This contract is being funded as a result of BPA's 2007 Federal Columbia River Power System Fish Operations Agreement for 2007 operations, Signed December 20, 2006.  This project is planned for inclusion in BPA's New Habitat UPA.

Background:

This water release has multiple objectives but the primary purpose is to seed the available habitat.  The intent is that smolts released during 2007 will return as adults in 2009 and begin establishing a steelhead run to Salmon Creek through natural reproduction.

A second objective during the water release is to identify areas of juvenile stranding.  These areas will be flagged and addressed during the low-flow channel design to minimize the amount of stranding during future releases.


Salmon Creek, a unique tributary of the Okanogan River providing cool water (northeast aspect) to a basin containing predominately warm water temperatures, contained renowned runs of anadromous fish in the basin (Mullan et al. 1992).  Salmon Creek's greatest fishery value, however, was attributed to the excellent runs of steelhead trout and spring Chinook salmon which utilized the extensive spawning and rearing habitat in this watershed.  Little doubt exists that the runs were of considerable size.  Members of the nearby Okanogan Indian Tribe installed and operated numerous fish traps while local white residents took fish in considerable number to augment farming.

During the early 1900's Conconully Dam was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation creating a storage reservoir and a reliable water source for irrigation.  A diversion structure constructed at river mile 4.3 disconnected Salmon Creek from the Okanogan River for the past 90 years and prevented anadromous salmonids from accessing historic headwater spawning and rearing habitat.  Due to Salmon Creek's renowned historical use by salmon and steelhead, unique water quality characteristics and potential to strengthen summer steelhead in the Okanogan River Basin, the Colville Tribes have led an effort to reestablish flow downstream of the irrigation diversion dam which would allow access to quality spawning and rearing habitat by summer steelhead.

Beginning in 1996, the Colville Tribes initiated habitat evaluations and restoration options that became the premise of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS).  After the development of several alternatives, the preferred alternative, the construction of a pump station located along the Okanogan River lacked regional support.  A less expensive alternative, which was evaluated within the DEIS, was a long-term (12-year) water lease and the construction of a low flow channel to maximize the amount of water obtained through the lease.  During 2006, an Memorandum of Agreement between the Okanogan Irrigation District and the Colville Tribes was signed, to implement a 12-year water lease agreement with a minimum annual volume of water of 700 ac-ft.

Thus the following is a Scope of Work which describes actions to be taken to design a low flow channel and a firm cost estimate to construct this channel to allow for efficient passage by adult summer steelhead and to minimize standing by out-migrating smolts.