This project was initiated on July 1, 1984 under the BPA contract and allows for initial landowner contacts, agreement development, project design, budgeting, and implementation for anadromous fish habitat improvement on privately owned lands within the John Day Basin.  

The purpose of the John Day Fish Habitat Enhancement Program is to enhance production of indigenous wild stocks of spring chinook and summer steelhead within the sub basin through habitat protection, enhancement and fish passage improvements.

In work period 3-1-2008 thru 2-29-2009 the fish habitat program will accomplish approximately 15.0 miles of riparian fence, coordination with 8 landowners (Kenny Holliday, Doug Leach, Alan Jacobs, Bob Collins, Joe Latoesky,  Jim Mabe, Mac Campbell and Ben Norton).  There will be constructed 3.00 miles on Laycock and Fall Creek/ Holliday property tributary to the John Day River, 2.00 miles on Eightmile Creek /Leach property tributary to the North fork of the John Day River, 2.00 miles on Alan Jacobs property tributary of the John Day River, 2.00 miles on Mountain Creek/Collins property tributary of the John Day River, 1.0 miles on South Fork of the John Day River/ Latosky property tributary of the John Day River , 1.0 miles on South Fork of the John Day River/ Mabe property tributary of the John Day River, 3.0 miles on Hay Creek/Campbell property tributary of the John Day River and 1.0 miles on Bear Creek/Norton property tributary of the John Day River.   There will be 2 off-site water developments on Laycock Creek/ Holliday property and 1 off-site water development on Mountain Creek\Collins property.  There will be approximately 35 gates and 13 watergaps constructed on the Eight project sites.  

On Beech Creek/Meredith property juniper rip-rap placement will involve placement of juniper on 3 sites and cover approximately 100 feet per site, 0.20 miles of bank protection.  Juniper protection on Jackie Johns property along Fox Creek to protect 0.50 miles of streambank and use juniper placement to protect approximately 1000 willow cuttings.  These projects are to help eliminate sediment deposits during high flow events on the steelhead redd productions.

Program personnel will talk with landowners where the projects have expired and see if they would like to resign a Cooperative Agreement for an additional 10-15 years.  The leases that have expired need to be looked at to see if fencelines need to be moved out from original positions, due to the fact that original fences were built close to the ordinary high water line and the program is trying to cut down on maintenance costs.