The proposed restoration and protection of the Asotin Creek watershed follows the watershed restoration approach mandated by the Fisheries and Watershed Program. Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries/Watershed Program (NPTFWP) vision focuses on protecting, restoring, and enhancing watersheds and treaty resources within the ceded territory of the Nez Perce Tribe under the Treaty of 1855 with the United States Federal Government.  The program uses a holistic approach, which encompasses entire watersheds, ridge top to ridge top, emphasizing all cultural aspects.  We strive toward maximizing historic ecosystem productive health, for the restoration of anadromous and resident fish populations.

PROJECT GOAL:  The ultimate goal of this project is to work within a holistic approach to protect and restore the ecological and biological functions of the Asotin Creek watershed, to assist in the recovery of anadromous and resident fish species.

FY 2004-2005 activities include projects that will continue to move toward reducing sediment deposition in spawning gravels and rearing areas by reducing sedimentation from road related sources.

LOCATION OF PROJECT:  Asotin Creek is a fourth order tributary to the Snake River (Rm 145), which drains approximately 325 square miles of Asotin and Garfield Counties. The headwaters of Asotin Creek originate in the Blue Mountains and flow east into the Snake River at Asotin, Washington.  Asotin Creek is within the treaty territory of the Nez Perce Tribe and within Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) #35. This project will take place in the upper headwaters of the Asotin Creek watershed, within the Umatilla National Forest. It encompasses areas within the Lick Creek/Charley Creek subwatersheds along with the South Fork subwatershed of Asotin Creek.

BACKGROUND:  ESA listed stocks of Snake River summer steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss), spring chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) utilize Asotin Creek, which has been identified as a wild steelhead reserve under WDFW's current resource plan (Glen Mendel, personal communication 2001). Spring chinook salmon historically utilized the watershed, and parr were observed during 1998 snorkeling surveys, although only one redd was identified in 1998 and 1999 surveys. The current status of spring chinook in the Asotin watershed is not well understood (Glen Mendel, personal communication 2001).  While a portion of the decline in numbers of anadromous salmonids can be attributed to downstream impacts (ocean conditions, harvests, dams, etc.), habitat quality and quantity in Asotin Creek are degraded.  High summer stream temperatures, lack of quality resting and rearing pools containing large woody debris (LWD), and sediment deposition in spawning gravels and rearing areas were problems identified during the watershed analysis and are addressed in the Plan. The Plan is located at the following website: https://efw.bpa.gov/Environment/EW/EWP/DOCS/REPORTS/OTHER/Z2586.pdf .  For greater information on spring Chinook, steelhead/rainbow trout, and bull trout population status please refer to the project proposal # 19941805, Continue Coordination and Implementation of Asotin Creek Watershed Projects.

High stream temperatures, sediment deposition in spawning and rearing areas, and lack of suitable pools are factors limiting salmonid production as identified by the Asotin Creek Model Watershed Plan (Plan). The indigenous fish species most actively targeted for management in the watershed are summer steelhead, spring chinook salmon, and bull trout. The goals for these species are to restore sustainable, naturally-producing populations to support tribal and non-tribal harvest and cultural and economic practices while protecting the biological integrity and genetic diversity of these species.

This ongoing project proposes to complement an on-going watershed restoration and protection effort to address sedimentation into fish habitat from road related sources.  All aspects of the project are performed collaboratively and cost shared with the Umatilla National Forest (UNF), Asotin County Conservation District (ACCD), Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and private landowners.  Local experts in fisheries management have stated prolonged introductions of sediment as a one of the highest limiting factor for chinook, steelhead, and bull trout populations.  

SUMMARY OF PROBLEM:  Fisheries populations within the project area watersheds are affected by factors outside and inside the project area.  Outside the project area the hydrosystem has caused severe under-seeding of the existing habitat and impacts of ocean conditions remain unclear. Within the project area practices such as timber harvest and fire suppression are the land management activities that have most degraded anadromous and resident fisheries habitat.  Legacies from past land management may preclude full recovery in most streams if a passive approach to recovery is used.  These legacies include migration barriers from impassable culverts, system roads, noxious weeds, and abandoned logging road systems. In this project area we address both system and abandoned logging roads.

