INTRODUCTION

The Klickitat Watershed Enhancement Project (KWEP) works to restore, enhance, and protect watershed function within the Klickitat subbasin.  Project work emphasizes restoration and protection in watersheds and reaches that support native salmonid stocks, particularly steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss; listed as "Threatened" within the Mid-Columbia Evolutionarily Significant Unit), spring Chinook (O. tshawytscha) salmon, and bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus; Endangered Species Act "Threatened").  Restoration activities focus on restoring stream processes by removing or mitigating watershed perturbance, improving habitat conditions, and water quality.  Watershed and habitat improvements also benefit fall Chinook (O. tshawytscha), coho (O. kisutch) salmon, resident rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout (O. clarki) and enhance habitat for terrestrial and amphibian wildlife species.  Protection activities compliment restoration efforts within the subbasin by securing refugia and preventing degradation.  90% of the off-reservation project area is in private ownership thus cooperation with state, federal, tribal, and private entities is essential.  KWEP addresses goals and objectives presented in the Klickitat Subbasin Plan, Klickitat Lead Entity Strategic Plan, and the Northwest Power Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife Program.  

PROJECT GOALS

The overall goal of KWEP is to restore watershed health to aid recovery of salmonid stocks in the Klickitat subbasin.  There are three sub-goals:

•  Assess watershed and habitat conditions to prioritize sites for restoration activities.  This involves data collection, compilation, and review of existing as well as historic habitat and watershed conditions.  Identification and filling of data gaps is also a component of KWEP.
•  Protect, restore, and enhance priority watersheds and reaches to increase riparian, wetland, and stream habitat quality.  In-situ and watershed-scale restoration activities mitigate or resolve conflicting historic, present, and/or future land-uses.  Protect areas of existing high-quality habitat condition and prevent further deterioration of degraded habitats.  Restore areas of degraded stream channel and/or habitat condition.
•  Monitor watershed conditions to assess trends and effectiveness of restoration activities.  Monitoring is a critical component to evaluating project success and guiding adaptive practices.  Site-specific and basin-wide spatial scales are addressed.  KWEP augments the Klickitat Monitoring & Evaluation Project (BPA project #1995-06-335)  by assisting data collection and providing Quality Assurance /Quality Control (QA/QC) and analysis of channel morphology, streamflow, temperature, habitat, and channel substrate data.