Contract History:  
The Lapwai Creek watershed restoration project through BPA has been on-going since 1999.  This project takes a holistic ridge-top to ridge-top approach to restore and mitigate limiting factors to fisheries production.  Land ownership in the watershed is 86% private, 12% Nez Perce Tribe, 2% State of Idaho, and 1% BLM.  Implementation focues on Tribal lands.  Although the Nez Perce Tribe owns only 12% of the watershed, most of this land is located within critical stream/riparian areas, including large portions of mainstem Lapwai, mainstem Sweetwater and Tom Beall Creeks.  There are approximately 53 miles of stream on Tribal lands within the Lapwai Creek Watershed.  Tribal lands are managed in a variety of ways, ranging from agriculture to grazing to timber harvest.  Since these land management practices have resulted in significant fish and wildlife habitat degradation, this project focuses on the protection and restoration of the Tribal land within the watershed.

This project works collaboratively with the Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation District in implementing restoration projects.  Limiting factors for Lapwai Creek and tributaries include sediment, temperature, instream habitat, connectivity, and summer low flows.  Completed contract work includes:  fish passage survey and assessment for the entire watershed; design and cost-estimates of the 2 top fish barriers; road surveys, sediment analysis and transportation plan; riparian buffer standards research and document; Natural Resource Assessment and Management Protocol (NRAMP) development; 6 tribal properties completed using the NRAMP process; 12 miles of riparian protection fence constructed; weed control on 35 acres; biological data collection by electrofishing on Lapwai, Sweetwater and Mission Creeks; Habitat data collected on a watershed scale for status and trend monitoring on Lapwai, Sweetwater, Webb and Mission Creeks.  Partners include the Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation District, Nez Perce Tribe Water Resources and Land Services Programs and NOAA's community based restoration program.  

This project will protect currently productive habitat from being further degraded and restore degraded habitat as a result of poor land management activities.  Within the Lapwai Creek watershed, steelhead is currently listed as "Threatened" under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).  In addition, Lapwai Creek flows into the main Clearwater River where "Threatened" fall Chinook are located.  A fall Chinook rearing facility is located 0.8 miles upstream from its confluence with the Clearwater River as part of the Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery.  The StreamNet database lists Lapwai Creek with 31.5 Km of anadromous fish habitat (spawning and rearing).  The overall habitat quality has been assessed as 20.9 km fair (66.4%) and 10.6 km (33.6%) as poor.  Despite current habitat conditions, rainbow-steelhead production continues to persist in the middle reaches of Lapwai Creek.  It is believed that considerable potential exists for improving anadromous fish populations in these and other areas of Lapwai Creek (Kucera et al. 1983).

Projects address all the bullets listed for this RPA including TMDL development.  Lapwai Creek is currently listed for bacteria, dissolved oxygen, flow alteration, habitat alteration, nutrients, sediment and temperature.  The Nez Perce Tribe's Water Resources Department (NPTWRD) is leading the TMDL effort with EPA that is due in 2006.  All monitoring efforts (biological, physical, and chemical) associated with this project will be used in TMDL development.  All restoration efforts are working towards meeting TMDL standards.

Summary of 2006-2007 Contracted Work:
Implementation will include: designing and cost estimates of fish barrier sites located on Rock and Tom Beall Creeks; completing survey, assessment and restoration project identification on 10 tribal properties using the NRAMP protocol; decommission 5 miles of road; maintain 12 miles of fence; construct 2 miles of riparian/stream protection fence; treat 35 acres of noxious/invasive weeds; collect biological fish data through electro-fishing on Tom Beall, Mill and East and West Fork Sweetwater Creeks; collect habitat data on 4 streams; and outreach and education to the general public, as well as high school and college students.  Partners include the Nez Perce Soil and Water Conservation District and the Nez Perce Tribe Water Resources and Land Services Departments.  Additional projects will be implemented and cost-shared with a NOAA community based restoration grant and a Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund project from the State of Idaho.