| A |
EC |
Environmental compliance requirements complete |
3/1/2021 |
6/30/2021 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
12/8/2020 12:23:42 PM |
|
Description: On-the-ground work associated with this work element cannot proceed until this milestone is complete. Milestone is complete when final documentation is received from BPA environmental compliance staff. |
| B |
|
Produce watershed assessments for Ruby and Cedar Creek watersheds |
3/1/2021 |
2/28/2022 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
12/8/2020 12:54:22 PM |
|
Description: Our watershed assessments are based on quantifying habitat forming processes (runoff, sediment, and wood), assessing hydrologic connectivity, and developing criteria for measuring the level of impairment. Habitat forming processes drive the structure and functions of riverine ecosystems, as well as how those processes support a wide variety of ecosystem services (Roni and Beechie 2013). When conducting watershed assessments, it is important to recognize that watersheds are hierarchical in nature, with channel slope and valley constraint being the “master variables” that control the range of channel types seen on the landscape. Sediment supply and runoff processes operate at the watershed scale and largely determine stream size and channel form (e.g. pool-riffle, plane bed, step pool, etc.), within the limits set by valley confinement and channel slope. Wood supply, root strength, and shade operate at the reach scale and can change channel form and create and modify habitat. Wood can be as important a control on channel morphology as sediment; most forested or historically forested watersheds have vegetation or wood-driven morphologies (Kramer and Wohl 2017).
Restoring hydrologic connectivity typically improves both physical and biological functions of river systems. Restoring longitudinal connectivity for aquatic species is primarily intended to reestablish fish migration to diverse habitats that have been lost through construction of artificial barriers such as dams or culverts, but it often also restores downstream transport of essential flows, sediment, and wood or organic matter. Restoring lateral connectivity generally refers to reconnection of rivers to their floodplains by removing levees or removing bank armoring. These actions restore the ability of the river system to create and sustain diverse habitats and to allow migration of aquatic organisms into those habitats. Actions that aim to restore vertical connectivity seek to aggrade incised or scoured channels, which increases the connection between surface and subsurface flows and increases floodplain connectivity over time (Beechie et al. 2013).
References:
Beechie, T., H. Imaki, J. Greene, A. Wade, H.Wu, G. Pess, P. Roni, J. Kimball, J. Stanford, P. Kiffney, and N. Mantua. 2013. Restoring salmon habitat for a changing climate. River Research and Applications 29: 939-960.
Kramer, N and E. Wohl. 2017. Rules of the road: A qualitative and quantitative synthesis of large wood transport through drainage networks. Geomorphology 279: 74-97.
Roni, P. and T. Beechie (editors). 2013. Stream and Watershed Restoration: a Guide to Restoring Riverine Processes and Habitats, First Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. 300 pp. |
| C |
|
Quantify runoff and sediment regimes for Ruby and Cedar Creek Watersheds |
3/1/2021 |
7/23/2021 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
12/8/2020 12:53:54 PM |
|
Description: Runoff and sediment regimes operate at the watershed scale and will be quantified using a variety of tools, including runoff estimation techniques for ungaged basins and estimating sediment yield using sediment budget estimation methods. This milestone includes a GRAIP-Lite survey of the project area, a screening tool to identify high sediment-producing roads. |
| D |
|
Quantify wood supply regime |
7/1/2021 |
8/31/2021 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
12/8/2020 12:53:54 PM |
|
Description: Wood supply operates at the reach scale and can be quantified using LiDAR and remote sensing techniques. |
| E |
|
Identify restoration goals for Ruby and Cedar Creek Watersheds |
10/1/2021 |
2/28/2022 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
2/4/2021 3:08:33 PM |
|
Description: Our restoration goals for each watershed will be based bull trout critical habitat mapping and habitat limiting factors analysis (WSCC 2003), electrofishing survey data, and the results of the watershed assessments, where we quantify habitat forming processes (runoff, sediment, and wood), assess hydrologic connectivity, and develop criteria for measuring the level of impairment. Habitat forming processes drive the structure and functions of riverine ecosystems, as well as how those processes support a wide variety of ecosystem services (Roni and Beechie 2013).
