BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1998 Proposal

Section 1. Summary
Section 2. Goals
Section 3. Background
Section 4. Purpose and methods
Section 5. Planned activities
Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation
Section 7. Relationships
Section 8. Costs and FTE

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Summary

Title of project
Walla Walla Basin Habitat Enhancement

BPA project number   9604600

Short description
The goal of this project is to enhance natural production of existing summer steelhead and re-introduced spring chinook salmon in the Walla Walla River Basin. Land use practices in the water shed and existing fish and riparian habitat will be analyzed to identify and address the watershed-wide causative factors to reduced fish production capability. Remedial measures will be implemented to reduce or eliminate the detrimental land management activity where possible . Physical factors which limit production capability will be addressed through enhancement of instream and riparian habitats.

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

Section 2. Goals

General
Supports a healthy Columbia basin; maintains biological diversity; maintains genetic integrity; increases run sizes or populations; provides needed habitat protection

Section 3. Background

Stream area affected

Stream name   Walla Walla River and Tributaries
Subbasin   Walla Walla
Land ownership   Private
Acres affected   1300 square miles in Walla Walla Watershed

History
Project started in 1997.

Biological results achieved
No results at this time. Project is a key component of the overall Walla Walla Basin watershed/fisheries restoration program.

Project reports and papers
No reports at this time - project started in 1997.

Adaptive management implications
Habitat enhancements implemented under this project are anticipated to result in the following benefits: 1) increased water table saturation zones and instream flow levels during summer months, 2) slower water velocities and narrower stream channels, 3) more diverse native riparian vegetation communities to assist with bank stabilization, provide recruitable wood for instream cover, increase shading, increase insect drop and filter sediments. These combined benefits will aid anadromous salmonids by improving overall water quality, increasing and diversifying fisheries habitat and increasing potential food sources (macroinvertebrates). Project results will be monitored, toured, and coordinated with entities listed under "opportunities for cooperation".

Section 4. Purpose and methods

Specific measureable objectives
This project is expected to increase the natural productivity of summer steelhead and eventually spring chinook in the Walla Walla Basin by improving spawning, incubation, and juvenile rearing habitat. Specific measurable project results would include increased shading and bank stability and decreased water temperature and streambank erosion.

Critical uncertainties
A critically impacted life history stage currently affecting the natural productivity of summer steelhead (and potential spring chinook) is juvenile rearing (egg disposition to smolting). This and other projects (listed above) addressing additional life history stages will be necessary to implement a comprehensive Walla Walla Basin fish restoration program. Specific outcome may be affected by the activities of adjacent landowners, flood potential; and level of landowner cooperation.

Biological need
The native summer steelhead run in the Walla Walla River is currently in a severely depressed state due in part to degraded habitat conditions resulting from past and present land use activities throughout the watershed. The Northeast Oregon Hatchery (NEOH) project developed hatchery facility plans for enhancement of summer steelhead and re-establishment of spring chinook in the upper Walla Walla and Touchet Rivers. Delay of this project may result in further decline of the wild summer steelhead population and limit the effectiveness of the ongoing spring chinook restoration efforts. This project will help maintain and restore critical riparian habitants for resident and anadromous salmonid fishes. Specifically, holding, spawning, and rearing conditions for anadromous and resident fishes will improve as a result of this project.

Hypothesis to be tested
N/A

Alternative approaches
Purchase of properties throughout the basin is an alternative approach. However, this approach requires increased funding thus making it prohibitive at this time. Land acquisition should remain a viable option however, because it secures/protects properties indefinitely which ultimately is more cost effective.

Justification for planning
N/A

Methods
The goal of this project is to enhance natural production of existing summer steelhead and re-introduced spring chinook salmon in the Walla Walla River Basin through habitat protection and restoration. Land use practices in the watershed and existing fish and riparian habitat will be analyzed to identify and address the watershed-wide causative factors to reduced fish production capability. Remedial measures will be implemented to reduce or eliminate the detrimental land management activity where possible. Physical factors which limit production capability will be addressed through enhancement of instream and riparian habitats. Landowner cooperation may limit the proposed methods in certain instances.

Section 5. Planned activities

Constraints or factors that may cause schedule or budget changes
Landowner cooperation and in-stream permit approvals.

Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation

SUMMARY OF EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Expected performance of target population or quality change in land area affected
Current natural production of summer steelhead from the Walla Walla River Basin is estimated at 100,000 smolt annually. Subbasin Plan goals are to double this number through a combination of passage improvements and habitat enhancements. Spring chinook are planned for reintroduction with a natural production goal (Subbasin Plan, 1990) of 400,000. Meeting these goals and supporting the additional hatchery released fish will depend in part on the enhancement and protection of habitat in the basin.

