The Upper Columbia Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) has one federally Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed fish species: Upper Columbia Spring Chinook, and two ESA listed threatened fish species: Upper Columbia Steelhead and Bull Trout.  

Habitat restoration for listed species have been identified in the Upper Columbia Spring Chinook and Steelhead Recovery Plan (Plan) as well as the 2008 Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion RPA 35.  Currently, the Upper Columbia has approximately $21 million annually for implementation of habitat restoration associated with the Plan.  These funds are provided through Bonneville Power Administration, Washington State Salmon Recovery Board, Mid-Columbia Habitat Conservation Plan Tributary Committee, the Priest Rapids Coordinating Committee, Tribal Accords and several other funding sources.  Presently, there is a lack of cost effective engineering available to project proponents to design and implement these projects.  

The Mid-Columbia River Fishery Resource Office (USFWS) proposes to continue work through a habitat restoration team that will work directly with project proponents to complete the designs and implementation on three Lower Entiat River Restoration projects. The work will entail  survey, design and implementation along with construction oversight of these projects.  All three projects are associated with the FCRPS.  The team will be comprised of the program leader, a habitat restoration specialist, a habitat restoration engineer, a technician, and the project proponent.  BPA  funding will provide for one 0.5 FTE engineer and a 0.5 FTE technician. The USFWS will provide funding for the program leader, a habitat restoration specialist and 0.5 FTE of the technician.