CONTRACT AMENDMENT #2 DESCRIPTION:

This contract was amended for a no cost time extension (NCTE) to extend the contract from 7/30/12 to 8/31/12.  The specific WEs that were changed include B, AH, AA, AB, AD.  The NCTE purpose is to allow for the completion of the identified items.  The NCTE is needed as unusually high water and storm events have prevented in-stream construction.

CONTRACT AMENDMENT DESCRIPTION:

This contract was amended for a no cost time extension (NCTE) to extend the contract from 4/30/12 to 7/30/12.  The specific WEs that were changed include A, S, X, AA, AB, AD, AE, AJ, AI, AH.  The NCTE purpose is to allow the completion of the previously mentioned WEs within the allowable fish work windows for the Lapwai Creek watershed.  The NCTE is needed due to a combination of delays including section 106 compliance, flooding impacts creating site changes and prohibiting construction prior to 4/30/12 and amendments to Army Corps of Engineers 404 permits.  The main reason for the delays is impacts from March 2012 flooding.  The rationale for each impacted WE is as follows:

WE S:  Fence Installation along Rock Creek

The site is located along Rock Creek and is for the installation of fencing to exclude livestock from the stream.  A flood event on 3/28/12 resulted in an off-site road failure which deposited rocks and debris into the stream.  The debris was partially deposited within the project site.  A NCTE extension is requested from 4/30/12 to 5/8/2012.  Work at this site is 70% completed.  The extension would allow the completion of the remainder of the fence work. The work will not be completed by 4/30/2012 due to the need for debris removal prior to completing the fence.

WE X:  Road Erosion control on fountain grade

A NCTE is requested to extend the project deadline from 4/30/2012 to 6/7/2012.  The extension is needed to allow completion of rock work and grading.  The delay was caused by delay in obtaining section 106 clearance (January 2012) and snow on site until March 2012.  A flood event the last week of March 2012 deposited debris within part of the work site and saturated soils prohibiting equipment access.  Part of the work will be completed by 4/30/12 however the debris removal and remainder of the work will be delayed until soil conditions allow equipment access.  A site visit conducted on 4/23/2012 indicated that the soils are partially saturated although significantly dried out from the 3/28/2012 site visit.  Estimated construction time is 7 days.   In discussions with the sub-contractor equipment is mobilized to site on 5/14/2012 with equipment work schedule for 5/15-17 and 5/21-24th.  Grass seeding and site cleanup would occur 5/29/2012.  The June 7th date is requested as a contingency to allow for any weather or equipment repair delays.

WE AA Mission Creek channel work and WE AB Mission Creek Vegetation

WE AA and AB are requested for a NCTE from 4/30/2012 to 7/20/2012.  WE AA and AB are located at the same work site and are for the installation of channel and sediment improvement work upstream of a bridge on Mission Creek.  This site was heavily impacted by the March 2012 flooding.  A large quantity of debris was deposited under the bridge.  The debris will need to be removed prior to construction.  The After consultation with the Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), there will need to be a 404 permit modification to include the debris removal for this work.  The ACOE requested a resurvey of the work area to identify additional work needs.  This requires a resurvey of the channel cross section and calculation of materials to be removed.  The survey work began 4/23/2012.  The permit will be submitted on 4/30/2012.  The ACOE will allow the work to be completed on the schedule recommended by the NOAA biologist.  NOAA will recommend a work window of July 15 to August 30, 2012 unless the work area is outside the wetted channel perimeter.    There are 5 barbs scheduled for installation.  The three barbs located in the Rock Creek channel will most likely be outside of the wetted channel as this channel is normally dry in the summer.  The remaining 2 barbs should be outside the wetted channel perimeter depending upon the flow season.  Historically, the area is a gravel bar, however, depending upon flow levels the work may have to be installed in water.  The proposed construction schedule for the work:

June 18-21st mobilize equipment and rock to site.
June 25-28th construct the 3 rock barbs located within Rock Creek, Construct the 2 remaining barbs if the channel is dry.  If channel is not dry, delay construction of remaining barbs until July 16th.
June 25-28 install vegetation.
July 16-18 construct 2 lower barbs .


WE AD streambank stabilization at Tom Beall Bridge and WE AE Vegetation installation for streambank stabilization.

