84041 REL 35

1984-021-00 EXP JOHN DAY HABITAT ENHANCEMENT

3/1/2024

2/28/2025

114. Identify and Select Projects

Work Element Usage Report

C: 114 - Select Project Sites

Work cooperatively with private landowners on the John Day River and its tributaries and project partners to identify and develop 15 year cooperative agreements (CA). A CA is a non recorded document that does not allow grazing, burning or building within the riparian area for the term of 15 years. Ten to 15 year CA renewals will also be prioritized as CA expire.

There has been an effort to implement a basin wide restoration prioritization framework within the John Day Basin (Atlas). ODFW has participated in the development and is expected that the habitat program will utilize the Atlas framework to aid prioritizing fencing work as the effort is completed. Atlas has been fully developed and to date all watersheds within the basin have been identified as a Tier 1 (high), Tier 2 (moderate), or Tier 3 (low) priority watersheds. Within each watershed specific project areas and actions have also been ranked.

The habitat program will utilize the Atlas Prioritization framework to help target riparian protection and restoration efforts to high priority (Tier 1) sub-watersheds. Outreach and project development efforts will be targeted to high ranking areas that included the riparian protection activity within the high priority sub-watersheds. In order to facilitate implementation of the full suite of restoration actions for a specific project ODFW will partner with other entities. For example, the habitat program has been meeting quarterly with the Warm Springs Tribe to help coordinate projects and determine how we can work cooperatively on high priority restoration actions.

Project feasibility is an important component of the riparian protection program and only those projects that have adequate landowner cooperation and willingness will be moved forward for development. Projects will also be developed as willing landowners approach the habitat program. These opportunistic projects will be assessed for steelhead life history use, project impact, and ranked under the Atlas framework as they come forward and the highest ranking projects advanced. The ODFW Fish Habitat Program will continue to seek new projects during this contract period and will work with BPA contracting Officer and HAL to prioritize future projects.

In previous years, the habitat program began working on floodplain restoration projects within degraded fenced reaches to facilitate recovery within these degraded reaches. The John Day Fish Habitat Program has been involved with multiple instream projects primarily focusing on BDA's. However, after several years in the making, the Habitat Program is emerging in its capacity to implement a broader suite of habitat restoration activities as evidenced by recently completed Murderer's Creek. Murderers Creek - Design work began in 2018 to improve instream habitat and floodplain connectivity within a riparian enclosure along Murderers Creek on ODFW property. BOR developed designs and assisted in project oversight and implementation as well as BPA funded ODFW Fish Habitat and Screens Programs. The South Fork Watershed Council (SFJDWC) obtained project funding and assisted with monitoring and permitting.

Moreover, the John Day Fish Habitat Program assisted heavily on the implementation of the project which included, but not limited to; hauling large wood, using heavy equipment for large wood placement, PALS, BDA's and Post Line Structures, fence removal, planning day to day tasks, and overseeing new riparian fence implementation.

The John Day Fish Habitat Program is pursuing more partnerships to develop floodplain connectivity and instream habitat restoration projects where riparian fences have been built and are being maintained. As this program continues to grow and implement instream projects, including in-house skills to acquire and manage large construction equipment as it is essential for implementing larger instream projects. In addition, a medium size excavator would be more ideal in the near future to implement projects, maintain current riparian fence/structures, install/maintain spring developments and be more versatile to assist other agencies in need of equipment. As an example, Gilliam County Soil and Water Conservation District is working to develop plans for floodplain connectivity enhancement projects within riparian enclosures including the installation of approximately 300 BDA's within the Thirtymile Creek watershed in Gilliam County. Much of this work will occur within riparian enclosures installed and maintained by this program which will help improve and enhance the habitat protected by the program.

Provide a list of prioritized habitat projects (including acquisitions) you are likely to implement in the next 2-3 years. Priority projects are those evaluated and selected on the basis of criteria derived from a conceptual strategy, restoration framework or implementation work plan. A project list template is available from your COR. You may use an alternative reporting template providing it conveys the required detail.

Upload to CBFish (use Attachment Type: “Communication") and email the COR, Habitat Area Lead, and EC-lead that it has been uploaded.

$30,000

5.56%

03/01/2024

02/28/2025

Other

[Unassigned]

[Unassigned]

Finite