Grande Ronde Model Watershed 1114 J Avenue La Grande OR 97850 From ph 541-663-0570 fax 541-962-1585 Summer/Fall 2010 the Ripplesipples Board of Directors R Mike Hayward, Chairman Archives The Story of Lostine, Oregon Wallowa County Board of Commissioners in theGrande Ronde compiled by Heather Hall, GRMW Steve McClure, Vice Chairman . Union County Board of Commissioners R I V E R S U N I T I N G N E I G H B O R S Q U A R T E R L Y N E W S F R O M T H E G R A N D E R O N D E M O D E L W A T E R S H E D Anna Cavinato Eastern Oregon University Allen Childs Assessing Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Larry Christman, Public Interest Representative Catherine Ted Taylor, Public Interest Representative Norm Cimon, Conservationist Representative Larry Cribbs, Economic Development & Industry Creek: Representative Bruce Eddy, Fish and Wildlife Representative Daryl Hawes, Private Landowner Representative How does this ABOVE: Lostine area map Joe McCormack, Nez Perce Tribe Image by Mason Bailie, GRMW Lostine is a small, multi-faceted Pat Wortman, Private Forest & Landowners river flow? community located between Wallowa and and three lumber mills. Lostine became Enterprise in the Wallowa Mountain range. incorporated in 1903. Staff Members by Lyle Kuchenbecker RIGHT: Map of Lostine was established in 1878 by G.E. Today, with a population of roughly Jeff Oveson the Catherine 200+, many visitors stop and explore this Laughlin. Mr. Laughlin named the town after Jesse Steele, Creek Tributary Jeff Oveson, Executive Director his former hometown of Lostine, Illinois. little town on their way to Wallowa Lake. GRMW Assessment area. A post office was set up in 1878, and Mrs. Lostine is known for its famous Lostine Flea Lyle Kuchenbecker, Project Planner by Mason Bailie, Laughlin acted as postmistress for many years Market, which is held the first weekend in GRMW after her husband left the area. The Joseph/ July each year. During the flea market, more Coby Menton, Monitoring Coordinator Elgin Stage Line helped the town of Lostine than 70 vendors from all over the U.S. line grow. At one time, the town boasted a butcher both sides of the main street and some of the Jesse Steele, Field Biologist shop, livery stable, millinery, boarding house, side streets to sell their wares. Introduction investment of time and money they require so as to Leigh Collins, Public Involvement/Education Coordinator determine which projects are the highest priorities. In Why is the CCTA Needed? The goal of the Catherine Creek Tributary order to prioritize important reaches of a stream for So, why should habitat in Catherine Creek Mason Bailie, Database Manager Assessment (CCTA) is to evaluate the overall restoration, project proponents like the GRMW and be restored anyway? The short answer is that there status of the entire Catherine Creek watershed in cooperators first must have a solid understanding of Mary Estes, Office and Fiscal Manager is a legal mandate under the Endangered Species order to identify and prioritize potential habitat the stream, its complex ecosystem, and interrelated Act (ESA) to maintain populations of endangered restoration projects. A project of this scope can human activities. Through a comprehensive Heather Hall, Receptionist species – which in the case of the Catherine Creek This newsletter is funded by the only be accomplished through the efforts of many assessment, the GRMW will identify critical habitat area include spring Chinook salmon, summer people from several different organizations. More on Catherine Creek that would be the most beneficial Bonneville Power Administration and steelhead, and bull trout – at self-sustaining levels. importantly, the project requires the cooperation of to endangered fish species if the habitat were to be The populations of these species are not large enough the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board landowners. The Grande Ronde Model Watershed restored. The final product of this assessment will to sustain themselves, so the GRMW and its partners (GRMW) has set out to coordinate this massive be the implementation of many restoration projects Margaret McGladrey, need to address the causes of reduced numbers of fish. undertaking. In habitat restoration work, project aimed at improving fish habitat, which will be Ripples Editor proponents must strike a balance between potential completed in coordination with landowners to meet Continued on page 2 8 [email protected] benefits of specific restoration efforts and the their needs and address their concerns. The causes of the decline of these species are many and date back to more than a century ago. Some of The Effects of Habitat About the Completed and Meet the Project Partner the causes stem from within the Grande Ronde Basin, and many emerge from issues downstream in the Degradation in Catherine Creek Ongoing Surveys Snake and Columbia Rivers, coastal estuaries, and Fish The CCTA is a major step in continuing Ryan Lande and Ashley Davidson of the Shelly Schmidt the ocean itself. Initially, over-harvest