Project is multi-faceted, targeting specific properties along the main channel of the Methow River, and three tributaries --  the Chewuch River, the Twisp River, and Beaver Creek. Each site will be treated with prescribed methods specific to that site, the overall objective being to reconnect historic side channels and disconnected flood plain areas, thereby increasing the complexity of associated riparian and instream habitat. Four project sites were identified at the outset: Fender Mill Phase 2, Chain of Lakes, Jennings, and Upper Beaver Creek. Also written into the proposal was a "programmatic" element for reconnection of side channels and flood plain habitat site(s) for which specific project information and designs were not then known.  Presently, five sites have been identified for reconnection of side channel and flood plain areas during the first year of the project -- Upper Beaver Creek, Hess, Heath, Wolf Creek, and Windhaven.

Wolf Creek is a tributary of the Methow River.  The Heath and Hess sites are on the Methow mainstem in the reach above Winthrop, and Windhaven is on the Chewuch River at the confluence with Pete's Creek. Several other properties are potential participants under the programmatic element.  Acquisition in fee simple or of conservation easement(s) may be necessary prior to treatment at specific sites (Windhaven will be proposed for acquisition in year one). Treatment of sites will be spread over at least three years.  Specific contract period activities are described in the SOW.  For the current contract period, 5 project sites are identified, 4 of which fall in the "programmatic" group.

For the programmatic projects, identifying the site specific needs and treatment elements which will be most beneficial, are integral parts of the work to be performed under the funding award.  Therefore, for each site selected in the current contract period, one milestone is dedicated to "project development."  Work to be completed under this heading includes that necessary to select the restoration elements suitable for each site, to quantify the chosen treatment elements, and generally determine the details of construction (including site rehab), and construction budget. In some cases, the implementation strategy identified through the project development process may conclude that a design-build is the preferred option.  Permitting, bid process, and contractor selection is included in the project development phase.  Consequently, this initial contract budget will be set to cover project development milestones. Once these milestones are complete, with construction elements and costs more accurately determined, then the construction budget for each project site will be added to the contract via amendment.  

Upper Beaver Creek - Connect the upstream end of a straightened and rip-rapped section of creek to its historical stream channel and reroute some or all flows into the currently dry channel to improve floodplain connectivity and encourage the deposition of sediment. This also includes permitting activities, pre-project and post-project habitat and fish monitoring, revegetation, and adaptive management. This is a multi-year project. The preliminary engineering design was presented to resource agencies in 2006  for input and collaboration, through the Quarterly Coordination process hosted by Reclamation and Methow Salmon. Participants in the process included WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA Fisheries. From that review process, the design has been modified to ensure continued protection of the county road, but allow greater channel migration along the privately held bank away from the road. These changes will result in greater habitat diversity and function, but negated nearly all of the quantity calculations completed during preliminary engineering. The approach favored by the resource agencies will more closely resemble a design / build project with quantities of rock removal, placement, and wood incorporation to be determined in the field during construction.  For this reason, the Beaver Creek site work element includes a milestone for "project development."

Hess - Fender reach of Methow main stem - reconnect side channel.  The Hess project represents a portion of historic side channel to the Methow River constrained by landowner bank protection activities and Department of Transportation bridge and culvert construction. This project proposes to address the passage barriers on private property upstream and downstream of the WDOT facilities at Weeman Bridge. Full reconnection of this side channel area will be contingent upon subsequent WDOT actions. This is a multi-year project.

Heath - Big Valley reach of Methow main stem - reconnect side channel. Side channels in this property meander through historic agricultural areas. Side channels have been modified to allow vehicle crossings and to charge irrigation pond / reservoirs for agricultural purposes. This project proposes to remove the human made barriers to fish passage through the side channels by construction of bridges, fish passage channels, and other habitat complexity features as directed by project biologists (WA Department of Fish and Wildlife regional Biologist Connie Iten). This is a multi-year project.

Wolf Creek - Methow main stem - reconnect side channels.  Effort on this property is proposed to address channel migration impacts in a developed residential area adjacent to the Methow River. Past landowner protection measures (rip rap armoring and bulkhead construction) have exacerbated erosion problems. This project seeks to provide financial support to affected landowners to approach channel migration on a reach basis rather than parcel by parcel. Construction elements will include placement of LWD, and constructed channel structures (weirs, barbs, J veins, etc.) instead of traditional bank armoring. Project includes permitting activities, pre-project and post-project habitat and fish monitoring (establishing photo point and transect locations to ensure standardized pre-post condition monitoring can be completed) , and revegetation.  Documentation of post project conditions will be completed on an annual basis throughout the funding cycle for this project.

Windhaven - Chewuch - reconnect side channel.  This project aims to reconnect historic side channels at the confluence of the Chewuch River and Petes Creek, to a level necessary to achieve TES species access to overwintering and rearing habitat. The project will require access across multiple private landowner holdings.  The project will  require acquisition of development rights during the first phase. It is our understanding that acquisition of development rights is required to be completed separate internal contract. A budget reservation of $175,000 is requested from the Council recommended contract first year value to accomplish this task.  This is a multi-year project.

