Response for project 199604601: Walla Walla River Basin Fish H
Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget
The proposed budget is identical to the budgets for FY2004 and FY2005. Freezing the budgets in FY2003, FY2005 and FY2006 has not allowed for increases in the cost of living and other wage increases, rising utility and fuel and other materials costs, and associated administrative costs. As a result, dramatically fewer dollars are reaching the ground to meet subbasin goals and the needs of native fishes. We have absorbed these cost increases for the last 4 years. It will become more difficult if not impossible to implement the project properly without concurrent funding increases. To cover these additional costs, CTUIR requests that the project budget be increased by 10% from $277,617 to $305,378. This project represents a long-term core component of the F&W Program and proposed 2006 increases represent a ramp up towards increased 2007 costs that the NPCC must recognize as necessary to maintain past investments in this "base program".
Accomplishments since the last review
| BPA Environmental Compliance | The project developed a Biological Assessment in 2003 for work completed on Blue Creek in 2004. NEPA Checklists, State Instream Permits, Section 106 Permits, and all other necessary BPA Environmental Group Consultation has been conducted in each FY. | |
| BPA Environmental Compliance | The project has is completing BPA compliance information necessary to complete the removal/modificaton of a major passage barrier to salmonid fish in Mill Creek. Design will be completed in 2005 and implementation in 2006. | |
| Start and end dates of easement (mm/dd/yyyy) | The property was purchased by the CTUIR with cost-share funding. BPA funding was used as "in-king" to provide CTUIR personnel time. Funds were provided by the Pacific Coastal Salmon Funds and Wildhorse Gaming. | |
| # of acres of renewed easement (0.1 ac.) | A total of 47 acres are included within the acquired property. The property also includes a water right for approximately 0.60 cfs. | |
| Start date of the purchase (mm/dd/yyyy) | Effort began in 2001 and the land became the property of the CTUIR in December of 2003. | |
| # of riparian miles protected (0.01 mi.) | A total of one mile of critical salmonid habitat providing year-round refuge to listed Bull Trout, Summer Steelhead, and recently reintroduced spring chinook salmon. | |
| Identify and Select Projects | The project conducts brief literature and on-site visits of potential project areas in each FY. This information combined with staff review provides the project with a list of projects to be implemented for each FY. | |
| Coordination | Secure cost share funding to further habitat restoration and protection opportunities. The project has secured more than 500,000 dollars in cost share since 2002. At total of nearly 300,000 additional dollars has been secured in 2005. | |
| Coordination | The project coordinates as necessary with participating landowners and various fish and wildlife agency personnel involved with planning and restoration/protection activites. | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | The project annually provides to the BPA: BIOP Reports, SOW/Budget, Monthly Spending Reports, Annual Spending Report, and miscellaneous other as requested. This task requires an enormous amount of time. | |
| Produce Design and/or Specifications | The project is currently managing design for the removal of a passage barrier on Gose St.In 2006 the project will oversee permitting and construction activities for this critical project that will open more than 30 miles of habitat for salmonid fishes. | |
| Produce Annual Report | The project has provided quarterly and annual report of progress as per contract specifications with the BPA for each of the fiscal years. | |
| # of structures installed | A total of 26 rootwads and 7 instream structures have been built as part of an overall plan to increase instream diversity, provide juvenile and adult holding areas and reduced sediment input as a result of bank failure. | |
| Start and end lat/long of treated reach (0.1") | Project sites are located on Blue Creek, mainstem Walla Walla River, Couse Creek, and Patit Creek. All of these project areas are within areas identified as "priority for restoration" in the Walla Walla Subbasin Plan. | |
| # of miles of fence (0.01 mi.) | A total of 8 miles of livestock exclusion fence has been completed. An additional 4 miles of fence is planned for the 2005 FY. | |
| # of acres of vegetation planted (0.1 ac.) | A total of 55 acres of upland habitat have been seeded to native perennial native grasses. An additional 50 acres of grasses is planned for the 2005-06 FY. | |
| # of riparian miles treated (0.01 mi.; count each bank separately) | A total of 18 miles of riparian habitat and more than 30,000 native plants have been reintroduced within priority reaches of the Walla Walla Basin as a result of project efforts. | |
| # of acres treated (0.1 ac) | The project provides annual weed maintenance on approximately 100 acres. Removal methods include hand-pulling, mowing and various hercide applications. | |
| Enhance Floodplain | The project in cooperation with WWCCD, the COE, the WDFW and the Tri-State Steelheaders will be removing a large gravel dike within the floodplain of the Walla Walla River in 2005. | |
| Maintain Vegetation | Invasive weeds and summer drought require the project to provide maintenace on approximtely 75 acres of reintroduced native plants within project areas. |
FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments
| Identify and Select Projects | Identify, prioritize, and select potential project sites through watershed assessment, subbasin review, public outreach, landowner contact, interagency communication, and personal observation | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | Conduct brief on-site visits to project areas; identify habitat factors most limiting salmonid production. | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | With CTUIR research staff the project is collecting field data in 05 that will provide specific out-year restoration tasks on a reach of the Walla Walla River identified as "priority" in the Walla Walla Subbasin Plan. | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | Data collected by the project in 05 will be used to generate an out-year restoration plan in 06 on a reach of the Walla Walla River. This reach of the river is identified as "priority" for restoration in the Walla Walla Subbasin Plan. | |
