The Columbia River Estuary Task Force (CREST) is collaborating with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) on implementation of the Grays River Restoration Project (BPA Project 200301300).  The Grays River is vitally important to the recovery of Lower Columbia River (LCR) chum salmon because it currently has the most viable population remaining in the LCR region.  The Grays River watershed is also important to the recovery of salmon and steelhead in the LCR ecosystem.  Today, numbers of naturally spawning salmon and steelhead have declined to levels far below historical numbers because of habitat limiting factors that include but are not limited to the lack of habitat connectivity, diversity, channel stability, riparian function and altered stream flow conditions.  The objective of this project is to restore habitat-forming processes to enhance salmon and steelhead populations in the Grays River, following recommendations developed during the FY04-06 BPA-sponsored Grays River Watershed Assessment (BPA Project # 2003-013-00).  Specifically, this project will be the first step in restoring channel structure and function that will increase instream habitat diversity, channel stability, and riparian integrity in the critical response reach upstream and adjacent to critical salmon spawning areas of the Grays River.  The major component of this strategy is the planning, design, installation, and monitoring of engineering modifications to the channel (including the potential use of engineered logjams (ELJ)) that will rejuvenate historic channel and floodplain processes.  Additional restoration measures include reforesting the riparian corridor to enhance future large woody debris recruitment and investigation of conservation activities within ecologically critical areas.  These activities include land acquisition and levee removal to protect critical areas and reconnect floodplain areas.  Finally, monitoring integrated with restoration activities is proposed to evaluate restoration effectiveness and allow for adaptive management of future restoration treatments in the project area as well as other degraded watersheds in the Lower Columbia River.

The scope of work for the 2008-09 year will include finalization of design and beginning of the implementation phase. The fiscal period's implementation will include in-water and floodplain structures intended to increase habitat, roughness, and refuge as well as other listed habitat enhancements for salmonids during high and low flows.