Approximately 30% of the watershed is forestland in which 26% is within the boundaries of the Umatilla National Forest.  The remaining forestland is owned by Washington State (managed by DNR and WDFW) and non-industrial private forestland owners (NIPF) (ACMWP 1995).  There are 4.1 to 5.0 miles of road per square mile in some of the forested subwatersheds (Charley Creek).  This high road density may be a contributing factor to sediment production.  Roads located in the floodplain have contributed to a loss of riparian vegetation.  Sediment delivered to streams from roads can generally be traced to surface erosion and mass failures.  Overgrown road surfaces are well protected from surface erosion, but vegetation alone does not ensure a road's stability.  Many older roads, including those that are overgrown, contain mass failure risk factors such as log drainage structures, logs or slash in fills, saturated fills, live stream culverts of inadequate size, streams diverted from their normal channels, or fills built on slopes too steep to remain stable (Stoval et al. 2001).

Instream sediment reduction is a goal outlined in the Plan.  Moore (1993) observed excessive fine sediments in portions of Asotin Creek. The U.S. Forest Service surveys also showed localized problems on the upper Asotin Creek tributaries (ACMWP 1995).  Isolated locations on the North Fork, South Fork, Charley Creek and Lick Creek all had areas in excess of 35% embeddedness.  Intrusion of sediment into spawning gravels results in decreased incubation, filling of pools thereby limiting rearing and over-wintering space, and decreased food production for juvenile salmonids (ACMWP 1995).

Asotin Subbasin Summary 2001 (Draft)
Sedimentation:  Land use practices have increased sediment delivery to the drainages and reduced floodplain and riparian function to filter and stabilize streambanks.  Fragile soils and land use practices have contributed fine sediments to the system, causing gravel to become cemented and impacting spawning areas.  Continued upland treatments are needed to store and utilize precipitation in the uplands and minimize sediment production at its source.

Upper Charley Creek EIS
Charley Creek, an upper tributary, has some of the highest densities of juvenile steelhead in southeastern Washington according to local WDFW fisheries surveys (Glen Mendel, personal communication 2001).  Local experts in fisheries management have stated that a limiting factor for Chinook, steelhead, and bull trout fish populations in Asotin Creek watershed is prolonged introductions of sediment.  Sediment increases is a contributing factor that results in losses of rearing, wintering and spawning habitat.  This is one reason why both Chinook and bull trout do not spawn and rear in Charley Creek due to sediment loading and lack of spawning habitat (UNF 2001).

Reduction of sediment sources is one way to improve stream habitat condition and help in the recovery of fishery populations within the Asotin Creek watershed.

SUMMARY OF THE GRANTEE'S PROPOSED APPROACH TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS:  The objectives of this proposal are to address sedimentation into fisheries habitat due to upland, forest road sources through road obliteration of unneeded roads and working with Umatilla National Forest, Asotin County Conservation District and landowners on road related issues.

FY 2004-2005 activities include projects that will continue to move toward reducing sediment deposition in spawning gravels and rearing areas by addressing sediment sources from forest roads on Umatilla National Forest land within the watershed, specifically the Charley Creek subwatershed and also the South Fork of Asotin Creek subwatershed. Charley Creek, an upper tributary, has been determined to have some of the highest densities of juvenile steelhead in southeastern Washington according to local WDFW fisheries surveys. The South Fork of Asotin Creek is not far behind in the densities of juvenile steelhead as well and is considered one of the high priority subwatersheds for protection and rehabilitation (EDT analysis 2003). This proposal via a partnering/cost share agreement with the UNF, ACCD  and private landowners will obliterate a minimum of 10 miles of road per year. In FY2004-2005 approximately 17.86 miles of road will be decommissioned in the Charley Creek subwatershed. These were roads surveyed and chosen for active decommissioning during the spring/summer of 2004. The Umatilla National Forest decided in September 2004 that we would not actively (machine work) perform the decommissioning work in the Charley Creek project area untill the spring of 2005. This decision was based on new contracting methods that must be adhered to by the Forest, namely converting "by the hour" contracts to "by the mile", "by the acre", and "by the linear foot" bid process. This new process became time consuming, confusing and changed the whole scope of the process in mid-season. Along with the fire danger and the beginning of hunting season in the area, the Forest decided to obligate the money but postpone the actual machine work until spring 2005. In addition, during 2005, we will survey and plan for decommissioning up to 15 miles of road in the South Fork of Asotin Creek subwatershed.  NEPA Analysis will be completed in the South Fork Asotin Creek subwatershed over the winter 2004/2005. This project proposes to work with private, WDFW, and the UNF to survey, assess and identify roads for restoration treatment to reduce sediment delivery into the upper tributaries  and eventually the mainstem Asotin Creek.