The Wallooskee-Youngs Confluence restoration project will be performed by Falling Springs LLC, an environmental resources company that specializes in the development of aquatic resource and habitat restoration projects. The project site is owned by a wholly owned subsidiary of Falling Springs. Falling Springs will fund the design, permitting, restoration and construction of the project. The project will restore tidal processes, a functioning tidal marsh system, and fish access to the historically estuarine portion of the site, which consists of approximately 193.11 acres of isolated floodplain habitat. This portion of the site is now drained pasture land, which is protected by an extensive dike that runs along the perimeter of the property. The dike is poorly constructed of unconsolidated materials and is eroding in extensive areas. As part of the project, Falling Springs will breach the dike in selected areas, thereby immediately restoring tidal hydrology to the estuarine portion of the site and, through time, creating better connectivity between the site and the bay as the dike continues to erode.

There are two primary project deliverables under this contract - (1) a conservation easement and (2) survival benefit units (SBUs):  

(1)  Upon receipt of the Final Survival Benefit Unit (SBU) values from the Expert Regional Technical Group, estimated to be complete in FY 2013, Falling Springs will convey a conservation easement to BPA on the estuarine portion of the site and fee title ownership of the site to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.  Upon receipt of the Final ERTG score, 60% designs, conveyance of the conservation easement, and cost estimate information, BPA will pay to Falling Springs, $2,500,000.  Falling Springs will work with BPA on all due diligence required by BPA to acquire the easement.  

(2)  SBUs measure the biological and environmental benefits derived from the development of the project.  SBUs are calculated by an independent third party, the Expert Regional Technical Group (ERTG).  The SBUs will be delivered to BPA upon the COTR's inspection of the completion of the project and Falling Springs' approval of ERTG's calculation of the total SBUs generated from the project. In exchange for the SBUs, BPA will pay Falling Springs $2,350,000 per Total SBU (Ocean and Stream) less the payments made by BPA to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe for the Section 408 Authorization work (which is described in a separate contract between BPA and Cowlitz), up to $308,000, and the $2,500,000  payment made in exchange for the conservation easement, 60% designs and Final ERTG score.  A second progress payment will be made (WE F) for delivery of updated cost estimates, project schedule, project construction plans, as-built surveys, a site visit by BPA COTR, and Environmental declaratin.  Upon delivery of the SBUs to BPA, Falling Springs will convey fee simple title to the project site to the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.  Cowlitz will provide perpetual stewardship of the site and provide access to the site for Cowlitz and other Tribes’ cultural activities.  Acquisition and protection of the property will meet the Cowlitz Indian Tribe’s Natural Resources Department's goals of restoring and conserving landscapes and specie integral to the cultural identity of the Cowlitz People. This project will restore critical habitat for salmonids and will also serve as important habitat for migrating waterfowl, deer and elk, and native plant communities that are culturally significant to Cowlitz.

Falling Springs will be compensated based solely on the number of SBUs generated from the project.  This compensation will be broken into progress payments as described above.

The expected biological benefits of the project include the following Estuary Sub-actions:

Subaction 1.4 - Restore riparian areas, adding shoreline habitat and complexity for juvenile salmon refugia: 0.75 miles
The shoreline (outer perimeter of the inundation area at the base of the uplands) will be restored to functioning riparian habitat through planting native vegetation and removing and controlling invasive plants (Figure 3b). Although this sub-action is measured as a 0.75-mile-long linear feature along the shoreline, project actions include restoration of a 150-foot-wide buffer of riparian habitat along what will become the new “shoreline” to functionally increase inputs of large wood, detritus, and nutrients into the marsh system. The riparian area buffer encompasses 10.13 acres. Connectivity between the uplands and marsh habitats will be enhanced through the existing channel network that begins in springs and seeps that flow from the riparian area into the restored floodplain.
Existing Armenian blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) areas within the riparian buffer will be removed through a combination of grubbing and excavation. Native trees and shrubs will be installed as bare root material, with subsequent replanting to occur as necessary. Final species composition to be planted will be determined by evaluation of reference sites, and is likely to include Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), twinberry (Lonicera involucrate), Hooker’s and Scouler’s willow (Salix hookeriana and S. scouleriana), and red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea).

Subaction 9.4: Restore degraded off-channel habitats with high intrinsic potential for increasing habitat quality: 23.45 acres
The current channel network on the site fits within two broad categories: an extensive relic channel network within the northern portions of the site and an extensive ditch network where the historical tidal channels have been eliminated in the southern part of the site. The relic channel network will be reconnected to the bay through three levee breaches and, where appropriate, will be enhanced through channel widening, and grading, and the addition of secondary channels. In the
southern portion of the site, the ditch network will be filled and a new channel network will be created and connected to tidal processes through two breaches. The total restored channel area is 23.45 acres.
The channel network restoration is based on historical T-sheet information, intact channel network signatures still visible behind the levee area, comparisons to nearby functional sites, and contributing drainage area (channel prism) calculations. These analyses provided the framework for creating a channel network design that approximates historical and nearby reference conditions while providing for evolution of a more dendritic network over time. The sizes of the breaches were determined using design guidelines for the enhancement and creation of Columbia River estuarine habitats (ESA PWA 2011). A nearby reference site, Cooperage Slough, provided information on a mature system and insights into how the channels could evolve over time. The site is designed to accelerate erosion and rapid sediment accretion (see below), which will also promote dendritic channel formation.  Existing downed large trees will be incorporated into wood structures. These structures, located in the northern portion of the sites where wood accumulated historically, will promote large wood recruitment. (The location for the logs is supported by the former landowner’s observations of deposited logs.) The large wood will be located in an area where it is anticipated that it will trap more
logs that drift into the site and should increase log numbers at the site through natural recruitment over time, eventually serving as nurse log rafts and additional habitat structure.  The 4,719-ft-long borrow ditch adjacent to the levee and the extensive constructed ditch network on the southern portion of the site will be filled in (6,117-ft). This action will disconnect the ditches from the channel network and help maintain the natural structure of the historical and created channels.