of Chinook to address the habitat component of declining fish ODFW are collecting habitat data starting from the salmon in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the populations by evaluating how and to what degree mouth of Catherine Creek and working upstream. ocean and Columbia River reduced populations to a Profile by Leigh Collins, GRMW habitat modification has affected fish populations. They started surveying in mid-July and plan to Online! fraction of their historic numbers. Since then, other For several years, the Oregon Department of Fish finish in September 2010. According to the ODFW Shelly Schmidt has been involved factors, including the development of the Columbia and Wildlife (ODFW) Research Group has been Conservation and Recovery Program, information in fish habitat restoration and enhancement River hydropower system, negative impacts of early tracking juvenile spring Chinook out-migration from gained from these surveys can be “used to provide projects for the past 20 years while working hatchery programs, and habitat degradation have all headwater habitats down through the Grande Ronde basic information for biologists and land managers…to for several state and federal agencies. Shelly contributed to the decline of these populations in Valley and all the way to the Lower Granite Dam on direct or focus habitat restoration efforts.” These is continuing to play a key role in habitat www.grmw.orgwww.grmw.org Catherine Creek. the Snake River. The studies have found that very surveys involve walking the stream and identifying restoration efforts in Eastern Oregon as Photo courtesy of high juvenile Chinook mortality rates occur between basin, reach, and unit type characteristics. the new project manager for the Army Shelly Schmidt Adult salmon counts at the dams Corps of Engineers (Corps), managing its Union and Rinehart at the lower end of the valley, The Effects of the Basin information can be gathered from a La Grande office, which is housed with the in the Catherine Creek area. In most years, more Snake River Basin stream flows U.S. Geological Survey topographic map, whereas U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies the local culture and values that might not be than 50 percent of the juveniles trapped and tagged Hydropower System reach and unit characteristics are determined during on Highway 30 east of La Grande. well understood in Western Oregon. Shelly is above Union do not make it through the valley to Snow and precipitation reports an on-the-ground physical survey. A unit is a section An Oregon native who grew up in the creating vital linkages between the western The effects of Columbia and Snake River Elgin. Knowledge of these low survival rates and the of stream distinguished by its channel bed form and small farming community of Sherwood, Shelly and eastern sides of Oregon and will continue dams on Chinook and steelhead populations are degree to which the fish’s habitat has been modified Habitat enhancement projects flow characteristics. Once a unit (pool, riffle, glide, gained an appreciation of the wilderness and to do so in the years to come. well-documented. Fish migrating to and from the should lead to the identification of habitat restoration outdoor activities. After spending several As a project manager for Eastern etc.) has been identified, data is collected specific to Grande Ronde Basin encounter four dams in the projects that will enhance survival rates for these years working for the Deschutes National Oregon, Shelly now has the opportunity to Meetings, activities, and events each unit. Ryan and Ashley are taking measurements Columbia River and four in the Snake River. In juvenile fish. Forest as a biologist, Shelly worked as the be involved in projects beyond Union and addition to forming barriers that are obstacles to adult of active channel, flood-prone height, and terrace Region Environmental Coordinator with Wallowa Counties, also serving Baker, Past issues of Ripples and more! Many organizations and private landowners fish migrating upstream and hazardous to juveniles height along with boulder counts, large woody debris the Oregon Department of Transportation Grant, Gilliam, Malheur, Morrow, Umatilla, have been working to restore habitat for nearly 20 migrating downstream, the dams create conditions counts, and more. Riparian cross-section data and other (ODOT) in Central Oregon. She moved to and Wheeler Counties. Shelly’s position years. These groups have done many of the “easy” that are inhospitable to salmonids. Pools behind reach data are collected occasionally. When asked Eastern Oregon 10 years ago to continue her involves reviewing permit applications from projects, referred to by those in the restoration the dams are very different habitat than fish had about performing survey work on Catherine Creek, work at ODOT as a Region Biologist covering both public and private organizations and business as the “low-hanging fruit.” To address individuals who want to do work in navigable encountered before the dams were in place.