Present utilization and convservation potential of target population or area
All livestock will be excluded from habitat enhancement project areas. Continued livestock exclusion and/or modification of grazing practices will be required for several decades to fully recover fisheries habitat potential.

Assumed historic status of utilization and conservation potential
Historically, basin supported several species of salmon in addition to resident fish population. All species of salmon now extinct.

Long term expected utilization and conservation potential for target population or habitat
Reintroduce salmon to the Walla Walla Basin and restore healthy populations of summer steelhead. Restoration goals are 11,000 summer steelhead and 5,000 spring chinook.

Contribution toward long-term goal
Project will protect/restore critical riparian sections of the basin.

Indirect biological or environmental changes
Improved water quality/quantity, increased holding, spawning & rearing potential for fishes.

Physical products
New Project -N/A

Environmental attributes affected by the project
Improved water quality/quantity, increased holding, spawning & rearing potential for fishes.

Changes assumed or expected for affected environmental attributes
A naturally producing population of spring chinook salmon and improved population of summer steelhead.

Measure of attribute changes
New project - no monitoring has been done at this time.

Assessment of effects on project outcomes of critical uncertainty
A comprehensive fish passage and natural production assessment is anticipated (similar to Umatilla Basin) following completion of several ongoing Walla Walla Basin fisheries restoration projects.

Information products
Project reports will report miles of projects completed, water temp changes, resident fish population changes, photopoint, water flows, riparian condition.

Coordination outcomes
Project will coordinate closely with various state, federal, and local groups.

MONITORING APPROACH
The goal of this project is to enhance natural production of existing summer steelhead and re-introduced spring chinook salmon in the Walla Walla River Basin. Land use practices in the watershed and existing fish and riparian habitat will be analyzed to identify and address the watershed-wide causative factors to reduced fish production capability. Remedial measures will be implemented to reduce or eliminate the detrimental land management activity where possible. Physical factors which limit production capability will be addressed through enhancement of instream and riparian habitats.

Provisions to monitor population status or habitat quality
This project will work closely with resource agencies within the basin on natural production monitoring, and habitat needs as they pertain to salmonid fishes.

Data analysis and evaluation
Data will be analyzed by project biologist and evaluated.

Information feed back to management decisions
Through public scoping meetings and inter-agency communication. Implementation measures and O & M may be modified if objectives are not being met.

Critical uncertainties affecting project's outcomes
Public education may increase landowner cooperation.

Evaluation
Photopoints, water temperatures, riparian health, population estimates for fishes, habitat-type changes, numbers of pools, glides, etc. stream channel narrowing, increased channel shading and macroinvertebrate densities and community.

Incorporating new information regarding uncertainties
Information that affects the project will be incorporated into the overall plan for the Walla Walla Basin..

Increasing public awareness of F&W activities
Through public scoping meetings, landowner communication, landowner participation, visual observation of successful projects, public tours, slide presentations to special interest groups.

Section 7. Relationships

Opportunities for cooperation
Considerable multi-entity coordination is already ongoing in the Walla Walla Basin. A plan, "Guidelines for Watershed Restoration in the Walla Walla River Basin” is cooperatively being developed by the Umatilla Tribe and the three soil and water conservation districts in the Walla Walla Basin is expected to be finalized in early 1997. The draft plan has already been coordinated with the participating agencies and landowners. At this time, project cooperators/landowners and funding are needed to implement necessary projects. This project is dependent upon other fish restoration program. Adult and juvenile fish passage enhancement projects are already ongoing.
Habitat enhancement projects in the Walla Walla River watershed are being planned, coordinated, and implemented by the Walla Walla Watershed Council, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Washington Dept. of Fisheries and Wildlife, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, and the three Soil and Water Conservation Districts in the Walla Walla Basin.
The US Army COE and the US Bureau of Reclamation in coordination with state and tribal fisheries managers are investigating opportunities to augment low instream in the Walla Walla River Basin.
BPA is funding construction of a hatchery facility on the South Fork Walla Walla. CTUIR will operate Phase I for Umatilla Basin adult spring chinook spawning and holding beginning in 1997. Phase II will provide for summer steelhead and spring chinook production for the Walla Walla Basin and is expected to be implemented in 1999.

Section 8. Costs and FTE

1997 Planned  $200,000

Other non-financial supporters
Washington Dept of Fish & Wildlife, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Walla Walla Watershed Council, Walla Walla Cons. District, Col. County Cons. District.

How does percentage apply to direct costs
Overhead rates apply to total project costs, with the exception of sub-contracts developed for project implementation.