Grande Ronde Basin Habitat Improvement

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The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) currently provides technical assistance in eleven tributary subbasins in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Actions identified in these subbasins are designed to improve survival of fish during spawning and rearing life stages. Reclamation’s responsibility for its subbasins is to work with willing partners on non-Federal lands to implement actions to meet specific metric goals that include: (1) fish screens that meet current criteria; (2) spawning and rearing access restored by removal of fish passage barriers; (3) meeting instream flow targets; and (4) increased miles of channel complexity in the subbasins. Except under special circumstances, Reclamation is unable to fund or participate directly in habitat improvement construction activities in the subbasins. Thus, Reclamation enters into agreements with willing partners, also known as “Project Sponsors” who identify, fund, permit, manage, and monitor projects that meet Reclamation’s habitat improvement program objectives. Union Soil and Water Conservation District (USWCD), a local government entity, works with many partners to sponsor fish habitat improvements within the Grande Ronde Basin (Basin). In 2010, Reclamation and USWCD entered into an agreement whereby USWCD, as Project Sponsor, would explore, develop, and coordinate potential fish habitat improvement projects within the Basin, and coordinate its investigations with Reclamation, landowners, and other interested parties. As a result of that agreement USWCD and Reclamation determined the need to improvement stream habitat within the Grande Ronde Basin which will benefit anadromous fisheries. Benefits include, but are not limited to: improved access to spawning and rearing habitat; reduced entrainment; increased streamflow; improved fish passage; and improved habitat quantity and quality for native endangered fish species including spring chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and bull trout. Therefore, it is Reclamation’s intent to provide funds to USWCD for the oversight and monitoring activities for the stream habitat improvement.

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