Tillicum Creek Fence Project
The Tillicum Creek Fence project is located in the Mad River watershed of the Entiat subbasin and will benefit Upper Columbia steelhead, spring Chinook, bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. The overall goal for the Tillicum Creek Fence project is to restore degraded riparian and stream channel areas while continuing to provide grazing opportunities to authorized permittees.  The fence will help restore habitat necessary for sustaining salmonids at critical life history stages of spawning, rearing and migration and restore properly functioning riparian and channel conditions in Tillicum Creek. It will provide BPA and Reclamation with a FCRPS BiOp metric credit of up to 0.5 miles for the riparian enhancement limiting factor. Specific project goals include:
• Increase riparian vegetation by excluding sheep grazing within the riparian area.
• Increase streambank stability and reduce sediment delivery to the stream by excluding sheep from grazing along the stream.
• Reduce sediment delivery to the stream by allowing riparian vegetation to grow.

Objectives:
• Construct approximately 0.7 miles of fence at least 35 feet from the stream to exclude sheep from grazing the riparian area and impacting the stream channel along Tillicum Creek and Indian Creek.
• Develop watering facilities and/or hardened access using two water troughs to facilitate livestock watering.
• Plant 0.1 miles of native vegetation with a buffer width of at least 35 feet to restore riparian conditions along Tillicum Creek.

The Tillicum Creek Fence project will provide livestock exclusion from those portions of Tillicum and Indian Creeks that are immediately adjacent to critical livestock handling locations to protect approximately 0.5 miles of streambanks and riparian vegetation along steelhead spawning areas.

One permittee grazes sheep in the Mosquito Sheep Allotment along Tillicum Creek.  He is authorized to graze 1000 ewes with lambs from May 15th until July 31st, annually. The livestock are moved along a previously established route by a herder and herding dogs. Livestock are kept together in a band and do not typically travel unattended through the allotment.  In mid July of each year, sheep are corralled along the confluence of Tillicum and Indian creeks to sort the ewes and lambs.  When traveling to the sorting site, sheep drift into Tillicum Creek for grazing and water access. This leads to foraging impacts on the riparian vegetation and sediment input from trampling along the stream channel.  Since steelhead redd timing in the Mad River is typically in April and May, sheep access into Tillicum Creek does not directly impact steelhead redds.  The grazing and trampling cause indirect effects of riparian degradation and sediment delivery to the stream.  

Jodi Leingang (USFS Range Management Specialist) designed the Tillicum Creek Fence project. The final fence design has been reviewed and accepted by the permittee, who will operate and maintain the fence once it is built. The District Ranger and Forest Supervisor are both supportive of the Tillicum Creek Fence project.  The USFS Grants and Agreements Department, who must oversee any transactions in which the USFS receives outside funding, has been informed of the project.

The Tillicum Creek Fence project will include fencing and planting along two sections of Tillicum Creek and Indian Creek that will provide a riparian buffer that is at least 35 feet wide. The proposed fencing would consist of a two individually fenced enclosures (i.e., areas that contain livestock in a specific area) and a “drift fence” (i.e., single linear section of fence) that would provide habitat protection for spring Chinook and steelhead in areas that are important to successful allotment operation. The lower enclosure would be located at the confluence of Tillicum Creek with the Mad River.  This area is utilized as an unload and turnout site and the enclosure would function to contain animals within the authorized portion of the site while excluding livestock from the riparian area immediately adjacent. Previous efforts to restore this area from historic impacts have been successful (e.g., seeding of desirable species) and this proposal would contribute to on-going maintenance and further improvement of this site. This proposal would also provide an opportunity to eliminate adverse impacts to an adjacent historic site by containing livestock in a more suitable, enclosed location. Approximately 0.4 miles of fence will be needed to protect 0.3 miles of stream channel and riparian area on  Tillicum Creek.  

