritization scheme provides a landscape map for hypothesizing the most powerful suites of activities to enhance natural production. Project efforts are focused on Geographic Areas within the mainstem Umatilla and tributaries that provide spawning, rearing and migrational habitat for Endangered Species Act-listed Middle Columbia River steelhead and Columbia River bull trout, as well as spring Chinook salmon and Pacific lamprey, preferred species of traditional importance to CTUIR. The UAFHP efforts further benefit redband rainbow trout, mountain whitefish, fall Chinook and coho salmon and other aquatic species.
Projects proposed are consistent with recovery plans and priority geographic areas identified in the Subbasin Plan, and other planning documents, based on limiting factors for ESA-listed anadromous fish and other focal species, and are linked to biological benefits through multiple measurement strategies. Under the current 2008 Columbia Basin Fish Accords Memorandum of Agreement between the Three Treaty Tribes and FCRPS Action Agencies (Fish Accords 2008) estimates of future improvements to population egg-to-smolt productivity are based on estimated watershed improvements from the implementation of all tribal habitat actions using the "Hillman method" which is in use by the action agencies. For the Umatilla River Basin, Mid-Columbia River summer steelhead productivity is estimated to improve 37% over a 10-year period and 74% over a 25-year period, respectively. Estimated benefits to primary limiting factors from habitat actions indicates an estimated increase in future watershed function above and below McKay Creek in the mainstem Umatilla River, Meacham Creek and Birch Creek. The estimated future watershed function over a 10-yr and 25-yr period is 55% and 103% for Birch Creek, 48% and 99% for Meacham Creek, 23% and 47% for the mainstem Umatilla River above McKay Creek, and 23% and 47% for the mainstem Umatilla River below McKay Creek. The medium-term biological objective of the Umatilla\Willow Subbasin Plan (2005) is to increase summer steelhead abundance by 36% and productivity by 43%. Estimates for spring Chinook and fall Chinook abundance/productivity are 100% and 350% respectively.
Proposed restoration actions will focus on protection, enhancement, and restoration of functional floodplain, channel and watershed processes at multiple scales using passive and active restoration techniques. Over the past decade, the CTUIR Department of Natural Resources and UAFHP have transitioned from restoration toward a fixed endpoint to address symptoms to a restoration of processes. Restoration of process is more likely to address causes of river ecosystem degradation, whereas restoration toward a fixed endpoint addresses only symptoms.
Specific restoration actions proposed for completion by CTUIR, partnering agencies and hired independent contractors include levee and dike removal and or modification, floodplain and channel construction, In-stream and floodplain large wood debris additions, in-stream structure placement, wetland enhancement, floodplain and riparian plantings, noxious weed removal, riparian management through fencing, and removal of physical migration barriers. The UAFHP will continue to maintain project areas under secured conservation agreements with landowners on private properties for protection and enhancement of floodplain and riparian habitat and investments from past passage and in-stream structure projects.
A suite of physical and biological parameters are monitored at restoration project sites implemented under this project. Project effectiveness monitoring parameters may include longitudinal surveys, cross-sections, vegetation grids or transects, shade measurements, photo-points, wood counts, bank stability, pebble counts, floodplain mapping, and various stream morphology measurements at restoration project sites. Fish salvages, salmonid abundance and snorkel surveys are done on a portion of the project sites. In the context of habitat restoration actions, project staff must consolidate regional and local data in order to assist in project activities, such as local and regional project presentations, permitting, development of biological assessments and evaluations, design, pre- and post project analysis, project effectiveness, and long-term biological and physical recovery response. The UAFHP coordinates with the CTUIR Umatilla Basin Natural Production Monitoring and Evaluation Project (1990-005-01), ODFW Evaluation of Juvenile Salmonid Outmigration and Survival in the Lower Umatilla River (1989-024-01) and other agencies that monitor and evaluate the success of the Umatilla Fisheries Program as a whole. Physical and biological monitoring protocols, methods and generated metrics measure achievement of objectives targeting limiting factors within the Umatilla River Basin. In addition, monitoring activities guide future project development from learned project experiences in the context of the watershed.
The UAFHP staff participates and coordinates with multiple agencies and stakeholders in the Umatilla River Basin through the Umatilla Basin Restoration Team to enhance natural resources, identify problems and solutions, coordinate efforts to prevent duplication, enhance communication and cooperation and identify funding and cost share opportunities within the Umatilla River Subbasin. Since 2008, CTUIR has partnered with ODFW, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Umatilla County Soil & Water Conservation and the Umatilla Basin Watershed Council to complete projects. Furthermore, CTUIR continues to build a strong relationship with the Union Pacific Railroad in support of new approaches to sustainable rivers and their rail line management on project activities within the Meacham Creek drainage. | Michael Lambert | | | 12/26/2012 | 11/26/2013 | Michael Lambert | Umatilla Confederated Tribes (CTUIR) | Habitat | None | 2013 Geographic Category Review | 2013 Geographic Review | BiOp, Fish Accord |
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