Description PROJECT AGREEMENT DESCRIPTION Upper Cavanaugh-Fobes Design project is located between river miles (RM) 16.5 and 19.5 on the main stem of the South Fork Nooksack, near Hamilton, Washington (Skagit County). The project reaches are located between river miles 18-19 (Fobes Creek reach) and 16.3-17 (Cavanaugh Island reach). The goal of the project is to restore salmonid (focusing on Chinook, steelhead, Coho and Bull Trout) spawning, rearing and holding habitat in order to recover self-sustaining salmonid runs to harvestable levels by addressing limiting factors of temperature, channel stability, and habitat diversity and quantity in the reach. The Lummi Nation used this grant to design 58 engineered log jams (ELJs) in the mainstem South Fork Nooksack River, consisting of seven Type I ELJs (42x80'), 17 Type II ELJs (30x60'), 11 Type III ELJs (35x70’), 12 Type IV ELJs (35x50’), four type V ELJs (175x125’), 3 Type VI ELJs (50x50’), four Opportunistic Roughness ELJs, and some light channel excavation at Lower Fobes. Endangered early spring Chinook salmon and Bull Trout will benefit from 13 primary pools, more pools will likely develop from as the increased wood loading to the system causes aggradation that influences watershed processes. Scour pools provide thermal refugia (holding pools) from elevated South Fork water temperatures during summer spawning months in addition to pools for juvenile overwintering (rearing pools). In addition, juveniles will benefit from 0.5 miles of off channel rearing habitat by increasing connectivity with the floodplain and side channels. All features are focused on enhancement of endangered Spring Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) habitat by maximizing natural habitat-forming processes inherent in this reach of river FINAL PROJECT DESCRIPTION The Lummi Nation Natural Resources Department used this grant to provide a preliminary design for 58 engineered log-jams to restore habitat in the South Fork Nooksack River. The project is divided into 3 separated project areas; Cavanaugh Island (RM 16.3-17), Lower Fobes (18.8-18.3), and Upper Fobes (19-19.5). Eighteen (18) structures will be built in the Cavanaugh Island reach, 29 in Lower Fobes, and 11 in Upper Fobes. The primary goal of this project was to develop preliminary designs to restore natural channel and floodplain processes to maintain salmonid spawning, rearing and holding habitat, while improving late summer flow and thermal refugia for Chinook and Steelhead. To achieve this goal, this project sought to improve connectivity with off channel habitat, increase available thermal refuge for salmonids during summer months, and increase key habitat quantity by creating pools associated with log-jams as areas of refuge for salmonids. The risk of inaction to the South Fork Early Chinook population is great; the total population has been estimated to be as few as 19 fish. With Chinook runs increasing this past year and returns expected to continue, ensuring that high quality, stable habitat is created as quickly as possible is critical to preserving the South Fork stock.