This contract covers the Tyee Ranch Habitat Restoration proposal located between river mile 22 and 23 of the Entiat River.

The Entiat subbasin has been identified in the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Plan, the WRIA 46 management plan and the WRIA 46 Detailed Implementation Plan as being ripe for habitat restoration projects which would serve to restore native salmon runs of listed species to a viable population level. The Upper Columbia Regional Technical Team (UCRTT) has rated the Middle Entiat River, in which this proposal is located, as a Category I (Protection/Restoration) assessment unit. The UCRTT describes these areas as representing "systems that most closely resemble natural, fully functional aquatic ecosystems. They comprise large, connected blocks of high-quality habitat that support more than two listed species. Exotic species may be present but are not dominant in abundance. Protecting these areas is a priority, although restoration in some areas is also needed."  The Tyee Ranch property, located within what is known as the Preston Reach is one of the areas where reach based restoration is necessary due to past natural and anthropogenic actions and feasible because of the ownership of the site by a single entity, the Mary Esther Fraser Family Trust.

The work being proposed under this contract is one of three restoration projects proposed for a reach based approach to habitat restoration in the Entiat Watershed being monitored as an Intensively Monitored Watershed (IMW). Restoration projects are also being proposed by the Yakama Nations on property to the north, river mile 25- 26 (Brennigan Creek) project and by the Chelan County Natural Resources Department to the south between river mile 19-20 (Dillwater). The intent of the IMW approach is to construct reach based, large scale projects in a single calendar year and then monitor those projects and their effects for the following two years. A second round of reach scale projects will occur in 2014 in the lower Entiat and the final round will occur in 2017 in the middle river area.

Historically, the property has been used as pasture with unrestricted livestock access to the river. Levees were constructed on the site in the 1960's and 1970's . During the 1970's, the Army Corps of Engineers, in response to a massive slide north of the site, "cleaned up" the river. As a result, dredged spoils cutoff flow to a historic side channel in the northernmost reach of property ownership, natural floodplain connectivity and processes have been reduced and eliminated, there is a lack of large woody debris and there is streambank erosion. Limiting factors to be addressed with this project include restoration of natural floodplain processes, lack of woody debris, side channel habitat for offstream refugia, bank roughening and elimination of livestock access to the river.

The Tyee Ranch habitat restoration is the first targeted solicitation proposal under the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board' s program adopted in 2010 utilizing  BPA programmatic non-accord funds. The objective of the Tyee Ranch restoration project is to increase habitat diversity and the abundance of spring Chinook salmon and steelhead between river mile (RM) 21.8 to RM 22.5. As proposed, Phase I of the contract would result in the installation of four floodplain connection channel engineered log jams (ELJ), two mid-channel ELJs, one bank ELJ and two areas of wood enhancement of Large Woody Debris (LWD). Excavation to restore side channel connection would occur between RM 22.9 and 23.0 and between RM 22.3 to below RM 22.1. The upper levee, constructed in the 1970's would be modified by the removal of the southern one-third and the selective breaching at the northern end.   Upon completion of the instream work, all access roads, haul routes and temporary river crossings would be removed, the area restored to its pre-construction condition and the area replanted with native riparian vegetation. The final action would be to construct pasture fencing around the perimeter of existing pasture areas and construction of an off-stream self-water facility to eliminate livestock intrusion.

Engineered log jam structures, side channel reconnection and northern levee modification is slated to be completed between July 15 and September 15, 2011. Fence construction and the off-stream watering facility are scheduled to be complete by October 31, 2011. Riparian planting would likely occur during spring planting season of 2012.

In a potential future contract pending BPA review, Phase II of the contract would entail the removal and restoration of the entire lower levee, constructed sometime in the 1960's and located approximately between RM 21.8 and 21.9. This work is slated to be completed during the summer work window of 2012 with riparian planting occurring either fall of 2012 or spring 2013. The proposal for this portion of the project would entail the excavation of the entire length of the levee. It is likely that there would also be placement of large woody debris and possibly some side channel excavation if necessary to restore floodplain processes and increase complexity and habitat. More detailed designs will be developed in concert with the landowner and downstream property owner whose property could be affected by this levee removal.

As a separate action, a Conservation Easement would be recorded on the property to provide protection and maintenance, if necessary, of the completed restoration.