The Fender Mill project is located at river mile 67.0 (RM) on the left bank of the mainstem Methow River. The goals are to reconnect a side channel, thus providing increased off-channel rearing and over-wintering habitat; restore and improve riparian habitat; increase instream complexity; increase competition with nonnative brook trout, and restore natural floodplain processes. The overriding consideration throughout project development was to use the "minimum necessary tool" to allow natural river processes to operate without interference from remnants of human activities in the area. These remnants include abandoned structures, roads, and garbage constraining the natural channel or flood channels. The "minimum tool" is a resource management term defined as "Using the least intrusive measures that will solve the problem. "

There are four major features at the site which will be addressed:

1. Push-up dikes and mill remnants:
The location is the site of an early 20th century sawmill, which included one or two canals which not only filled the millpond but also provided a means to float logs into the millpond for processing. Prior to the development and operation of Fender Mill, these canals were natural side channels of the mainstem, which traversed the floodplain and re-entered the Methow River about 1/2 mile downstream.  Constructed improvements at Fender Mill included "pushup" dikes comprised of native river cobbles, which controlled the flow into the side channel canals and millpond and generally protected the site from flooding; a levee which formed the millpond; and a concrete control structure at the lower end of the millpond which regulated its depth. From this control structure, return flows traversed the floodplain through the natural channels, and returned to the mainstem as previously described. The levee and control structure were essentially an earthen dam which collected side channel flow, forming the millpond. Today, remnants of the protective cobble dikes prevent live flows from entering the historic side channel. The pond levee and remnants of the control structure obstruct the historic side channel.

2. Rockview Ditch remnants:
At approximately the same time as the Fender mill site operated, local homesteaders constructed the Rockview irrigation ditch which had its intake on the Methow River just above the Fender mill site, at the Weeman Bridge.  It appears that this ditch crossed the Fender mill pond and then crossed under the road (later SR 20) via either a small bridge or culvert.  Return flow from the fish screen for the ditch used the Fender mill return flow channel as fish return to the Methow River after mill operations ceased. Though the Rockview ditch ceased operations in 2000, and the fish screen was removed, the concrete headworks and chain link fencing remain intact. These remnants would impede flows in the historic side channel, once the channel is reconnected.

3. Fish return channel blockage:
Also around 2000, power line clearing operations occurred along the edge of the project site. Over 100 cottonwood trees were felled. The logs and debris from this operation were piled in the fish return channel, effectively blocking it.

4. Hardened crossing:
A user-defined crossing, which allows recreational access to the river, has developed from a road entry access off SR 20.  This road fords the old return channel below the wood debris plug, and vehicle passage has widened and hardened the crossing point considerably, causing a braided channel.

All of these existing features pose post-freshet stranding risk to targeted species - spring Chinook salmon, summer steelhead, and bull trout - all presently listed under the ESA.

The tasks identified will remove placed features that may interfere with floodplain re-occupation or avulsion.  ("Avulsing" occurs when a river channel changes in reaction to a blockage, usually a log jam, cutting into an upland area, and washing in a new channel.) This action will be taken in response to recent observations indicating that the Methow River is aggrading (depositing materials on the bottom of the stream channel, building it up) and becoming laterally unstable in the Fender Mill area, and is in the process of moving laterally to the left.  These are indications that the river will eventually reoccupy its floodplain, creating either new side channel habitat or avulsing (becoming a new channel through previously upland areas) through the area.

The anticipated overall outcome is to allow natural river processes to operate without interference from the identified remnants of the Fender Mill and Rockview Ditch.

Project elements will address each of these existing conditions. Once the historic side channel is reconnected, features which would impede flow in the channel, and/or which pose a danger to targeted species, will be removed. Habitat components will be added in the upstream end of the restored channel(s), at the mainstem. Disturbed areas will be revegetated with native species, as prescribed by USFS and WDFW planting guidance.

Specific proposed work activities:
1. Remove concrete foundations at the downstream end of the old mill pond
2. Remove portions of Rockview Ditch's concrete fish screen structure.
3. Remove portions of the woody debris from channel (from power line maintenance) below fish screen site.
4. Place large woody debris (lwd) structures with material salvaged from site.
5. Reshape road crossing and braided channel.
6. Re-establish riparian vegetation.

Project Objectives:
1. Eliminate potential stranding of juvenile Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout, and other aquatic species.
2. Increase off-channel rearing and habitat for juvenile spring Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout and other aquatic species.
3. Extend and enhance upstream the reach-level benefits of the recently completed Hancock Springs restoration project.
4. Restore and improve riparian habitat by re-watering riparian areas along the abandoned side channel and reestablishing riparian vegetation removed by power line clearing operations.
5. Maintain nearby quality off-channel habitat by restoring and reconnecting flood plains, side channels, and other off-channel habitat with increased floodwater dispersal.

All work will be performed on lands purchased by the WDFW.

The project will be implemented after high flows recede and no flows are present in the channels.  There will be no work earlier than late July.  The project is expected to take four weeks to complete.  All work will be performed in the dry. However, there exists the potential for severe storm event(s), which could cause the channel areas to become inundated, and require isolation of the work area to prevent entrainment or injury to fish.  Therefore, a dewatering contingency is itemized in the budget. Plantings will be delayed either until the late fall of 2008 or early spring of the following year.  

Adaptive Management
Monitoring of planting success and post construction conditions will occur in the spring and summer of 2009. The focus of adaptive management will be monitoring responses of channel modifications to increased flows and observation of the channel downstream of the present project area to ensure that no other barriers exist to prevent fish escapement in that direction.  Additional earthwork and log placement may be required after the spring 2009 high flows.  MSRF is requesting that the permits remain open for 2 to 3 years.  The following work could be accomplished in subsequent years:
1. Additional channel modifications below the fish screen site in response to high flow alterations of the channel may be necessary.  Excavation of up to 80 cubic yards of material and fill quantities in the same amount as well as large boulder placement could also be required.  
2. Placement of up to 10 existing cottonwood logs at the site to be incorporated into the project as habitat structures