DESCRIPTION
Project Area 38 (PA 38). This project proposal will cover between RM 6.5 to RM 8.00 of PA-38. Our overall goal for this project is to prepare a preliminary design for PA-38 to promote project development and restoration in future grant rounds. Priority species will include Fall Chinook spawning/juvenile rearing/adult holding, Summer Steelhead migration/spawning/juvenile rearing/over wintering/adult holding and Spring Chinook juvenile over wintering/migration and impacting Bull Trout juvenile/adult over wintering/adult holding. Grant funds will provide resources toward designing plans to increase floodplain connectivity, increase LWD which will increase pool frequency and decease stream velocities, and increase channel complexity.
The Columbia Conservation District (CCD) is sponsoring the Tucannon PA 38 Restoration Design project to develop preliminary designs. Project is located in Columbia County, in the Tucannon River mSA Priority Restoration Reach between river mile 6.5 and 8.0. Project area has recently been enrolled in USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program. Project reach supports ESA listed Spring Chinook- juvenile over wintering/migration, Steelhead-spawning/rearing/overwintering and migration, Fall Chinook- spawning/rearing and Bull Trout overwintering/migration and designated as critical habitat for Bull Trout by US Fish & Wildlife. WDFW completed the Tucannon Juvenile Salmonid Survival and Habitat Utilization study, project #15-1322 (2019), identifying stream reaches where overwinter juvenile mortality is high. This project is located in a priority reach to address juvenile salmonid overwintering habitats. Goals are to develop designs that address habitat limiting factors identified in the Draft Tucannon River Habitat Restoration Prioritization and Conceptual Restoration Plans (HRPCRP) (Anchor 2020). Enhance instream complexity/diversity, floodplain connectivity, sediment sorting and storage and pool development supporting various salmonid life cycle needs. Designs will include landowner property management objectives and limitations.