Subaction 10.1 - Breach or lower the elevation of dikes and levees; create and/or restore tidal marshes, shallow-water habitats, and tide channels: 168.61 acres
The existing levee (7,922-ft-long) will be breached at five locations. Three of these locations are currently occupied by tide gates. All of the breach areas are located where historical tidal channels or tide gates are present, and the locations were selected to maximize tidal interaction and habitat-forming processes. The configuration of the breaches will increase site access opportunities, restore tidal flow circulation, and create hydraulic diversity. The five breach openings range from 115- to
245 feet in length, for a total of 829 feet opened to immediate tidal influence. By strategically locating the breaches at the locations of historical tidal channel networks and in locations that promote riverine and tidal interaction, the breaching will allow functional restoration of onsite estuarine and tidal hydrology processes and landforms. In addition to the levee breach locations, the levee will be lowered along its entire length to facilitate additional tidal interaction. Levee lowering will be accomplished through two measures: 1) grubbing invasive vegetation and excavation of 4,980-ft of the levee to MHHW elevation (8.5-feet NAVD88); and 2) grubbing vegetation and associated root matter along 2,112-ft of the levee, effectively lowering the levee by approximately 18-inches. Because much of the existing levee is currently below 11 feet NAVD88, vegetation grubbing will effectively lower the levee within the range of periodic tidal inundation. Figure 4 illustrates the levee profile pre- and post-breach and provides a crosssection for the typical levee breach. After lowering, vegetation grubbing, and breaching, approximately 74% of the remnant levee will be at or less than MHHW (8.5 feet NAVD88). The locations for the lowest portions of the levee (at or less than 8.5 feet NAVD88) are designed to maximize tidal and riverine interaction by: 1) lowering the levee adjacent to all of the breaches; and 2) lowering the levee along the southern portion of the site adjacent to the Wallooskee River.  These locations will enhance sediment transport into the site from both the rivers and bay. In addition, lowering the levee, removing vegetation throughout the levee’s length, and exposing the levee material will accelerate erosion of the levee and add to the sediment that is transported into the site. These measures will accelerate sediment deposition within the site, promoting rapid accretion, particularly in the subsided areas adjacent to the levee. Comments received from the ERTG on CRE 10.1 include “concern with the short-term flush of contaminants from the previous use as a cow pasture.” As of the summer of 2012, grazing of cattle was discontinued and by February 2013, the site's designation as a Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) was also. The site is currently being cultivated for haying and cutting/baling will occur at least four times prior to the restoration construction activities, thus assisting with the uptake/removal of excess nitrogen and other contaminants prior to breaching of the levees, while also preventing invasive species from potentially colonizing an otherwise fallow field. The total area of restored tidal hydrology (annual average extreme high tide at 11.81 feet NAVD88) is 168.61 acres. Breaching the levee will create tidal marshes and restore tidal hydrology. Most of the material excavated from the levee and the constructed channels will be used to fill the borrow ditch and the other constructed ditches at the site. Any excess material will be placed next to the channels to create a berm similar to those often present adjacent to natural tidal channel networks.

Subaction 15.3 - Implement projects to address infestations: 193.11 acres
The restoration action area includes existing tidal marsh and levee-protected floodplain pasture and riparian buffer areas (Figure 5) that were all grazed prior to property acquisition. Species occurring outside the levee are predominantly native, saline-tolerant species, indicating the restoration of tidal conditions will likely aid in the overall colonization of a native dominated vegetation community. Salinity ranges are estimated to be 0-10ppt which fluctuates based on tidal series and local watershed flow contributions (see below). Existing elevations throughout the levee-protected floodplain portions of the site range from 4.12 feet to 11.81 feet NAVD88, suggesting that the restored floodplain will be of suitable elevation to recruit native tidal marsh vegetation. Sediment accretion is expected to occur at a high rate due to the site’s location at the confluence of the Wallooski and Youngs Rivers, the overall sediment rich environment of Youngs Bay, and because the levee will be lowered, allowing for regular overtopping of the levee and accelerated erosion of remnant levee areas. Sediment accretion ranges from 0.63 to 2.55 cm per year at five nearby reference sites (Borde et al. 2011; graph below). Because it is located at the confluence of two rivers, the Wallooskee-Youngs Confluence site should be at the higher end of the sediment accumulation range and is expected to accrete rapidly relative to the reference sites.