DESCRIPTION
The goal of this grant is to identify, quantify, and prioritize high value habitat restoration projects on the Snoqualmie River between the confluence of the Raging River and Patterson Creek. As an initial starting point, nine potential restoration projects have been identified that could be implemented in this reach. This reach is one of the two core Chinook spawning areas on the Snoqualmie River where the river historically had access to off-channel areas and provided greater rearing habitat. The installation of levees and revetments in this reach along with past land use practices have substantially reduced the river's ability to access these critical rearing areas. The project will evaluate revetments, levees, roads, and other structures in this reach in an effort to set back or remove levees and revetmen, restore natural processes, and increase productivity of salmonids, including ESA-listed Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. The assessment would characterize reach conditions, identify potential projects, explore opportunities and constraints, compare and contrast ecological benefits, and create a sequence for undertaking the projects. In addition, conceptual designs will be developed for a minimum of five projects and a 30% design will be developed for one project.
The goal of this grant was to identify, quantify, and prioritize high value habitat restoration projects on the Snoqualmie River between the confluence of the Raging River and Patterson Creek near Fall City, WA. As an initial starting point, nine potential restoration projects were identified that could be implemented in this reach. This reach is one of the two core Chinook spawning areas on the Snoqualmie River where the river historically had access to off-channel areas and provided greater rearing habitat. The installation of levees and revetments in this reach along with past land use practices have substantially reduced the river’s ability to access these critical rearing areas. The project evaluated revetments, levees, roads, and other structures in this reach in an effort to set back or remove levees and revetments, restore natural processes, and increase productivity of salmonids, including ESA-listed Chinook salmon and steelhead trout. The assessment characterized reach conditions, identified potential projects, explored opportunities and constraints, compared and contrasted ecological benefits, and created a sequence for undertaking the projects. In addition, conceptual designs were developed for five projects and a 30% design was developed for one project.