Response for project 200207200: Protect & Restore Red River Ws
Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget
The proposed FY 2006 budget of $393,118 is consistent with the goals of the 2006 SOW. All Work Elements and tasks should be able to be met within this budget.
Accomplishments since the last review
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | 2004 - 2005; NEPA and ESA consultation for the Upper Red River Watershed Restoration Project. An EA and BA was prepared for NEPA compliance and consultation with regulatory agencies was completed. | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | 2002 - 2003; Road condition surveys (approx. 250 miles) and culvert surveys (approx. 400)were conducted throughout the Red River Watershed. | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | 2004 - Sensitive plant and archeology/cultural surveys were conducted for the Upper Red River Watershed Restoration Project. | |
| Produce Inventory or Assessment | 2003 - Project personnel participated in the review of the Red River Watershed Assessment. | |
| Coordination | Activities included meetings, phone calls, grant writing, creating MOUs/MOAs and other communication tasks with partners and cooperators. | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | 2001 - ongoing; SOWs, budget, BiOp reporting, and other reporting as requested by BPA will be done under this work element. | |
| Produce Design and/or Specifications | 2005 (field season) - Engineering survey and design of culvert 1709. | |
| Produce Design and/or Specifications | 2004 - Engineering designs and road marking for the 3 miles of roads to be decommissioned during field season 2005. | |
| Type of decommissioning (B/S/R): (Blocked, Scarified/Ripped, Recontoured) | 2005 (field season) - 3 miles of roads to be recontoured. | |
| # of road miles decommissioned (0.01 mi.) | 2005 (field season) - 3 miles of roads to be decommissioned. | |
| # of acres treated (0.1 ac) | 2005 field season - Implement erosion control project on the Bridge Creek Campground. |
FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments
| Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation | Verify that all environmental compliance (NEPA) has been completed for restoration projects. | |
| Coordination | Activities will include meetings, phone calls, grant writing, creating MOUs/MOAs and other communication tasks with partners and cooperators. | |
| Manage and Administer Projects | SOWs, budgets, BiOp reporting, and other reporting as requested by BPA will be done under this work element. | |
| Produce Annual Report | Annual report will describe all pertinent yearly activities, successes, problems, and opportunities encountered, photos included as well. | |
| Produce Status Report | Quarterly reports or Pisces formatted data in "stoplight" format. Dates will be based on fiscal year. | |
| Type of decommissioning (B/S/R): (Blocked, Scarified/Ripped, Recontoured) | 2 miles of roads recontoured. | |
| # of road miles decommissioned (0.01 mi.) | 2 miles of roads decommissioned. | |
| # of road miles improved, upgraded, or restored | Improve approximately 11 miles of road to reduce chronic sediment input into streams. | |
| # of acres of vegetation planted (0.1 ac.) | Approximately .5 acres (2 miles) of seed to be planted on decommissioned roads. | |
| # of riparian miles treated (0.01 mi.; count each bank separately) | Approximately 0.05 miles of stream bank to be seeded after road crossings are pulled. | |
| # of acres treated (0.1 ac) | Approximately 0.5 acres (2 miles) of certified weed free straw and slash to be placed on decommissioned roads. | |
| # of miles of habitat accessed (0.1 mi.) | Replace culvert 1709 with a bridge or box culvert. This work element will return fish passage to approximately 9 miles of stream by replacing the existing culvert with a bridge or box culvert designed for aquatic species passage. | |
| Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data | Collect data on decommissioned roads (12 miles), culvert replacement (1), and road and campground improvements. | |
| Analyze/Interpret Data | Assess condition/health of Red River using physical habitat parameters and biological data (fish counts, etc.). |
Subbasin planning
How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?
This project, located within the Red River Watershed, is consistent with several Problems, Objectives, and Strategies outlined in the Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan (CSMP). The following is a list of Problems, Objectives, and Strategies that are consistent with the project. Problem 2, Objective B, Strategies1-5 and 7 (page 18 of the CSMP). This project addresses this problem by meeting it’s objectives and strategies that identify and prioritize limiting factors within each PMU as well as implementing projects resulting from this prioritization. Problem 4, Objective E, Strategies 1-3 and Objective F, Strategies 2-4 (pages 22-23 of the CSMP) are consistent with this project. Problem 4 addresses native fish resident species within the Clearwater Subbasin. This project specifically addresses the above Objectives and Strategies through improvement and protection of habitat that is utilized by native fish species, in particular Westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout. These improvements and protection measures have been prioritized through a watershed assessment. Problem 7, Objective O, Strategies 4,7; Objective P, Strategies 1-5; Objective Q, Strategies 1-3, 5, 6; Objective S, Strategies 1, 3-5; Objective U, Strategies 1-7 (pages 31-38 of the CSMP), are consistent with this project. This project restores water quantity, quality, connectivity and habitat complexity through various watershed restoration projects such as road decommissioning and improvements, campground improvements as well as culvert replacements. Problem 16, Objective JJ, Strategies 1-4 (page 50 of the CSMP) are consistent with this project. This project does an intense effort to reduce road impacts to the stream system as well as provide for terrestrial security. Problem 19, Objective MM, Strategies 1-2; Objective NN, Strategies 1-3 (pages 52-53 of the CSMP) are consistent with this project. Personnel associated with this project are key in coordinating activities and prioritizing restoration/protection activities between several agencies and community groups. Problem 21, Objective RR, Strategies 1-4 (page 59 of the CSMP) are consistent with this project. This project promotes education and stewardship of natural resources through various media outlets.
How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?
The Red River Watershed lies in 3 PMUs. This project is consistent and addresses several High and Moderate Priorities within the identified PMUs. For the Red River Watershed the PMUs are FD-2, FD-3, and FD-5 (Table 17, Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan (CSMP), page 140). For PMU FD-2 this project addresses the following High priorities; Roads and Instream as well as the Moderate priority of Water Temperature (Table 7, CSMP, page 85). The project will implement stream and riparian restoration (small scale) due to campground overuse, road decommissioning and road improvements as well as replacing a fish barrier culvert. For PMU FD-3 this project addresses the following High Priority, Instream and Riparian/Wetland; and Moderate priority, Roads and Water Temperature (Table 7, CSMP, page 86). See above for restoration project descriptions. For PMU FD-5 this project addresses the following Highest Priority, Protecting Roadless; High Priority, Roads; and Moderate Priority, Water Temperature (Table 7, CSMP, page 87). Project personnel coordinate and comment on other agency activities within the watershed to make sure other activities are consistent with our watershed restoration goals.