Beaver Creek Rock Weirs Modification

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As part of meeting commitments in the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPs) Biological Opinions (BiOps), Reclamation provided technical assistance to OCD for the design of fish passage improvements (weirs) at six irrigation diversions as part of the collaborative efforts in Beaver Creek. Significant flood flows occurred in the spring 2011 as a result of above average precipitation and was further acerbated by fires which burned more than half the upper basin of Beaver Creek in 2006. Now, three of the weirs (Fort Thurlow, Thurlow Transfer, and Marracci) do not presently meet the design criteria for providing fish passage at all flows, and must be reconstructed. Due to factors beyond MSRFs control an extension of time and additional funding is needed. Delays and cost increases arose because Reclamation engineers have had difficulties in finalizing a preferred design that satisfies the challenging nature of the project site, is agreeable to landowners and irrigators, and that meets Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife fish passage criteria. The land owner for Thurlow Transfer has opted out of this project, therefore leaving only two weirs. The need to complete the reconstruction of these two weirs is mostly about assuring that irrigators are able to make their appropriated water right withdrawals without having to work in the river to create a push up dam or other method of diverting water that would have significant impact to native endangered fish species.

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