| Coordination | Develop and submit grants/proposals to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board in the State of Washington and the Pacific Coastal Salon Recovery Board through the Columbia River Inter Tribal Fish Commission. Various other State and Federal sources may also be | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | The project will manage and oversee all construction activities related to the modification/repair of a passage barrier on Mill Creek at Gose Street. | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | Produce metric forms for each applicable RPA, herbicide reports, as well as project deliverable and project accomplishment narratives as required by the BPA. | |
| Provide Technical Review | In 2006, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) in coordination with the Walla Walla Conservation District and intend to modify a series of structures impeding migration of salmonid fish at Gose Street on Mill Creek. | |
| Produce Annual Report | Develop annual report of progress as per contract specifications between the CTUIR and BPA that will include among other things details of accomplishments for work elements included in the SOW. | |
| Produce Status Report | The project will report project status as required under contract with the BPA in the form of quarterly reports and the new Pisces format. | |
| Produce Status Report | The project will report project status as required under contract with the BPA in the form of quarterly reports and the new Pisces format. | |
| # of miles of fence (0.01 mi.) | In coordination with the ODFW the project will be constructing approximately 3,000 feet of barbed wire fence on Cottonwood Creek. | |
| # of acres of vegetation planted (0.1 ac.) | In 2005, the project will construct 3 miles of livestock fence protecting 1.5 river miles of the Walla Walla Riv. The upland areas within this enclosure will be seeded with native grasses totalling approx. 50 acres, exact amount dependant on funding. | |
| Enhance Floodplain | The COE, WDFW, WWCCD, Tri-State Steelheaders and this project will be removing appoximately 1,300 feet of a gravel dike in the floodplain of the mainstem Walla Walla River. Project design and env. clearances are being developed at this time. | |
| Maintain Vegetation | The project has approximately 60 acres of "recently planted" portions under long-term conservation easements. Maintenance of these areas may include watering and various types of weed control measures, hand pulling, herbides, weed barrier tarps, etc. | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | This WE will involve the field collection, generation, archiving, and analysis of monitoring data. |
Subbasin planning
How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?
The Acquatic portion of the Walla Walla Subbasin Plan is essentially a "habitat plan". Therefore virtually all of the acquatic section of the subbasin plan addresses at some level information consistent with the direction and goals of this habitat project. Following is a list of areas within the document that specifically identify priority river/stream reaches, limiting factors and restoration strategies that are consistent with the proposed and past actions of this project. This list is, however, by no means an exhaustive source of information that will be referenced by the project to determine project direction for the above mentioned reasons. Page 45, Limiting Habitat Attributes for each Watershed; Page 48, Table 3-4, Restoration Potential for Chinook etc. Pages 59 and 60, Restoration Priority Geographic Areas Page 62, Priority Areas for Protection from EDT Analysis Page 71, Acquatic Species of Interest Page 96, Impacted Life Stages Page 160, Acquatic Working Hypotheses and Biological Objectives Page 149, Table 7-4, Salmonid Fish Passage Obstructions, etc. Page 168-171, Priority Protection Areas
How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?
Projects are prioritized and selected by referring to the Walla Walla Subbasin Plan. Further consideration is given to project size (large projects provide greater restoration potential), landowner interest and cooperation, number of species present, location relative to other restoration efforts, access, cost-share, and anticipated long-term benefit to target species. Whenever possible, passive riparian restoration approaches are taken to minimize ground/stream disturbance and cost. Where more extensive engineering is needed to meet limiting factors, projects are designed by the project leader biologist with assistance from the CTUIR hydrologist and other professionals as necessary. Habitat projects funded within the scope of this project are implemented on private lands within the Walla Walla River Basin. Consequently, project success hinges on volunteer participation of private landowners. All CTUIR habitat projects are protected under long-term (minimum 15 years) or perpetual Conservation Easements. Landowner easements are designed to protect the resource, the landowner, the investments of CTUIR, and the project’s funding sources (primarily Bonneville Power Administration). Several specific portions of the Walla Walla River Subbasin Plan that will provide key guidance to the project in out-years are as follows: Page 45, Limiting Habitat Attributes for each Watershed; Page 48, Table 3-4, Restoration Potential for Chinook etc. Pages 59 and 60, Restoration Priority Geographic Areas Page 62, Priority Areas for Protection from EDT Analysis Page 71, Acquatic Species of Interest Page 96, Impacted Life Stages Page 160, Acquatic Working Hypotheses and Biological Objectives Page 149, Table 7-4, Salmonid Fish Passage Obstructions, etc. Page 168-171, Priority Protection Areas
Other comments
Habitat restoration activities completed by this project are a key component of the comprehensive Walla Walla Fish Restoration Program. Base funding under this project is essential to maintain existing project investments and implement out-year actions identified in the Subbasin Plan and to meet the needs of fragile native fish populations.