WALLA WALLA RIVER RM 35.5 RESTORATION Sponsor: Walla Walla Co Cons Dist Program: Salmon State Projects Status: Preapplication Parties to the Agreement
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Project Application Report PROJECT: 21-1004 REST, WALLA WALLA RIVER RM 35.5 RESTORATION Sponsor: Walla Walla Co Cons Dist Program: Salmon State Projects Status: Preapplication Parties to the Agreement PRIMARY SPONSOR Walla Walla County Conservation District Address 325 North 13th Ave Ste 101 City Walla Walla State WA Zip 99362 Org Type District-Conservation Vendor # SWV0041502-00 UBI Date Org created Org Notes link to Organization profile Org data updated SECONDARY SPONSORS No records to display LEAD ENTITY Snake River Salmon Rec Bd LE QUESTIONS #1: List project partners and their role and contribution to the project. External Systems SPONSOR ASSIGNED INFO Sponsor-Assigned Project Number Sponsor-Assigned Regions EXTERNAL SYSTEM REFERENCE Source Project Number Submitter HWS 21-1004 AFitzgerald Project Contacts Contact Name Primary Org Project Role Work Phone Work Email Alice Rubin Project Manager (360) 867-8584 [email protected] Rec. and Conserv. Office Renee M. Hadley Project Contact (509) 956-3756 [email protected] Walla Walla Co Cons Dist Ali Fitzgerald Lead Entity Contact (509) 382-4115 [email protected] Snake River Salmon Rec Bd LE Audrey Ahmann Billing (509) 956-3753 [email protected] Walla Walla Co Cons Dist Page 1 of 15 03/08/2021 Project Application Report - 21-1004 Worksites & Properties # Worksite Name #1 WALLA WALLA RIVER RM 35 Restoration Property Name WALLA WALLA RIVER RM 35 Page 2 of 15 03/08/2021 Project Application Report - 21-1004 Worksite Map & Description Worksite #1: WALLA WALLA RIVER RM 35 Worksite map WORKSITE ADDRESS Street Address Last Chance Rd City, State, Zip Walla Walla WA 99362 Worksite Details Worksite #1: WALLA WALLA RIVER RM 35 SITE ACCESS DIRECTIONS From the City of Walla Walla head west on Hwy 12. Continue for approx. 6 miles. Turn LEFT/South onto Spalding Rd. At T intersection, turn LEFT /East onto Old Hwy 12, Take first left onto Last Chance Rd. Continue approx. 1.7 miles. Site is on left side (east) of Last Chance Road and extends 0.56 miles upstream from the Last Chance Road bridge which crosses the Walla Walla River. TARGETED ESU SPECIES Species by ESU Egg Present Juvenile Present Adult Present Population Trend Steelhead-Middle Columbia River, Stable Walla Walla River, Threatened Chinook-Middle Columbia River Unknown Spring, Not Warranted Reference or source used Steelhead At Risk Report:Assessment of Washington's Steelhead Populations (WDFW, 2018) Upper Touchet Basin Habitat Restoration, Geomorphic Assessment and Restoration Prioritization (September 2020) TARGETED NON-ESU SPECIES Species by Non-ESU Notes Rainbow Bull Trout Lamprey Questions #1: Give street address or road name and mile post for this worksite if available. The project reach is located on the Walla Walla River upstream of the bridge on Last Chance Road, Walla Walla, Washington and extends 0.56 miles east and upstream of the bridge (Sec 4, T6N, R35E, W.M.). Page 3 of 15 03/08/2021 Project Application Report - 21-1004 Project Location RELATED PROJECTS Projects in PRISM PRISM Number Project Name Current Status Relationship Type Notes 18-2088 P Walla Walla River Restoration Design at Active Earlier Phase Design phase of project RM 35.5 Related Project Notes Based on design comments received 2/22/2021 from the RCO review panel and discussions on 3/1/2021 with RCO, the Snake River Salmon Recovery Office , and Walla Walla County Conservation District representatives, specific components regarding the low flow modeling, and use of boulders will need to be addressed prior to construction. The project design will be edited prior to construction according to these comments and changes that may have occurred within the river channel since the time the preliminary design was completed. Questions #1: Project location. Describe the geographic location, water bodies, and the location of the project in the watershed, i.e. nearshore, tributary, main-stem, off-channel, etc. The site is a 0.56-mile reach on the main-stem of the Walla Walla River in Walla Walla County, Washington, WRIA 32. It is part of the priority restoration and protection reach of a major spawning area. The Walla Walla River flows into the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. It is located west and downstream of the adjacent cities of College Place and Walla Walla. The center of the project is at River Mile 35.5; the western boundary is at Last Chance Road. (Sec 4, T6N, R35E, W.M.) #2: How does this project fit within your regional recovery plan and/or local lead entity’s strategy to restore or protect salmonid habitat? Cite section and page number. The Snake River Salmon Recovery Region Provisional 3-5 Year Work Plan (updated March 28, 2018) lists the proposed site as part of the “priority restoration and protection reach” (p. 16) of the Walla Walla River Major Spawning Area, listing “Walla Walla River Restoration Implementation RM 35.5” as a 3-year and a 3- to 10- year priority project (p. 45). “Limiting factors include fish passage, water temperature, stream