Response for project 199901700: Rehabilitate Lapwai Creek
Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget
The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resource Management Watershed Division desires renewal of this project for FY2006. The $466,794 budget for FY2006 is consistent with expectations.
Accomplishments since the last review
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | 2002 - Completed 2 cultural surveys for restoration work | |
| Identify and Select Projects | 2002 - Completed 3 conservation land management plans | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | 2002 - Surveyed 199 road crossings (culverts, bridges, fords) for fish passage; 2002 - Surveyed 217.7 miles of roads using the WEPP methodology for transportation planning | |
| Coordination | 2002 - Completed 2 public meeting and 2 letters for the conservation district newsletters | |
| Coordination | 2002/2003/2004 - Coordination with multiple agencies to include; Nez Perce Water and Soil Conservation District and Road Department, Idaho Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Transportation, Bureau of Reclamation, Lewistion Orchards Irrigation District | |
| Coordination | con't - NOAA, Nez Perce Tribe Water Resource, Land Management, and Forestry, Idaho Depart of Lands, Lewis County Soil and Water Conservation District | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | 2002/2003/2004 - Multiple tasks for the entire timeperiod to include multiple project coordination, hiring of seasonals and engineer, budgeting, accural estimates to BPA, development of SOW's, etc. | |
| Produce Plan | 2002 - Completed M&E plan, Protocols for Inventory and Monitoring and Evaluation of Streams within Lapwai Creek and Big Canyon Creek Watersheds; 2003 - Completed weed control plan for 25-acre restoration site on Lapwai Creek | |
| Produce Plan | 2002 - Completed fish passage analysis report for Lapwai Creek; 2004- Completed road erosion report | |
| Produce Plan | 2002- Completed fish passage assessment and prioritization report; 2003- Completed road erosion survey report | |
| Produce Annual Report | 2002 - Completed CY2002 annual report; 2003 - Completed CY2003 annual report; 2004 - Completed CY2004 annual report | |
| # of miles of fence (0.01 mi.) | 2002 - 3.5 miles | |
| # of miles of fence (0.01 mi.) | 2004 - 4 miles | |
| # of acres of vegetation planted (0.1 ac.) | 2002 - 10 acres; 2003 - 1,650 plants were planted in a 2-acre area along mainstem Lapwai Creek | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | 2002 - Electrofishing data collected from 91 sites on 4 streams; 2002/2004 - Biological, chemical, and physical data collected at 4 sites on 4 streams for a total of 16 sites each year; 2004 - Electrofishing data collected on Webb Creek | |
| Disseminate Raw & Summary Data | 2003 - analyzed 2002 fish presence, abandance and distribution data; 2003 - analyzed 2002 biological, chemical and physical habitat data collected; 2004 - put monitoring data into database; 2004 - developed partnership with USGS to collect flow data |
FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | Complete cultural compliance, NEPA and ESA through BPA and permits for fencing, weed control, barrier replacement, and road decommissioning. | |
| Coordination | 1- Research and write grants for cost-sharing funds relating to fish passage , fencing, off-site watering, planting and weed control. | |
| Coordination | 2- Coordinate with agencies involved in land management activities to include the ones mentioned above in past accomplishments. | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | 3- Provide any information needed by BPA such as accrual estimates. Write grant for next provencial review and provide any information or presentations related to the review. Provide logistics for multiple projects under this grant. Oversee budget. | |
| Produce Plan | 4- Complete assessments on 5 individual tribal properties or allotments using our Natural Resource Assessment and Management Protocol to determine restoration activities. Choosen properties or allotments will be based on critical areas for fish. | |
| Produce Design and/or Specifications | 5- Design 2 fish passage barriers for replacement. Barriers to be designed will be determined by the barrier assessment or priority opportunities that give the most amount of stream miles returned. | |
| Type of decommissioning (B/S/R): (Blocked, Scarified/Ripped, Recontoured) | 6- Recontoured | |
| # of road miles decommissioned (0.01 mi.) | 6a- 5 miles | |
| Start and end lat/long of each treated road segment (0.1") | 6b- Specific roads to be identified during transportation planning this year. | |
| # of miles of fence (0.01 mi.) | 7- Construct 4 miles of riparian/wetland protection fence. | |
| # of acres treated (0.1 ac) | 8- Treat 50 acres of noxious/exotic plant species by mechanical (pulling, mowing) and chemical means. | |
| Maintain Terrestrial Structure | 9- Mantain 14 miles of constructed fence. | |
| Does the structure remove or replace a fish passage barrier? (Y/N) | 10- Y | |
| # of miles of habitat accessed (0.1 mi.) | 10a- 7.9 miles | |
| Was barrier Full or Partial? (F/P) | 10b- Full for juveniles | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | 11- Collect abundance and distribution for fish species through electo-fishing on Tom Beall, Mill, and E. and W. Fork Sweetwater Creeks. | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | 12-Collect habitat data at established sites on 4 sites on Lapwai, Sweetwater, Mission and Webb Creek each. Parameters to collect include; macroinvert, periphyton, flow, temp, sus solids, water chemistry, and habtiat parameters. Follows our M&E protocal. |
The proposed restoration and protection of the Lapwai Creek watershed follows the watershed restoration approach mandated by the Fisheries and Watershed Program. Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries/Watershed Program vision focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing watersheds and treaty resources within the ceded territory of the Nez Perce Tribe under the Treaty of 1855 with the United States Federal Government. The program uses a holistic approach, which encompasses entire watersheds, ridge top to ridge top, emphasizing all cultural aspects. We strive toward maximizing historic ecosystem productive health, for the restoration of anadromous and resident fish populations. The ultimate goal of this project is to work within a holistic approach to protect and restore the ecological and biological functions of the Lapwai Creek watershed, to assist in the recovery of anadromous and resident fish species.