WE AD and AE are requested for a NTCE from 4/30/2012 to 7/30/2012.  WE AD and AE are located at the same work site and are for the installation of streambank stabilization upstream of the Tom Beall bridge.  Work at this site was delayed due to a combination of section 106 clearance delays and March 2012 flooding.  The section 106 clearance was received in January 2012 which prohibited construction due to high winter flows until after spring runoff.   The spring runoff occurred the last week of March and caused further erosion at the site as well as debris deposits within the work site.  These impacts require a change to the ACOE 404 permit for this site.   A site visit and consultation was held with ACOE on 4/18/2012.  The ACOE will authorize the work but restricts in-stream work to the fish window of 7/15/2012 through August 30, 2012.    The work will be installed by Nez Perce County road department (Road department).  The road department will commit to install project work and estimates work days at 4 days.   Planned construction schedule:

July 18, 19 equipment and material mobilization to site.
July 23 -25 construction at site
July 26 site cleanup


WE AJ - removal of 3 culverts on Middle Tom Beall Creek and replacement with rock crossing.  Request for reschedule from 4/30/2012 to 5/31/2012.   Delays at this site are for the NOAA fisheries comments in order to obtain HIP BO clearance.  These comments were received on 4/19/2012.  Construction will begin 4/30/2012.  Work should take 5 days.  We are requesting an additional two week time frame as a contingency to weather.

WE AI, AH - removal of culverts and replacement with fish passable structures.  Delays due to section 106 clearance delays and NOAA fisheries consultation.  NOAA fisheries requested clarifications from the design engineers.  The design engineers responded on 4/23/2012.   The work at these sites are estimated at 5 days per each.  The NCTE is requested from 4/30/2012 to 6/14/2012.  The comments and HIP BO clearance are anticipated to be received at 5/7/2012.  Work at AI is planned to begin on 5/14/2012 with work on AH scheduled for 5/29/2012.  A one week contingency for weather and holiday delays are included in the extension request.


ORIGINAL CONTRACT SUMMARY:


The Restoring Anadromous Fish Habitat in the Lapwai Creek Watershed, project 2002-070-00, began in 2003.  This multi-year project focuses on restoring and improving fish habitat within the Lapwai Creek watershed.  The limiting factors addressed include low summer flows, wide fluctuation in annual stream flows, connectivity, loss of all or partial floodplain, sedimentation of spawning and rearing habitat, high summer stream temperatures, and lack of in-stream cover.  Past accomplishments have entailed the installation of land improvement projects to address these limiting factors, including 7.8 miles of riparian fencing, 6.21 miles of upland fencing, 160 acres of weed control, two livestock waste systems, 9,000 LF of riparian plantings, one low flow stream crossing, 10.5 miles of road improvements, 1.5 miles of streambank bioengineering restoration, 4.5 acres of wetland enhancement, 15,209 acres of direct seeding, 12 alternative watering systems for livestock, 13 water and sediment control structures, and the development of 34 habitat conservation plans, 9.27 miles of access restored, 3.1 miles of floodplain reconnected, 80 acres of tree planting, and 200 acres of grass seeding.  

Prior to the initiation of this project, a massive data gap existed on fish, the condition of fish habitat, and limiting factors within the watershed.  Under the FY 2007 contract, we focused primarily on the analysis and compilation of the fish presence and abundance data, and stream habitat data collected annually since 2003.  The data was analyzed and converted into a GIS-compatible format and then combined with other available, watershed-wide data sets developed by the Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation District, the Nez Perce Tribe Watershed Division (NPT) and the NPT Water Resources Division.  The synergistic effect of these combined data sets came together in the development of the "Strategy for the Ecological Restoration of Lapwai Creek Watershed," a document intended to direct efforts and resources toward the highest priority restoration projects and areas of the Lapwai Creek Watershed.  This document provides an accurate assessment of the status and health of the aquatic resources within the watershed, and will allow us to spatially prioritize the implementation of future watershed protection and restoration projects for the Lapwai Creek Watershed. This plan was updated in FY08 to incorporate information identified by the ISRP review.
                                                                                                                                                                          
FY 11 Contract Summary:

The "Strategy for the Ecological Restoration of Lapwai Creek Watershed," which was completed under the FY 07 contract and revised in FY08, was the main reference for prioritizing implementation and developing the FY 11 SOW.  

Under this contract, the NPSWCD plans to install 2,300 LF of fence, control 75 acres of noxious weeds, protect 600 LF of streambank, improve two stream crossings, improve ,300 LF or road, improve one irrigation diversion, plant 1.5 acres with native trees and shrubs, install 2 water developments, install 2 erosion control structures, maintain vegetation at 66 sites (150 acres), develop 8 habitat restoration plans and remove three passage barriers.

Status and Trend and Implementation/Effectiveness monitoring under this contract is coordinated with the Nex Perce Tribe.  The Nez Perce Tribe conducts the monitoring and evaluation required to determine population status and trends, as well as the physical and biological response to the habitat/watershed restoration efforts.  The Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation District (NPSWCD) utilizes the Nez Perce Tribe's monitoring data to prioritize habitat improvement and site specific project areas.  Since the majority of the land within the watershed is privately owned, the District also coordinates with the landowners to obtain project approval for both the NPT and the NPSWCD to continue habitat restoration actions throughout the Lapwai Creek watershed. The NPSWCD efforts focus on non-tribal properties, while the NPT efforts focus on tribal properties.