flow, habitat quality, habitat quantity, channel confinement, and channel stability” (p. 16). #3: Is this project part of a larger overall project? Yes #3a: How does this project fit into the sequencing of the larger project? This project is the construction phase of the recently completed design phase funded by the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office. Once implemented, this project may serve as a demonstration to local landowners currently reluctant to allow restoration projects on their property. #4: Is the project on State Owned Aquatic Lands? Please contact the Washington State Department of Natural Resources to make a determination. Aquatic Districts and Managers No Page 4 of 15 03/08/2021 Project Application Report - 21-1004 Property Details Property: WALLA WALLA RIVER RM 35 (Worksite #1: WALLA WALLA RIVER RM 35) Restoration LANDOWNER CONTROL & TENURE Name Mike & Laurie Klicker Instrument Type Landowner Agreement Address 1105 Mission Rd Timing Proposed City Walla Walla Term Length Fixed # of years State WA Zip # Yrs 10 Type Private Expiration Date 03/31/2031 Note Project Proposal Project Description The WWCCD will construct 0.56 miles of stream restoration in accordance to the attached final engineers design and engineers cost estimate. This construction phase will follow-up on the existing design phase funded by RCO. The project will include floodplain connection, side channels, instream and stream bank structures and riparian plantings. This work, once implemented, will reduce limiting factors for salmonid recovery and increase resiliency to flood events and effects of climate change. Project Questions #1: Problem statement. What are the problems your project seeks to address? Include the source and scale of each problem. Describe the site, reach, and watershed conditions. Describe how those conditions impact salmon populations. Include current and historic factors important to understand the problems. Geomorphic processes, floodplain connectivity, and accompanying habitat for these fish species within the reach have been influenced by historic land use practices, tree harvest/clearing, and excavation and other bulk earthwork activities at various locations within the 100-year floodplain. These activities have led to limited instream and floodplain habitat complexity, degraded floodplain connectivity and riparian condition, elevated summer water temperatures, and all key habitat limiting factors for Chinook and steelhead. The lower Walla Walla River has significantly degraded riparian and instream conditions. This reach has one of the widest riparian areas of mature trees on the Walla Walla River, but it also has pronounced floodplain disconnection and simplified habitat features. The project reach has recently exhibited significant lateral migration of the channel and loss of established vegetation and cropland. The Salmonid Habitat Limiting Factors Water Resource Inventory Area 32 Walla Walla Watershed (Kuttle, 2001 for WSCC, page 88-90 and 136), states that the Walla Walla River: Stateline to Mill Creek reach (which includes the project site), has riparian and streambank habitat, floodplain connections, large woody debris, substrate embeddedness, and off-channel habitat in poor or “Not Properly Functioning” condition (professional knowledge of WRIA 32 TAG members). Fish passage and biological processes are fair or “At Risk”. Page 5 of 15 03/08/2021 Project Application Report - 21-1004 #2: Describe the limiting factors, and/or ecological concerns, and limiting life stages (by fish species) that your project expects to address. The ESA-listed Mid-Columbia summer steelhead, Chinook salmon and bull trout are found in this stretch and all three species are state candidates for status as threatened or endangered species, identified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need under the State Wildlife Action Plan, and as WDFW Priority Species. Chinook salmon and bull trout are ESA-listed threatened species, and the Middle Columbia River population of steelhead is ESA-listed as endangered. Limiting factors for these salmonids are fish passage, water temperature, stream flow, habitat quality, habitat quantity, channel confinement, and channel stability. Mid-Columbia summer steelhead have been documented as spawning in this stretch (WDFW’s SalmonScape interactive map). According to the Northwest Salmon and Steelhead Recovery, Middle Columbia River Steelhead DPS Recovery Plan (Pg. 3, NOAA, 2009) “summer steelhead enter freshwater between May and October and require several months to mature before spawning”. Oncorhynchus mykiss, commonly called rainbow trout, can be anadromous or lifelong freshwater residents and create offspring of either form under some circumstances. Unlike most other species of Oncorhynchus which spawn once and die, steelhead can spawn multiple times. This project will implement restoration techniques aimed to restore ecosystem functions and improve key habitats for summer steelhead, Chinook salmon and bull trout from egg to adult life stages. #3: What are the project goals? The goal of the project should be to solve identified problems by addressing the root causes.