The Touchet River and its tributaries were significantly straightened and leveed, inhibiting natural stream processes and reducing the quantity and quality of salmon habitat. Past restoration projects had improved site-specific conditions, but few, if any, had been designed to address watershed-scale processes or provide guidance for land use planners. The City of Dayton along with Columbia County convened a work group involving the City, County, USACOE, WDFW, & SRSRB to assess alternatives to the conventional practices and current federal policies used to minimize flood risk that had compromised salmon habitat. On behalf of the workgroup, the City of Dayton and Columbia County conducted a 40 mile river reach assessment. The assessment included collection of aerial imagery of the river and floodplain using aerial imaging (LIDAR) over the entire 40 mile project area. Sediment budgets were estimated within the 4 tributaries and the mainstem. The results of the initial LIDAR survey were used to guide an on-the-ground assessment of a 1.8 mile reach focusing on strategies to improve salmon habitat and minimize unnatural rates of sediment transport and deposition through the reach. Five alternative conceptual designs were produced as part of the intensive reach assessment and a preferred concept was identified. Additionally, LIDAR images were used to produce maps of floodprone areas. City & County asked the SRSRB to assist in producing these maps to guide future revisions to the shoreline master plan.