Subbasin planning
How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?
This project is consistent with and implements the following: * Prob 2, object B, strategy 1,2,4,5,7 (pg. 18) - coordination (1,2 - from goals above) and collect field data (11,12) * Prob 7, object O, strategy 4,5 (pg. 31) - coordination with BOR on flows (2), miles of fence (7) * Prob 7, object P, strategy 2,3,5 (pg. 32) - produce design (5), replace barrier (10) * Prob 7, object Q, strategy 1,2,3,6 (pg. 33) - coordination (1), produce plan (4), miles of fence (7), collect data (12) * Prob 7, object U, strategy 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 (pg. 37) - coordination (1,2), produce plan (4), rds decom (6), miles of fence (7), replace barrier (10), collect data (11,12) * Prob 10, object Z, strategy 2,4 (pg. 41) - miles of fence (7) * Prob 10, object BB, strategy 1,2 (pg. 42,43) - miles of fence (7) * Prob 11, object DD, strategy 1,2,3,4 (pg. 45) - acres treated (8) * Prob 16, object JJ, strategy 1,2,4 (pg. 50) - decomm (6) * Prob 18, object LL, strategy 1,2,3 (pg. 52) - coord (1,2) * Prob 21, object PP, strategy 1,2,3 (pg. 58) - coord (2) * Prob 21, object QQ, strategy 2 (pg. 59) - miles of fence (7), decomm (6) * Aquatics II, 1 (pg. 64) - collect data (11,12) * Aquatics IV, 1,2 (pg. 68,69) - collect data (11,12) * Aquatics VIII, 1 (pg. 75) - collect data (11) * Terrestrial X, 3,4 (pg.79) - produce plan (4), collect data (12) This projects focus is on protecting and restoring habitat for threatened steelhead and spring chinook salmon and monitoring evlauating trends in stream health and fish populations.
How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?
The Lapwai Creek Watershed is within Potential Management Units PR-4,7,8. Within PR-4, this project addresses the following issues; * Water Use - High Priority - goal 2 (close involement with BOR/NOAA on returning flows into Sweetwater Creek from Irrigation District) * Surface Erosion - High Priority - goal 4 (produce plan on tribal lands to address sed), 6 (rd decomm) * Water Temp - Moderate Priority - goal 4 (produce plan on tribal lands to address temp), 7 (fence 4 miles of riparian/wetlands from cattle), 2 (close involvment with BOR/NOAA on returing flows into Sweetwater Creek from Irrigation District) * Grazing Impacts - Moderate - goal 4 (produce plan on tribal lands to address grazing implacts), 7 (fence 4 miles of riparian/wetlands from cattle) * Riparian/Wetlands - Moderate - goal 4 (produce plan on tribal lands to protect riparian/wetland areas), 7 (fence 4 miles of riparian/wetlands from cattle) * Instream - Low - goal 5, 10 (design and replace fish passage barriers) PR-7&8 * Same as above for; * Water Temps (High Priority) * Surface Erosion (High) * Grazing Impacts (Low) * Instream (Low) * Riparian/Wetlands (undefined)
Other comments
Past accomplishments: There is more accomplishments, but because unsure of desired amount, limited it to the above response. If more is needed or greater detail, please contact the project manager or refer to the annual reports. In addition, the 2005 contract year just began in March, therefore there will be 2005 accomplishments that are not listed but follow similar to past years (please refer to 2005 SOW). In formulating this projects objectives and tasks, 3 main documents were used: the Lapwai Creek Aquatic Assessment (2001)(Draft) and the Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS) Supplemental Watershed Protection Plan-Environmental Assessment Supplements No. 1 (1994) & No. 2 (2000). These are the most current and comprehensive documents directly related to the protection and restoration of fish habitat in the Lapwai Creek watershed. Please note that all 3 documents were used together, along with coordination of the major stakeholders in the watershed (Natural Resource Conservation Service, Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation District, NPT Water Resources, Forestry and Land Servies Departments), in determining what restoration and M&E activities are priorities within the Lapwai Creek watershed. According to the guiding documents, the greatest factors limiting fish production in Lapwai Creek are summer low flows and high temperatures, sedimentation, riparian degradation, channel/bank instability, and passage. Limiting factors have guided proposed objectives and tasks of this proposal which include: culvert assessment, prioritization, and replacement; developing and implementing (riparian fencing, vegetation plantings) land management plans on individual land owner property; fencing critical wetlands; feasibility study and replacement fish barriers; distribution of a watershed, stream, and fish education document to all landowners. In order to further prioritize where to focus restoration efforts and to monitor how our efforts are working, a comprehensive M&E has been development at a watershed scale and is being implemented by this project.