Reference:
Roni, P. and T. Beechie (editors). 2013. Stream and Watershed Restoration: a Guide to Restoring Riverine Processes and Habitats, First Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. 300 pp.
Washington State Conservation Commission. 2003. Bull trout habitat limiting factors for Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 62. 477 pp. |
| F |
|
Select a prioritization approach that is consistent with restoration goals |
11/1/2021 |
2/28/2022 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
2/4/2021 2:17:12 PM |
|
Description: Once we conduct our watershed assessments, we will develop a prioritization approach similar to the decision analysis approach to prioritization described in Cipollini et al. (2005). Criteria and ranking scores will be developed that incorporate whether the project addresses impairments to habitat forming processes and hydrologic connectivity and climate resilience through promotion of environmental variability and spatial heterogeneity (see Beechie et al. 2013 for project types that address future peak and low flows and temperature), has cultural value and landowner support, cost, likelihood of obtaining funding, certainty of project success, difficulty of design and permitting, and proximity to other projects and at-risk fish populations, as determined from electrofishing and redd data from Kalispel Tribe and Colville National Forest surveys. Our advisory group is made up of individuals from Colville and Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Pend Oreille PUD, Seattle City Light, local citizens, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Idaho Department of Fish and Game to help us develop the criteria and ranking scores.
References:
Beechie, T., H. Imaki, J. Greene, A. Wade, H.Wu, G. Pess, P. Roni, J. Kimball, J. Stanford, P. Kiffney, and N. Mantua. 2013. Restoring salmon habitat for a changing climate. River Research and Applications 29: 939-960.
Cipollini, K. A., A. L. Maruyama, and C. L. Zimmerman. 2005. Planning for restoration: a decision analysis approach to restoration. Restoration Ecology 13:460– 470. |
| G |
|
Identify restoration actions |
12/1/2021 |
2/28/2022 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
12/8/2020 12:53:54 PM |
|
Description: Based on rankings from our prioritization approach, we will identify restoration actions, and a planning, construction, and monitoring schedule will be developed for each action. Our advisory group is made up of individuals from Colville and Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Pend Oreille PUD, Seattle City Light, local citizens, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Idaho Department of Fish and Game to help us identify restoration actions. We meet monthly. |
| H |
|
Prioritize restoration actions |
1/1/2022 |
1/31/2022 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
12/8/2020 12:53:54 PM |
|
Description: We will prioritize restoration actions based on rankings and proposed planning, construction, and monitoring schedule. |
| I |
DELIV |
Watershed Restoration Plans for Ruby and Cedar Creek Watersheds |
|
2/28/2022 |
Concluded |
Virgil Watts III |
2/17/2021 8:47:52 AM |
|
Description: KNRD will produce watershed restoration plans for Ruby and Cedar Creek watersheds that will include a prioritization approach, process-based watershed assessments, and prioritized restoration actions. These actions will aim to fully or partially restore habitat forming processes and habitat connectivity. Biological and physical data will include westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout distribution, reach start and end locations, reach length (m), average wetted width (m), maximum, minimum, and average water depth (m), riparian vegetation, number and characteristics of all side channels, locations and characteristics of all culverts, waterfalls, chutes, or other fish migration barriers, number of riffles and pools, pool characteristics, bankfull and flood prone widths (m), mapped floodplain areas and unconfined valleys, floodplain quality index, large woody debris (LWD) size classes and numbers, sediment size (mm) and composition, stream slope (%), stream classification (Montgomery and Buffington), erosive roads layer, streamflow (historic, 2040, and 2080 summer low flow and bankfull flow), and erosive geologic units. These data will be made available in KNRD's GEDMS database (http://gis.knrd.org/knrdgisviewer/Content/Docs/User_Guide_KNRD_GIS_Viewer_V8.pdf) at the end of the contract. This assessment is written work and analysis no ground disturbance is to occur under this Work Element. |
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