The upper enclosure would be located at the confluence of Indian Creek with Tillicum Creek.   This area serves as the take-off site where lambs are loaded onto trucks for removal from the allotment. The enclosure at this site would also function to contain livestock and prevent adverse impacts to the adjacent riparian area. Previous watershed restoration efforts to prevent dispersed camping on this site have been only partially effective. The proposed fence would contribute significantly to effectively reducing unauthorized use at this site. Approximately 0.2 miles of fence will be needed to protect 0.1 miles of stream channel and riparian area on Indian Creek.  

A drift fence would be located southeast of this enclosure along Tillicum Creek (immediately across Forest Service Rd 5800) in an area utilized for watering the livestock. A drift fence in this location would serve to restrict livestock access to authorized hardened locations along Tillicum Creek. Additionally, this location is commonly used as a dispersed campground and the proposed fence would direct users access to Tillicum Creek; minimizing the amount of streamside impacted by foot traffic. Approximately 0.1 miles of drift fence will be used to protect 0.1 miles of stream channel and riparian area on Tillicum Creek. Planting of native vegetation (trees, shrubs, and grass/forbs) is also proposed at this location. Approximately 0.1 miles of native vegetation planting will occur along Tillicum Creek to reestablish riparian vegetation. This will revegetate an area that is 0.42 acres.

All fences described would consist of buck and pole construction and will be built by fence contractors.  For the Tillicum Creek Fence project, the inside of the buck and pole fence structure will be finished with field fence to ensure sheep are excluded from the riparian areas.

USFS personnel will develop an alternate water source, including two portable water troughs with pipeline. The troughs will be placed in a location that is appropriate for sheep and minimizes the impacts to the stream.  Exact location for placement of the troughs will be determined at a future date (11/1/07).  

This project is part of a cost-share Range Management program on USFS property in which the USFS provides fence materials and the permittee builds and maintains the fence. The proposed Cost to BPA includes the permittees’ costs to build the fence, plus costs for contract management, planning, permitting, and some of the monitoring.

Landowner Cooperation
The Tillicum Creek Fence project is located on USFS lands.  The USFS personnel are supportive of this project and have contributed a considerable amount of time to providing project details, estimated costs and proposed monitoring methods.  They have also contacted the permittees, who are also in support of the Tillicum Creek Fence project.

The Chelan County Conservation District is committed to cooperative agreements.  Any other potential riparian enhancement projects that are proposed in the Entiat subbasin will have landowner support.

Permitting
Appropriate permits will be obtained prior to constructing any riparian enhancement projects in the Entiat subbasin.  The USFS will perform the CR survey work for the Tillicum Creek Fence project. The USFS will be the lead agency for all environmental compliance including NEPA, ESA and Section 106 coverage.

Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring and Evaluation will consist of implementation monitoring and Level I effectiveness monitoring as described in “Project Monitoring: A Guide for Sponsors in the Upper Columbia Basin” (Hillman 2005). As a reminder, the overall goal for the Tillicum Creek Fence project is to restore degraded riparian and stream channel areas.  Specific project goals include:
• Increase riparian vegetation by excluding sheep grazing within the riparian area.
• Increase streambank stability and reduce sediment delivery to the stream by excluding sheep from grazing along the stream.
• Reduce sediment delivery to the stream by allowing riparian vegetation to grow.

Objectives:
• Construct approximately 0.7 miles of fence at least 35 feet from the stream to exclude sheep from grazing the riparian area and impacting the stream channel along the Mad River, Tillicum Creek and Indian Creek.
• Develop watering facilities and/or hardened access using two water troughs and 800 feet of 1” diameter pipeline to facilitate livestock watering.
• Plant 0.1 miles of native vegetation with a buffer width of at least 35 feet to restore riparian conditions along Tillicum Creek.


Operation and Maintenance
The permittees will provide Operation and Maintenance for the Tillicum Creek Fence once it is built. This will ensure that Tillicum Creek, Indian Creek and the Mad River will be protected from sheep grazing.