Potential acquisition properties were prioritized and selected through the Methow Restoration Council (MRC) meeting process with input provided to the group by Reclamation through the Reach Assessment (RA) process.  Properties were prioritized to 1) preserve at risk areas adjacent to other protection areas, 2) prevent landowner actions that would impair adjacent / proximate restoration actions (clearing, rip rap, etc.)

Two property areas were identified:

Chewuch River: Pete's Creek reach properties: Marquardt,  Windhaven, Doran

Methow River:  Middle Methow reach -  McNae, O'Bannion, Comstock

In general, project objectives and methods include the following:

- Increase and Improve Riparian Habitat:

The loss of riparian habitat and floodplain connectivity severely diminishes large wood recruitment to the river. Large wood in the channel provides cover for fish, slows water velocities, creates pool and off-channel fish habitat, provides nutrients for invertebrate populations, and gathers spawning gravels. Intact riparian areas provide stream shading to the river, which decreases summer maximum temperatures.
Key features of activities at the various project sites include planting vegetation, increasing the water availability to the existing riparian growth in side channels and beaver pond areas to improve riparian habitat, and using rootwads and engineered log jams to increase future large wood recruitment.
The methods to achieve the above objective are to breach dikes (at the Jennings site), split flows into side channels (at the Fender Mill, Jennings, and Upper Beaver Creek sites), address armored banks and rip-rap (at the Fender Mill, Jennings, and Upper Beaver Creek sites), and add natural river materials such as logs and boulders to increase roughness and habitat complexity (at all the sites). The programmatic activities at other sites will use similar methods.

- Increase Rearing Habitat:
A primary objective of this project is to provide rearing habitat and high flow refugia for summer steelhead, spring Chinook salmon, and bull trout. All three species are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The proposed project is designed to primarily provide beneficial habitat for juvenile fish of these focal fish species. The project may also benefit Coho salmon, a focal species that the Yakama Nation has reintroduced into the Methow River subbasin.
Key features of activities at the various project sites include the creation and reconnection of lower gradient side channels and beaver ponds that connect the stream to the floodplain and provide smaller velocity channels that are shaded and protect steelhead redds and juveniles to provide optimum rearing habitat for all the focal fish species. This will also enhance the habitat complexity in the main stem reaches. The goal of all of these projects is to reintroduce and use natural stream processes to ultimately restore fish habitat.
The methods to achieve the objective of increasing rearing habitat for juvenile steelhead, spring Chinook salmon, and bull trout include, for example, breaching the manmade dikes at the Jennings site, rerouting flows into side channels at the Jennings and Upper Beaver Creek sites, addressing rip-rap bank armoring at the Fender Mill, Jennings, and Upper Beaver Creek sites, and reconnecting ponds at the Chain of Lakes and Jennings sites. The programmatic activities at other sites will use similar methods.

- Increase Spawning Habitat:
A secondary objective of the project is to increase spawning habitat for steelhead and spring Chinook salmon. Throughout much of the lower 15 miles of the Twisp River (the location of the Chain O Lakes and Jennings projects), the active channel can be characterized as an incised, armored, boulder-dominated, meandering river. The incised, high-energy main channel is transporting spawning gravels downstream. Forest Service biologists observed very little spawning habitat for spring Chinook salmon or steelhead during a November 2005, 1.3-mile habitat survey in the Chain of Lakes area of the Twisp River. At the Jennings Project area in Twisp River, Pacific Watershed Institute (2003) found that steelhead and spring Chinook salmon spawning habitat was impaired and isolated. At the Fender Mill Project site on the Methow River very little spawning habitat exists due to the lack of large woody debris and rip-rap along the banks, which has forced the channel to the right side of the floodplain. The Upper Beaver Creek site has poor spawning habitat for steelhead and spring Chinook salmon due to rip-rap that lines both banks. The rip-rap has confined and straightened the stream channel.
Key features of activities at the various project sites include diverting some of the flow into side channels to reduce water velocities, allowing the accumulation of spawning gravel in the side channels. This may also provide or enhance spawning habitat in the main stem reaches.
The method to achieve the objective of increased spawning habitat is to split the main stem flows into side channels, such as at the Jennings and Upper Beaver Creek sites. The programmatic activities at other sites will use similar methods.

- Reduce Brook Trout Populations:
Eastern brook trout is an introduced species that is present throughout the subbasin. Introduced brook trout threaten bull trout through hybridization, competition, and possibly predation. Brook trout spawn and rear in wetlands close to the Fender Mill Phase 2 project area. Brook trout are known to spawn in lower Twisp River and in Upper Beaver Creek. Reestablishing access for native fish to previously disconnected off-channel habitat should increase competition with brook trout by providing additional rearing and potential spawning habitat for native species. Brook trout may not retain dominance where native fish have access to habitat.

The method to achieve the objective is to reconnect beaver ponds to the main stem to introduce competition to the brook trout (such as at the Fender Mill and Upper Beaver Creek sites). The programmatic activities at other sites will use the same method.